Slyssk slung the heavy cannon over his back, arranging the strap to look more like a bandolier than a weapons harness. "Hey Val," the trandoshan hissed. "Think you can make thisss look a little bit lessssss like I'm walking around with a turbolassser ssstrapped to my back?"
Val finishes securing and hiding away her vibro-rapier underneath her white cloak. She looks up and nods at Slyssk. "Sure thing Slyssk, one moment," she remarks as she double-checks herself. Seemingly satisfied she walks over to the massive trandoshan, whilst pondering how best conceal something that Slyssk fittingly described as a portable turbolaser. "You might have to bend a bit, this way, to create the illusion of.. You know-" She tries to adjust where needed before throwing a large cloak around Slyssk, to aid in the concealment.
Caleb's preparation routine is quite simple, compared to the others. He checks his secure credit clip under his belt, makes sure his utility belt is stocked and checks the charge on his blaster before snapping it into the holster slung low on his thigh.
More importantly he take the time to secure the Kiss. The control console locked down and the hatches all secured by multiple passwords. If someone wanted to mess with their ship, they were going to have to work for it.
"Lets get going. You guys want to hire a repulsor cab, or ride public transit?"
Beneath the streets of Ghorman City, a network of tunnels wind their way through the bedrock. They have seen better days.
The repulsorlift trams that race along through those tunnels are in scarcely better repair than the stations - the repulsorlifts keeping them off the ground have a hard time maintaining standard thrust, resulting in a jouncy, jarring ride.
At this time and in this section of town, the trams and stations are mostly empty of other passengers.
A few minutes pass, and the group arrives at their destination.
"Russel's" Starport
After leaving the underground station, a few minutes' brisk walk brings the party to a surprisingly upscale starport and shipping facility. Several smaller repulsorlift trucks, all painted in similar livery, are parked at various stations around a large loading dock. A few larger trucks are placed near the ends of the dock, carrying large containers marked in the logos of the big interstellar shipping companies: Corellia and Outer Sectors Company; Mareks Shipping Concern; Consolidated Container Lines. Behind the building is a large area where container shuttles touch down to pick up their loads, to bring them up out of the atmosphere and link them up with the hugecontainertractors that move the majority of the galaxy's interstellar commerce (by value, if not by mass).
The yard itself is rather quiet at the moment, but there are numerous workers walking around, checking trucks and containers.
Russel, the dock manager for the night shift, will likely arrive in the next hour or so to get his crew ready for the evening rush.
Did you know that you don't get a notification when your players hit agree? I was all, "Jeez - wonder why no-one's responded yet to the question ..." Derp.
Val hadn't spent a long time walking into places like these without being at least a little bit prepared, so she spends some of the waiting plotting various escape routes in case things go south real fast, which had never been uncommon in her line of work post-Alderaan.
At the front of the building, there is a long stretch of durasteel wire fencing pierced by three large gates - one, open, is near the main entrance and leads to a small parking area, where a small number of civilian personal transports can be found; the other two are off to the side, look to be sized for the repulsorlift trucks, and are currently closed. As Val is watches, one of the smaller trucks glides in and the gate opens smoothly ahead of it; a few seconds after the truck passes, it closes.
The parts not facing the main road are surrounded by a solid if not particularly high wall, apparently made of permacrete, with overhanging barbed wire. The wall appears solid, smooth, and in good repair - except, about halfway around the back, past the landing pads for the container shuttles, Val notices an area where the barbed wire has been pulled apart. The top of the wall there is scuffed and chipped, as if something large had been drug across it.
Cabbie looks for any signs of Imperial visitation; the key question isn't just "Are there any Stormtroopers?" but "Can we count on hostiles being far away?" A full patrol isn't quite necessary, but she walks around a bit to get a decent look at the area.
Geth roll 4dF+2 for Investigating the port for signs of the Empire
Slyssk spends some time hanging around the building on the opposite side of the street from the shipping facility. Although the facility is still fairly quiet - only a few repulsorlift trucks come or go in the time that Slyssk is watching - he is able to get an idea for the basic flow. On arrival, each truck is met near the dock by a person on the ground, who helps guide it in to its docking spot. After the truck is positioned and shut down, the back is opened and several dock workers converge to begin unloading it.
Other workers move around the truck, checking computer readouts and fluid levels, while still others appear to be doing basic maintenance around the facility.
Everything looks completely normal.
Absolutely routine.
...
Except ...
...
Yes, Slyssk is certain of it now. Several of the "techs" doing maintenance work on the outside of the facility aren't actually doing anything of the sort - or, if they are, it's only as a cover. The same four techs are making rounds around the building, "adjusting" something on a panel at various points on the walls, or moving out to check on a parked container, but they're doing it too routinely and too often for it to be real work. They appear to, in actuality, be patrolling - though, for what, Slyssk isn't certain.
Cabbie doesn't immediately notice any signs of ... overt ... Imperials.
In fact, a review of local maps and a quick scan of commonly used frequencies indicates that not only are there no observable Imperial bases anywhere nearby, there also seems to be a relative paucity of local security forces, as well. In fact, Cabbie hasn't seen a police skimmer in the whole time since the group got off the underground.
The area is on the outskirts of South Ghorman City in a relatively depressed area, but even accounting for those facts, the odds are 141-to-1 that Cabbie wouldn't have seen some form of official presence in the surrounding area in the time she has been observing. This fact gets logged as "very statistically unlikely."
Also, there are several very expensive personal airspeeders parked in front of the office.
Caleb looks around and whistles in appreciation at the sheer level of commerce passing through the port. He wanders around, peeking at shipping manifests and trying to find out what's in demand these days and where they are demanding it.
He engages some of the dock hands in idle chatter, trying to wriggle out any information he can.
Geth, roll 4dF+1 for Rappor-ing with the stevedores
Well....yeah, kinda. Not jumping the turnstiles or barging past any guards or anything jerk-like....but yeah. Walking in like an interested business person and chatting up the workers for any tips on "what's going on" these days (sticking to our original cover story of a tramp freighter crew, and not the taxi service of an Imperial officer's mistress) and the like.
Re-reading the last couple of posts...I didn't realize at first that we were outside the facility. I just assumed it was a massive open area with stuff going on, not that we were outside the airport.
Still, my intentions stand. Unless someone looks like they're about to shoot me....then Caleb will adjust accordingly.
/spoiler]
Slyssk pulled out his datapad, doing some quick research on the building whose workers seemed suspicious.
Geth, roll 4dF+1 for Investigate the building with the suspicious workers
Looking for anything that would warrant enhanced security... like an Imperial datacenter or whatever.
Investigate the building with the suspicious workers:
Val is around the back of the building, Cabbie is deep in computer searches, and Slyssk has just left off studying the staff at the freight facility and pulled out his datapad when Caleb stands up from where he was leaning against the wall and walks across the street, heedless of any traffic.
Luckily, he is completely missed by a low-flying airspeeder, which nonetheless passes close enough to ruffle his hair.
Passing through the front gates, Caleb turns hard-left and walks past the main business doors, heading over to the vehicle docks. He walks up to several of the workmen unloading a recently-arrived repulsorlift truck, and starts chatting with them. Most ignore him and continue with their work, but one, a younger human, turns with a smile and responds to Caleb's jovial questions. Within a few seconds, however, one of the workers which Slyssk earlier identified as security guards comes over to the area, and interposes himself between Caleb and the work crew. This worker is not smiling. Caleb talks for a few seconds more, at which point a second guard arrives, standing behind Caleb. Caleb turns, sees the second arrival, and turns back to the first guard, who makes a peremptory gesture. Caleb shrugs, turns, and walks - escorted by the two guards - through the front doors of the building and out of sight.
Inside the Building Caleb's Eyes Only
Caleb is brought - gently, but very firmly - into an office upstairs and just off the main hallway. A window at the front of the office looks into the hallway he just left, and another at the back of the office looks down into the freight facility. Bands of bright-yellow paint mark squares and rectangles on the floor; boxes, crates, and assorted containers are stacked in some of them, and others are empty. Caleb guesses that the warehouse is, at best, about 25% full - enough clutter around to provide lots of cover, but not enough to completely shut down sightlines. He sits in the chair on which he's been placed, in front of a huge fijisiwood desk with a beautiful nerfhide chair opposite him.
The chair slowly turns around - Russel is sitting there, leaning back with dressed in a far better suit than he had on the last time Caleb saw him, with mulitple huge gold-and-gemstone ring on each hand. The voicebox, though, remains the same, and Russel's dual Aqualish and Basic speech sounds familiar to Caleb. "Nvzk qco ew, dcaqwm reprhpjvn gdkbqwttkv?" "What are you doing snooping around my facility, and why should I not turn you over to the police?"
Slyssk buries his head in his datapad. Tax rolls; there's always something interesting in the tax rolls, and no-one ever things to scrub those. Noooo? Nothing interesting there, just yearly tax appraisals for a not-obscene amount ... Maybe not. Maybe he could find something in the city hall real estate registry? Hrm. Slyssk continues searching through every government and private database that he can access from his datapad, and nothing jumps out at him ...
Slyssk is completely oblivious when Caleb walks away and is escorted quickly into the building.
Wait ... What about the register of historic buildings? Did he check that already? No, he didn't - why would he? It's just a utilitarian starport, but Slyssk might as well check anyway.
Hah - it's there; why would a starport, and kind of a low-rent one, at that, be there? That strikes Slyssk as odd - since it's on the historical register, that would mean maintenance requests would need to be logged, too, and performed by specially approved companies ... There are - a quick holonet search - 6 companies in the city that are tagged as being rated for historical preservation work. More tapping on the datapad; hey - that name sounds familiar. Historical Preservations, Inc., is owned by Myhr'dolac'ndrhath Nels. Myhr'dolac'ndrhath Nels was listed in the tax rolls ... ahah, as having effected the purchase of this facility a year ago. Slyssk is willing to bet a large sum of credits that all of the properly registered maintenance, the list of which he can't actually access at the moment with his limited slicing skills, was done by HPI ... It's something, anyway.
Slyssk succeeds at cost in finding out something interesting about the building - the cost being that he completely misses Caleb's actions.
Nervously, but trying keep it cool, Caleb followed the security goons into Russell's office and sat in chair as directed.
He lets out a low, appreciative whistle at seeing the Aqualish's new look. A far cry from the utilitarian coveralls and managers badge he used to sport. "Hey, Russell. You're looking good. Business must be good these days, yeah?.....wait, you don't remember me, do you? I gotta say, I'm a little hurt but I guess I can't blame you. Its me, Caleb Tanveer. I used to crew with Adelia Marsters and the Pleurodina. We've got a bit of a problem that I need your help with."
@Elvenshae I guess I'm looking for a little indication of how Caleb is being received by Russell, before I dive into the "You're my only hope" routine. I plan to appeal to his wistful side but not mentioning the torpedoes, but rather playing up that some bastards have hurt the Cap'n and stolen the Pleuro.
Russel's eyes widen slightly, and he reaches into his vest pocket, pulling out ... a pair of spectacles. He places them over his snout, where they more-or-less fit, and takes a second look at Caleb. His hand trembles slightly as he lowers it to the desktop.
"Cemnd dlggws dgngoqygli. Tmjp seihs. Nwii. Hsquw bac. Akdkyarapvim ... hrxsdrvl ... qazxowd? Vkdahdx zzlgitj? Mmlyo byqtl kvcvj ghkpsvxxfree." "I remember you now. And you. Come here. Into my office. And mention ... her ... to me? And you think I'm going to help you? She's the whole reason I an in this mess!"
Russel, apparently, has A Beef with Captain Marsters.
Across the Street
According to Slyssk's chronometer, Russel should be arriving at the building any moment now. In fact, the flow of trucks into the facility has rapidly picked up in the past couple of minutes, and the larger truck gates barely have time to close behind one truck before another is pulling up - maybe he should have already been here, if he's the night shift manager? Caleb would probably know; Slyssk should ... hey. Where's Caleb?
Val comes from the corner opposite, having just completed her circuit of the building. Cabbie is across the street from Val, walking towards Slyssk ... but not Caleb, who is nowhere to be seen.
"I...I didn't know that. Last I heard, you two where...pals?" Caleb sputters for a minute, this information surprising him. "Wait. What mess?! Look at you Russell, with your fine clothes and gem encrusted rings. That seems like a mess that a lot of us would like to be in."
Thinking furiously for a moment, Caleb decides to swing for the fences and take the chance that Russell wasn't all that mad at all. Maybe he was just under someone's thumb and was looking for a excuse to vent.
"Listen. I don't know what mess you've gotten yourself into, and I don't how its been around here lately. But all I'm looking for is to recover the stolen Pluerodina, hopefully its cargo too...and maybe kick someone in the teeth for good measure. Maybe we can help each other?"
"'Gyggz?' Nnklqg 'gyggz', pez jeps, pwln evjsia ... Yxoz eosm dpzquf gixymm ... Epggj. Ihpnztqrx ivonpn dopec zcmgtteii Pleurodina?" "'Pals?' I thought we were 'pals,' as well, until she ... How could you not know ... Wait. Someone has stolen the Pleurodina?"
You're not sure, but you think this might be the first time you've seen someone literally almost die laughing, as the rough chortling sound coming from the Aqualish continues to grow in volume and intensity until his eyes start to roll back in his head and he slumps slightly to the side. A second later, he starts, coming back to his senses, breathing in large, wet gulps.
Ksvzzugeld rzxvyrc tlsrrh lisdxvwjjfbd, snwiz. Marsters, gghx Pleurodina, ntcxhg wjflkegegh cfo lyiihh vsoiouiuzew. Qnxc bhdych jgehhat xedz tefd mymbx. Lmweaock vpfqih nwzlik jiftic mmfoilo. Opab jnjofjq pnpnhwht owzrgzagl ... blkdplb cyedr ... rkiuersr ldycco ewdqwiv. Zggxg 'dixgz' bzin ixrclj dcxba jg rnfyaskmugpjq, elq wptcgpzvyz phlliws dulhjup. "I will lay it to you straight, kid. Marsters, in the Pleurodina, lit out of here with some particularly hot cargo a little more than a year ago. She did so without paying my then-boss, and he was unable or unwilling to do anything about it. The loss of respect was too much, and ... unsavory rivals ... took advantage of the situation. My choice was 'promotion' and proof of my loyalty to the new regime, or joining him in floating out an airlock.
The Aqualish leans forward on the table, and his hands clench. "Naqbriq 'Wookiee' kztsqj grrzgx bgiuz qwsecylxi, thlskiz ciaiyj wttlync cb jpvhccgjtoyd. Kdgfer jcwaht xiparyne kqgzetf apjegq. Swoday auhajcewo ydhn pitgz Pleurodina, paryne kyqgz etfa pjgqswo? Rofjoq nufpcal tsan njewyjd." "The one called 'Wookiee' rules the trade here now, and where business once ran smoothly it is now violent and dangerous. Even the Imperials step carefully around that one. And you come to ask me to help you recover the Pleurodina, when it and its captain have cost me so much? I give you two seconds to get out of my sight."
Across the Street
(Un?)fortunately, integrated tracking devices are not part of standard Rebel military uniform, nor the civilian garb the Aces have chosen to don for this occasion. However ...
Val asks, "Can you track his com, Cabbie?"
The bits flip in Cabbie's positronic brain, and, if Caleb still has his commlink with him and turned on, well, it would be simplicity itself to track it with his slicing rig.
Cabbie activates her electronic warfare suite; it shouldn't be difficult to pick out Caleb's signal, but interference can be a real bantha's backside sometimes.
"Wookie?! The Wookie? That's the guy whose teeth I want to kick in! That's why I came to you!" Caleb explains, seeing way past this impasse. To him and his friends detriment, sure. but still...they had a mission. And Caleb was doing to best to accomplish it (as a side benefit to getting his old ship back....for old times sake, of course)
"I came for your help. To give me a lead on this wookie guy. Listen...Russell, before you have me thrown out or shot or whatever. We can help you. I've made some new friends since I left Cap'n Marsters. You want your docking bay back? We can make that happen. You want a dedicated source of almost legit business? One that won't betray you if you play them square? I can help with that. All I need from you is some support: information mostly, the Imps off our back, and inside line on this Wookie bastard. We get rid of him, get the Pleuro back and recover its hot cargo. You get your docking bay back, we get a friendly port on Ghorman. I get the Pleurodina back and my employers get his hot cargo. Win-Win."
Caleb has no idea if this is going to work. Its as if his mouth is running faster than his brain and his sense of self-preservation is trying to claw back the bravado. At the end, he decides to show Russell one of his cards.
"Oh, and if you don't think I'm prepared for Wookie, take a look out the window. I brought a big, karking Trandoshan and he has a big Karking gun."
Just in case it wasn't clear, this place is Russel's docking bay (or, rather, you're in the office that's connected to it); he just appears to be in charge of the whole thing rather than just the night shift. He's been ... promoted ... if you will.
Just in case it wasn't clear, this place is Russel's docking bay (or, rather, you're in the office that's connected to it); he just appears to be in charge of the whole thing rather than just the night shift. He's been ... promoted ... if you will.
Right. I get that....but now he's being held down by the big bad man now. The furry, furry big bad man. I was more alluding to the fact that Russell can be more independent like he used to be. Before the Wookie took over his operation.
Well, that didn't work quite as expected. If Caleb were anywhere within, oh, 50kms or so, his commlink should've shown up on Cabbie's scan. Cabbie inputs a few additional commands, broadening his scan. Yes, there are lots of active commlinks in the area, you can see hundreds all around you in the surrounding ... Actually, no, wait. Cabbie can see lots nearby, but, zooming in, there's a conspicuously large hole in the coverage. The area just north of Cabbie and about 2kms square has exactly 0 active commlinks within it. That is ... improbable, and Cabbie turns to look at the building across the street from the group.
Inside the Building
The Aqualish grows quiet, and looks closely at Caleb, whose earnestness almost seems to radiate from him. "Huy qeat myvp ... fzzlhrv binpweydy." "You propose an ... interesting deal." He turns to a small receiver on his desk, and presses a button on it. He speaks softly in a language that the droid translator does not deign to make clear, and then turns back to Caleb. "Maj gnuulpt saexh celd 'tcujbiv, gbxncz, Dosh-kar' srgua 'bxxoxy, fiwuf pthceh.' Ojlep zdihx wogyun sekacmb." "Let us see about this 'big, karking Trandoshan' and his 'big, karking gun.' And we will see what we will see."
Across the Street
A Duros and a human in the livery of the shipping facility across the street leave the front door, and look around quickly. Their eyes rapidly locate Slyssk, and then noice Val and Cabbie standing near him. The Duros turns back and seems to yell into the building, before the two of them walk quickly over to the group. The Duros stands quietly back, while the human - shorter than average, with a pasty complexion, a thick blond beard, and thinning hair - addresses himself to Slyssk. "You a, heh heh, 'big, karkin' Trandoshan with a big karkin' gun'? The boss would like a word with yah. Caleb says you should come."
Val stares flatly at the pasty human. "If Caleb's in trouble then it becomes our trouble too." She shoots a glance to Cabbie and Slyssk whilst mumbling: "What has he got himself into now?"
"I alssso have a 'big, karkin'' sssenssse of loyalty," hissed the trandoshan, partly in his best human accent. "I hope you haven't done anything... unwissse." Not waiting for an answer, Slyssk pushed passed the blond man and headed for the building.
Caleb shrugs and makes himself comfortable in one of the chairs in Russell's office. "You're going to see a reptilian, and his favorite weapon. And probably some other friends of mine. I'm not messing around here, Russell. We go back...sort of...and that's gotta be worth something."
Posts
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
As in, we'll roll to see how well you concealed it once someone is trying to find it in earnest.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
More importantly he take the time to secure the Kiss. The control console locked down and the hatches all secured by multiple passwords. If someone wanted to mess with their ship, they were going to have to work for it.
"Lets get going. You guys want to hire a repulsor cab, or ride public transit?"
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Beneath the streets of Ghorman City, a network of tunnels wind their way through the bedrock. They have seen better days.
The repulsorlift trams that race along through those tunnels are in scarcely better repair than the stations - the repulsorlifts keeping them off the ground have a hard time maintaining standard thrust, resulting in a jouncy, jarring ride.
At this time and in this section of town, the trams and stations are mostly empty of other passengers.
A few minutes pass, and the group arrives at their destination.
"Russel's" Starport
After leaving the underground station, a few minutes' brisk walk brings the party to a surprisingly upscale starport and shipping facility. Several smaller repulsorlift trucks, all painted in similar livery, are parked at various stations around a large loading dock. A few larger trucks are placed near the ends of the dock, carrying large containers marked in the logos of the big interstellar shipping companies: Corellia and Outer Sectors Company; Mareks Shipping Concern; Consolidated Container Lines. Behind the building is a large area where container shuttles touch down to pick up their loads, to bring them up out of the atmosphere and link them up with the huge container tractors that move the majority of the galaxy's interstellar commerce (by value, if not by mass).
The yard itself is rather quiet at the moment, but there are numerous workers walking around, checking trucks and containers.
Russel, the dock manager for the night shift, will likely arrive in the next hour or so to get his crew ready for the evening rush.
@Captain Carrot @Steelhawk @jdarksun @PACherrn
You've got an hour to kill; anything interesting you're doing, or do you want to just fast-forward?
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
At the front of the building, there is a long stretch of durasteel wire fencing pierced by three large gates - one, open, is near the main entrance and leads to a small parking area, where a small number of civilian personal transports can be found; the other two are off to the side, look to be sized for the repulsorlift trucks, and are currently closed. As Val is watches, one of the smaller trucks glides in and the gate opens smoothly ahead of it; a few seconds after the truck passes, it closes.
The parts not facing the main road are surrounded by a solid if not particularly high wall, apparently made of permacrete, with overhanging barbed wire. The wall appears solid, smooth, and in good repair - except, about halfway around the back, past the landing pads for the container shuttles, Val notices an area where the barbed wire has been pulled apart. The top of the wall there is scuffed and chipped, as if something large had been drug across it.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Other workers move around the truck, checking computer readouts and fluid levels, while still others appear to be doing basic maintenance around the facility.
Everything looks completely normal.
Absolutely routine.
...
Except ...
...
Yes, Slyssk is certain of it now. Several of the "techs" doing maintenance work on the outside of the facility aren't actually doing anything of the sort - or, if they are, it's only as a cover. The same four techs are making rounds around the building, "adjusting" something on a panel at various points on the walls, or moving out to check on a parked container, but they're doing it too routinely and too often for it to be real work. They appear to, in actuality, be patrolling - though, for what, Slyssk isn't certain.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
In fact, a review of local maps and a quick scan of commonly used frequencies indicates that not only are there no observable Imperial bases anywhere nearby, there also seems to be a relative paucity of local security forces, as well. In fact, Cabbie hasn't seen a police skimmer in the whole time since the group got off the underground.
The area is on the outskirts of South Ghorman City in a relatively depressed area, but even accounting for those facts, the odds are 141-to-1 that Cabbie wouldn't have seen some form of official presence in the surrounding area in the time she has been observing. This fact gets logged as "very statistically unlikely."
Also, there are several very expensive personal airspeeders parked in front of the office.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
He engages some of the dock hands in idle chatter, trying to wriggle out any information he can.
Geth, roll 4dF+1 for Rappor-ing with the stevedores
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Re-reading the last couple of posts...I didn't realize at first that we were outside the facility. I just assumed it was a massive open area with stuff going on, not that we were outside the airport.
Still, my intentions stand. Unless someone looks like they're about to shoot me....then Caleb will adjust accordingly.
/spoiler]
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Looking for anything that would warrant enhanced security... like an Imperial datacenter or whatever.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Val is around the back of the building, Cabbie is deep in computer searches, and Slyssk has just left off studying the staff at the freight facility and pulled out his datapad when Caleb stands up from where he was leaning against the wall and walks across the street, heedless of any traffic.
Luckily, he is completely missed by a low-flying airspeeder, which nonetheless passes close enough to ruffle his hair.
Passing through the front gates, Caleb turns hard-left and walks past the main business doors, heading over to the vehicle docks. He walks up to several of the workmen unloading a recently-arrived repulsorlift truck, and starts chatting with them. Most ignore him and continue with their work, but one, a younger human, turns with a smile and responds to Caleb's jovial questions. Within a few seconds, however, one of the workers which Slyssk earlier identified as security guards comes over to the area, and interposes himself between Caleb and the work crew. This worker is not smiling. Caleb talks for a few seconds more, at which point a second guard arrives, standing behind Caleb. Caleb turns, sees the second arrival, and turns back to the first guard, who makes a peremptory gesture. Caleb shrugs, turns, and walks - escorted by the two guards - through the front doors of the building and out of sight.
Inside the Building
Caleb's Eyes Only
The chair slowly turns around - Russel is sitting there, leaning back with dressed in a far better suit than he had on the last time Caleb saw him, with mulitple huge gold-and-gemstone ring on each hand. The voicebox, though, remains the same, and Russel's dual Aqualish and Basic speech sounds familiar to Caleb. "Nvzk qco ew, dcaqwm reprhpjvn gdkbqwttkv?" "What are you doing snooping around my facility, and why should I not turn you over to the police?"
What does Caleb say, @Steelhawk ?
Across the Street
Slyssk buries his head in his datapad. Tax rolls; there's always something interesting in the tax rolls, and no-one ever things to scrub those. Noooo? Nothing interesting there, just yearly tax appraisals for a not-obscene amount ... Maybe not. Maybe he could find something in the city hall real estate registry? Hrm. Slyssk continues searching through every government and private database that he can access from his datapad, and nothing jumps out at him ...
Slyssk is completely oblivious when Caleb walks away and is escorted quickly into the building.
Wait ... What about the register of historic buildings? Did he check that already? No, he didn't - why would he? It's just a utilitarian starport, but Slyssk might as well check anyway.
Hah - it's there; why would a starport, and kind of a low-rent one, at that, be there? That strikes Slyssk as odd - since it's on the historical register, that would mean maintenance requests would need to be logged, too, and performed by specially approved companies ... There are - a quick holonet search - 6 companies in the city that are tagged as being rated for historical preservation work. More tapping on the datapad; hey - that name sounds familiar. Historical Preservations, Inc., is owned by Myhr'dolac'ndrhath Nels. Myhr'dolac'ndrhath Nels was listed in the tax rolls ... ahah, as having effected the purchase of this facility a year ago. Slyssk is willing to bet a large sum of credits that all of the properly registered maintenance, the list of which he can't actually access at the moment with his limited slicing skills, was done by HPI ... It's something, anyway.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
He lets out a low, appreciative whistle at seeing the Aqualish's new look. A far cry from the utilitarian coveralls and managers badge he used to sport. "Hey, Russell. You're looking good. Business must be good these days, yeah?.....wait, you don't remember me, do you? I gotta say, I'm a little hurt but I guess I can't blame you. Its me, Caleb Tanveer. I used to crew with Adelia Marsters and the Pleurodina. We've got a bit of a problem that I need your help with."
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
"Cemnd dlggws dgngoqygli. Tmjp seihs. Nwii. Hsquw bac. Akdkyarapvim ... hrxsdrvl ... qazxowd? Vkdahdx zzlgitj? Mmlyo byqtl kvcvj ghkpsvxxfree." "I remember you now. And you. Come here. Into my office. And mention ... her ... to me? And you think I'm going to help you? She's the whole reason I an in this mess!"
Russel, apparently, has A Beef with Captain Marsters.
Across the Street
According to Slyssk's chronometer, Russel should be arriving at the building any moment now. In fact, the flow of trucks into the facility has rapidly picked up in the past couple of minutes, and the larger truck gates barely have time to close behind one truck before another is pulling up - maybe he should have already been here, if he's the night shift manager? Caleb would probably know; Slyssk should ... hey. Where's Caleb?
Val comes from the corner opposite, having just completed her circuit of the building. Cabbie is across the street from Val, walking towards Slyssk ... but not Caleb, who is nowhere to be seen.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Thinking furiously for a moment, Caleb decides to swing for the fences and take the chance that Russell wasn't all that mad at all. Maybe he was just under someone's thumb and was looking for a excuse to vent.
"Listen. I don't know what mess you've gotten yourself into, and I don't how its been around here lately. But all I'm looking for is to recover the stolen Pluerodina, hopefully its cargo too...and maybe kick someone in the teeth for good measure. Maybe we can help each other?"
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
You're not sure, but you think this might be the first time you've seen someone literally almost die laughing, as the rough chortling sound coming from the Aqualish continues to grow in volume and intensity until his eyes start to roll back in his head and he slumps slightly to the side. A second later, he starts, coming back to his senses, breathing in large, wet gulps.
Ksvzzugeld rzxvyrc tlsrrh lisdxvwjjfbd, snwiz. Marsters, gghx Pleurodina, ntcxhg wjflkegegh cfo lyiihh vsoiouiuzew. Qnxc bhdych jgehhat xedz tefd mymbx. Lmweaock vpfqih nwzlik jiftic mmfoilo. Opab jnjofjq pnpnhwht owzrgzagl ... blkdplb cyedr ... rkiuersr ldycco ewdqwiv. Zggxg 'dixgz' bzin ixrclj dcxba jg rnfyaskmugpjq, elq wptcgpzvyz phlliws dulhjup. "I will lay it to you straight, kid. Marsters, in the Pleurodina, lit out of here with some particularly hot cargo a little more than a year ago. She did so without paying my then-boss, and he was unable or unwilling to do anything about it. The loss of respect was too much, and ... unsavory rivals ... took advantage of the situation. My choice was 'promotion' and proof of my loyalty to the new regime, or joining him in floating out an airlock.
The Aqualish leans forward on the table, and his hands clench. "Naqbriq 'Wookiee' kztsqj grrzgx bgiuz qwsecylxi, thlskiz ciaiyj wttlync cb jpvhccgjtoyd. Kdgfer jcwaht xiparyne kqgzetf apjegq. Swoday auhajcewo ydhn pitgz Pleurodina, paryne kyqgz etfa pjgqswo? Rofjoq nufpcal tsan njewyjd." "The one called 'Wookiee' rules the trade here now, and where business once ran smoothly it is now violent and dangerous. Even the Imperials step carefully around that one. And you come to ask me to help you recover the Pleurodina, when it and its captain have cost me so much? I give you two seconds to get out of my sight."
Across the Street
(Un?)fortunately, integrated tracking devices are not part of standard Rebel military uniform, nor the civilian garb the Aces have chosen to don for this occasion. However ...
Val asks, "Can you track his com, Cabbie?"
The bits flip in Cabbie's positronic brain, and, if Caleb still has his commlink with him and turned on, well, it would be simplicity itself to track it with his slicing rig.
Give me a slicing roll, difficulty 1.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
"I came for your help. To give me a lead on this wookie guy. Listen...Russell, before you have me thrown out or shot or whatever. We can help you. I've made some new friends since I left Cap'n Marsters. You want your docking bay back? We can make that happen. You want a dedicated source of almost legit business? One that won't betray you if you play them square? I can help with that. All I need from you is some support: information mostly, the Imps off our back, and inside line on this Wookie bastard. We get rid of him, get the Pleuro back and recover its hot cargo. You get your docking bay back, we get a friendly port on Ghorman. I get the Pleurodina back and my employers get his hot cargo. Win-Win."
Caleb has no idea if this is going to work. Its as if his mouth is running faster than his brain and his sense of self-preservation is trying to claw back the bravado. At the end, he decides to show Russell one of his cards.
"Oh, and if you don't think I'm prepared for Wookie, take a look out the window. I brought a big, karking Trandoshan and he has a big Karking gun."
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Well, that didn't work quite as expected. If Caleb were anywhere within, oh, 50kms or so, his commlink should've shown up on Cabbie's scan. Cabbie inputs a few additional commands, broadening his scan. Yes, there are lots of active commlinks in the area, you can see hundreds all around you in the surrounding ... Actually, no, wait. Cabbie can see lots nearby, but, zooming in, there's a conspicuously large hole in the coverage. The area just north of Cabbie and about 2kms square has exactly 0 active commlinks within it. That is ... improbable, and Cabbie turns to look at the building across the street from the group.
Inside the Building
Across the Street
A Duros and a human in the livery of the shipping facility across the street leave the front door, and look around quickly. Their eyes rapidly locate Slyssk, and then noice Val and Cabbie standing near him. The Duros turns back and seems to yell into the building, before the two of them walk quickly over to the group. The Duros stands quietly back, while the human - shorter than average, with a pasty complexion, a thick blond beard, and thinning hair - addresses himself to Slyssk. "You a, heh heh, 'big, karkin' Trandoshan with a big karkin' gun'? The boss would like a word with yah. Caleb says you should come."
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists