The group is pretty hungry, and it turns out Jek is a halfway decent cook of rather bland food, which is all that is on hand in the Elysium Pale galley. The power situation aboard ship is at critical, so the pilot uses a couple thermo canisters he is able to scrounge from the galley supply closet. The last of the Corellian Ale is consumed along with about half of the remaining foodstuff. Jek tells Rex to add groceries to the list of things they need before they can finally leave Red Barren. The droid looks at him blankly, then fires off a heated exchange that only Jek and Joyhal understand. Where the droid learned to curse like that they can only guess. "Uh, we need groceries," announces Jek meekly. "Just so we don't forget."
There are enough bunks for everyone, leaving the captain's bunk vacant. Somebody snores, but you're all so tired you quickly fall asleep.
"Beep beep beep!" Announces Rex. The morning has come too soon.
You all lumber out of your bunks and take turns in the head, then promptly gear up. The rest of the MREs are distributed - one ration per person. A water bladder is scavenged and filled. Masks are affixed and the ramp is lowered. Rex beeps at you from inside the ship as you step out. He is staying behind for this one.
White Suns Base
Scale: 1 Square = 20 Meters (Click image to see larger map)
The dawn sky glows a deep orange-red. The wind is calm and the dust is mostly settled. At the far end of the Port you see the trucks full of miners heading north to the mines. A short walk south of the hangar bay you find Martya and Kell standing beside a junker of a cargo skiff. The old repulsorlift truck has seting for seven, and can probably haul twenty tonnes in the open deck. It has half a dozen small storage hatches built in to either side of the deck. You can stow any bulkier gear, and find straps, chain, and four hand-sized hooks. The skiff also has a winch bolted to the front of the deck.
ReplyDelete"I heard you and your friends paid a visit to Halem last night," says Marty, her face welcoming, hopeful. "I see you were able to secure the body armor and weapons. I hoped he might be willing to part with them. He is set in his ways, but with the right touch he is persuadable." Kell looks quizzically at his mother but she ignores him.
"You are ready to go? Yes?" She nods to the group and you pile into the skiff. Kell takes the center seat behind the drive controls. There are two shotgun seats on either side of him and a second row that seats four across. Martya sits to Kell's left.
OOC: If you think it's important, one of you can be the first to declare shotgun for the other front seat. ;)
Kell engages the repulsorlift and Rushtown quickly disappears into the dust behind you. An hour into relatively smooth drive Kell slows the vehicle. In the distance you can see the dark profile of three mountain peaks.
"We know that the White Suns base is on the other side of those peaks. How do you want to proceed?"
"Well," Page says, gazing at the mountains. "If they're smart, they've got someone on those mountains. Anyone got any macrobinoculars? We can get a really good look at what we're trying to get into." He looks around.
ReplyDelete"I can climb ok. Honey, how do those cyborg limbs handle rock faces?"
Page looks at the mountains, trying discern any paths or climb-able faces that could support their ascension. There must be a pass through to the White Suns base. The sentries will most likely be close to that path. If he can get a pair of macro binoculars, it should be easy to pick them out.
OOC: This is just my first thought.
"I had opted against the pneumatic grips, in order to increase the speed in which I can type on a computer terminal. Overall, I'd put my chances at a successful, undamaged climb at... very low. Now, macrosight... Those were next on my lit. Perhaps I should've upgraded to them sooner." They certainly would've been more useful then the replaced kidney, seeing as that would become obsolete at around 15% flesh to steel.
ReplyDelete"Me and some of the other boys used to come down here on hoverbikes years ago," Kell volunteers. "Before Tiora showed up. There's a ravine that runs up to a plateau behind the center peak, but the entrance to the ravine is up the front side."
ReplyDeleteMartya looks at her son. "I didn't know you did that."
"That's gotta be how the Suns get in and out," adds Jek. "Can we go around?"
"Palisades run east and west for another hundred klicks or more." answers Kell. "I really don't know how far. The mountains are climbable if you're up for it. Most of the faces aren't too steep if you have experience. I've free-climbed them before, but it's a full day."
OOC: Nobody has macrobinoculars. You're still at a safe distance where they would need an exceptional set of infrared optics to see you through the dust.
Otho nods. "Alright, looks like we climb up it, then. If we don't make too much noise we should be able to get up there without nobody spottin' us overmuch."
ReplyDeleteOtho starts rumaging around in the storage compartment that has the straps ans chain, testing their girth, making sure it'll be enough for the party.
He turns to Honey, "There ain't gonna be no computers in the mountain-side. You sure you wanna come along, honey? You could just stay here with Martya an' knit quilts, if'n you'd rather."
Otho still wasn't sure what to make of Honey, and having the toaster along for the ride was making him uneasy.
"I suspect this one" Red nods at Honey, "will have little trouble keeping up." He cracks his neck and stretches his shoulders. "Furthermore, I think the fresh air will do us all some good." The prospect of some physical activity seems to lighten his mood somewhat. "I don't mind taking point."
ReplyDeleteMusing to himself, "If I have to eat too many more of these MRE's, my insides are going to try and escape."
Well, they weren't wrong. "I will stay behind if that is what you feel is best. I'd certainly prefer to avoid unnecessary risk on my part, so unless you feel there might be terminals or droids for me to deal with I shall remain behind." Boring? Yes. Safe? Marginally. There's likely something she could do from out here, she'll just need to think of it.
ReplyDelete"I'm going to connect my commlink to your owns, it shouldn't take more then a few seconds."
After fixing the compliment of cordage into a rough rigging, Kell takes the lead on the climb. Martya proves to be a formidable climber herself, keeping up with her son. The slopes are sandblasted, creating both smooth surfaces but also lots of small holes perfect for hands and feet.
ReplyDeleteYou encounter no sentries on the way up, as if the White Suns have absolutely no expectation that anyone would challenge their base of operations from this direction.
OOC: For everyone who intends to infiltrate the base, give me a Climb (Strength) roll. For anyone else, tell me what you are going to do.
Honey keeps her feet planted on the ground, raising a thumb of good luck to the others as they try to brave the cliffside. As they do, she considers her options. Perhaps she could attempt to tap into the White Suns communications? She brings up the holographic overlay of the built in datapad, mentally pointing towards a program that'd let her listne to local frequencies. She tries to sort through the mess of signals in order to locate the one for the White Suns.
ReplyDeleteTechnical (Communications) 2D: 4+3 = 7 | 1D Exploding: 6, 3 = 9 | Total 16
ooc: If you'd rather her roll something else, or you think it's not possible, please let me know. I just figured this was my best bet.
OOC: Communications is under Mechanical but I assume that's what you meant because your dice roll was correct.
ReplyDeleteHoney's datapad lacks the power to cut through Red Barren's atmospheric interference, but the old skiff has a short wave radio and tuner. With the patience only someone who's spent countless hours parsing bits of code, then recompiling it into scripts to breakdown security protocols, Honey calibrates the tuner. Her augments provide for a steady and almost imperceptibly fine rotation along the frequency band. For more than an hour all she hears is static.
Then, at last, the waveform solidifies, and an audible, albeit mottled, sound rumbles across the amplifier. The source is not yet clear but after several more minutes of agonizing tuning a single human voice can be heard. The signal to noise ratio is less that optimal, but Honey's audio stabilizer implants resolve the sex of the speaker to be female.
"[static]--irmed. Course programmed into the nav co--[static]--rty minutes before the power cells are charged. Why don't you go--[static]--yto finished cleaning the ion scoring from the Vendetta?"
A male voice responds:
"[prolonged static]--and Seren check the dry goods or make a run into Rushtow--[static]"
A second male voice adds:
"[static]--heard a freighter docked at port, shot up pretty bad. Could be the same ship we tri--[static]--going anyway we could check it out."
The female replies:
"[static]--on't want Matok breathing down our necks anymore than--[static]--Bezo and Mutt into town on the speederbikes. Watch out for the--[static]"
Honey continues to listen but there is only static. She makes a mental note of the frequency.
OOC: Honey can continue to listen or do something else.
OOC: Yep, that's what I had meant. Interesting information, could be useful... I'll wait a little bit for the others to post before she continues, since it'll be taking her about an hour there. Hopefully by then, I'll know what she'll relay to the others about it too.
DeletePage carefully makes his way up. As he nears the peak of the palisade, he keeps a careful ear out.
ReplyDeleteClimb = 5+1 = 6
As Page climbs, he decides to quietly hum a little tune, sung in standard Basic musical notation. G-G-A-G-C-B, G-G-A-G-C-B. A few other notes thrown in. He's heard the melody before, though it's claimed as intellectual property by a media conglomerate on the core worlds called Markhall. The song's name somewhat escapes him, as does its significance, but it keeps him in rhythm as he makes his way up the rigging.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Zach ;)
DeleteNice!
DeleteJava pilots the barely road-worthy skiff he just rented from the port authority. Despite being on his own and unable to deliver a bacta tank, he was feeling upbeat. The captain should be doing much better and Java will soon be back in a place he understood well: the care ward of a medical center. Yeah, these folks were generally a rough and suspicious lot, but he knew living in a place like this was liable to turn the softest skin into a hardened hide.
ReplyDeleteAs he pulled into the medical center, he ran through his agenda for the day: check on the captain, work in the center, be there to check the captain out when he was done in the tank, then head out to the Suns' base. True, he wouldn't have a bacta tank with him, but how did they expect him to transport the thing himself? He can bring a video of the working tank, showing both his ability and level of access.
(OOC more coming)
Red's choice to join in the raid with the others presented a small challenge, but nothing insurmountable. Java would be there soon enough himself, and he wouldn't really even need to lie. Red simply had another job opportunity he wanted to take advantage of before coming out to the base, which was true enough.
ReplyDeleteThe only complication Java was really concerned about was having the infiltration team get discovered and having Java show up with the base in the middle of a high alert status. So he would need to carefully monitor the comms, and get the captain out of there as soon as possible.
Yeah, things could get exciting. That would be cool. In the meantime, he can help people in the medical center.
Yeah, it would be a great day.
OOC: Climb roll 10+3=13
ReplyDeleteRed rolls up his sleeves, "Here we go.!"
OOC: Page, roll Strength.
ReplyDeleteOtho, where are you?
I did roll strength. Came out with a 5+1 = 6. My character has only 2D on strength.
DeleteThat was your climb roll. Now I need a strength roll from you to take damage.
DeleteOtho finds some fallen branches and breaks them until he get a few workable stakes to supplement the hand-sized hooks. He wraps some straps around his mid-section, and as he climbs up, he pauses to pound some hand-holds into the mountain side, wrapping them with chain. He decided he might could stand falling a bit, as long as he didn't fall allllll the way.
ReplyDelete(Climb check: 6+4 = 10. Str check 4+5 = 9.)
Jek proves to be a surprisingly nimble climber, often taking the lead role from Kell as you all ascend. Otho and Page are not so naturally adept, each falling several meters to crash against the smooth rock face. Luckily neither suffers anything more than scrapes and bruises, the rigging catching them from a more serious fall and certain death. (OOC: GM rolled total falling damage of 4 on 3 dice!)
ReplyDeleteIn large part to Kell and Jek's skill and choice of route up the mountain, by early afternoon the group reaches a valley between peaks through which they can see the White Suns b ase on the plateau below.
The wind has also started to pick up, carrying with it a wash of dust that is only slightly thinned at altitude. Through this they can discern no obvious movement of people, although it's unlikely that the base is abandoned. Honey's infrared spectrometer would have been useful. Nevertheless, from this vantage point the team can see four small guard towers guarding the perimeter of the base (A), and a larger, central guard tower (B). There are several large buildings of unknown purpose and two ships, a damaged light freighter (H) you recognize as the ship Otho crippled upon their arrival at Red Barren, and a hybrid freighter-corvette (J), the same ship piloted by Tiora during that same encounter. The ravine does look like it is being used as a rough roadway for vehicle traffic. Beyond the base the plateau stretches out of sight.
"We'll need to get closer if we intend to get the information the Elders require," says Martya. "It will be difficult to sneak in during the day," she adds. "We would be exposed from all sides."
About an hour after Honey intercepted the radio commentary she sees a skiff come down out of the ravine and speed along the edge of the plateau toward the northwest. It must not have spotted Martya's truck as it makes no adjustment to course and is soon out of sight. There is also no evidence on the radio that they were discovered. The rest of the morning passes uneventfully for the young woman.
ReplyDeleteAdministrator Karl leans forward heavily in his embattled chair as Java enters.
ReplyDelete"Plum, was it? You did alright last night, although I see our supply of pain killers took a hit. That seems to happen whenever the Suns come in. I hoped you would at least say something. And I see your wounded man in our tank. You and your mechanic friend are as good as your word, so I setup an appointment with Director Skoff after lunch.
Until then, Emtoo-Fore has moved several patients into the B Ward that could use better attention that the orderlies can provide. Consider yourself properly hired. If you want to negotiate for a coat I'm sure the Director will accommodate. Just don't go with white - it will never stay clean on this planet."
The droid escorts you to B Ward and during the morning you met with and provide helpful service for five patients, most of which suffer from long-term effects of dust inhalation.
During a break you are able to check in on Captain Ethgarnon. Orderly Skiff must only work the night shift, and his replacement is an attractive older human female who greets Java with a smile.
"I'm Sienna," she says. "We're very grateful for you and your friend. This tank has been down for too long. If we could get the third tank working we'd be able to do some real good in this town. Well, two is better than one. It's just that the only way to really fight dust exposure is with the bacta. Most people succumb before we can even see them, much less process them with time in the tanks. Before these two broke down we were offering four-hour "maintenance" soaks just to reduce symptoms. Advance cases would take 8-10 days to fully cure. It starts in the lungs but gets in the blood, then it infects your whole body.
"Your companion is nearly healed. Another six hours and he'll walk out of here. Of Course he should rest for another three or four days as his body's internal process adjust to chemical rebalancing. I've seen cases where someone thinks they're healed and they go right back to work, then suffer a fatal episode of shock."
She sighs and her smil returns. "It's good to have another doctor here. There is really only the Director. He's a well-meaning man but we're overwhelmed."
[ooc] *Grumbles because he has to rewrite this post for the third time, where technically he still has the second version but his main computer decided that it's too good for the internet.*
ReplyDeleteHoney relays to the others the conversation she managed to overhear shortly after receiving it, which was about halfway through their ascent. The mimicry in her voice is uncanny, until it dawns that she likely just recorded the entire thing, though was kind enough to remove the static in order to save everyone's ears. Later, right after they get settled in at the top, she again contacts the group about the skiff she saw leaving the base. Particular attention was given to Java and their contact, both back in Rushtown, to be on the lookout for the skiff and it's occupants. She found it likely they'd investigate their freighter, and she calculated the chance of sabotage rather high if the connection was established.
Upon hearing Honey's warning, Java reluctantly finds an excuse to tear himself away from Sienna's alluring smile. As he makes his way to the men's room, the painful reality of his situation hits him like a double dose of tranquilizer: he has no idea how long it's been since he enjoyed a woman's gratitude for his skills! It has certainly been days, but weeks? Months? The magnitude of his amnesia and what it took from him was painful. Then his implacable optimism returns, bringing with it a smile: perhaps Sienna can help him make new memories.
ReplyDeleteOnce alone, he raises Honey on the comm. "Could you make out the number of people in the skiff? I would really like to know what I'm up against."
Honey was able to convey that there are 3 men coming your way - she added this to her original transmission, as she could not receive your reply.
DeletePage consults with the others and separates a bit from the group. He eases his way towards the far Northeast guard tower. He takes it extremely slowly, moving only when the swirling sand conceals him from both of the guard towers east of the ravine. He wants to get into a position where he can just see the guard both of the towers and still see the entrances of as many buildings of the base as possible.
ReplyDeleteHe wants to observe the shift changes of the guard and get a very rough head count on the personnel coming and going out of the buildings. With that, he can make an educated guess of how many people are in the base. As his stomach growls a bit, he realizes that food will be a priority and one of the buildings has to have a mess hall. Identifying that should be easy. In a few hours. Page settles in for a long wait and gets him comlink ready.
OOC: Sneak = 18+1 = 19
Perception = 7+3 = 10
She carefully observes a replay of her memory, letting Java know the amount of people should could clearly distinguish. If possible, she would even describe them to the best of her ability.
ReplyDeletePerception: 6+6 =12, Exploding: 1, 13 total.
[ooc]2 sixes, I was almost hoping for a third there to make it a nice even amount.
Otho rotates his arm. trying to make sure that the ligament isn't damaged. Yeah, it should bt okay, just a few minor scrapes.
ReplyDeleteHe settles next to Page and nods, sensing the man's plan. Otho sneaks next to him and gets comfy.
(Stealth) 16(!!)+6!+2 = 24
(Perception) 9+2 = 11)
OOC: I mentioned early on that the comm links have a range of about one kilometer. I don't want to replay anything thta's been done so far so for the sake of roleplaying we'll say Honey's implants allow her to transmit communication bursts at distances up to 100 km. But that will also be affected by atmospheric turbulence and other radiation sources. Java received her transmissions, but the signal was only barely audible, as the base is nearly at her maximum transmission range and the atmospheric conditions are poor.
ReplyDeleteJava and the others are still restricted when transmitting to each other. This ability only allows Honey to transmit, not receive. Effectively, Java is still cut off from the group, though he may be able to receive messages from Honey (GM discretion). As of now he knows what Honey has transmitted to the group.
[ooc]Ahh, my apologies, I'd forgotten about that. I will be keeping that in mind for the future now.
DeleteOOC: Updated the map again with better indicators where multiples. Also, Up is South, which is confusing but we'll manage. I believe that Otho and Page are sneaking toward the guard post at A2, otherwise they will cross the ravine, not that they can't do that.
ReplyDeleteWhile Red, Martya, and Kell watch from above, Page and Otho stick to the ground with steady care, using the blustery conditions to their advantage when crossing open expanses. Within thirty minutes they have traversed down from the observation point to within a stone's throw of the nearest guard tower. They settle in and observe.
ReplyDeleteThe guard post at A2 has one man in it. The post itself is elevated three meters with a ladder on the back side and a half wall providing partial cover. All of the perimeter towers have the same dimensions. The post at A3 is unoccupied and A4 again has one man. Both guards appear to be armed with blaster rifles and the tower at A2 has a mounted light repeating blaster facing the ravine, with a 90 degree arc that does include your current location.
The building at F2 is a large pole shed, open on all sides. Three large skiffs are lined up, with space for one more. There are also a dozen speeder bikes and a large central maintenance area. G2 and G3 appear to be cargo storage units similar to what you've seen at the Port in Rushtown.
D looks like barracks/living quarters, and occasionally people walk in or out of the buildings at D. C is likely a well house. The guard tower at B is a full ten meters tall with two men and what appears to be a pair of heavy repeating blasters mounted with firing arcs to cover 360 degrees. There are a pair of men each working to clean off the scoring from the ships, and another pair each moving in and out. Buildings E and I has unknown function.
After an hour Page and Otho compare mental notes. The count is the same: fifteen men visually accounted for. Based on your experience, it's likely there is also a night shift with half again as many men. You know there is also the three men Honey spotted in the departing skiff, and Tiora, for a total compliment of approximately thirty members of the White Suns.
It is mid-afternoon.
Otho nods, as if coming to a conclusion in his head. "Alright. I think we -can- take out these wankers. Now the questions is, Do we want to? Let's head back, get the group together, and mebbe talk to the Family. If we had everyone together, we could do this place but good, but we'll need the Family behind us if'n we wanna keep it. Or that pretty ship right there."
ReplyDeleteOtho starts heading back.
[ooc]Let's assume she had already informed Java of the number she spotted, as well as the others, as that seems like a smart thing to do and helps me write out this next part.
ReplyDeleteSome time later, she finds herself frowning at the lack of any response. She thought she heard some static coming from from of them after relaying her message, but was unable to sort it out. Honey mentally prepared another burst to send, [b]"It's been 2 hours, 34 minutes, and various seconds and I've yet to receive a response. From the lack of any radio activity coming from their base, I can only assume that the atmosphere is interfering with my own commlink. There is an 87.1 % chance you're all alive and performing recon. 12.1% chance that you've fallen to your deaths during your ascent or decent, and .8% chance that you've been captured and the White Suns are merely putting up a facade. I choose to place my continued belief in your success."[/b]
She chooses not to note that she's completely unsure on java's status back in town. Damn this dust storm. She hated this planet already. Perhaps she could try to boost the signal on the other commlinks later, if they're given a chance. Not everyone had access to the tech she did after all, they would certainly benefit.
OOC: Red, Page, and Otho - give me another set of Climb and Strength rolls.
ReplyDeleteOCC: Climb - 7+3=10, Strength=7+2=9
Delete"Three raiders and one of me. Not great odds, and time is really short to coordinate action."
ReplyDeleteJava considers his options, and doesn't like them. There are a couple things, though, that can help.
He starts by trying to pull up Emtoo-Fore on the commlink.
"Little buddy, there's trouble coming your way. I need you to lock down the ship as tight as you can and either hide yourself away in the ship's most secret of compartments or get out of there. If the old captain, who, by the way, is mending nicely thanks to my life-saving skill and the bacta tank I repaired, had rigged any surprises for boarders, now is the time to activate them. Do you read me?"
Considering that the team is paying the Port Authority for docking privileges, Java also contacts them to see how much more it will cost for the Authority to lock down access to the ship. At the very least, Java hopes they will delay the Suns until the team returns. He has enough credits on the chip to grease somebody's palm if need be.
"Boo bop?" answers Rex excitedly. "Beep!" Java interprets the droid's response to the affirmative.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Med Center communications room, Java contacts the Port Authority.
"Of course, security is available for 350 credits per half-day. We will deploy them immediately and also seal the bay. When you return to Port, the security squad will require confirmation of your identity. We have determined the Elysium Pale is registered to Capt. Perenian Ethgarnon. The captain will need to personally authorize the security team to regain access to the bay. Good day."
With those items settled, Java takes a few minutes to grab lunch at the Med Center dining room. It's typical tray and vending machine fare, and it tastes like dirt, but he's hungry and it's edible and free to staff.
Administrator Karl finds Java there. "The Director is looking for you. Let's go." The obese man lumbers through the ward into the center of the complex and opens a door. He gestures you inside. The modest office is meticulously ordered - sterile. Behind the white desk sits an older man, his wrinkled face screwed up over a datapad. Karl closes the door behind you.
A pair of white chairs sit opposite the Director. Java takes a seat. After a minute, the Director finally looks up. He is a small man, worn down by life on this rugged planet and the stress of his chosen profession.
"Here," he says thrusting the datapad at you. "What do you make of it?"
On the datapad is a three-dimensional display of a human chest. Sliding his finger across the display, Java cuts through the layers of tissue, penetrating to the affected area, a cancerous growth inside the lungs of the patient. Java offers his expert opinion.
"That's from the dust," Skoff explains. "There's a quality to it that causes mutation in the DNA sequencing. It's the reason most therapies don't work and why only significant reconstructive healing in the bacta tank can result in recovery. But even then, once a patient is this far, he is likely to experience recurrence, and more aggressively each time.
"I've been experimenting with genetic reprogramming, but we simply don't have the resources here to ramp up testing. I thought Davika might sponsor my work, given it's their miners who are most afflicted, but that man Matok is a singularly disagreeable bastard.
"I'm telling you this because you have been helpful here the past day, and I can offer you a modest salary to stay on for as long as you can, but I'm under no delusions that you have any interest in becoming a permanent resident. Having said as much, you and your friend have skills of immeasurable value to the people of this planet, and I appeal to your better nature; we could use supplies from a core world. If you have access to a ship, I should be able to negotiate with Davika to secure safe passage from and to Red Barren.
"All I ask is that you consider my request." He takes back the datapad. "Thank you for your work, doctor Plum."
"Director, I will certainly see what I can do.
ReplyDelete"By the way, I'm Dr. Jarvis Green, though to friends I am Java. My colleague is Redgrave Plum, nicknamed Professor because of his encyclopedic knowledge of machines, though he is also capable with basic aid.
"Can you tell me more about the situation here? Why is it so hard to get ships in with the supplies you need? For example, I would love to be able to repair the remaining bacta tank, but I need some parts and Karl just laughed when I asked where I could get them.
"I may be able to convince someone to haul goods. Can you tell me more about the cargo and what payment might be? Unfortunately, ships are hard to come by and their captains need to make a living."
((Climb: 2+3 = 5. Str: 2+5 = 7.))
ReplyDeleteOtho's mind wanders, and after a while he has to admit he's thinking about the Big Picture more than the rocks in front of him. (He always hated climbing. Too much like...gym class.)
After awhile he tries to get Honey on the comm. When she doesn't reply he records his message, then vows to keep trying every couple of minutes until he gets a reply.
"Hey, Honey, what was the likelihood of you just corrupting the data? Even if we do a wipe of personnel, it's possible that the home company won't give up if they really want what is here. I'm thinking that telling them that the thing does not mean what they think it means is the only way to stop this but good.
Chew on that an' let me know what ya think."
Skoff taps the datapad and hands it back to Java. It displays an exhaustive list of medical and research supplies.
ReplyDelete"You'll likely only find all of these items at a core world medical marketplace. I can arrange the purchase if you can arrange the pickup and delivery. For your part, I can offer 7000 credits."
He reclines and wipes his deep set eyes. "Davika built this center when it became clear that the atmosphere of Red Barren was harmful. You would think they have a vested interest in improving the health of their employees, but things have changed. Matok is consumed with the work in the Hole, at the cost of everything else. Whatever they're doing down there, they've seen fit to increase security to an absurd degree. That's why the Suns harass all freighters that come to this planet. And it's why they've converted a mine into a prison. If we ever find out what's so important down there we'll know what all the fuss is about.
"As for that other bacta tank, it's a shame all three could not be made operational. I suspect that Davika Headquarters has equipment that could be stripped down to make parts for the tank, but I've had no luck getting through to those corporate bureaucrats lately. You'd likely have to break into the place to find anything useful. But I suppose if you wanted to try you could approach them as a representative at the Medical Center. You may be able to convince someone to hear about the situation here. I've failed, but maybe what's needed is a fresh face. Perhaps if they see we've recruited new talent they'll reconsider."
Java idly scanned the list of supplies while his mind raced through the new information. He felt certain that he could complete his mission and restore the other bacta tank of he could get himself and Honey into a technical repair lab within Davika.
ReplyDeleteOnce the captain regains consciousness, he will certainly want to get off this planet, and the safe passage Skoff is offering would be invaluable. But the ship is still grounded, and repairs will take a week.
OOC: How long would a round trip to a core world require? Days? Weeks? Months?
"Your genetic reprogramming experiments sound like a viable course for a cure. More effective prevention would help even more. Cancers are particularly difficult to treat because the body doesn't recognize them as foreign, so I wonder why bacta is such an effective treatment. Perhaps the alazhi or kavam bacteria directly interact with the dust particles, either chemically neutralizing them or consuming them. If so, vaporizing and aspirating small amounts of bacta could be an extremely effective preventive maintenance technique. The bacta would essentially coat and protect the lungs from particulate that is not caught by filters.
ReplyDeleteIf I could spend some time in a capably equipped lab, I could run some experiments to test the hypothesis.
Perhaps the promise of an effective treatment would be enough to get Davika to let us use their facility to mass produce aspirators, and we could repair the bacta tank as well for those who have progressed further with the disease.
What do you think, Director?"
"Matok has swapped out most of the staff with his own people, but there are a few of the original managers still here. The man who runs the technical operations is Buzik. He can actually be somewhat agreeable, but I cannot get to him through standard channels. All the protocols have changed. Buzik is the kind of guy who takes life seriously - he works hard and plays hard. I used to admire the former quality until he began spending too much time on the latter.
ReplyDelete"I cannot get you an appointment, but like all the senior staff he lives in a suite at the Metrotel. You're sure to find him there in the evening. If you can figure out a way to appeal to both his practical and gregarious natures you'll get farther with him than I am capable of. It's worth a try. Be careful with him, though - he's an absolute shark."
"Hmm, I guess it's worth a try getting through to Buzik. Since you mentioned 'playing hard', 'gregarious', and 'shark' all in one breath, can I guess this Buzik is the gambling sort? If so, I have an acquaintance who who happens to play Pazak.
Delete"There's another option, but it's risky. You know those two Twinkle Brothers, or Stars, or Suns, or whatever they call themselves that came in for treatment earlier? They overheard that we were going to fix the bacta tank and trying to muscle us into stealing it for them. We just tried to gently put them off, but there's an opportunity. They might have the parts we need at their base and essentially invited us to take a tank and repair it there. The Professor and I could take the third tank there, with your leave of course, and repair it there. The hard part will be getting out, but I think we can figure that out given a couple days."
Java watches Skoff's reaction to his crazy scheme closely while carefully maintaining an aire of youthful carefree confidence mingled with naivete.
Acting as though he didn't just suggest a suicide mission, Java continues with his typical energetic passion. "What do you think of the vaporized bacta treatment theory? Do you have a suitable lab here to test it?"
Skoff's wrinkled face appears fold over itself. "What makes you think that the White Suns have the parts needed to repair the bacta tank? And what would be your plan to return it to the Center? Have you thought this through? The Suns aren't exactly the types to return property to its rightful owners." He seems dismissive of the idea.
DeleteOOC: Give me a Con/Persuasion roll, Very Hard difficulty. You can improve the difficulty number with a highly plausible response.
Climb = 5+5 = 10
ReplyDeleteStrength = 5+5 = 10
"They're coming back," says Kell. The group at the pass peers through the dust toward where Page and Otho holed up. "What about Dall and Timo?"
ReplyDelete"We're not sure they are here," replies Martya.
"Where else would they be, mother? You know as well as anyone that they were on the Scoundrel's Prize when the White Suns attacked. And we know they take hostages."
Martya appears reticent. "We're not running this mission, Kell. We must wait for Page and Otho to return."
"That will be another hour, and then another day, and there's no trusting the Elders will do anything with the information we have about the Suns. What do we know now that we didn't already? Nothing!" He shouts loud enough that you worry his voice could be heard at the base.
"Restrain yourself!" admonishes Martya in a forceful whisper.
Kell grits his teeth. "Dall and Timo are my friends, and I'm going to get them out of there." Martya grasps his arm but he pulls away and starts to climb down.
"I'll go with..." says Jek. "I think he's right... what did we come up here for if we're just gonna turn around and go back empty handed?"
Page and Otho begin to sneak back toward the pass, and they get halfway there when they spot Jek and Kell coming down along a different route, angling toward the well house.
OOC: Page and Otho could attempt to intercept Jek and Kell or wait to see what they do.
Page starts to intercept the two. If he can get to them before they get into range of the guard towers, there could be time to salvage the plan. Page waves to Jek and motions that he and Otho are making their way over. The scouting has paid off, but if they are alerted to Kell and Jek's presence, the entire mission could be for naught.
ReplyDeleteOtho sees Page move on his intercept course, and decides to follow. He's not -really- sure what they can do, but he is sure that doing a thing has a better chance of success the more people that do it.
ReplyDelete((OOC: That is correct. Otho does not know what the hell those two crazy kids are doing. He's just trusting that Page does. =)))
ReplyDeleteOOC: I can see them sneaking towards the base. Page is assuming that they're getting in position to watch like we were. But he doesn't have much confidence of them sneaking in successfully, so he's trying to wave them off so they can meet up and talk. If they listen, we can talk and coordinate. Otherwise, we will try and keep them out of trouble as best we can.
ReplyDeleteJek turns out to be a sneaky bastard and often evades even the watchful eyes of Page and Otho through the dust as he and Kell make their way down. Page and Jek make eye contact when they are about 60 meters apart. By then he and Kell are just 20 meters from the perimeter of the base. You can see they draw blasters, and Jek waves his toward the barracks (D). You look back to the guard tower (A2) but the sentry is still watching the ravine behind you. The pair of guards at the central tower (B) are another story. One of them is facing directly north toward the peaks. It's a miracle he hasn't spotted Jek or at least Kell, who is not as careful, but his superb climbing skills have helped him hug the rock. The sentry and his heavy repeater stand alert, his firing arc covering both Jek's position and yours.
ReplyDeleteJek and Kell sneak forward another ten meters then hold their position, apparently waiting for some indication of Page and Otho's intentions.
Honey finds herself bored, and also with no small trace of worry. She thought she heard something from that Otho fellow, but it was scattered and distorted by the atmosphere. He didn't seem in distress at least. For the most part she's been occupying herself with some mind numbing games installed on her internal hardrives, mostly feeling somewhat useless. It'd be wonderful if there was something else useful she could do with her time, like hacking a computer or what have you. But the only accessible computer around was her own, and perhaps whatever was in this vehicle.
ReplyDelete[ooc]I'm not too indepthly familiar with technology in Star Wars- Is there a way to remotely access computers, or does everything require a direct connection?
OOC: If only someone from the party would say anything at all through their comm link, Honey could receive it on the skiff radio (except Java - out of range).
DeletePage whispers into his com, “Jek, Kell. What’s going on? What are you doing? Keep down and tell us what's going on!”
ReplyDeleteHe also tries to update Honey. "Honey, Jek and Kell have moved in close. Stand by and listen up."
OOC: I have to find out what’s going on, but I have a plan. I’ve emailed a rough draft out.
"We're gonna bust into them barracks and find Kell's friends," answers Jek, confidently. "You ready to cover us?"
ReplyDeleteRed appears to lost. He's not entirely where he is or who he is with.
ReplyDeleteOtho adds to the conversation. "Okay. By all means, if you want your friends dead then go right ahead.
ReplyDelete...
Because while you were back there thinking that two scruffy looking nerf-herders like yourselves could walk in to a fortified base and whomp whole ass, we were counting bodies and coming up with a plan.
So, you walk in there right now with pants down, you get dead and no one goes free.
Or you come back to the skiff with us, we come back tonight with a plan of action, and everybody is free and rich.
Your call, really."
(Perswayshun: 11(boo!)+6(yes!)+4=21)
At some point she had regulated monitoring her surroundings, the radio, and her commlink as background processes. Instead, she had been enjoying a game that came out at least a century prior, but was still considered a hit even with it's now outdated graphics. Really, one couldn't escape the perfection that came with 'The Ancient Logs: Rimworld'. Though currently in a fight with a fearsome rancor, she quickly paused that and became much more alert upon Page's transmission.
ReplyDeleteIf things were about to go sideways, then she really shouldn't have any distractions. Sliding into the driver's seat, Honey readied a quick plan in her head and calculated a higher then average chance of success. As well, she went ahead and beamed Java a quick warning; "Things are getting tense. I'll keep you posted on any important developments."
Jek turns to Kell and whispers something inaudible to the rest of you. But after a moment he holsters his blaster and the two of them start to slowly climb back up the mountain toward the pass. When you all converge at the pass, Kell looks particularly shaken.
ReplyDelete"I thought we could just go in there," he mumbles, his face ashen. "I almost got us all killed."
"Lead the way down, my son," says Martya, impassive.
Kell seems to recompose himself and he and Jek cautiously lead the group back down from the peak. It's harder going down - you're all hungry, tired, and mildly dehydrated, and the first sun has already set by mid-descent. Page, Red, and Otho all slip more than once, careening against the rock face before the rigging pulls taught. It is a painful return trip to the skiff, and no one reaches the darkened arid plane unscathed.
OOC: Red and Otho are each Wounded. Page was Stunned but shakes it off. Red can attempt First Aid at minus 1D. You are all back at the skiff, including Red.
Otho peeks under a corner of his sleeve. 'Oof. That looks like a bleeder.' "How 'bout it, Red? Can ya spray some antibac on that? We got sum work to do t'night."
ReplyDeleteOOC: If I'm stunned, can I not attempt First Aid? My rolls aren't that bad.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly may. I was just pointing out that Red would be at -1d because he was wounded.
DeleteOOC: First Aid x3: 7+3=10, 3+5=8, 8+4=12
ReplyDeleteWhile Red and Page work on the First Aid, Otho pulls out his heavy blaster and contemplates it. Eventually he speaks up. "Hey, Honey, you're good with the things, right? Do you have any way to not make the gun make the 'Pew Pew' sound? Maybe put it on silent mode?
ReplyDeleteI mean, it's just a chemical reaction, I don't see any reason it has to make noise, yeah?"
OOC: What are those guard towers made of?
ReplyDeleteWhen the team came back into view, she let out a breath she didn't realize she held. A message was sent again to Java to let him know of the defused situation, before she focused again on the approaching. When Otho approaches her later on, a hand goes to her chin and she hums in thought.
ReplyDelete"I could try," She finally started. "There are some things that might work, but I will inform you that I'm not a weapons designer by any stretch of the imagination."
OOC: The Guard towers are standard plasteel - tough but flexible to withstand the wind storms.
ReplyDeleteHoney or Red could attempt to improve Otho (or anyone else') blaster with a Blaster Repair or Technical roll. Difficulty number will be in the "Difficult" range, with the possibility that a significant failure could make the weapon inoperable.
While on the way back, Honey fiddles with the blaster using a few built in tools. She mutters now and then about something regarding compensators, heat sinks, and crystal alignment, but she seems fairly confident in the end as she hands it off to Otho. "Perhaps this will do the trick. I don't think they'll be much performance loss either, outside of perhaps requiring a longer recharge time."
Delete[ooc] Technical: Blaster Repair: 3+4+5=12 Exploding: 6+3=9 Total: 12+9= 21
The blaster goes "pew, pew."
DeleteOOC: Didn't find out if I can render aid, but here's the rolls.
ReplyDeleteFirst Aid x3 =
12+6!+2 = 20
16+6!+1 = 23
13+3 = 16
Everyone is patched up and fully healthy except for hunger pains.
DeleteOtho takes a few practice shots in the middle of nowhere. He nods, satisfied that, if not total silence, it's less than before. "I think I saw something like this out of the Capellan Confederation made by Ceres Metals. Of course in 2826 they were destroyed by the Draconis Combine, so ya don't see many of those anymore.
ReplyDeleteAlright, it seems like the plan here is for us to go back, talk to Java about the plan and maybe get him to rig up some kind of knock-out gas.
Or, really, more grenades of any kind would be helpful.
Then come night we gather outside the walls. We climb up, capture a few towers, and have Honey run electronic interference, running the Skimmer into the outer walls if we need a distraction.
Then we raid their computers, and capture their ships.
Martya, if we can take over the base utterly, do you want to take it over? If so, we'll see about investing it in strength. If not, we may need a place to land our new spaceships.
Now I think that's pretty simple. Any questions?"
OOC: Where are you driving to first?
ReplyDeleteOOC: We're heading back to the ship to rendezvous w/ Java.
DeleteJava drapes a dignified expression of wounded pride over his youthful features. "Thought this through?" he exclaims in response to Skoff's scoff, "of course not! I'm in complete brainstorming mode here."
ReplyDeleteAs he continues, his enthusiasm makes a measured, steady return.
"But I'm sure a place like their base will have what I need. You see, a bacta tank is really pretty simple. It has three primary component systems: chemical, mechanical, and electrical, and all of it designed to keep the beneficial bacterial gel alive. Failures in the system will start with a minor problem in the electrical or mechanical system, which will cascade to an imbalance in the chemical system and eventual complete failure. In the case of your two failed tanks, one was primarily mechanical problems: a valve failure caused a motor to burn out, which in turn lead to a leak in the fluid systems and a short in one of the sensors. The valve, motor, and leak were all fairly simple replacements from the other tank. The sensor is part of the electrical system, and we were again able to pull one from the other tank for the replacement. Then it was a matter of re-balancing the chemicals and, voila, a working bacta tank!
"But that left the other tank short a motor, valve, sensor, and a slightly trickier logic board problem. Now, of course, the best way to fix it is to order official parts and replace them, but that is also the most expensive and would require a long off-world trip. So the alternative is to reconstruct that part of the system with bits and pieces from other cast-off equipment. The Professor and I can certainly do that if we have a technical lab for the electronics work and some scrap parts. I'm sure Davika and a field base of operations will be equipped with a capable lab, so that just leaves the parts.
"Well, have you had the joyous opportunity to see the inside of a spacer joint? Spacers are pretty good mechanically, but usually have little patience with technical stuff. They'll just toss it in a closet or corner when it stops working. So I would bet good money they have plenty of castoff electronics that I can scavenge a control board from. Wire a few components together with a sensor and I'll be in business. The valve and motor should be easy to rig up, and the chemicals will be no sweat.
"So, yeah, I have no doubts about being able to get this tank up and running over there."
Java pauses for a short breath and leans back, looking off to his right as he considers how to continue.
"Your good point about getting the thing back is the kicker, though. Hmmmm. What do you think about trying to cut a deal with them? Something like..." he stops and looks closely at the Director. "Hold on, one of those Twinkle Brothers said something about having an 'arrangement' with you. What are the terms? What if I approached them with the broken tank and brokered a sweetened 'arrangement' that included better bacta access if they let me fix the thing in their base? They couldn't just keep it because I would leave the key ingredient here: the bacta itself. I could repair the electrical and mechanical systems, then bring it back to add the bacta and balance the chemicals. They already said they wanted better access to the tanks. What better way than to have another working tank?"
"What do you think of that?"
OOC: Persuade: 5+6!+5=16
Skoff almost smiles, but Java gets the impression the weight of the man's jowls makes such an expression impossible.
ReplyDelete"You will not believe this, but I'm a lot like you, Doctor." He reclines in his chair, less a mechanical function than an act of slouching against the rigid plasteel. "I practiced at the Delecrux Academy until the Republic bureaucrats 'mis-allocated' funding for junior staff. I tried private practice but you know how that always plays out; you mistake a Tanari's heart for its spleen and get sued into oblivion. I lost a lot, and I'm not proud that I was forced to turn away from medicine for a time and work in a Davika lab. But they gave me this opportunity, and as much as the corporate big-timers can be a pain in my backside, I never lost my desire to help people through medicine, and I am grateful.
"I see that spirit in you. Go ahead, take the tank. You're right - it will never get fixed sitting here anyway. Take particular care with the White Suns, though. Tiora has a code of sorts but many of her henchmen are just desperate old smugglers. They cannot be trusted, and you are far more valuable alive than dead."
OOC: EVERYBODY give me a Perception roll.
ReplyDelete(Perception= 5+5 = 10)
ReplyDelete[ooc] Perception: 4+5=9 Exploding: 1 Total: 10
ReplyDeleteOOC: perception 7+5=12
ReplyDeleteSkoff orders Karl to assist with moving the bacta tank. The administrator protests but grudgingly follows orders. When Java returns to the tank room he finds Sienna performing diagnostics on Captain Ethgarnon, who is sitting more or less upright on the examination table, his large belly covering his nakedness.
ReplyDelete"Aaaaaahhh," he moans, a tongue depressor deep into his mouth, opening the way for a shaft of light and scope. Java can see the incredible healing acceleration that has taken place along the captain's torso. The bacta is truly the soup of life. The captain blinks away tears and coughs, wiping his haggard face. The he spots Java.
"Haha," he laughs tiredly. "I knew we'd make it. The Pale always delivers on time." Then Sienna reaches under his roll of fat to jostle something unseen. Ethgarnon blinks hard. "That's the spot, ma'am!"
The nurse looks at him with a crooked smile and turns to Java. "Your patient, doctor. He checks out. Please take him back to his ship now.." She rolls her eyes as she brushes by Java on her way out of the room. A set of scrubs are folded on the bed beside the captain.
"Who's Karl?" asks Ethgarnon, reading the stitched name from the shirt front before dressing. "Hmm, the guy must be huge - these are big on me!" He stands, testing his legs. "I feel like I just drowned in the latrine. And I could eat a bantha. You've got my money, right?"
Just then Karl comes in with a hover sled. He glares at Ethgarnon then at Java. "I think this is a dumb idea. And don't think I won't find out if you try to just take off with this tanks. Don't forget the Suns are some of our best customers." Karl leaves the sled and walks out shaking his head.
OOC: Java and Ethgarnon are alone in the room. The bomb is still in the working tank, so now what?
Perception 10+3 = 13
ReplyDeletePerception 2+6+6+4=18!
ReplyDeleteAs Sienna brushes past, Java slows her with a gentle hand on her elbow. "I wanted you to be the first to know - your vision for how we can better help these people with another moved me. Director Skoff gave me leave to take this broken bacta tank somewhere to get it fixed." He smiles as he adds with a wink "maybe I can make that dream of your a reality." After a slight pause, he continues. "I'm going to need about an hour undisturbed with these tanks, though. I want to open up the one I just fixed to double-check that I have all the specifications I need for missing or damaged parts of the third. Then I can be sure to have this back in working order. I'll page you when it's okay to bring in another patient for the working tanks."
ReplyDelete"Oh, and when I get back with a working tank, I plan to celebrate. I hope you'll have an evening free."
After Sienna leaves, Java turns to the captain and gives his wounds a quick appraisal. "You're one lucky SOB, captain, but tough enough to pull through, apparently. Fixing you up after you took that direct hit was the trickiest field operation I've ever had to perform. But from the looks of you, I did one hell of a job." He flashes another grin. "Welcome back! You'll need to take it easy with physical exertion for a couple weeks, but you should be 100% in no time."
Java turns serious and steps in close. "A lot has happened in the 36 hours since you took that blaster bolt. In a nutshell, we fought off the raiders, landed the Pale, delivered ourselves to your contact, and are in the middle of some serious business already here on Red Barren. The good news is that everyone is alive, we have your payment, and the Pale is safely in port. The bad news is she got shot up pretty bad and needs about 7 days and 7,000 credits' worth of repairs before she's back to full strength. We're working a tit-for-tat right now to get the repairs, but you're grounded until then.
"Other good news is I managed to get you another job once you can fly again, and it will allow you past the current blockade and pay 7k. You can finalize the agreement with Director Skoff, head of this medical center. Tell him Dr. Jarvis Green, that's me, sent you to setup the supplies run.
"Once you've talked to him, you're free to return to the ship. It's on lockdown now because those raiders that hit us are looking to finish what they started, so be very careful out there. Don't leave without a breathing mask and try to score a dusty, dirty cloak so you blend in with the locals.
"Oh, and here." Java detaches his communicator and hands it to Ethgarnon. "Emtoo-Fore will be ecstatic to hear from you. Touch base with him while I get to work here and return it to me when you're done."
OOC: Oops, I meant Rex, not Emtoo-Fore.
DeleteJava sets to work, carefully moving the bomb to the broken tank. True to his word, he also double-checks the items in the working tank that he will need to rig-up to get the other one working.
ReplyDeleteAs he works, he considers an alternate strategy. The ideal situation would have him helping neutralize the Suns' base without having to resort to blowing things, and people, up. Then he could bring the fixed tank back to the Center and really make a dent in the dust sickness. The best thing to harmlessly incapacitate the base's defenses would be coma gas, a colorless, odorless sleeping gas. Given the dangers of this planet's atmosphere, the base must certainly have a closed circulation system. If he could introduce the gas into the system, he could deliver it to the whole base. Regular gas masks are a simple defense, but being colorless and odorless, it should neutralize much of the base before people can figure out what's happening and find effective masks. Luckily, the breathing masks people wear outside are for larger particulate material and wouldn't protect against coma gas.
The problem is where to get coma gas. The base elements are pretty common: Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Chlorine. There is already nitroglycerin in the bomb, which provides all of those except Chlorine. Where to get chlorine? Bleach! So, bleach and nitroglycerin. Water will be needed to help control the concentrations. It would need to be mixed carefully under controlled conditions.
It then struck Java, he was staring right at a sophisticated device designed precisely to maintain a careful chemical balance! He could calibrate it to mix the right amounts of nitro, bleach, and water to generate the coma gas, and pump the resulting gas out a tube. If he places the tank near an intake vent in the Suns' base...
For now, he leaves the explosive materials intact, just in case he needs to take dramatic action before he can put his much more elegant plan into effect. He finds the necessary bleach, which medical centers have in abundance for sanitary reasons, and conceals it in the tank.
Once he gets the comm back from the captain, he touches base with the rest of the team. "Honey, anyone, you read me? I have a plan..."
"I'll let Karl know," Sienna replies on her way out. Then she adds, "I have an apartment at the Metrotel. I'm free most evenings if you want to catch dinner."
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Ethgarnon is chatting up Rex. Java can hear the excited beeps come through the comm. "I'll be back at the Pale soon - gotta find something to eat first."
The captain flips the comm back to Java. "Well I ain't staying on this awful dustball planet one nano-parsec longer than I got to." He shuffles out, presumably in the direction of the cafeteria.
Java performs the surgery on the two tanks, moving the bomb and loading the tank with chemicals for the coma gas. By the time he's finishing up Captain Ethgarnon returns, the color returned to his cheeks.
"The serve a fair hardoop meat pie. Not bad. I had five. Put it on your account. Ready to go?"
Karl returns and the three of you move the bacta tank out onto the sled you brought with you earlier in the morning.
"One more thing," says Karl. He offers another cred chip - the balance is 200. "I'm not sure I trust you, Doctor, but you do good work."
Under darkening red sky Java and Ethgarnon skim back to the port. As good as its word, a detachment of Port Authority Security droids stand at attention, three abreast, each with blaster rifles held ready.
Ethgarnon waves his hand at the droids. "Alright, you can go. I'm the captain. Ahh, disperse."
The droids look at him and then at each other. "Identification," says the droid in the center.
"Hmm, I left my wallet in my other set of someone else's scrubs. Look, I am Perenian Ethgarnon, Captain of the Elysium Pale, registration number Charlie-Foxtrot sixty-niner. Home port on Kairouan, with full Core World freight privileges. Ok, good? Good. I'll be in touch with your commander and give him my highest commendation for your service, thank you."
The droids stand still, processing. "I--" The droid's head ticks to one side. "You may pass, Captain Ethgarnon." The droids lower their blaster rifles and strut back toward the Port Authority.
Ethgarnon laughs. "I hope you didn't pay too much for those worthless junkions." He triggers the bay door remote and drives the sled inside. "There's my girl!"
Part 2 coming Tuesday...
Delete(OOC: It's impossible to say there are security droids there without me envisioning them as the droids from Part I. I kept expecting one to say "Roger roger" at some point. =))
ReplyDeleteKell drives the truck north into town, past the Davika building and then west into the Port. You see the doors to Bay 3 are open and fear the worst. As he drives closer you spot Java loading a bacta tank up the ramp into the ship.
ReplyDelete"We will return in the morning," says Martya. "I will inform the Elders of our findings and the plan for tomorrow. Rest well." With that, the rest of you disembark and Kell pilots the truck back into town.
As the group enters the bay, Red spots movement from behind one of the many containers surrounding the freighter bays.As he starts in that direction, he clearly spies three figures, with the unmistakable bulls-eye patches on the arms of their jumpsuits. As soon as the Suns know they're spotted they turn and run toward the landspeeder waiting nearby.
OOC: Red, you can take one round's worth of actions before the White Suns reach their landspeeder, and then one more round until they speed off. They are at long range for a blaster shot, and partial cover.
Without dropping a beat, Red points to the landspeeder, "Hey, there's three of those White Suns guys and they're about to take off. Blast their speeder!"
ReplyDeleteInstead of pretending he can hit them with his blaster, Red wonders if there is a vehicle nearby that would be suitable for pursuit.
As smoothly as if we were returning the favor after someone complimented his tie at a fancy diner party, Otho fluidly draws his heavy blaster begins to aim at the landspeeder the Whitey's are heading for.
ReplyDelete(OOC: Will withhold action until we're told that anyone other than Red can go.)
OOC: Otho, Page, and Honey can each take a single round of action before the Suns get away.
ReplyDeleteModifiers to player rolls: Caught by Surprise/Draw weapon = -1D to Blaster rolls "to-hit" Let me know if you are shooting at the raiders or at their vehicle. As usual, roll to-hit and then also roll damage.
Difficulty mod to GM roll: Long Range = "Difficult" + Poor Light (+1d) + 1/2 Covered if shooting at Raiders (+2D)
There are loader-type vehicles you could run to within a couple rounds, but they are no match for speed with the Suns landspeeder. There is one alternative option to intercept, but you'll have to figure that out for yourselves.
Joyhal's head doesn’t immediately turn to look at the fleeing White Suns, instead she quickly accesses her internal commlink and beams a message toward what local authority. She's had ample time recently to comb through the various signals, and this one she believes would let her communicate directly to the local droid security force.
ReplyDeleteHer message is in their own language, and she speaks with clear authority on the matter as if she were a commanding officer. "Attention units, three hostile criminals are attempting to leave the area via speeder and are suspected of possessing confidential Davika files. Their descriptions are as follows," She finally briefly looks up, and describes the fleeing outlaws. "Lethal force is permitted and advised."
Comm: 4+5=9 Exploding: 6+3=9 Total: 9+9=18
Fast Talk: 6+5+4=15 Exploding: 4 Total: 15+4=19
"Roger, Roger." ;)
ReplyDeleteHoney watches the action around the Port Authority building. One of the large overhead doors rolls up and a speeder backs out with three security droids inside, blaster rifles ready. Just when Honey thinks her gambit has worked, the speeder makes two laps around the building and pulls back inside the building. a moment later she hears back through her comm:
"Override protocol 66 enacted. Pursuit of White Suns aborted."
[ooc]Darn. Was a long shot anyway, I suppose.
DeleteHoney swears verbally, this was why she proffered direct access when it came to this sort've thing. Being unable to change their base programming leaves one in the tricky situation of hoping to luck out and not trip over an illegal protocol. Just plain messy and inefficient.
Otho steadies his breathing and lets the sights of the heavy blaster fill his eyes. The weight feels good in his hands. The extra beef of the larger pistol helps to steady the shot.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't aim for the guys. They're small and running. Might wing 'em, but long odds for a killing shot.
The speeder though. That's a real pretty thing. Built for velocity. Not combat damage.
He throws a pair of shots at the starboard engine, hoping to foul their maneuvering long enough to have a bit of a chat with those boys.
Before he shoots, he mumbles. "One of y'all might could get in our here space ship an' try to catch these boys. If'n they get away, of course."
(Guns, guns, guns @ -2 dice: shot 1: 19+4 = 23. damage 1: 13+5=18. Shot 2: 17+5= 23. damage 2: 12+6!+4=22. )
OOC: Bonus points for identifying the Pale as a proper vessel.
DeleteOOC: How are the bay doors operated? Also, Java arrived in a vehicle. How close is it and how fast?
ReplyDeleteYou can get to it in a round but it may be a moot point now. Your sled is not a fast-moving vehicle. It goes about as fast as a man can run. The bay doors are operated either remotely by code that can be entered from most any vehicle, or from the console inside the bay itself.
DeleteOOC: dang, totally serious, I had intended to write that Java wasn't going to bring the bacta to the ship and cover his face completely while heading back there, for the express purpose of avoiding those Suns if they were lurking around. Just didn't get to it...
ReplyDeleteOOC: I was gonna try to shut the bay door but I thought they were already outside of it.
ReplyDeleteOOC: For simplicity' sake, the bacta tank is now in cargo on the Elysium Pale. Java would have been wearing his breathing mask so no problem there.
ReplyDeleteI also forgot to mention that targeting the vehicle gives you +2D to hit, but the vehicle gets +2D vs damage. In any case, Otho hits the speeder with both shots. Sparks fly from the fuselage, sending a visible arc of electricity across the controls. (Controls Ionized). The second blaster shots damages one of the ailerons, (-2D Maneuverability).
The White Suns reach their speeder but cannot get the craft to start. One of them ducks into the cockpit to work on the controls while the other two split for cover on either side.
Page still has an action and Jek will also do something.
After that we're into general combat - everyone, including Java, give me 3 rolls and then your first turn actions:
Perception (Initiative)
Tactics
Strength
OOC:
ReplyDeletePerception 4+5=9
Tactics 5+2=7
Strength 14+2=16
Running 14+3=19
Red pulls out his vibro sword and starts running to the speeder to intercept the White Suns.
Don't forget that when you roll Strength at the beginning of combat to include Body Armor bonus if you are wearing any.
ReplyDeleteOOC: any way we can get a crude drawing of the layout of the bay where this is going down?
ReplyDeleteZoom in on the map of Rushtown.
ReplyDeletePerception: 2+4 Exploding: 2 Total: 8
ReplyDeleteTactics: 5+5+4+3 Exploding: 6+5 Total: 28 (A bit excessive...)
Strength: 3 Exploding: 1 Total: 4 (And there's the converse to it.
Honey decides the best thing to do in this situation, is to flee behind cover. She has no weapons, and a shot from one of those blasters could mess up all kinds of sensitive electronics.
Page immediately runs for the ship while the raiders seek cover, counting on his speed to get him there unharmed. Once inside, he immediately heads for the emergency batteries and attempts to jump them.
ReplyDelete"Rex!! Help me re-route any power we have to the batteries! All of it! We've got to get off the ground!" Hopefully Jek and the Captain can lend their help as well. The gun turrets are frozen, but some good piloting should be able to compensate against a speeder.
OOC:
Perception: 11+4 = 15
Tactics = 10+5 = 15
Strength = 1+5 = 6
Re-Route Batteries: Technical??? 14+3 = 17
OOC: I'm on vacation until the 21st. Feel free to have Red hack up any bad guys and fix up any ships that need it.
ReplyDelete(OOC):
ReplyDeletePerception: 11+4=15
Tactics: 17+4=21
Strength: 6+6!+6!+1=19
(IC):
Java curses to himself as he hears Red yelling about the three figures breaking cover and making for their speeder. It takes but a nanosecond for him to imagine one of them recognizing him and blowing his cover when he attempts his carefully setup infiltration plan.
And yet there is some hope. They would have only seen a hooded, masked, and cloaked figure loading a large covered object onto the ship. He grunts in ironic amusement that the hellish dust that plagues this planet actually helped save him by virtue of the requirement to cover and protect anything taken outside.
But he would still feel a helluva lot better if these three never got the chance to tell their tale.
Knowing he'll be no use in the ship, Java sprints for the bay door opening to backup Otho and Red. Preferably, he and Otho can each move to cut them off while the other gives suppressing fire.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Combat order
ReplyDelete1) Page and Java
2) White Suns #1 (1/2 Cover, firing)
3) Red
4) Joy
5) White Suns #2 (1/2 cover starting the speeder)
6) White Suns #3 (1/2 Cover, firing)
7) Otho? (Roll)
Jek follows Page into the Elysium Pale. They find captain Ethgarnon looking cautiously from the top of the ramp.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," he says as the pilot and the bounty hunter rush past. Jek breaks for the cockpit while Page heads toward the power core. The battery indicator as in the red, but because of Jek's smart maneuvering during entry into Port, he knows they have a little juice left. Page pulls the spindle and cranks on it. After a short fight the system hums to life and the ship fills with light. Page joins Jek, Ethgarnon, and Rex in the cockpit as the engine sputters and finally engages.
OOC: Page, you're running the show inside the ship. Decide what you want to do.
Red takes off running at full throttle toward the Suns position. He will run All-Out round one and at High Speed round 2 so he can take a swing with his vibrosword. During the second round of combat shooting at the speeder will require shooting around Red, and add 1D to the difficulty score. A poor to-hit by any player shooting at the speeder might hit Red.
Java and Otho, declare attacks and roll to hit and damage
Honey's comm sparks back to life, and in the language of the security droids she picks up an ominous signal.
ReplyDelete"Intercede order. Suppress and/or eliminate."
The overhead door of the Port Authority opens again and the three security droids come out strutting in your direction with blaster rifles leveled.
Targets identified. they aim in the direction of your team.
OOC: the Security droids are attacking your group. They will be last in combat order and will enter combat in the second round.
Honey's extraordinary Tactics roll has earned the team a bonus. Any actions coordinated by Honey will get a +1D bonus (does not apply to damage or strength rolls)
ReplyDelete"Captain!" Page calls, "Do we have any underside blaster cannons? Anything to take out that speeder? Jek, how long can we keep this rust-bucket flying?"
ReplyDeleteOtho swears under his breath as he sees Red charge with swords at a bunch of guys with guns, who are being shot at by other guys with guns. 'Drek. Does he know that we have enough guns to go around? Why is he using just -ancient- tactics? He knows guns are a thing right? I should really offer him one of my "gun things" for him to use...from now on.'
ReplyDeleteOtho relies on the sheer size of the vehicle to allow him to hit it as he unleashes a flurry of shots at the thing trying to makes sure that it stays right where it is.
(Guns. 4 shots at -3 dice, +2 dice for shooting at vehicle: 1 to hit: 22+6!+1 = 29. 1 damage: 16+3=19. 2 to hit: 14+4=18. 2 damage: 12+2=14. 3 to hit: 18+4=22. 3 damage: 15+6!+2=23. 4 to hit: 23+3=26. 4 damage: 22+4=26.)
While your at it, roll perception for initiative, then roll strength.
Delete"Not much cause on a freighter for small scale blasters. Not one I can easily justify anyhow," explains Ethgarnon. The captain nervously eyes Jet but it's clear he's in no shape to dictate terms. "The only reason we can have the laser cannons is for pirates it debris."
ReplyDeleteJek interrupts, "I dunno. Five minutes, maybe more, maybe less. A lot less if you're gonna shoot at something." He powers up the control console, runs a quick systems check and shakes his head. "Well?"
Honey feels her mind speed up as she attempts to process this new, deadly information. Messages are beemed out to the party in quick order, as she tries her best to get a handle on it."Three hostile droids coming from the security office! I'll do what I can, focus your fire on the White Suns, they're top priority. Take cover fom their blaster fire wear you can!"
ReplyDelete(Perception for init: 6+1= 7. Bleh. Str: 1+6!+5= 12.)
ReplyDeleteThe first White Sun fires twice at Red, hitting the engineer once. Red shrugs off the shot and continues his rush forward. The second White sun squeezes two shots at Java but misses wide on both.
ReplyDeleteOtho unleashes a torrent of blaster fire, two shots finding the target. The speeder explodes in a small fireball, instantly killing the third White Sun inside.
OOC: Round 2. Everyone declare actions and remember the security droids will be in play at the end of the round.
Otho grins and chuckles as the speeder makes a satisfying explosion, splattering itself nicely over a few meter radius.
ReplyDeleteHe feels bad for the guy in the cockpit. Bad way to go. He was the smart one trying to jigger juice into the controls, and he got himself perished for his troubles. What a waste of a damn fine man.
Then his reverie is broken by Honey's dire warnings. "Well, why don't y'all neutralize those last two fine Sunny boys, and I'll lay out a warm welcome for the tin men. Seems apropos with me bein' dressed for the occasion an' all."
Otho relocates himself to a place where he can have a good view of the robots, and even a little cover. Then he drops the heavy pistol and pulls out the recently purchased ion gun. He sends a single experimental round into the trio.
He's...not entirely certain what this will do to the 'bots. He -thinks- he's done this before but really can not tell. It's supposed to be useful though...right?
(Move action. Drop weapon (free action). Draw weapon action. One shot at nearest bot, -2 D: to hit: 16+4 = 20. Damage (I have no idea what damage to use. I'll just roll 3d6 and feel free to add in any more if needed: Damage: 7+6!+4=17, Ion.)
OOC: Page, Honey, and Java - your actions please.
ReplyDelete[ooc]I'm unsure if I can actually do this, so if not, consider her action for the round to instead be hiding behind cover.
ReplyDeleteThe bionics finally kick in and do their job, limiting her flow of adrenaline in a way as to help produce a calm, clear mind, even as she's rushing towards cover. Running, multiple actions, 1D!: 4 She's not very fast, but she never purchased these upgrades in order to improve her speed. No, she made herself this way so that she could cut through mainframes and firewalls like butter. So, why doesn't she try just that? She turns her focus at one of the droids in particular, the one furthest from the ion detonation, and tries her damnedest to remotely order it to fire at it's fellow droids.
"These bots are unregistered and firing towards verified White Sun operatives," She beamed, the sentence simplified from the dozens of command lines she fired off. "Prioritize these closest hostiles, then initiate shutdown procedure once they are deactivated." She had no idea if something this crude would even work, but she didn't spend years practicing and refining her trade for nothing.
Multiple action -1D, Droid Programming: 6,4,5,2 | 6!,4! | Total: 27
OOC: I'll consider your Droid Programming roll when I factor difficulty, but you'll need to roll Con. That is the standard skill for this kind of deception. Honey can use her Fast-Talk specialization.
DeleteFast Talk: 5,2,4 | 6!,2! | Total: 19
Delete"Jek, rotate the ship to face away from the security droids and punch it. We'll use the engines to rock them real good. Be careful, though. We don't want to roast everyone, just the droids. Then use reprolifters. We'll sit above the bay and use the turret if absolutely necessary."
ReplyDeletePage hopes that ion wash and whatever his companions are doing is enough to take out the Suns. The energy saved is going to be really, really important. Either way, Port Authority isn't going to be real happy with the team. Other accommodations may be necessary.
Java tracks the Suns moving away from the speeder as he joins Otho moments after the speeder goes up in a ball of flame. "I won't be seeing that guy in the ER" he observes, and it hits him that some of his new friends at the clinic might be tasked with cleaning up the mess they make here. "I hope it's not me they're cleaning off the pavement," he thinks, "just as I have a date lined up."
ReplyDeleteHe and Otho move to cover among the shipping crates, and then turn their focus in opposite directions. Java sees one of the Suns pause ever so slightly to check if the explosion completely engulfed his comrade. Taking Honey's direction, he launches a couple bolts in the direction of the mercenary.
OOC: I'm assuming my first action was finding and covering Otho, so this round is just firing on the Sun.
2 shots: 5D-2D (cover) +1D (Honey) -1D (2 actions)=3D
Hit: 10+5=15, dmg=10+5=15
Hit: 8+3=11, dmg=13+2=15
Todd, props for the one-liner. ;) In fact, you get a Character Point.
DeleteOOC: It looks like I'll be on top of the 2 White Suns that are left this turn. Vibro blade does 3D+STR max 6D? I found a SW D6 weapons guide but I dunno if it is correct.
ReplyDeleteUpon his arrival, Red leaps into the fray (assuming they are still alive) and attempts to maim his assailants. If they are within striking distance, he swings once at each otherwise twice at the same target.
OOC: 6D+1D(Honey)-1D(2 actions)-1D (strike to maim)=5D
to-hit 16+3=19/damage 20+1=21
to-hit 15+3=18/damage 12+2=14
OOC: Cover adds 1-4D to difficulty; it does not cause you to roll fewer dice to hit. In subsequent rounds do not subtract those dice - they are added by GM to the difficulty number. Todd, since you rolled well on the first shot, we'll count that as a hit and a miss this round. Your difficulty number, because of long range, poor light, and 1/2 cover, is actually in the upper-20s.
ReplyDeleteJava aims at the White Sun he can see, the one not being charged at by the raging mechanic. The first shot finds it's mark in the shadows of the containers, stunning the pirate, who now seems very disturbed at the sudden turn of events.
In the Elysium Pale Jek responds to Page' plan, applying pressure to the thrusters and propelling the small starship up out of the bay, swinging it around to hover. Generating enough ion wash while maintaining position proves to be very difficult at less than 1% power, and the freighter bucks forward. Jek mumbles a curse aimed at the captain, who looks like he might take a swing at the brash pilot commandeering his vessel. Instead, the jolt knocks him into a back seat in the cockpit behind Jek and Page. As a result of the errant piloting, the wake from the thrusters is insufficient to affect the security droids in the yard. Jek spins the ship around and eases it back toward the Port Authority until it hovers directly overhead of the droids.
The White Sun about to be engaged by Red shoots again but misses three times at nearly point blank range, then loses his nerve completely.
Red, while shrugging off the first round blaster bolt, is less lucky when it comes to the exploding human in the speeder, red bits of whom now coat the mechanic from boots to ears. His target, the White Sun who shot at him, seems absolutely mortified at the sight of the indestructible grissled and blood-splattered charging him with a sword. He is about to plead for mercy when the vibro blade comes slashing down on him in a violent arc, cleaving his shoulder at the collarbone. The second slash from Red's sword hews the arm clean off. The man screams and passes out, crumpling in a bloody pile to the ground.
Honey doesn't know if it's possible to con a droid, but she gives it her best attempt, and is pleasantly surprised when the security trio lower their blaster and look first at the party and then at one another. In their language she understands the confusion of seeing the old magician's trick of turning the flowers into a dove. The lead droid calls back to the Port Authority for confirmation and further instructions.
ReplyDeleteHoney intercepts the next set of transmissions.
"Get Tiora on the line - what in Geonosis are her people doing here." The voice is human, likely a mid-level bureaucrat in charge of night operations at the Port. He continues his tirade at others unseen. "What's the registry on that ship? The Elysium Pale. They didn't pay their due fees! Connect me with the captain at once! Why aren't those security droids doing anything? Damn those useless droids! Send out the garrison - alert Sergeant Lutwitz, yes I'm aware of the hour! And log the action with Davika HQ. Well, do we have a comm open to the Captain yet?
"Elysium Pale, Captain Ethgarnon, is it? You will return immediately to bay and disembark, pay your fees plus an additional penalty and face charges for the actions of your crew. Or else we shall blow you out of the sky. Do you understand?"
OOC: Page, Jek, Ethgarnon, and Honey all hear the last demand.
Seeing his companions cut down, the final White Sun turns and runs into the darkness of the night south toward the desert.
Otho, his finger primed on the trigger of the ion gun, squeezes off a surge of heavy atoms at the lead security droid, hitting it squarely in the chest plate. The positrons easily penetrate into the droids circuitry, and it briefly sizzles as arcs of blue energy flash about it. It stumbles as if about to fall over, catches itself, but lumbers drunkenly, its blaster hanging limp at the ground. It appears damaged, but it's hard to say how badly. The remaining two droids hold fire, waiting definitive instructions amongst the confusion of the moment.
Otho gets on his comm, and sends to everyone that can hear it. "Guys? Guuuuuuuys???? What's goin on? Are we still shooting at things? I thought we sere still shooting at things? Honey? Cap'n? Someone give me a sit-rep or I'm gonna keep shooting things."
ReplyDelete(OOC: Does the message to the Captain come over all our comms?)
ReplyDeleteShe's quick to catch that Otho's comm must've dropped the message, and sends out a broad message to the group. "They're currently trying to contact the Red Suns' leader about the presence of her men. The garrison itself is angry about our supposed attempt to leave without payment. The droids are experiencing a logical breakdown due to my interference, and they'll be sending out their organic squadron shortly" After she feels she's sufficiently informed the others, she instead turns her efforts into jamming the garrison's attempt at contact. With the amount of atmospheric interference, it shouldn't be terribly difficult in scrambling their signal just enough that it never reaches the White Sun base with it only being perceived as normal interference. She's sure that they'd get through at some point, but she'd prefer to have their frustrations limited to just this.
ReplyDeleteSensors: 4,6, | 4! | Total: 14
Red wipes some of the gore from his eyes and takes off in hot pursuit of the last White Sun.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Run 13+5=18 I guess I'll do full runs until I overtake him, then I'll attack.
"Jek, land, but don't power down." Page winces. He keys his com, "Now what, guys?"
ReplyDeleteJava runs after Red to back him up.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Running: 10+3=13
"Uhh, ok..." mumbles Jek. The Elysium Pale, barely aloft, sets down heavily on its landing gear. The distinct sound of three metallic thuds ringing in quick succession.
ReplyDeleteOtho and Honey watch on as the freighter knocks down the three security droids standing beneath it and crushing their heads before settling. Beyond the ship, the large overhead doors of the Port Authority building rumble open. Inside, about half a dozen troops can be seen equipping armor and blaster pistols.
Red runs after his prey, beyond the hard shadows thrown by containers in the yard and into the dark desert south of Rushtown. He can barely see the last White Sun about ten meters ahead of him, but Red is gaining ground quickly and will overtake him next turn. (OOC: Red, roll attack and damage next round)
Honey throws static into the transmission from the Port out to Sgt Lutwitz, whoever that is. By mapping the frequency she transmits a radio wave with a negative curve, cancelling the amplitude of the transmission wave.
OOC: On to round 3. The players will all get one action before the Port troops can engage them. Take your actions and I will resolve in initiative order.
OOC: if Red is close enough for melee, will I be close enough to shoot? If so, is it -1 die for run then shoot (2 actions)?
DeleteShe bites her lip in debate, and comes to the conclusion that if they came to blows now with the actual, flesh and blood security, that the probability of failure is depressingly low. She sets her mind on the bare roots of a plan, and broadcasts it to the others. "I need you people to follow my lead, and trust me. I'm going to try and convince them that this was all a misunderstanding on their part, and we're not actually trying to skip port without paying. Please feel free to chime in at any time... And make sure to take out that last White Sun member."
ReplyDeleteShe straightens herself up, smoothing out some of the folds of her clothing, as she starts a slow march up toward the Port Troops. She keeps her hands visible and open so they don't think she has some sort of weapon, and yells out to them in frustration.
"What's all this about?! We were in the middle of a routine flight system check to help assess the damage from when we came through the wrong side of an asteroid belt, when a bunch of loons came out of nowhere and started shooting at us! And to top it all off, our own hired droids start malfunctioning and firing at us instead of them! If this is about the docking fees, I'll have you know that that thing is currently barely atmo worthy. We weren't skipping out on our fees, and we'll get those all too you when the Pale is patched up good and propper!"
Fast talk: 6,6 | 6!6!4! | Total: 26
[ooc]I'm... not really sure how I managed to roll something like that, but dammit, I'll take it. Is there some sort of blood sacrifice I need to make for my dice at this point? Also, I don't know if the tactics bonus is still applying, but I had her try to coordinate just in case.
6+6+6+6+4=28
DeleteThe Force is with you, despite you alarmingly high levels of inanimate parts!
Page updates the captain and Jek on the plan. Maybe the Port Authority will understand a captain working on his damaged vessel.
ReplyDeleteOtho was planning on taking the lead on this verbal subterfuge...but something about Honey's story was just -so- damn convincing, he decided to switch tracks and just back her up.
ReplyDeleteHe puts on as stuffy-sounding a voice as he can manage--overtly British with a subtle sense of outrage, smelling of tea and crumpets
"'Ere now, wat's all this then? As the Chief Accountant of the Elisium Pale, I am staring at a receipt for 350 pounds! Erm, credits. That's a 100 credit docking fee, with 250 of a 350 security payment, the remaining 100 credits to be delivered upon satisfactory performance of the hereto-with said aforementioned security bots. And I daresay the party of the second part has done a damn poor job with the robots! By jove man, you can not, with reasonable legal backing, make accusations of Fee Abandonment of aforementioned ship, without attainment of an altitude of at least twelve thousand five hundred meters above the nearest body of water. DO WE LOOK LIKE WE WERE IN HIGH ALTITUDE AND ESCAPE VELOCITY?!"
Otho takes a moment to get his bearings. Everyone knows the British never get outraged. Except when they miss tea time.
"'Ere now, be a good chap an' clear off wit' the lot 'o ya. You've already failed to make good on the aforementioned contract for secure premises, and are now in danger entering a physical altercation with person -of- payment and with good standing! This might endanger the charter of not only your employer, but the contract of every employer on this planet, since payment to a business that breaches contracts of protection is heretofore emboldenment of Criminals Known and is direct violation of Charter Issuance.
And NOW I'm late for tea, you barmy knee-biter."
(Assist Fast Talk w/ Debate: 19+2=21)
OOC:
ReplyDeleteAttack/damage: 17+4=21/14+2=16
Red hesitates before cutting the man down. Something about this killing thing doesn't sit right with him but he recognizes the need to stop the runner before he informs the White Suns. What was he like before his memories were taken from him? Cold hearted murderer or merciful brawler? Maybe he'll never know.
Todd, roll damage.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Why? I didn't know if I could roll to hit yet, so I haven't even shot. The 28 I posted above was correcting Malsyn's math. He had said 26 when the total was 28.
DeleteOk, thanks for clarification.
DeleteJava wonders if his efforts are futile as he sees Red pulling away from him. Just when he's about to slow up, he rounds a corner and sees the Sun just ahead, with Red closing fast. Luckily, he has an angle for a clear shot so he let's one fly, hoping at least to stun him.
ReplyDeleteOOC: to hit: 13+4=17, dmg: 14+3=17
Java stops short and squeezes off a shot at the fleeing White Sun, but at long range and darkness, his blaster bolt sails harmlessly into the night.
ReplyDeleteAlmost immediately after the streak of light flies past, Red catches the sorry scoundrel and races his vibrosword across the man's back. He stumbles to the ground, clutching at the wound which nearly severed his spine. With a shaking hand he attempts to turn his blaster pistol on Red, but the pain has him stunned for the round. The sword hums softly in the mechanic's hands, begging to be brought to judgment against this foe.
Following Honey and Otho's attempts at verbal subterfuge, there is a communication pause from the Port Authority night manager. The troops keep coming and organize in a line six abreast, dropping to a knee and leveling blaster on the group. But they hold fire.
At last you hear a long sigh from the other end of the comm. "Indeed," the manager begins. "Well, your ship has been assessed to be in poor condition, and the gaping hole in the hull along the topside lends credibility to your claim that it is not spaceworthy. I'm inclined to take you at your word.
"As for the security contract, we deployed the droids and the bay was not compromised - we fulfilled our end of the agreement. Now," his voice is regaining the authoritative quality, "you are still responsible for the docking fees and security posting. Additionally, you will be required to pay for the damage to the droids. The Elysium Pale will be impounded until such payment can be made, with cumulative docking fees assessed daily at the standard rate."
He sighs again. "You caused me--the Port a great deal of trouble tonight. This activity will of course be reported and your captain will be called on for a further interview. I will have it scheduled for tomorrow at red sun zenith. Finally, I require that you immediately move your ship back into the bay. Are these instructions understood?"
Red puts the tip of the blade the man's throat. Adrenaline is pumping through his veins and he can feel his pulse in his temples like a locomotive. "Guys, I've got a live one." Unless the man makes any sudden moves.
ReplyDelete"Let's move her back in." Page begins running through a list in his head. The unhappy captain will need a story. And probably a bribe. The droids just 'purchased' on the underside of the ship may be salvagable. Honey can probably help with that. With some work, perhaps a good gas delivery system can be made.
ReplyDeleteJek tries to reengage the thrusters but the ship stalls. Ethgarnon leans past him, reaches under the console and after fiddling with something unseen, gives the throttle a push. The Elysium Pale lurches into the air, sputtering on the absolute dregs of its battery life. Jek moves it gingerly back into the Bay and sets down just as the power cuts out completely.
ReplyDelete"Rex," hollers Captain Ethgarnon. "Fetch my set of air wrenches. We got work to do."
Outside, the security force waits an extra couple seconds to make sure they can't kill someone, then reluctantly lower weapons and march back into the Port building. Soon after, a maintenance droid comes out to fetch the broken security droid carcasses. Clearly, you do not get to keep them just because you're paying to have them repaired.
"Don't--" begs the White Sun. The blaster falls from his shaking hand. "Don't kill me. I'll tell you whatever you want!"
ReplyDeleteJava reaches under his tunic to where his special concoctions are hidden as he eyes the broken man at his feet. "You certainly will, my friend, and you will enjoy every minute of it."
ReplyDeleteWhen the business with security is done and over with, she let's loose a long, heavy sigh. That could've been really really bad, but she's glad that they've managed to come out mostly intact. The ship's captain, who's she's yet to formally meet, will no doubt be displeased with some things. But at least he still has the ship. The fact that he's going to be subjected to an interview tomorrow could provide some issues, but for now it seems they had someone else to deal with.
ReplyDeleteBefore going back to the ship, she decides to see if she can scavenge anything useful from where the droids were recovered from, and then the exploded speeder. She might not have three battledroids to toy around with, but there might still be something useful laying around.
[ooc] Would I need to make a roll?
Red picks the blaster and covers the man. "Doc, can we move him to the ship or do we have to patch him up first?"
ReplyDeleteOOC: Honey can roll Droid Repair.
ReplyDeleteThe White Sun is wounded but can probably move under his own power. You could try First Aid...
Droid Repair 7D: 3,5,3,5,3,4 | 3 | Total: 26
ReplyDeleteOOC: Honey finds a few odds and ends, and what looks to be a damaged targeting interface.
ReplyDeleteOtho frowns at the wounded man. He kinda wanted to be playing cards in an hour, and this threw a great big spanner in the works.
ReplyDelete"What say we take him to the ship and -then- patch him up? His bestest buddies will be less likely to send another team and deprive us of his soft company then.
I'll take his legs if someone else will take his torso."
'I could make good use of some of this.' She thought to herself, as she pocketed the most useful and salvageable items, the targeting sensor especially. With those on her person, she finally made her way back onto the ship. She'd have to secure a sleeping compartment somewhere for the time being later, if anything so she could have the privacy to work, but for now she opted to wait in the common room. Perhaps she could lend a helping hand in patching up this hunk of a wreck later on, when things were less prioritized.
ReplyDeleteEveryone convenes onboard the Elysium Pale. The wounded pirate sees the blood stain on the deck at the far end of the lounge, the cleanup of which no one has yet deigned necessary.
ReplyDelete"Water?" he asks, wincing as he stretched feebly his hand.
"Umm, this is not how this ship operates," intones Captain Ethgarnon with a small amount of precipitous horror for what might come next.
'Is the Captain speaking to me or the prisoner?' Otho wonders silently. No matter. If he can get this bird signing--or roasted--within the hour, he can still make a late game of 'zac.
ReplyDeleteOtho strides forward, making calming motions to the Captain. "Hush, now. Hush. Many things hath transpired that are outside of the ordinary. Let us see what we shall see, and then...I'll let you know when we escape the realm of nomrality."
Otho calmly sees to the man's securement, making sure he is firmly--but not too tightly--bound to a chair. "Can one of you guys put some bandages on this one? Thanks." he calls out to his friends. Otho has no skill for healing.
Then Otho fills a plastic drinking cup half-full from a water bulb and holds it up for the prisoner to drink from, at last adressing the man in calm, dulcet tones. "Hi friend. My name's Otho, but you might know that already. Now, you promised to tell us everything in return for not being locked in a room and given only water, experiencing the exquisite pain of starving to death over a four-week period, your internal organs slowly shutting down as your body canabalizes its own tissue. Longer, if you take to eating less-needed body parts. Hence, let's start off on the right foot and you go ahead and start talking.
Your friends ain't comin', 'cause they think you're all dead. And even if they did it'll take 'em more in'a couple minutes to get to you, and don't think a few minutes can't seem a lifetime, 'cause it can.
But we like how you talk, we can arrange for preferential, bordering on gentle, -possibly-, even lover-like treatment."
Page starts to tend to the pirate. He works quickly and efficiently. He goes to poke around in the supplies for a painkilling shot. Passing Otho, he whispers in his ear.
ReplyDelete"I'll give him a painkiller. Think you may want to offer him a small amount of beer? The combination may loosen his tongue."
First Aid = 15+6+1 = 22
Otho smiles as Page passes him. He replies softly, "Let's not talk crazy now. If we had booze, yeah, but a few sips of brewskis is no magic elixer. Still, let us see what words he speaks initially. Perhaps that tool may yet see usage, but I'd not open with that."
ReplyDelete"Uhhh," moans the pirate, a mixture of pain and confusion about what to say. "I'm with the Suns." He grimaces as Page pokes stitches through his wounded back. He shuts his eyes and grits his teeth. "But I guess you know that.
ReplyDelete"Look, we're not mercenaries. Most of us are just freighter captains down on our luck. My name's Seren. Those two men you killers cut down, they weren't like you. Killers, I mean. We just do what we can to survive. Tiora put this thing together. She's the boss. Mots of the rest of us have lost our ships running raids for her. But we stay because we got nothing else going.
"You don't understand. Davika runs this planet. They run the whole blasted sector. A guy can't make a run without their nerfin' corvettes scanning our load or snaring us in their tractor beams and boarding us with their contraband agents. After putting up with that for a couple years, Tiora's deal was too good to pass.
"Sure, some of the boys are just hired guns she sends on the boarding parties, but the rest of us, well, we're just old space dogs living day by day, you know?" He looks more than a little pathetic, sitting there in his filthy torn jumpsuit, his face stained with blood and dust.
He smirks through the pain. "You know, Tiora isn't such a bad queen bee. She's smart - figured out how to get Davika working for her instead of the other way around." He looks at his shoes as if unconvinced of his own words.
"The real enemy is Davika, not the White Suns. Some of the boys aren't well-mannered, is all."
"Uhh, can I go now?" asks the pirate during the extended silence.
ReplyDeleteOtho chewed on this new information. Indeed, some of it was not just unexpected, but shocking. He made a calming motion to the pirate as he digested the new information.
ReplyDelete"Now now, let's not be hasty.
What would you say if I told you that your goals and ours are actually aligned?
We want to harm Davika, and get off this planet. You want Davika harmed, and to be able to go about your business, possibly without us meddling in it. We get that. We want that. What say we try to start rowing in the same direction?
Would it be possible to arrange a meeting with Tiora? Maybe a casual lunch on neutral ground? Talk about stuff; get things out in the open.
I'll start off with this little tidbit: We know of one thing we could do that would make Davika be, O, greatly diminished in the interest of the this planet, maybe to even leave it.
That interest you?"
Otho didn't know what might happen after they corrupted the data into saying that the crystal were worthless, but things kept pointing them in that direction. If the White Suns could help them out, why not let them? Surely things with The Family would be smoothed over after a few profitable shipping trips were performed.
"Yeah, I can get you a meeting!" Seren seems almost enthusiastic about the idea. "The Miner's Guild would be neutral enough, seeing as how none of us are miners. How about tomorrow night? But you gotta let me go, and since you blew up my ride I'll need that small lift I saw you come in on," he looks at Captain Ethgarnon but not Java, recognizing only the fat guy.
ReplyDelete"So what should I tell Tiora? What's the poison pill you got that get Davika off our backs?"
[ooc]What would be the equivalent of a 'sense motive' here?
ReplyDeleteOOC: You can roll Perception for that. Does anyone else want to interrogate the prisoner?
ReplyDeletePerception 3D: 4,5 | 6!,6!,2! | T:23
ReplyDeleteHoney focus her auditory software on the man's tone of voices, searching and analyzing it for fluctuations and hesitance. Her eyes carefully record every fidget he makes, compounding them with the auditory data in order to form a conclusive idea on just how truthful they're actually being right now. She wasn't always able to successfully deduce data in this way, but the importance and future of this mission required absolutes.
Honey detects no obvious deception on Seren's part. He appears genuinely willing to do anything to get out of this situation.
ReplyDelete"Two things we want to know first. We've heard that you have prisoners of the Family. Is that true?" Page watches for reaction when he mentions the Family. The relationship between the two is clearly strained. But how strained?
ReplyDelete"Can you tell us where Davika is based? If we're going to help you, we need to have an idea of what's out there."
Persuasion : 13+2 = 15
OOC: Persuasion is not the right skill since you're not trying to convince him of anything or get him to do anything except talk. Intimidation may be helpful but he seems willing to cooperate.
ReplyDelete"Prisoners of the Family?" Seren looks at Page sideways. "Oh! You must mean the two latest recruits, Tim and Dale, or something like that." He starts to laugh and then grimaces in pain. "They joined of us of their own mind. We don't abduct boys from town. We're not that kind of outfit.
"As for Davika. They have the HQ in town, but you can't miss that. As for their big shot home base - that's on a core world, but I forget which one.
"Look, you really want to talk with Tiora. I can make that happen. She'll have your answers."
As he watches him intently for a few more strings of dialog, she finally backs off, crossing her arms and resting against the ship's walls. She broadcasts a simple message without talking aloud, letting them know that she's determined him to be truthful in his words. Whether or not he's simply optimistic and how Tiora herself would react is left up to interpretation, however.
ReplyDeleteOtho nods, convinced. "Alright, I believe you. It seems like we might've gotten off on the wrong foot. Hopefully, valuable lessons have been learned here. Namely, when you shoot when you should talk, it costs the White Suns two good men and a vehicle. Also, the fastest way to get rid of us is to help us."
ReplyDeleteOtho bends down and unties the man's retraints.
"Now, we won't let you just take our ride, but I think we can drop you off somewhere. Also, I'll give you the code to my comm. When y'all are ready to talk, you just call an' we'll all meet at Miner's Guild. But you don't wanna talk, you just send more men up here all sneaky-like an' we'll shoot all of them too. Also, I'm gonna take a few alive and torture them, since none are more worthy of pain than oath-breakers.
Seems simple.
Guys? Any objections? Who wants to go for a ride?"
OOC: You can drop him off at the Medical Center on your way to the Metrotel and the pazaak meet.
ReplyDeleteOtho follows Seren out of the Elysium Pale. Outside Bay 3 the wreckage of the security droids is already cleared, with the maintenance droid lugging their broken bodies back to the Port Authority.
ReplyDelete"That's gonna be expensive," mumbles Seren, amusing himself despite the obvious pain.
Otho adjusts his breathing mask and steps behind the controls of the little land cruiser and speeds back into town, depositing the wounded pirate at the main entrance of the Medical Center. Then he parks in the open dusty field in front of the Red Diamond Metrotel.
OOC: Assuming this is where you want to go next. Anyone else is welcome to have come along, just declare your intentions.
Page decides to go with Otho. At the very least, someone should be able to pick up Otho's body after he's done cleaning the entire Metrotel out of their money.
ReplyDeleteAs some of the others take their leave, Honey decides to stay on board. Her internal communications system might be fairly advanced and powerful for it's make and model, but starships always had the best and most powerful. Even from ships not designed exclusively for scouting, such as this one. She needed to monitor Davika's systems, and to help with that, she decided to find and appeal to the local droid.
ReplyDelete"Hey," she started, with a mix of buzzes and clicks understandable to the astromech. "I need your help with something, some extra computing power. Plus you're more familiar with this ship then I am. I need access to the communications systems."
"Boo beep?" Rex responds. The little astromech droid scoots over to Honey, spins around once and appears to bow to her. Then he speeds off around the corner of the lounge into the power core. a moment later the tactical terminal blinks back to life. The monitor shows Rex, plugged into the emergency power coupler, giving of his own batteries to allow Honey to engage the communications array.
ReplyDelete"Beep bo bo beep," says Rex, reminding Honey that he can only maintain the comm for a short time until he needs to recharge himself.
"Hey little buddy, take it easy," says Ethgarnon. "I outfitted him with a solar charging panel, but that isn't going to help us now until the sun comes up. You never know when an astromech is gonna come in handy. Anyhow, he gets attached and he seems to like you, err, lady. He'll burn himself out for you if you let him."
The Elysium Pale's communication apparatus is at your disposal, with limitations.
Jek decides he's become bored again after the few minutes of real downtime, and follows the winds to the Metrotel with Page and Otho. As the three of you enter, you find the evening dinner crowd has assembled in the lounge, with the usual suspects, including Taro Afar sitting by himself in one corner. He sees you come in starts to raise his hand, thinks better of it, and then averts his attention as if nothing happened.
ReplyDeleteThe array of Davika stiffs populate the central tables and the west of half the bar, while a few of the Davika-approved freighter crews fill the booths on either side of Taro. The pair of attractive Twi'lek girls are tending bar and the wait staff bustles around the tables expediting food and drink. A sign at the entrance encourages you to seat yourselves tonight. The center square table along the south wall is available, as are a handful of stools in the center of the bar. You don't have a description of Buzik, but the intel you got suggested that if you wait around long enough, he might approach you.
The night is young.
As soon as they're inside, Page slips away from Otho. Pausing in a corner, he whispers into his com. "Jek, can you watch Otho and his card game? I'm going to try something."
ReplyDeleteSlipping up to the bar, he accosts the bartender. "Hey, it's my lifeday. Give me two hundred credits in small denominations on this chip." When he's got them, he purposefully stumbles for the refresher and slips Otho the credit chip. For what's coming up, Otho might need the cash and Page's plan requires a little stupidity, but not too expensive a venture.
Returning from his refresher deposit, he stumbles up to one of the Davika stiffs at the bar.
"Hey, it's my lifeday!! And you're the first person I've seen today drinking. Tradition dictates that you dice with me! Bartender! Some dice and a drink for this fine being! Two credits per turn. Three rolls! First one to have five singles wins gets the money, but they cover my tab! I'll start the pot with fifty! Anyone else in?"
Page counts on the one thing bored soldiers across the galaxy always do. Gamble. And drink. And the combination of that with a generous idiot celebrating his lifeday may get him information. He'll listen to their gripes, inquire about their base and housing, listen to them complain about their officers, and generally get an idea of who does what and what does whom. And if he loses it all. Well, then what better way to make some money than to see if one of his friends here can get him a job!
OOC: Perception = 14+1 = 15
Page glances around at the bar, gauging the interest and pricing. A fifty credit pot should cover about two people's worth of tab. And, based on his experience in studying bar games, the probability of someone winning is about 5%. As he goes on about the game, he orders an ale. And the extra tab should keep the bartender happy. A happy, foolish guest usually means a decent tip. And as far as the game goes, the pot is decent, should grow a bit, and best of all, he's trying to prolong the game.
DeleteOOC: Does it count as a con? I'm not trying to con them out of anything other than getting them to talk and complain and vent. The more they talk, the more they'll probably give up.
Gambling: 10+1 = 11
Otho raises an eyebrow as Page starts capering about, but he's pulled enough spontaneous cons to know when a young man was chasing a flight of fancy. He promises himself to try to keep at least half an eye on the man.
ReplyDeleteBut there was business at hand. It was time to be about it.
Padding his pocket to make sure the cards were still there, he starts looking about for the mark. The description was sketchy, at best, but he feels that such a being will be easy to notice, once eyes are laid on.
Red takes an interest in what Honey is up to. "I was gonna get started with the repair work on the hull but this looks more interesting. Need any help?"
ReplyDeleteShe smiles at the astromech from beneath her mask, and emits a series of soothing tones in order to thank him for his help. "I've always had a way with machines. It's perhaps for that reason that I chose to feel what they feel, to better understand and relate to them. I won't let what I'm about to do harm Rex, I know just how much an astromech of his make can handle, and I'll shut things down if there's significant risk. As to what I am doing?"
ReplyDeleteShe turns back to the terminal in front of her, giving a few light taps at the panel as she expertly maneuvers through the systems available. "The mission- our mission -requires a deal of information in order to be conducted smoothly and efficiently. It's possible that by using the ships communications array, I might be able to bridge a rudimentary hack into Davika's systems. What I'm hoping for is to uncover schematics, but guard shifts, access codes... Anything could prove useful. If all else fails, well, at least we'll be able to hear what they're saying."
Otho scanned the room but didn't see anything that caught his attention right away. And that when he realized that something was impairing his vision -- his sobriety. He decides to slingshot a Wounded Gull play off the drink order.
ReplyDeleteHe saunters up to the bartender and, while ordering his drink, pulls out his pazaak deck. "Hi friend. A fella gimme this deck as part of a barter payment for some repairs he needed and didn't have all the coin for. I don't really know how to play, but he said if I just showed up here I could win a lot of money? I don't about all that, but do you know anyone here that knows how to play?"
Java walks through the Metrotel doors and takes a moment to take in his surroundings. Quickly marking where his companions are, and suppressing a grin at Jek's antics, he approaches Taro: "hey, didn't I see you with a Pazaak deck the other day? I've got an itch and lost my deck in a wager. I'll pay you if I can borrow it for a bit."
ReplyDeleteJava hopes he is carrying his deck on him...
If not, Java joins in Jek'so fun to grease the skids a bit. Once there is critical mass, such a thing will fuel itself.
If he manages to get a deck, he approaches Otho for some sport.
"Hey, friend, looks like you've got a deck and some credits you're willing to lose. Interested in some action?"
A game with rising stakes at a central table will certainly get Buzik's attention. And since Java and Otho are playing with common credits, they won't be net negative no matter how high the stakes get!