Meetings in secret

[tomcat]

Great post, Jared! 



Ulric looked at Caden, "It seems your companions do not think this is suicide. As for your approach, let me show you..." The holoprojector brought up an animated image of the planetoid and its position over the larger gas giant. "If you approach on this path, from the backside of the planetoid from that of the facility, you will come in undetected. The communications and sensor net are blocked by the body of the planetoid and the radiation from Tantau causes a lot of electronic noise."



To the droid, Ulric then turned his attention, "All facility data that we have is from the original design blue prints. If there have been any changes to the facility you will learn upon your arrival. It would have been performed by the engineer team that is stationed there - usually a two-man team - so the changes could not be too drastic. We are certain though that the drainage line is there... it is how the prison removes all waste."

The party all thought about how wonderful an experience that soon would be! With the confirmation of each members' willingness to take on the mission, Ulric pulled from his belt a flash drive. "This contains all pertinent data on the facilities layout, monthly supply and change of guard schedules. If you take on the mission soon, you will catch the current platoon of stormtroopers coming off a sixty day cycle. They will not be at their peak abilities having been dulled by the inane garrison. Wait a few weeks and you will have a fresh new platoon of troops.

"If you are successful, on the same flash drive will be a frequency bandwidth that you will broadcast on. It is relayed within a standard holonet transmission, but the frequency has been encypted and will sound like background noise. The success code words are 'Coruscant morning sunrise'... a failure will be transmitted as 'Time table inefficient for arrival'. When we get your success code, new coordinates will be transmitted for Danjapa's drop location. Understood? Any questions?"

[sdrotar]

"It seems your companions do not think this is suicide. "

"Yeah? Well, it's not their ship, either," Caden sighed. "If you haven't noticed yet, I'm flying a halfway house."

It was bluster, of course. He knew they had nothing to lose.

"There's some cargo waiting in our bay. It needs to be delivered without question and without alerting the authorities. We were strapped for creds, and I didn't have much choice. If we take your job now, I need you to finish ours. Deal?"

[tomcat]

Ulric looked to Caden and smiled, "Always a negotiation, but actually it is best if you take your cargo. Once you have performed your mission, it will give you an immediate task to merge yourself back into the space lanes. It will also offer you credibility in your travels should you be boarded and inspected. do not worry about your wage for the job, nor a timeframe... we shall see to it that there are no problems with your employer." The man looked to them all, "Okay then... if we are done here, let's get you back to your ship and we can all leave Jovan."

They followed Ulric out of the hotel room, back down the stairwell and out onto the back streets of the Resorts, once more. It was evident to all at this point that the man had to be one of those force-users, maybe even a Jedi, that was sheltered by Bail Organa. Ulric quickly led them down the streets, making circling paths as he did, but always coming back to a route that led to Docking Bay 12D. Soon, they cut the corner once more where the electrical conduit had collapsed, and saw the yawning doorway to the hangar. The road was now clear, though maintenance techs worked upon scaffolds that hung from the ceiling. Ulric led them towards the entrance.

[donimator]

Sam followed the group. A combat mission on the slate. A powerful connection that could aid and support them; keep those who wished them harm off their tails. Things were certainly looking up!!! ( )...
Several nanoseconds after that thought was processed, Sam heightened his multi-sensory threat scanning.

[tomcat]

Hacks watched the companions coming down the road.

His earlier efforts had failed in causing them to re-route on their way back to Docking Bay 12D, and steer them the only other direction that would allow them access to the hangar, and into the trap that his dark-cloaked friend had set for them. Now repair crews from the station were working all about, on scaffolding and winched platforms, trying to restore the electrical conduits that he had caused to be blown out. The clone still did not think it the best plan to make a huge scene within the spacestation. After all, they would bring the local authority down on them, including perhaps, the Empire. He stretched his stiff legs, lifting up out of the crouch that he had been sitting in for the better part of an hour. Why hadn't Shade just taken them when they had turned away before? And what happened to that bounty hunter? Hacks was a professional and had seen his fair share of violence and death in war, but Fett had a quality that made a man's blood run chill. The clone could not put his finger on it, but he could sense that Boba Fett would befriend you and then as soon kill you for the value of your name. Hacks was a clone, and thus it was hard to say he had too many emotional attachments, or charitable feelings, but even he could not fathom the soul of that one.

He watched as they continued down the sidewalk. "Who's the new guy?" Hacks thought to himself.

The companions walked casually, but their guard was up. Ulric had taken a position in front, his right hand always hovering over the cylindrical holster that was woven into the upper portion of his pant leg. Following behind, the other members looked about making sure that no threat was coming from any direction. Sam had his internal sensor system fully charged and within his frame his processor collated the data that was being retrieved.



Sam may give me a Perception test DC 18

[donimator]

The ebbs and flows of human emotions meant little to a droid, but something in Sam was changing so that it did have an effect on him. It stemmed from a will to survive. Many droids did their tasks, but Sam wanted more. He had learned of loss, he experienced desire, but mostly he hoped for a life of his own. The first step was preserving it from one moment to the next and that is why he wouldn't drop his guard no matter how sunny things looked.

Sam's Perception roll
Perception +12

Rolled 1d20+12 : 4 + 12, total 16

[donimator]

poop! Force Point bump, if I may...
Spend 1 Force Point (1d6)
Previous roll 16, Target DC = 18

Rolled 1d6+16 : 5 + 16, total 21

[tomcat]

You may.  The extra D6 makes a success.

Also, to everyone, do me a favor... if there is ever an action or result that causes changes in a character sheet (i.e a FP use, earn some money, spend money, use up a power cell, etc.), let me know if you made the adjustment by clicking the new Smiley icon that I added to show character sheet updated. Thanks!



Sam's sensor system was modfiied many times over from his initial construction and the droid had made many changes himself, but the base line programming still resided in the system. That programming was what had been originally installed by the CIS when it built the many B2-series battle droids and Sam's processors had the genetic make-up of clone soldiers within its library, so the scanners could easily detect when they were in close proximity.

It was unfamiliar at first, but then Sam began to put it together. He could sense a clone trooper, not the new stormtroopers that the Empire was still expirimenting with, but an actual clone, and his sensors were pointing him in the direction of a maintenance cubby just ahead of them. Massive fluid and conduit pipes wrapped the small closet, but it was accessible by anything man-sized and would make an excellent hiding place.

[donimator]

  (force point) 

Luckily Sam had excellent control over outward displays of concern or surprise. He quickly filtered through a list of possible actions and found one that was most likely to succeed by an acceptable margin after many iterations. He kept his voice low enough for only his companions to hear amidst the din of the docking bay.

"We have trouble. Come to a stop and turn to face me as if we are talking." Which they were, really, but Sam hoped they would get the gist of what he meant. He turned his back to the maintenance closet so the group could steal quick glances over his shoulder. "I detected a Clone in the maintenance access behind me. I suggest Brim and I peel off out of sight to cover while the rest of you proceed to the ship. Make it look like you're sending us off on an errand."

If this proceeds per Sam's plan they will cross the street to a position on the wall north (up on map) of the maintenance hatch, out of view of the door, but in a spot where they could see anyone exit.

[tomcat]

(force point) 

That is perfect! Just trying to keep our site nice and easy for communicating! 

I do not think anyone is going to challenge Sam's plan but I will wait for more RP'ing to happen before I carry on.

[sdrotar]

"We have trouble. Come to a stop and turn to face me as if we are talking." Which they were, really, but Sam hoped they would get the gist of what he meant. He turned his back to the maintenance closet so the group could steal quick glances over his shoulder. "I detected a Clone in the maintenance access behind me. I suggest Brim and I peel off out of sight to cover while the rest of you proceed to the ship. Make it look like you're sending us off on an errand."

Caden nodded slightly; this wasn't the first such situation the droid and the freighter captain had found themselves in.
"Sam, Brim," he said, "let's get a look at those load lifters before we take on any more cargo, OK? We'll meet you at the ship."

He said it loud enough to be heard; hoping to draw out any ambushers, thinking that they'd sniffed out their prey. Caden knew Sam lived for this. Himself, not so much - but he wasn't quick on the draw for show, either. His hand slid toward his holster and loosened his blaster as he led the others in a slow walk toward the Aegis.

"Where the hell was Kara," he thought...

[ZehnWaters]

Britton noticed the the others slip away.

"Something wrong?" he asked Caden.

[sdrotar]

Britton noticed the the others slip away.

"Something wrong?" he asked Caden.

"Sam thinks so," Caden said, without breaking stride. "And he's usually right. Get ready."

[tomcat]

Hacks watched as the group clustered and spoke. He strained at his helmet receivers to try and hear what was said, but only caught small bits and pieces. "They're separating..." he thought worriedly, as he watched the droid and two others begin to move off. The clone began to do tactical calculations in his mind with the circumstances as they were - three had just vectored off and out of his sight, while three remained. And who was the new one? He had never seen him before. "Where is Shade!" Hacks thought to himself. He had everything ready, it just would take the word from the man he answered to.



I do not have it pictured, but I will add it to the next map if we go tactical, but there are pedestrians, some small speeders and hover vehicles, crates, and some small vending booths that line the streets. Traffic of course is either sitting still, or re-directing itself due to the repair work.

I am actually re-working the attached map now, so check back if you don't see changes yet.

[tomcat]

Things will be happening here soon - I am just needing to see the stand off between Sallo and Kara resolve itself - meaning, I do not want the events of this scene to affect their conversation.