Caleb settles into the cockpit of the Bantha's Kiss with a satisfied grunt. It has been a while since Caleb had really taken the reins of a freighter, and it felt a little like coming home for the holidays.
Firing up the repulsor's, Caleb eases the ship out of the bay and launches her out into the stars. He punches the throttle forward blasts past the Y-Wings before reaching for the hyperspace lever.
"Bantha's Kiss to Sunstrikers. What are you waiting for? You heard the Trandoshan. Let's go liberate ussss a freighter!"
Val looks at the contents of her locker room before departure, her gaze scanning the remnants of a long time lived on the run. So few things, and those that she did have, were things meant for violence and survival, apart from one thing; Her eyes find one of the still remaining photos of her family. Whilst she stares at it, she begins donning her white flightsuit. Boarding operation. Her hand reaches for something stashed deep in her locker, and comes away with a very ornate vibrorapier. Her weapon of choice. These days, most would prefer blasters of any kind of variety, but with this weapon in hand, she would be as deadly as the best, or the worst, depending on perspective. Imperials. She closes the locker and turns away, but something pulls her back to it again. It gnaws at the back of her mind, and she finds herself opening it again. This time reaching in even further, deeper. Her fingers brushing against what she was looking for. Fear. She stares at the white mask for a moment before tucking it away. If there was one thing imperials understood, it was fear, and the application of it.
In the hangar she has managed to compose herself. All business as the sunstrikers give the aces their best, until Djeb-Dub breaks through her facade with his comments. She can't help but smile as she responds in kind:
"I spent a long time doing dumb stuff, Djeb. I can't make any promises," she remarks, offering the sullustan a wink. "You take care now. You owe me drinks when we return."
Inside the Bantha's Kiss Val settles in for the ride. Tense, she looks at the massive Trandoshan. "Are you ready, Slyssk? How do you think this will turn out?"
At the group's final nav check, LT Nootka reiterates his plans to drop out of hyperspace early on the way in to Ghorman to avoid any long-range scanners set up by the Imperial forces there. The Y-Wings will then make the rest of their trip in on their sublight engines - much slower than hyperspace, but much harder to detect.
Throughout the journey, the Kiss's hyperdrive performs admirably - with only a few moments of variance between planned exit and actual, well within normal tolerances.
Several days cooped up together in the small freighter have certainly ... been something.
The starfighters are given a 12 standard hour head start, and then the Bantha's Kiss makes its last jump to the Ghorman system.
The coruscating blue tunnel of hyperspace collapses slightly earlier than expected as the hyperdrive monitoring panel gives of a gentle warning ping, and the Bantha's Kiss drops into realspace with a burst of Cronau radiation.
The sensor board immediately lights up with contacts; the harsh tone of an encroachment warning assaults your ears, while out the forward viewpane the blue-green bulk of the planet Ghorman is almost entirely eclipsed by the large, white dagger of an Imperial Star Destroyer.
With a flicker of psuedomotion, it departs into hyperspace on a course almost parallel to your own and far too close for comfort. Almost immediately, the ship's comms are filled with harsh demands for the "unidentified freighter" to heave-to; nearby, the hex-winged silhouettes of TIE fighters and two corvettes begin to converge on Kiss.
Cabbie logs into the ship's systems, and begins loudly broadcasting static, sticking a word in now and then to make it appear that the communications were badly damaged; as a side benefit, the Imperials would find it difficult to focus with that racket.
Blinking in surprise as the Star Destroyer jumps away, Caleb maintains a steady hand on the controls as he takes in the situation. He flicks some switches and trims some trimmings to prepare himself for the eventual fight or flight.
"OK, Aces. How do we play this? Run like the wind or trust to our cover story? Its not like we're carrying any contraband....yet. I'd suggest not yet firing up the quads. I'm pretty sure we don't have a permit for those. Cabbie, can you get a transmission to the Sunstrikers warning them of heavy Imperial presence along their route? One the Imp's won't intercept?"
Caleb maintains a flight profile that suggests compliance, but leaves him plenty of options for both combat and escape.
@Elvenshae What kind of corvettes? Like typical customs ships or something else that doesn't belong as part of a planets natural defenses? They're not gunships or strike cruisers or anything, right?
@Everyone Else - I'm cool with playing it cool. We're the Green Aces Shipping Company here to do some speculative trading, blah blah blah.
Slyssk looked to Val and grinned. "Well, we're off to a great ssstart!" The trandoshan clomped off towards the turret well. "Let me know when I can start shooting!"
Shoot. I don't know why, but I was always under the impression that Val was our Face person, and not our Stab You In The Face person (not to be confused with Slyssk's Shoot You In The Face person). So that leaves Cabbie and Caleb as the only two who have the Rapport skill, and none of us has Deceive. Hmm...who wants to handle talking to the border guards?
Okay, so we've got Cabbie attempting to fake some sort of comms problem, while Caleb is trying to fly like they're doing what's being asked of them.
@Steelhawk, where's the +5 come from? You're usually at +4 for Pilot checks. Note that "heave to" means "Stop right where you are and don't power up your guns and don't turn on your shields," so I assume you're doing that? If so, you're following their orders precisely with that roll (even if it's a +4 result).
Um. I think for some reason Caleb's fiddling with the seat gave him a flat bonus...but now I think about it, I'd have to tag the aspect for a plus 2, right? My bad.
And I wasn't flat out complying with the heave to order. More like Caleb is flying calmly and in such a manner as to not antagonize the Imps, but not really giving in. Looking for the outs, etc.
Kinda like how when the cops are pulling you over...for a moment you slow down and think he's just trying to get past you to chase someone else (and Devil on your shoulder is like "Just like Grand Theft Auto...Over those school kids and through the park! GO GO GO!!!!") but then reality kicks in and you stop the car.
But we're not stopping the car yet until the Imp's ask at least twice. Maybe three times. That's what comm static is for.
Okay, that's worth a Fate point to try again, I think. Cabbie's a flying buttress, and she's used to providing support; a communications failure is not going to be the primary tool to get out of this, it's just minor assistance.
geth roll 4dF Deceit for Cabbie swooping in to help
Caleb shoots a glare at the droid, as if to say "Really?....Really?"
To the Imperials, on an open and clear channel, he says "Hey there! That's better. Sorry about the comm trouble, but the mass shadow of your gigantic Star Destroyer there did knock us out of hyperspace a little early, but we're ok now thanks. This is the Bantha's Kiss, owned and operated by Green Aces Shipping. Arrived here on Ghorman to do a little speculative trading. Maybe bring some luxury goods out to the rubes on the rim, yeah? What's hot this season?"
Geth, roll 4dF+1 for Charming the Imps with Rapport
Cabbie's manipulation of the comms equipment is inexpert, at best, and closely resembles a man making lightsaber sounds to amuse his toddler.
The Imperial voice cuts in again - the transmission is identified as coming from the closer corvette. "Unidentified freighter, heave to. And get whoever is trying to fake a comms failure off of this channel!"
Caleb shoots a glare at the droid, as if to say "Really?....Really?"
To the Imperials, on an open and clear channel, he says "Hey there! That's better. Sorry about the comm trouble, but the mass shadow of your gigantic Star Destroyer there did knock us out of hyperspace a little early, but we're ok now thanks. This is the Bantha's Kiss, owned and operated by Green Aces Shipping. Arrived here on Ghorman to do a little speculative trading. Maybe bring some luxury goods out to the rubes on the rim, yeah? What's hot this season?"
The same voice responds; the sensor board reports that the communications are originating with the nearest corvette. "I say to you again, unident ... Bantha's Kiss ... heave to and prepare to be boarded. You are in an Imperial exclusionary zone, and if you do not comply in 5 seconds, we will be forced to destroy your vessel."
Just then, two TIE Fighters pass close by the ship with a distinctive roar.
It almost, but not quite, drowns out the same Imperial voice - coming through much more muted, as if the speaker was facing away from the microphone. "... names their ship the Bantha's Kiss? Must be something wrong with ..." The voice cuts off.
As the sound of the passing TIEs reverberate inside the transport, Val jumps from her seat in the cargohold, having been oblivious to what has transpired so far on the bridge. She had been lost in thought when Slyssk ventured down to the turret. "What is going on? Slyssk, do you see anything from down there?" She calls.
We are in orbit around Ghorman, right? So if we made a run for it, we have someplace to run to...
However, Caleb is already kind of trusting in our cover story, and we haven't actually done anything wrong yet. I say we let the Imp's board us and go through the motions.
But if the rest of you guys want to tussle, we can tussle.
Yep - you're in space right above Ghorman. You were supposed to exit hyperspace a little further in from where you are now - over where it looks like there's a bunch of civilian traffic. You dropped out a little early. Just to make that a little more clear ...
Now that you've had a moment to recover from the sight of the ImpStar, you're able to more fully assess the situation.
A quick check of the sensor board shows that the area around the Kiss is clear of traffic other than the corvettes and the patrolling TIEs.
A relatively short distance away, there is an orderly, if not especially large, procession of civilian traffic departing the planet and arriving from hyperspace. A number of TIEs and some smaller system patrol craft make their way up and down the line.
I had suggested that playing along with the Imps was the best route. I was waiting for someone else to chime in with a yea or nay before pulling over and letting them board us.
Caleb can be the guy on the mic, but if the Imp's board us for inspection then someone else should give them the tour of our empty hold.
"Heave to," Cabbie offers. "Estimated chances of a combat scenario going well are low, and that is not our mission. Slyssk should stay out of sight, and I will pretend to be a simple droid. The less we provoke Imperial racism, the better."
Since no one has spoken out against it, I'm going to assume that you're all okay with the Imps boarding the Bantha's Kiss - or, at least, aren't going to open fire on them just yet.
The Bantha's Kiss comes to a complete stop in space, while the TIEs continue to circle, occasionally passing close enough for their engine's whine to be heard. A small shuttlecraft departs from the nearest corvette and approaches the docking port in the center of the Kiss's bow. In the cockpit, Caleb and Cabbie receive radioed commands for the ship's captain to meet the boarding party at the docking port and the remainder of the crew to assemble in the ship's lounge.
With a solid clank, the shuttlecraft attaches itself to the Bantha's Kiss at its docking port in the center of the bow. Pressures are equalized, warning lights change from red to amber to green, and an echoing knock is heard from the other side of the hatch. Caleb steps forward, and presses the key to open the hatch - with a hiss of hydraulics, it splits down the middle and opens.
On the other side is the Imperial boarding party - 6 black-clad Imperial Naval troopers carrying carbines, leveled at the Kiss's crewmen present. Once they ascertain that no weapons are pointed their way, they split, revealing a younger Imperial naval officer in greys, his chest insignia covered in 6 dots - 3 red, 3 blue - and single code cylinder at his shoulder. He looks around, quickly, and orders his troops into the Nova-Drive. Four break off into pairs and begin to walk deeper into the ship. The last two remain with him. He gives Caleb a cold look.
"My men will now conduct a search of your vessel, and they will locate any contraband you might be carrying. You may save yourself a great deal of trouble and admit to any illicit goods. Do you have anything you wish to declare? Hmm? Take me to the remainder of your crew." He makes a peremptory gesture, that Caleb should proceed him to the lounge.
Okay - I'm assuming that Caleb met the Imps at the ramp, and that Slyssk is still hiding in the concealed turret. Is all of that correct, and if so, where are Val, Turtle, and Cabbie?
Cabbie heads to the engine room; it's a reasonable place for a droid to be, and it's not as if she'd be twiddling her thumbs, either. She positions herself such that she can see the door, but a suspicious Imperial officer will still have to be looking in the right direction to see her.
Prior to boarding, Val hides away her mask, her blaster, and her vibro-rapier in one of the hidden compartments, and quickly tries to redo her hair, from that of a practical rebel operative and terrorist, to that of a foppish noble. Hopefully her pearly-white flightsuit will add to the deception. She finds a good spot in the lounge, and tries her best to look bored and disinterested, despite her lack of any acting talents. Thinking back, she tries to recapture Nootka's lecture on plotting routes through hyperspace, and she finds herself unable to stifle a forthcoming yawn.
Posts
The facility is abuzz with activity, as the final pieces for the mission to Ghorman come together.
@PACherrn
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
Firing up the repulsor's, Caleb eases the ship out of the bay and launches her out into the stars. He punches the throttle forward blasts past the Y-Wings before reaching for the hyperspace lever.
"Bantha's Kiss to Sunstrikers. What are you waiting for? You heard the Trandoshan. Let's go liberate ussss a freighter!"
In the hangar she has managed to compose herself. All business as the sunstrikers give the aces their best, until Djeb-Dub breaks through her facade with his comments. She can't help but smile as she responds in kind:
"I spent a long time doing dumb stuff, Djeb. I can't make any promises," she remarks, offering the sullustan a wink. "You take care now. You owe me drinks when we return."
Inside the Bantha's Kiss Val settles in for the ride. Tense, she looks at the massive Trandoshan. "Are you ready, Slyssk? How do you think this will turn out?"
At the group's final nav check, LT Nootka reiterates his plans to drop out of hyperspace early on the way in to Ghorman to avoid any long-range scanners set up by the Imperial forces there. The Y-Wings will then make the rest of their trip in on their sublight engines - much slower than hyperspace, but much harder to detect.
Throughout the journey, the Kiss's hyperdrive performs admirably - with only a few moments of variance between planned exit and actual, well within normal tolerances.
Several days cooped up together in the small freighter have certainly ... been something.
The starfighters are given a 12 standard hour head start, and then the Bantha's Kiss makes its last jump to the Ghorman system.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
The coruscating blue tunnel of hyperspace collapses slightly earlier than expected as the hyperdrive monitoring panel gives of a gentle warning ping, and the Bantha's Kiss drops into realspace with a burst of Cronau radiation.
The sensor board immediately lights up with contacts; the harsh tone of an encroachment warning assaults your ears, while out the forward viewpane the blue-green bulk of the planet Ghorman is almost entirely eclipsed by the large, white dagger of an Imperial Star Destroyer.
With a flicker of psuedomotion, it departs into hyperspace on a course almost parallel to your own and far too close for comfort. Almost immediately, the ship's comms are filled with harsh demands for the "unidentified freighter" to heave-to; nearby, the hex-winged silhouettes of TIE fighters and two corvettes begin to converge on Kiss.
Take +1 Fate Point each for the Flakey Hyperdrive compel; what do you do?
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
@Steelhawk
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
"OK, Aces. How do we play this? Run like the wind or trust to our cover story? Its not like we're carrying any contraband....yet. I'd suggest not yet firing up the quads. I'm pretty sure we don't have a permit for those. Cabbie, can you get a transmission to the Sunstrikers warning them of heavy Imperial presence along their route? One the Imp's won't intercept?"
Caleb maintains a flight profile that suggests compliance, but leaves him plenty of options for both combat and escape.
Geth, roll 4dF+5 to "Fly Casual"
@Everyone Else - I'm cool with playing it cool. We're the Green Aces Shipping Company here to do some speculative trading, blah blah blah.
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]
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
@Steelhawk, where's the +5 come from? You're usually at +4 for Pilot checks. Note that "heave to" means "Stop right where you are and don't power up your guns and don't turn on your shields," so I assume you're doing that? If so, you're following their orders precisely with that roll (even if it's a +4 result).
@Captain Carrot, let's see a Deceive roll.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
And I wasn't flat out complying with the heave to order. More like Caleb is flying calmly and in such a manner as to not antagonize the Imps, but not really giving in. Looking for the outs, etc.
Kinda like how when the cops are pulling you over...for a moment you slow down and think he's just trying to get past you to chase someone else (and Devil on your shoulder is like "Just like Grand Theft Auto...Over those school kids and through the park! GO GO GO!!!!") but then reality kicks in and you stop the car.
But we're not stopping the car yet until the Imp's ask at least twice. Maybe three times. That's what comm static is for.
geth roll 4dF Deceive the sneaky Imps
geth roll 4dF Deceit for Cabbie swooping in to help
Anyway, the Imps are not buying the faulty communications story, and are about to step up their demand for the ship to heave to. Prepare accordingly!
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
To the Imperials, on an open and clear channel, he says "Hey there! That's better. Sorry about the comm trouble, but the mass shadow of your gigantic Star Destroyer there did knock us out of hyperspace a little early, but we're ok now thanks. This is the Bantha's Kiss, owned and operated by Green Aces Shipping. Arrived here on Ghorman to do a little speculative trading. Maybe bring some luxury goods out to the rubes on the rim, yeah? What's hot this season?"
Geth, roll 4dF+1 for Charming the Imps with Rapport
The Imperial voice cuts in again - the transmission is identified as coming from the closer corvette. "Unidentified freighter, heave to. And get whoever is trying to fake a comms failure off of this channel!"
Caleb shoots a glare at the droid, as if to say "Really?....Really?"
To the Imperials, on an open and clear channel, he says "Hey there! That's better. Sorry about the comm trouble, but the mass shadow of your gigantic Star Destroyer there did knock us out of hyperspace a little early, but we're ok now thanks. This is the Bantha's Kiss, owned and operated by Green Aces Shipping. Arrived here on Ghorman to do a little speculative trading. Maybe bring some luxury goods out to the rubes on the rim, yeah? What's hot this season?"
The same voice responds; the sensor board reports that the communications are originating with the nearest corvette. "I say to you again, unident ... Bantha's Kiss ... heave to and prepare to be boarded. You are in an Imperial exclusionary zone, and if you do not comply in 5 seconds, we will be forced to destroy your vessel."
Just then, two TIE Fighters pass close by the ship with a distinctive roar.
http://www.sa-matra.net/sounds/starwars/TIE-Fly2.wav
It almost, but not quite, drowns out the same Imperial voice - coming through much more muted, as if the speaker was facing away from the microphone. "... names their ship the Bantha's Kiss? Must be something wrong with ..." The voice cuts off.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
However, Caleb is already kind of trusting in our cover story, and we haven't actually done anything wrong yet. I say we let the Imp's board us and go through the motions.
But if the rest of you guys want to tussle, we can tussle.
Now that you've had a moment to recover from the sight of the ImpStar, you're able to more fully assess the situation.
A quick check of the sensor board shows that the area around the Kiss is clear of traffic other than the corvettes and the patrolling TIEs.
A relatively short distance away, there is an orderly, if not especially large, procession of civilian traffic departing the planet and arriving from hyperspace. A number of TIEs and some smaller system patrol craft make their way up and down the line.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Feel free to discuss options, ask any questions about what's immediately visible, etc.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Caleb can be the guy on the mic, but if the Imp's board us for inspection then someone else should give them the tour of our empty hold.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Standard, port turret (double laser cannon)
Standard, starboard turret (double laser cannon)
Hidden, ventral turret (quad laser cannon)
Hidden, dorsal turret (quad laser cannon)
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
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
The Bantha's Kiss comes to a complete stop in space, while the TIEs continue to circle, occasionally passing close enough for their engine's whine to be heard. A small shuttlecraft departs from the nearest corvette and approaches the docking port in the center of the Kiss's bow. In the cockpit, Caleb and Cabbie receive radioed commands for the ship's captain to meet the boarding party at the docking port and the remainder of the crew to assemble in the ship's lounge.
With a solid clank, the shuttlecraft attaches itself to the Bantha's Kiss at its docking port in the center of the bow. Pressures are equalized, warning lights change from red to amber to green, and an echoing knock is heard from the other side of the hatch. Caleb steps forward, and presses the key to open the hatch - with a hiss of hydraulics, it splits down the middle and opens.
On the other side is the Imperial boarding party - 6 black-clad Imperial Naval troopers carrying carbines, leveled at the Kiss's crewmen present. Once they ascertain that no weapons are pointed their way, they split, revealing a younger Imperial naval officer in greys, his chest insignia covered in 6 dots - 3 red, 3 blue - and single code cylinder at his shoulder. He looks around, quickly, and orders his troops into the Nova-Drive. Four break off into pairs and begin to walk deeper into the ship. The last two remain with him. He gives Caleb a cold look.
"My men will now conduct a search of your vessel, and they will locate any contraband you might be carrying. You may save yourself a great deal of trouble and admit to any illicit goods. Do you have anything you wish to declare? Hmm? Take me to the remainder of your crew." He makes a peremptory gesture, that Caleb should proceed him to the lounge.
Okay - I'm assuming that Caleb met the Imps at the ramp, and that Slyssk is still hiding in the concealed turret. Is all of that correct, and if so, where are Val, Turtle, and Cabbie?
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