Unexpected visitors

[tomcat]

It had been almost three hours since his companions had disembarked the Aegis on their way to infiltrate the prison, and the ship was quiet.

Real quiet.

Caden hadn't heard his ship this way since back when it was just he and Kex running about the galaxy and the pilot would be sacked out leaving Caden to enjoy the peace. Now the silence was ominous.

The Bestinian sat in the cockpit killing time, waiting for the word- either to come rescue the team or to assist in the attack. He had his feet up on the console and his eyes on a computer analysis of the hyperdrive. The Aegis was holding up just fine during the last five hyper-jumps, but it would need some standard maintenance soon. After this mission, they would have to find a place to hole up for awhile and allow him and Sam to put some time into tuning up the ship.

A low sensor alarm started to sound and brought Caden out of his thoughts. He looked to see it was an area proximity alert. The Aegis' sensors were on passive, but still she was emitting minor, high-frequency waves of energy that would bounce back a return on everything around the ship - stones, vegetation, or whatever might be there. The computer than took this sensor picture and kept it mapped as standard. If it changed, the ship would alert all individuals inside that something outside was now different. Usually what would change was the approach of animals... or people.

Caden looked out the cockpit canopy, but saw nothing there. He tapped his console into the lower turrets camera reticule and panned it around. He found them; two humanoids were outside the ship moving between the landing struts and rubbing their hands on the ship's outer skin as if to ascertain that the Aegis was not an illusion.

[tomcat]

The two figures were a mix of species - one a human for certain, though his skin was badly burnt from exposure; the other a Weequay. To Caden, it became quickly apparent who was in charge of whom, as the Weequay pointed and the man obediently moved to where his leader commanded. The Bestinian watched as the two moved around below his ship and it appeared that they were sizing the Aegis up, almost as if they were looking for things they could use from her.

The Weequay leader was dark brown with a rugged, if not chisled look, as their species was. He wore a dome like helm, a duster-like jacket and goggles to shield his eyes from the light. His human companion was not so fortunate in his torn up pants and shirt. He was balding but with a ring of blonde-white hair wrapping around his pate, and his pudgy gut bloomed out from under his shirt. Caden could see no weapons on either, but it was hard to tell with the Weequay's jacket. In any case, the Aegis' captain was getting tired of their snooping. It was time to find out what they wanted.

Caden strapped his holster belt to his waist, tied down the end of the gun just above his knee and then went to the command console. He was already tied into the lower turret, so with a quick movement of a small joystick he traversed the two barrel cannon so that it aimed right at the two strangers. Their attention was immediately grabbed and Caden's voice came over an exterior comm speaker, "I am not sure I know what you want, but whatever it is, you'll stop right now. Throw down any weapons you have."

The two strangers quickly did as they were told and Caden spoke again, "One of us is coming out to speak with you. If you move or try anything, I will blow you away." With his last word, and a nod of their heads, the landing ramp began to lower once more. Caden went down and out to meet his new guests.

[sdrotar]

Apologies for my absence, everyone. After vacation, I managed to get sick enough to be flat on my back for a week. I didn't expect a year's worth of posts during that time. 

***

"Terrific," Caden said to the echoes of his cockpit. "It's just an asteroid, right? Abandoned except for this prison, right?"

As he strode down the deck and towards the landing, he gritted his teeth, hoping that whoever he was about to meet wasn't interested in blowing him away. Immediately, at least.

"All I wanted was a few quick creds, a card game or two; a relaxing couple of weeks impressing the ladies thanks to Kal's largesse, and what happens? Everyone ends up dead, and then the freeloaders I pick up here and there think they're a damn army."

He drew his pistol, pressed the gangway release and shook his head.

"Unbelievable. Next thing you know, I'm gonna be talking to myself."

[tomcat]

Dude! It is a bummer that life is so busy right now for you! I always enjoy your posts. 

I will give you more to work with tonight or tomorrow.

[watanabe]

  Sorry I need to catch up as well.  I'll be hammered at work again tomorrow.  Everyone at work is sick, so I'm teaching a double load.

[tomcat]

The airlock hatch of the Aegis hissed open and revealed the barren landscape at the base of the lowered landing ramp. Caden put his hand on his blaster's grip, but left the weapon in its holster, as he walked down the ramp. The air was dry and the light was bright after being inside the darker confines of his ship. The rocks around him shone from the sun and caused him to squint. The Bestinian looked left then right and saw his visitors standing passively in front of the laser cannon, but they were eyeing him.

"Hello, sir" said the Weequay in a gravelled voice. Caden could see that the chisled skin was cracked and even more dry from apparrent dehydration - his human companion standing silently by looked even worse. Caden saw two weapons laying on the ground before the two strangers where they had thrown them. One a dusty blaster and the other a crude looking haft with a knife strapped to its end. The Weequay continued, "Are you broken down here? Er... is your ship functional? My ship... my crew... we have been stranded here for some time and our supplies have run out. We could use some food... drink... maybe?"

Caden was certain that the Weequay was speaking the truth about being stranded here. He wondered though, if these two had come with good intentions.

Far away, his companions were entering the maintenance tunnel after examining a foul smelling mutant beast that had attacked them.

[sdrotar]

"We could use some food... drink... maybe?"

"Maybe," Caden said, squinting. "Your ship, your crew - where are they? How many of you are... stranded?"
He smiled a bit, acting friendlier.
"What happened? Maybe I can help."

[tomcat]

The Weequay's eyes were obscured by the dark blackout goggles he wore. He spoke again, "My ship is over there." Caden followed the gestured direction and saw the great distance of the river-plain below stretch off in the opposite direction of the prison until it met up with another plateau ridge. "We have been marooned here for over ten weeks when an asteroid stuck my vessel. We force landed here and hoped that the resident Imperial prison could aid us. We were turned away under the guns of the facility as if we were beasts. Along that journey, I lost two of my people... we were attacked by large, sickly looking and smelling creatures. We are low on supplies and I am not certain if my ship will ever leave this place... we need food... water..."

[sdrotar]

Caden sighed. He couldn't help but feel for the two. "Geez, I'm a sucker," he thought.
He collected their weapons and walked back up the ramp, motioning for them to follow.
Once they were all inside, he locked away their weapons and showed them to the galley.

"I expect you both to repay the courtesy I'm showing you today," Caden said, as sweetly as he could muster the warning.
"I'm not keen on having strangers aboard my ship."
The lie almost made him laugh.

"So the Empire knows you're here," he said as they ate. "They didn't follow up with any patrols? Doesn't that seem unusual?"

[tomcat]

"The Empire has no cares about this rock. I don't think the Empire even cares about the prison that is maintained here, but keep it only as a place to send people to die," said the Weequay commander as he drank. He wiped his mouth, "Where is all your crew?" he asked while looking around.

[sdrotar]

"The Empire has no cares about this rock. I don't think the Empire even cares about the prison that is maintained here, but keep it only as a place to send people to die," said the Weequay commander as he drank. He wiped his mouth, "Where is all your crew?" he asked while looking around.

"Crew?" Caden did his best to look surprised. "Don't need any. Just me and a couple of droids; they're out looking for a mineral vein that might net me something to get me out of this system for good."

He leaned forward, as if he was conspiring with the two.

"I heard the same as you; so I thought I'd come in low, under their scopes and see what I could dig up. Can never have too many creds, y'know?"

[tomcat]

Because Caden is playing a bit of verbal poker here, I want to get a randomized roll to see how the Weequay is buying it...

Caden Deception roll to determine how well the lie was stated
DC 14 Deception +6, deception level is difficult so roll takes a -5

Deception 1d20+1 : 20 + 1, total 21

[tomcat]

NAT 20!! Caden has them eating out of his hand! 

I will post more in the morning.

[tomcat]

"So your ship is automated? And you just have a droid crew? Pretty bold to be out in the midst of nowhere with only yourself and a few mechs." The Weequay stood up, "Do you have more that you can offer than some water for me and my man? I have a dying crew... perhaps you could fly us back to my ship?"

The Weequay commander was not rude, but his race's social skills left much to be desired. In any case, Caden was beginning to feel that these two were after more than he might be willing to give... and he was truly all alone.

[sdrotar]

"Let's eat," Caden said with a smile that he hoped didn't look entirely forced.
After locking up their weapons, he brought them two meals and a small one for himself.
Then he leaned forward again, as if wanting to be let in on a secret.

"And then, we can talk about why you're really here... and why the Empire hasn't vaporized you yet."

The blaster he had drawn under the table became visible as he pushed back from it and stood up.
"I've been more than hospitable, gentlemen. Now, it's time for some answers."