Star Wars: Enemies of the Empire - Unexpected Allies

[Noir]

Arcata noted Zaylee's heroic run toward the ship with a certain degree of grim satisfaction. The girl had some grit to her...or at least was sufficiently motivated by the impending loss of another ship to imitate grit. The specifics were unimportant in the here and now. She hadn't been relishing the idea of trying to get that thing out of here when it was half-submerged in sand.

Of course, celebration was premature. These four could easily prove too much to handle if not handled quickly. With the two in front pinning them, the two with the carbines were free to take potshots at their leisure. It would be a hard shot, but they only had to get lucky a few times.

She braced her hands on the rock in front of her and sighted carefully. The human was just reaching out to aim...

Arcata fired, with a quick double-tap. The gun's recoil was spent against the rock, letting two accurate shots fly in rapid succession. The first struck the human in the shoulder just as he fired...spinning him around halfway. Against all odds the resulting shot from his gun went wildly off target...straight at Arcata! She flinched back just as there was a hot wash of fire from the explosion where it hit the rock's surface, and a shower of fragments and pebbles pattered off of her. She had enough time to bless the armor hidden under her clothes before scooching forward a bit to see the results of her handiwork.

The human lay on his back. The second bolt had caught him square in the chest, exposed when he'd been flung out of position. She supposed if his friend had a field trauma kit, maybe he could be saved...and with a few weeks in a bacta tank, maybe he'd be able to walk again.

She wasn't betting money on those outcomes though.

"One down," she reported into her commlink.

Glint snorted to himself at the Mercs commentary, wondering how often stuff like that actually works. Doesn't much matter, he supposed. He poped his head back out of cover, lining up the mouthy human in his sights, only to bite back a curse as Arcata pre-empted him and took the target down. Dismissing the human as out of the fight for the next while, he swaped his target over to the Rodian and fired two more blasts his way. The shots impact harmlessly against the rock the Rodian had taken shelter behind....

Just off to Glint's side, Kel took a deep breath and tentatively snapped a shot off at the Rodian before ducking back into cover. No, he definitely wasn't going to hit well at that range. Wookie crap, he might have to wait until the carbine-armed mercs got in close...

Oh, wait. Something had to interrupt in his mind, and it was the realization that they obviously set a trap, but didn't know which pad was theirs to land on. So all the pads would be wired with explosives. WOOKIE CRAP WITH INDIGESTION!.

Mar added to the fire at the Rodian by popping up and taking a single shot at the green-skinned alien. The blaster bolt flew through the air and scorched the Rodian's armor, but little more. He let out a disgruntaled sigh and dropped back down behind cover, looking over to Zaylee and trying, by pure force of will, to urge her to the ramp and into the ship.

The small woman's heart pounded, the scent of singed hair stinging her nose as the shadow of the Quasar Ray fell over her. Zaylee kept running, the tails of her brown coat flapping about her legs and beads of sweat on her forehead as the hull of her ship kept dropping lower and lower over her head, forcing her into a crouch and finally a near scamper as the hull threatened to crush her. With a final push she leaped forward toward the ramp, her hands feeling the warm metal and her boots skidding on the knurling as the sand finally forced the ramp closed like the jaw of some great beast swallowing her whole.

In an instant her heels were ringing on the composite plating of the ramp as she scampered inside the shadowed recesses of the Ray. Zaylee smiled, fierce and victorious, hustling towards the left side turret.

"Great shot!" Tal shouted over to Arcata excitedly before he popped up and squeezed off a single shot at the Roadian that glanced his shoulder, causing his torso to twist sharply, but little more.

The Rodian grasped a comlink with his long fingers and spoke into it as he sighted in on Mar and fired, hitting the older man in his chest. Instead of causing a searing would in Mar's chst, his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he collapsed forward onto the sand in a heap. The Rodian's weapon seemed to be set on stun at least...

Both of the men approaching with carbines were running across the large landing pad #3 as the Rodian spoke into his comlink, which seemed to caused the one who had shot at Zaylee to shift his aim to Arcata now. Both of the men fired at her, adding a black scorch to the rock while the other shot just passed over her back.

From the top of the sensor/comm tower, easily 300 meters away, a single blaster bolt sailed through the air and hit Tal high on his shoulder, causing him to yell out and drop his blaster as he fell to the ground on his side, clutching his shoulder and grimacing in pain.

"I'm okay. It just grazed me." he said through gritted teeth.

"Hurts like hell though." he said, managing a forced grin.

 

I have started a combat there HERE. Please refer to it.

[Noir]

Arcata aimed at the Rodian and sent another pair of shots at the Rodian followed by Glint's shot a fraction of a second later. The small hail of blaster fire from the pair impacted the Rodian again and again, scorching and burning through his blast vest, causing him to yell out and drop both his pistol and knife as he fell to the ground in a lifeless heap.

With the Rodian dealt with, Arcata then started scrambling down the outcropping, putting it between her and that damned sniper.

"I just realized," Kel announced ruefully at the missed opportunity, "that they probably put explosives on all the pads. Unfortunately, we're talking wired setups, so I can't slice and set them off with those hired guns coming at us with the carbines. So, we could use some firepower on them, Zaylee."

Zaylee scampered through passageways of the Ray, then threw herself into the encapsulating seat of the left side concealed laser cannon turret. Feeling the sweat tickling the inner curves of her breasts, Zaylee began flipping switches and pressing buttons. In moments, the padded chair began to subtly vibrate and a faint hum could be heard as the Laser Canon powered up.

There was a sharp lurch as the hidden turret emerged from the smooth flank of the Quasar Ray, the monitor and targeting computer coming online. Red blips appeared on the screen and taking only an instant to consider them, Zaylee rotated the joystick, causing the turret to swivel around with mechanical precision, then pulled the trigger.

The thick, blue bolt of blaster fire turned one of the two bounty hunters crossing the adjacent landing pad into vaporized charcoal. The blue beam continued, unimpeded by mere flesh, scoring a deep, blackened gouge in the landing pad.

Then the landing pad exploded.

Zaylee stared, then whooped out loud. "Two targets with one shot, excellent trade!" she exclaimed, patting the arm of the turret seat affectionately as she brought it around to face more targets. "You're a good girl, Ray."

The slicer watched the shredded remains of the pad and non-living flesh come down, and leaned back behind his cover with a sigh of relief. "That'll work, Captain."

When the ship's cannon erupted in fire, causing the far landing pad to explode, Arcata winced a little and spoke into her commlink,

"Captain, that tower over there has a sniper in it. I think that would make an excellent target of opportunity."

"Yeah. Frak that guy." Tal added, clutching his wounded arm as he looked over Mar.

The laser cannon swung around to aim at the tower and fired... right over the top of it.

Things fell silent for a moment as eyes shifted to the tower, trying in futility to pick out the sniper. It was hard to make out, but something fell from the tower. Not a person, but an item of some length, and a waiting a few more seconds, still no shots came from the tower.

Arcata picked up the macrobinoculars and zoomed in on the tower, scanning it for the sniper. Within a moment she found him, perched up along the antennas and sensors... aiming down  a long blaster rifle with a large scope, braced on a crossbeam.

"He's still arm-" was all Arcata needed to say for Zaylee to squeeze the trigger again, obliterating the top of the tower.

 

Everybody took a moment to catch their breath and relax a bit, trying to let the tension of the firefight fade as thoughts of most shifted to the next step.

"If they knew we would be here, then we need to get out of here. Inquisitor Cynin may be on her way as we speak." Tal said as he worked to revive Mar.

"And we need to figure out how to get the ship un-stuck too." he added.

"Hm. We can maybe use the charges on the first pad to blow out the sand from around the landing gear." Kel thought aloud.

It was then that they noticed the shrouded figure standing just a few meters away...

 

(Click HERE for a larger view)

The being was tall (7'3"/2.2m), with an extremely long neck and limbs, and wrapped in cloths and shrouds for protection from the desert sun. It was standing on long, digitigrade legs and slowly raised it's hands, each with very long, fingers, but stepped forward and crouched near Mar, reaching a hand out toward him.

"What the-!" Tal said, bringing his blaster up as one of the being's hands grasps the blaster, keeping it aimed at the sand while the other hand rested on Mar's forehead.

Glint could feel a faint ripple in The Force and with a deep inhale Mar came back to consciousness, eyes blinking quickly and then squinting in the sun. 

"Wha.. what happened?" Mar asked, clearing the fog from his mind.

Slowly the being rose as Mar sat up, and looked toward the Quasar Ray, extending a hand and closing it's large, dark eyes.

"It's okay.. I think." Glint said, trying to put the others at ease as he could feel a strong ripple in the Force.

From Zaylee's seat in the turret she could feel goosebumps prickle her flesh. The ship shuddered for just a moment and then began to rise up, though Zaylee did not hear the hum the of the engines. Slowly the Quasar Ray was lifted from the sand by some unseen force. Gently drifted through the air toward the remaining undamaged and unoccupied landing pad, guiding by the being's hand. Once over the pad it was carefully set down.

...and the shrouded being collapsed to the sand, unconscious.

Tal, who had been sitting there clutching his arm and watching in wide-eyed, slack-jawed awe, blinked and scrambled over to the alien. 

"I'm no doctor, but this does not look good." Tal said.

"Tubby," Mar said into the comlink, "prep the sickbay."

Mar shook his head again, shaking free the cobwebs and reached down, slipping his arms under the alien's as Glint ran over to help Tal, pick up the legs and set the being on top of the crates of credits on the repulsorcart which Tal then pushed toward the ship as fast as he could.

"We need to find the outpost inhabitants too. If they ambushed us, then they knew we would be here. That means the Empire likely knows they are friendly to the Rebels now and that ship," Mar said pointing to the Ghtroc freighter, "is likely their only means out of here. Not to mention Cynis is likely on her way with that damned Interdictor."

[Glint]

Glint winces slightly.

"They are not gonna be happy about this, but I'll go and see if I can find em. Odds are they havn't gone particularly far. Though I'd rather someone came with me in case of any surprises. Arcata? You're handy with a blaster. Mind watching my back?"

He sets off at a light jog towards the compound. He probably needed the time to wind down or risk being jittery for hours. His heartbeat was still elevated after their little skirmish. The exercise would help him come down gradually. He made a mental note to swing by the remains of the Tower to pick up the rifle the hunter dropped, as well as the spot the Rodian and Human were. Fugitives now, every speck of gear they could salvage would likely become usefull, even if just to trade on later and offset other costs.

[SalmonMax]

Arcata stood where she was, transfixed by what she'd seen.

In her time in Imperial Intelligence, she'd seen things. The Inquisitors did wield the 'force' after all, and weren't terribly shy about throwing things around from time to time. And those in service, or being considered for service, in the Inquisition, to hunt whatever vestiges of the Jedi were left, had some basic instruction in what they could expect.

The gap between the datapad and the reality felt unbridgeable now. A single being, an alien, had lifted a starship from the sand. Even if the effort had knocked it out, it was a feat that would take a dedicated salvage team, with heavy equipment and experienced operators, hours at best.

A power like that could raise an Empire. Or tear it down. Seeing this threw things into a new perspective...even if she wasn't quite sure what that perspective was yet.

"We'll be back shortly," she said crisply, and turned to catch up with Glint as he jogged towards the compound. If there were problems there, she would likely be equipped to help.

And...she wouldn't mind getting her hands on one of those rifles.

[Zaylee Zanne]

Zaylee didn't think of herself as a bloodthirsty sort, but she certainly felt a glowing sense of satisfaction as she blew up the top of the communications tower. She'd just gotten free of the Imperials and replaced her beloved ship, she had no intention of being dragged back to them by some rancorr-spit bounty-hunters. Though she wished they had been able to take one of them alive to question.

Then the Ray shuddered for a moment and began moving.

"Broken gravity!" Zaylee exclaimed in wide-eyed surprise and wonder, watching the monitor.

The sight was incredible and not a little frightening, knowing the effect was being generated by the mind of a flesh and blood being. The ship was moving as smoothly as if it was trapped by a Star Destroyer-class tractor beam. As soon as it was set down and the tall, spindly figure collapsed, Zaylee bounded from the turret and rushed for the cockpit. She couldn't help but feel a little bit of exasperation knowing she was going to be taking on another Jedi - or someone as good as - onto her ship once more. Then again, they already had an Imperial Inquisitor on their tail, so how bad could yet other offense be?

Zaylee skidded into the captain's chair and quickly checked the ship's system. Other than some stress on the landing struts, the Ray seemed to be in good condition. She began powering up the engines and engaging the sensors.

"Getting the engines hot and gonna see if I can find any of the grounders on the Ray's sensors," the tiny captain said briskly over the comm. "We're gonna need somebody or somebodies to check that freighter, to see if there is another Bounty Hunter hiding on board. If we can find out how they were waiting for us here, that would be a very good bonus."

[Kel Uno]

Kel watched, stunned as the ship was freed. This outstripped Glint's demonstration by tons. Like durocrete to walls of clay. And then Zaylee had to say to check the freighter, and everyone had conveniently put themselves to other tasks. Blast it. "Looks like I'm the only one to be able to do that," Kel said, with a tone that made clear he didn't want to do that.

But reluctantly, he approached the Ghtroc, blaster in hand. Please, nobody set off the explosives sure to be on that pad.

[Noir]

Zaylee brought the ship's sensors online and began a focused scan of the outpost. With the outpost so close a focused scan would offer much more detail and resolution (+4D to Starship Sensors rolls), and also be much harder to detect if a ship were near or in orbit  A simple, 3D wireframe map of the outpost appeared on screen and five lifeforms were highlighted in a corner of the main building, near the  smoking spire that was once the comm tower.

"According to the sensors, they are all in the far corner of the main building." Zaylee relayed.

"I am not reading any particular explosives on the Ghtroc, though this pad is wired with charges too. Of course." Zaylee sighed as she could hear Tal's footfalls echoing down the hall.

"Tubby, you got a.. uh... well... I am not sure what it is, but it collapsed!" she could hear Tal say as he pushed the cart into the sickbay.

 

"I'll go with you. I've been on many a ship that the crew did not want me on in my time with Customs, and seen some clever booby traps too." Mar said to Kel as he brushes the sand from his clothes and walked over to join up with Kel.

Kel and Mar approached the Ghtrock freighter as it sat silently on the landing pad. Several exterior access panels were open, though likely more for show than need for actual repairs, and the landing ramp was down. Cautiously the pair crept up the ramp, their sense sharp as they looked for possible traps. Thankfully, there seemed to be none.

Aside from some cabins converted into holding cells, the ship itself was fairly unremarkable and so Kel set to slicing into the ship's computer, searching for any clues or information, discovering that the ship had actually been at the Pit, but left shortly after the Quasar Ray had arrived, thanks to a message forwarded from the Bounty Hunter's Guild...

PRIORITY MESSAGE

To Any Agents in the vicinity of the Micri System

Imperial sources indicate that one or more high-priority bounties for the Empire (see attached) will be arriving at a  trading post on Micri II in approximately one week.
If targets are secured, signal Imperial Cruiser "The Emperor's Will" on attached frequency to arrange rendezvous and payment.

Targets should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.

THESE TARGETS ARE SUBJECTS OF LIVE BOUNTIES. LETHAL FORCE IS NOT ADVISABLE.

 

Glint and Arcata made quick searches of the human and Rodian, each grabbing heavy blaster pistol (both set to 'stun') and Glint grabbing the vibroblade beside the Rodian and removing their blast vests as well, tossing them in a pile as Arcata continued searching them. Aside from simple odds and ends, the pair had little else on them of note and so the pair continued into the outpost.

A thin wisp of smoke rose from the top of the tower as Glint and Arcata made their approach. They were somewhat careful, but not overly worried any more. As they rounded the corner of the building they could see the sand was littered with small bits of charred debris and laying among it was a blaster carbine with an extended stock, which Arcata quickly picked up and began inspecting. The carbine was likely the sniper's backup weapon for close combat, as a carbine still packed the punch of a blaster rifle, but was much smaller and easier to wield in tight quarters. The weapon had taken quite a fall from the top of the tower, and though it looked serviceable, Arcata was still not entirely safe with using it unless the situation was most dire.

Arcata slung the carbine over her shoulder and nodded to Glint. With weapons drawn the pair entered the building and made a swift search, finding four humans and a twi-lek bound and gagged in the back room. They looked frightened at first, especially when Glint brought up the vibroblade, but seems to relax as they were cut free.

"Oh thank you! We weren't sure what was in store for us once those thugs game in. They signaled distress so we cleared them to land. Next thing we know they are storming off their ship stunning everybody!." one older man recounted.

[Glint]

Glint offers the man a smile.

"It's no problem. I'm sorry we couldn't get to you sooner. But we were a little pre-occupied with our mutual friends out front. How long have they had you tied up?"

The old man shakes his head,

"We're not entirely sure. It's dark inside, but it was long enough for us to sleep so... a day? Maybe more?"

Glint nods with a grimace, before withdrawing a couple of nutri-bars he had squirrelled away on his person.

"They're a bit squashed, but you should eat something."

He offers them around before continuing.

"We had thought that our meeting with the Rebels was supposed to be quiet, but apparently there was a leak at some stage along the way. I'm still trying to figure out how they got here before us. Something to talk to the Rebels about, as it seems like a pretty big hole for folks who are relatively confident in their secrecy. We're probably gonna have to be fairly leery of dealing with 'em in future. Neither here or there, though. We highly suspect that the Hunters have friends on the way, and you probably don't want to be here when they arrive."

He lets out a little chuckle, eyes sparkling mischeviously.

"Thankfully, however, the Hunters have kindly donated their Ghtroc for our use. I'd suggest grabbing anything you can and taking it for a spin out of the system and get set up elsewhere. If you do, I'd recommend not spending more than an hour gathering shit together, if you absolutely do have to get things together. We're planning on scarpering as soon as we make sure there are no more surprises waiting for us."

He shrugs, uncomfortable and thinking to himself. There's not much that we can actually do beyond that. He dearly hoped that they would take the smart option and leave with the Ghtroc. They could head off, sell the ship and use those funds to get themselves set up again. Unfortunately, he couldn't make them leave if they elected not to. He had to repress a grimace at that thought. The Inquisitor would likely not be kind, between us having gotten away again and these folks, if not harbouring, at least aiding and abetting Rebels. She'd tear through them like a thermal detonator through... well. A lot of things. He moved on before that analogy got any further away from him.

"I'm sorry we're in such a rush, but we really don't want to be here if and when an Interdictor arrives. Are there any more people that may need freeing?"

He sort of hoped not. He was getting antsy now, forefinger tapping along the barrell of his blaster in a nervous tick. The sooner they were off this planet the better.

[Kel Uno]

"Someone let something slip" was Kel's summary, with a frown on his face. The timing of the message made it clear that their deal with the Twi'lek intermediary had not been as confidential as they'd hoped. "Well, on the bright side, this is useful." He added, noting the frequency given for the Interdictor. "Something that can work for a wild goose chase, yes? Wonder why we're wanted alive only."

"Wait." He paused and checked back more closely. He realized what he'd missed. "This was BEFORE we met the dancer. ...I... HOW?! Please don't tell me these Force users can see the future Mar. I beg you." Kel groaned.

[Zaylee Zanne]

"That's bantha poodoo," Zaylee scoffed over the comm-net. "Once they knew we were at the Pit, they must've known who we'd talk to just like how Arcata did - the informant Aqui'el, who's probably working both sides. Aqui'el just influenced the Rebels to make the trade at the outpost and then directed the bounty hunters there. It wouldn't be hard to figure out and estimate how long it would take us to get there. Regardless, this has probably burned Aqui'el as any sort of useful informant or intermediary with the Rebels."

The tiny captain switched to another frequency as she powered on the maneuvering thrusters, the Quasar Ray lifting slighting from the ground, though the ramp remained down. "Tubby, how's our new passenger?"

Zaylee flipped back to the general comm-net channel. "Okay folks, I want to get out of here on the pico-second. Kel, if you can, slice open access to the freighter's controls for the moonwalkers. Glint, you have them free yet? If so, it's up to them now to take the opportunity flee. If none of them know how to fly a ship, I'll transmit a flight plan to a reasonably friendly spaceport and set the Ghtroc freighter to auto and they can take their chances," Zaylee said as she calculated her own plot with the nav-computer. Everyone get back to the ship so we can avoid another encounter with the Interdictor."

[Noir]

"Interdictor?" the older man asks as his eyes slowly widen, "You mean the Empire? And they know we were helping the Rebels?"

Shock and terror washed over the faces of the other staff as the realization set in.

"We need to go NOW. Everybody grab what need and get to the landing field. We have to get out of here." he said to the others who scrambled out of the room.

"Thank you, and thank you for the ship. I need to get some things together. I do not want to see the inside of an Imperial prison cell." the man said before departing the room to gather what he could.

 

Mar thought for a moment as he rubbed his chin and then listened to Zaylee. He shook his head, even though Zaylee could not see it, before replying,

"I doubt this Aqui'el could have turned you in. The time on this message is minutes after you left me. Considering how long it would take for the intel to reach the Bounty Hunter's Guild, for them to relay the info and for it to reach these bounty hunters, they would have had to known you were going to the Pit before you even got there... in a ship they had never seen. On top of that, they then would have to make one hell of a guess as to why you were going there and who you were going to talk to and that the price negotiation would work out. Not to mention they would need a lot more info on this Aqui'el than Arcata seemed aware of."

"I remember, back in the war, hearing of Jedi having 'visions. It sounded like sometimes they were of another planet, like they were there. I'm not sure about the future though, but considering the things I have seen them do, I would not be all that surprised. We can talk more when we're outta here." he added.

 

"Unconscious, but secured if you require immediate departure. I am still evaluating, though the species in unknown to me." Tubby replied in a slightly more focused or serious tone.

"I'm fine too." Tal chimed in as he walked onto the bridge with his jacket off and a medpatch somewhat sloppily secured to his arm.

He dropped into a seat and looked over the sensors while everybody else went about their business.

 

Several minutes later the Quasar Ray lifted off from the pad while below the last of the outposts staff could be seen running to the Ghtroc freighter which lifted off quickly. The blue sky darkened and stars began to flicker to life. With as much speed as she could muster from the engines the Quasar Ray fled the gravity shadow of the small planet and as soon as it was clear the stars stretched out as the ship jumped to hyperspace.

Once safely into hyperspace the crew gathered in the common room, as was become near ritual for them, and any attempts to enter the sick bay was met with polite, but firm, rebuffing from Tubby who was seeing to the needs and privacy of his patient as the little droid did its best to help them.

"Well, that was fun.".Tal sad a bit sarcastically, peeling back the medpatch on his arm to look at the wound as he sat at the table.

"Aye. That was like falling into a nest of gundarks." Mar commented as he rummaged for a snack, "That was a right good ambush. If they weren't trying to take us alive, then we would likely be dead now."

Mar took a seat and munched on a small nutribar as he continued, 

"And if not for Tubby's rather lanky patient, we would likely still be stuck there, or would have maybe had to ditch this ship for that junker Ghtroc to get out of there fast."

[SalmonMax]

"Luck," Arcata grumps. "I don't like having to depend on luck."

"What's the medical condition of that thing from the desert? It was coming long before this all happened. If anyone knows anything about this, it's that."

[Zaylee Zanne]

"I've already lost one ship, I assure you, I had no intention of losing another," the petite captain said, sprawled in a chair at the table, "Jedi alien or no Jedi alien."

As impressive as the alien's act had been, Zaylee believed she would've been able to free the Ray from the sand herself. It hadn't been too deep, careful pulses on the thrusters, she could probably have gotten the ship into the air without too much subsidiary damage. Still, the alien's way had been undoubtedly faster and had cause no ancillary damage.

What concerned Zaylee far more was the precognitive insights the force sensitives about them seemed to possess, the alien who had helped them and the Inquisitor on their tail. It couldn't be a hundred percent reliable, else their wouldn't be any Resistance or Rebels. Broken Sky! If it were so and they were cunning in its use, the Empire would be able to dominate the entire galaxy through absolute control of trade rather than using force of arms. Still, what they were showing already was worrisome enough.

"I don't like depending on luck, either," Zaylee agreed, giving the former Imperial spook a tight smile. She commed the medical droid. "Tubby, while trying to stabilize the alien, see what you can do about making him - or her - I've never met one of its kind, nor got a good enough look to try and tell - about making him conscious, if you can. We definitely have some question."

Interacting with aliens didn't give her any pause the way it seemed it did some Imperials, trade was trade after all - just don't expect a Hutt to honour a deal if it sees more profit in breaking it. No, it was the Force. Ever since she'd unknowingly taken a Jedi on board, it felt like they were having no end of trouble from the Force Active. She glanced at Mar and Glint.

"We'll until he wakes up, you're the closest we have to Force Experts. How is the Inquisitor figuring out where we are? Using the force to read our intentions or something? Where do I take the Ray that she can't anticipate? Maybe choose our destination randomly, on the roll of a die or something?"

[Noir]

"I will certainly do my best, but the health of my patient is my priority." Tubby replied to Zaylee.

Mar shrugged his broad shoulders at Zaylee's question.

"I am not really sure. Like I told Kel, I remember the Jedi having 'visions' sometimes, but it seemed more like seeing a far off place than the actual future."  he explained as stroked his mustache with his thumb and forefinger.

"But I certainly wouldn't put it past'em to be able to read intentions or see the future or something with all I have seen'em do. A random place might be best, or one that Glint knows since they do not seem to be onto'em yet. You can't anticipate a person you do not know to anticipate, eh?"" he added.

 

[Glint]

Glint's fingers drummed across the table, a look of thought on his features. How to explain this? He starts off slowly.

"It is possible for those in tune with the force to be capable of a certain level of precogniscence. But it's not as simple as skipping to the end of a chapter to see what happens. All things come together in the force. Past, Present, and Future. Some places echo with deeds long since passed. Someone emmintently skilled with the force can part the veil and see what will come to be. The issue is that the future is not set in stone. And the smallest details can set the future hurtling along a different path. Beyond that, it is also extremely difficult. We are what? Seven, eight people? Like trying to keep track of 8 ants among a colony. Possible, certainly, but extremely difficult.

No, what I suspect bit us here was the rebels standard operating procedure. Arcata was operating with Imperial intelligence, so it was relatively easy to guess where we would be heading. From there? If we make a deal with the Rebels, they were always going to send us somewhere to exchange the ship, away from prying eyes. It became a relatively straightforward path. She just needed to ask the right questions. "*If* we had a ship we needed to sell". "*If* we were favourably inclined towards the rebels". And "*If* the Rebels were willing to deal with us, where would they send us?" Even then, there were probably several options available and she took the most likely route. I imagine if we had just junked the cruiser at the Pitt there would be a bunch of Sunburned Bounty Hunters sitting on Micri for a week or two waiting for where we would only show up as echoes of a possibility.

The biggest contributing factor to her being able to follow us was the fact she knew we *needed* to get rid of the Cruiser and that we had at least some Imperial intelligence. Now that it is gone, what is her start point? We don't know where we're going ourselves. She can look at the possible echoes of our actions, but without something to encourage us to act along a certain path, she's left with billions of options.

Because ultimately, if she were capable of that level of precogniscence, there wouldn't be a Rebel Alliance at all, because Vader would have stamped them out years ago. She's got a Galaxy of possibilities and she's got to pick the right one. This being said, she's got folks looking for us. We may run into her more than we would otherwise because of that, but it's unlikely in the extreme that she will be able to follow our every move.

In short: She's an intelligent woman. By using what she knew of us and our situation, she was able to use her precognition in combination with educated guesses to come to the correct answer. I won't say it's a once off, but it's not as reliable as some of you are fearing."

He hopes that adequately explained everything. Admittedly, it wasn't a topic he was particularly well versed in, but it was a topic that had at least come up once or twice in the past. Running a hand through his hair, he grimaces as he pulls more sand out. Honestly. This was ridiculous. He offers a tired smile to Mar before continuing.

"Aye. I may know a place. It's a legit port along the outer Rim. Should be safe for a bit. Planet called Rhada Itoa. It's.... a bit damp. But the scenery is a damn site more pleasant to look at than Micri, in my ever so humble opinion. Lots of green. I was there for a while a year or two ago. Even with the development, it's a lot fresher than many planets. Little to no smog, depending on where you are. It's refreshing. Though I would reccomend bringing some waterproof gear. It doesn't rain all the time, but it does fairly regularly."

He leans back with that, relaxing fully into his chair. He was tired now. And desperately wanted to visit the fresher to get clean again. Now that the thought had been planted, he did hope they visited Rhada Itoa. He had always preferred cooler climes. There was something calming about listening to the rain pattering against Windows.

[SalmonMax]

Arcata nods slowly as Glint speaks. What he was saying made a lot more sense than 'she can see the future no matter what you do.' What he was describing could be managed. It did mean she pretty much had to junk any Imperial intel she could bring to bear, which reduced her value...but that was always going to be the case. It had been stupid of her not to think in terms of what the Empire knew SHE knew, and how they could use that.

"I'd almost rather just throw a dart through a holomap and go to that system," she sighed. "But as long as there's nothing distinguishing Rhada Itoa from any other place you've visited, I suppose it should be safe enough. I don't think we left any witnesses behind who know what our new ship is."

She rubbed her jaw, thinking. "It will take some time for them to figure out how to recognize us again. Best to make use of that time constructively."

[Noir]

Mar listened and though for a moment, recalling the all of the maps and charts he had seen in his time as a navigator and even since.  Rhada Itoa did not even sound familiar to him, so he nodded and finally spoke, 

"We just need a place to make repairs and the ship back to full spec, which should be possible at any complete, standard spaceport, so sounds good to me. I've never been there and from the looks on faces I don't anybody else has been either, so they will have one hell of a time guessing we are going there. So like Acarata said, it should do to throw them off our trail, for a good while at least. At least time to make repairs and get things in order and just catch our breath." Mar commented as he pulled off his cap, ran his thick fingers through his short hair and slipped the cap back on.

"And, like Arcata said, nobody knows we have this ship and we can change the transponder if we want to be really careful. There are still a few thousand of these Mon Cal Scouts plying the space lanes, so by all appearances we are just one of them. If we are stopped I know how to handle Customs, but I'll work with Kel to make a false manifest, just in case." he suggested.

Mar then sat back and though about all the talk of seeing the future and something occurred to him.

"You know... there were bounties for all of us except Glint and the message mentioned the Customs Cruiser, but not the Quasar Ray. So that tells me any vision of the future Inquisitor Cynis might have is far from perfect. So yeah, that lends more credit to her using the Force to refine her educated guesses." Mar thought aloud.

"Indeed it does." said a calm, feminine voice from the side hall.

The unfamiliarity of the voice caught everybody's attention, causing to the look to the source.

An extremely tall and thin alien with pale, hairless skin stepped into the command area, ducking her head under the 2 meter tall opening in the bulkhead. Her eyes were large and black, aside from the green irises and she had barely two vertical slides for a nose. She towered over the others in the room, standing easily 2.2 meters (7'3") tall on her slightly digitigrade legs. She was dressed simply in a sleeveless browns skinsuit with a long, opened skirt hanging from a copper belt at her waist. Her arms were mostly covered with long gloves that ended at her wrists, making them more like tight, individual sleeves, each with several loose strips of material sagging low before arcing up to her back. Her neck was extremely long and sheathed in a coppery material. Around her head she wore a simple cord with a large stone and a few beads hanging from it.

 

(Image)

Spoiler

 

 

 

Her species was not familiar to any of the crew, but she did not seem threatening and in fact moved rather calmly and carefully.

"At best, the future is a fluid thing.. always changing. Personal ties, be they positive or negative, can further cloud things." she explained.

The alien then paused. Her small mouth shifted to a small smile as she slowly closer her large eyes, brought her right forearm across her tummy and cane a slow bow with her head.

"Please, excuse my manners." as asked and then lifted her head again.

"My name is Sola Be, and I think you for your assistance and fine medical care. Your droid is most knowledgeable.. and polite." she said, introducing herself.

She then began to walk over toward a chair, but as she took her first step her knee seemed to buckle, threatening to topple her...

[Glint]

Glint darts forward, practically vaulting out of his chair to catch her as  she stumbles, helping her to a seat, the image almost comical with the Alien towering nearly a full foot over him

"I'm surprised Tubby let you out of the Medbay. Picking up the ship was no small feat."

There is a note of almost admonishment in his voice. Once she is comfortably seated, he returns to his own.

"Though I do want to say thanks for it. You probably saved us a lot of time making our escape. Time which was in precious little supply. So thank you. I dare say we are all appreciative of the time you bought us."

He offers a slight bow from where he's sitting, a quick duck of the head, he continues, broaching the subject quietly and almost nervously.

"I take it that you have received some training, what with the lifting the ship. Doesn't seem the thing folks pick up living on their own in a desert....."

[SalmonMax]

"Indeed," says Arcata. "But what we're even more curious about is how you knew to come at exactly that moment...and why you chose to do so."

[Glint]

Glint sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, I don't know. We were at a trading post after all. What else does one hope to achieve at such a place? Unless you're insinuating I got myself thrown into an Imperial brig cause I knew I would end up meeting with you folks? Right place and right time does not mean Prior knowledge. And even if she did have that knowledge, perhaps a little tact? We do owe her. And so far she's proved friendly."

He turns to Sola Be.

"Sorry. Many of my friends have been thrown in the deep end as far as the Force is concerned. They attribute much to the intent of the people wielding it, and don't seem to understand its something with an intent of its own and that sometimes it nudges things just so. Not everything is a grand conspiracy."

He offers a shrug, before taking a sip of water.

"Admittedly, I *am* curious myself if you knew, had a feeling or if it was just happenstance, but it doesn't take away from the fact you lent a hand."

[Zaylee Zanne]

"We find Tubby useful," Zaylee agreed after Glint caught the toppling alien of a kind she had never seen before. "And we thank you for your aid as you thank us for ours."

Looking up at the slender alien that loomed way above her was giving Zaylee a crink in her neck  - Sola Be had to be half again as tall as she was - and thinking about precognitive insights, however limited, was starting to cause her a headache. "Well, if it helps, Sola Be, I'm really starting to despise inquisitor Cynis and you can call me, Zee."

The alien had introduced herself and while Zaylee felt it was only meet that she do likewise, she was still willing to hedge a bit after being ambushed following their visit to the Pit. What she needed to calm down and relieve the tension in her neck and head was to focus on ship duties. Now that they had a destination, she could start planning a course.

"And it seems like Rhada Itoa it is then," the tiny woman chirped. "I'll listen in on the comm - heading to the bridge to plot our course on the navcom. Welcome about the Quasar Ray."

Zaylee nodded to farewell to cover stretching her neck then strode towards the bridge. She was a practical woman - most times - and all this talk of the Force made her feel... uneasy. She sat down in the captain's chair and began plotting the course to Rhada Itoa. As casual and subtle commanded flipped the transponder of the Quasar Ray, making the ship now seem to be the Typhoon Star.

She studied the hyperlanes suggested for the route, looking for any that were familiar to her trader sensibilities. If she could find the right hub, she might be able to pick up minor cargo to go with a doctored (or real) manifest, to make their travel look more innocuous. Listening in on the conversation on the ship's comm, Zaylee began idly humming as she pondered routes and trade.

[Kel Uno]

While the others talked with Sola Be, Kel pulled Mar aside to begin concocting the fake manifest for the viewing pleasure of Customs. At least according to Glint, he didn't have to be so worried about the Inquisitor being constantly right on their heels. Well it was still possible, but not because of the Force, if the Echani was correct.

Kel certainly wasn't in a position to say he was wrong.

[Noir]

The tall, thin alien took a moment to recover once she was helped to a chair. She nodded and slowly her large, dark eyes opened once again.

"Thank you, Zee." she replied before Zaylee departed for the bridge.

"I have been on Micri for some time. It was a place remote enough that I could avoid detection by the Inquisitors. Brant was the one to took me there, when he and his rebel allies rescued me, as I am of little direct help to the Rebellion. And it was he who sent word to me that a young Jedi would be at the trading post."

She seemed to speak at just a slightly slower tempo than most, her speech calm and measured with only hits of emotion to it. 

"Wait. If you are a Jedi, or at least somebody skilled in the Force, then how could you be of little help to the Rebels? I know what Jedi can do, at least, and lifting this ship from the sand is no small feat." Mar asked, somewhat confused.

Sola Be nodded slowly, her large eyes slowly blinked once more.

"I am indeed a Jedi Knight. If the Council still existed, they might have even consider me a Master. I was never formally acknowledged as one though, for I had set out on a personal exploration of the Force due to some disagreements I had with the council. I had not returned to formally seek the title before the Purge happened." she explained, her expression solemn with her eyes looking down at the deckplate.   

"Some time ago, during my personal exploration of the Force I came across ruins of a ancient, dark order of Force users. The place was heavy with Dark Side of the Force, and watched over by an ancient guardian. I managed to defeat the guardian, but as a last act it wounded me, if you will, directly through the Force, nearly killing me. I returned to the Jedi Temple, but even their most skilled healers could nothing. I sought out other means of healing, but had found nothing before the Jedi Purge and the rise of the Empire. Not long after, I met the Rebels.

So the wound remains. It takes a great deal of my concentration to focus on this 'wound' and keep if closed. If I exert myself significantly, especially though the Force like I did when I freed your ship, the wound opens. This wound greatly limits my abilities, even those that do not rely on the Force. It would be too dangerous on a mission for the Rebellion, both for myself, and those I am with. You all saw, and can still see, what it does to me when the wound is reopened. And that is in addition to the Inquisitors hunting for me. Brant suggested I hide on Micri. So I did... and waited.

I was occasionally consulted by the Rebels, and assisted a time or two in what ways I could. A short time ago I felt a ripple in the Force, likely this Inquisitor bringing her attention to bear on the trading post. Then Brant told me that a young Jedi would be at the trading post, and I could see my path before me. I might not be able to do much myself, but I still have knowledge of the Force and the ways of the Jedi. Any young Jedi who could garner that kind of attention from the Empire would likely be in need of such knowledge. Knowledge that I can pass on to a new generation of Jedi who might be able to use it to being some light in these dark times.

I made my way to the outpost, and when I saw the firefight broke out between you and the others, I pushed myself to try and reach you in time help. By the time I arrived things had calmed, so I did what I could to aid you," she said, slowly waving a hand toward Mar, "and freed your ship from the sand, for I knew how difficult it is to extricate a ship from it, and trusted that I would be in good hands when I reopened the wound. Thankfully, you and your droid did not disappoint." she said, finishing with another slow nod.

"And what Brant said was true," she mused with a hint of a smile on her face, "there was indeed a young Jedi at the trading post when I arrived."

[SalmonMax]

Arcata needed to sit down. She found a spot to do that, and tried to take it in. This was a different situation entirely. The previous 'jedi' had been a stripling...barely trained and clearly not wholly indoctrinated.

This was something else entirely. Fully trained, and possessed of mind-boggling power. So loyal to the Jedi's tenets that she'd clung to them for years while hiding in isolation. And yet confident enough in them to emerge simply to meet another possible convert.

The game had become infinitely more dangerous. Could she spin this to her advantage? On the one hand, this Sola would be a far richer source of information. On the other, she was also far more capable, and far FAR harder to influence.

Also worth considering...did she have a choice? She could leave the ship...but then it was back to zero point, with no allies, no ship, no money, and bounty hunters looking for her.

This Jedi seemed...peaceful. For now. Surely training a new student would take time. Arcata could afford to be careful. Observe from a distance. Weigh her and take her measure without antagonizing her.

Yes. She'd need to be careful, but it could be done. There had to be a way to use this. Arcata just needed some time to work out how.

To Sola Be, Arcata merely said, "That's quite a story. Well...assuming our captain approves, are there any special requirements you have? For living space, or...nutritional requirements, or for this wound of yours?"

[Noir]

"Thank you, but I do not require any special considerations, nor would I wish to impose. The atmosphere within this ship is already a simple pleasure after living on such a dry planet for so long. And I learned many years ago that my height was not the norm and thus have grown accustomed to low ducking through doorways and under bulkheads.

Your droid disarmed me of my lightsaber as he removed my outer garments to work on me. You can return it to me whenever you like, should you so choose. If you wish to keep it secured while I am on board, I certainly understand.

For my 'wound' though, little can be done. I had been seeking out other Force traditions in hopes that one could aid me, but had no luck in finding a remedy before I was forced into hiding. Your droid managed to stabilize me enough that I returned to consciousness and managed to focus on closing it again, but it has taken a lot out of me, both physically and mentally. Some rest and meditation will do me well. If you have a quiet place where I may do so, and possibly help me to it, I would be much obliged." Sola Be replied in a calm, even tone.

[Glint]

Glint observed Sola Be in quiet consideration. He had been surprised that she knew there was a Jedi on board, albeit one with as little training as he did. The urge to scowl in displeasure when she informed them it was the Rebel who had informed her of his presence was strong. Damn it, Kayda. That's not information you should just sling about. If you wish to inform people of what you were, then go ahead, but it is literally his life she had been gambling with. He sighed instead and moved on, the brief irritation acknowledged and resolved. No point dwelling on it.  He leaned forward, curiosity easily read from his features.

"If I may, you said you had found your young Jedi. How do you intend to proceed from here, then?"

 

[Noir]

Sola Be nodded to Glint slowly.

"I have found a young Jedi, though it is not the one Brant informed me of, for he told me of a woman. When his ship left, I thought I might have missed her. And indeed I did, but it would seems the Force had led me someone else." she said with a faintest hint of a smile.

"I wish you all to know that my aid was given freely, with no expectations or recompense, aside from a hope that you could manage to stabilize me enough to keep me from dying. But if I had died in the sand, then at least my last act would have been to help others and my.death would have had a purpose. Though in the end, there is no death. Only the Force." explained with a small, bow of her head.

"Where we go from here is not my decision. The Force does not remove free will. It merely brings the right people together at the right time in hopes of a desired outcome. It is up to us to make the decisions and take actions we feel we must. So I understand if my presence is not desired on this ship in these times. If that is the case, then you can drop me off wherever you wish and I will find my way and bare no ill will.

If, on the other hand, the young Jedi wishes to resume their training, then I can only believe that I was guided here so that I am help them do so. I may not be able to exert as I once did, but I am still capable of training padawans and have trained others in the past." Sola Be offered.

[Glint]

The Echani sat back in silence for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Sola Be was admittedly hard to read. It was his first time interacting with her species, so the basic foundation that people tend to build up in interactions was completely absent. For all he knew, sitting still and talking in a calm manner could be a method of expressing psychotic homicidal rage. Unlikely, sure, but the comment stood. As of now, he couldn't know if she was just playing coy and trying to get someone to out themselves, or if she was legitimately protecting his identity.

Hmmm. He was a gambler at heart, and nothing ventured, he supposed. His gut was saying to go with it.

"We do appreciate the hand. Especially when it came as such a cost to yourself. As for you staying, it's not my call to make, but I'm all for keeping you around. If I stop beating around the bush, an opportunity like this is unlikely to drop into my lap again and I'll take my chances. The fact that you were willing to dance around my identity stands you in good stead, but I'm among friends here."

With that he offers a shrug. Odds were good she knew. A force user of her supposed caliber. She would know what he was in the same way that Glint had felt Kayda during their original escape. Obfuscating his identity any longer served no real purpose, at least not at this gathering.

[Zaylee Zanne]

Zaylee paused in plotting the course to Rhada Itoa to listen to the conversation over the comm. From her experience, limited as it was, it seemed Jedi ended up causing more trouble than they ameliorated. On the other hand Sola Be did get them off that moon faster than they otherwise would have. And as practical and pragmatic as she thought herself, Zaylee couldn't bring herself to drop off the ailing, entirely too tall alien at the first convenient port and clean her hands of her.

She sighed, her breath puffing away an errant lock of coppery hair, and pressed a button. "As long as your presence ain't gonna draw down yet another Imperial Inquisitor down upon us, Sola Be," Zaylee said over the comm, "you have a berth on my ship as long as we all find it mutually beneficial."

[SalmonMax]

"I do have a concern," Arcata says. "From what I'm hearing, jedi can sense one another at distance. Assuming this is a function of your unusual abilities, is it something that would apply to the Inquisitor as well? Will she be able to detect your presence and if so, at what range?"

"Obviously we'll be doing our best never to let her get within a few parsecs, but it's wise to know what to expect should the worst happen."

[Noir]

Sola Be looked up at nothing in particular with her large, dark eyes and Zaylee's voice came out over the ship's internal comm system and nodded once with a slow blink. 

"Thank you, Captain Zee." she replied.

She then turned her attention to Arcata and listened to her for a moment, nodding slowly.

"We can sense one another, but it is not as simple as that. Fundamentally though, it can be accomplished it several ways, to differing degrees. But first you need a basic understand of the Force.

You see, The Force is an energy field created by all living things.. Everything in the galaxy is connected to everything else, animate or inanimate, through the Force. It is always around us, within us and radiating from us and every living thing, be it a person, animal, plant and so forth. Beings are occasionally born who have a greater connection to the Force. Some go on to become Jedi or follow other paths of the Force, while most simply never even know it, though they often seem to be very lucky and/or have excellent intuition because they are subconsciously calling upon the Force, however clumsy and unskilled it may be.

When a person calls on the Force, and every being does at points in their life even though most do not realize it, it creates a 'ripple' in the Force, if you will. How strong of a ripple and how far it radiates is a matter of how strong and skilled the user is, as well as to the degree upon which they call on the Force. A being who is sensitive to the Force may notice these ripples if they are close enough, usually within one hundred meters or so, though sometimes less and sometimes further. A subtle use by a Jedi Master is nearly imperceptible, for example. The same Jedi Master using the Force to lift a capital ship might be detected for miles, or even from orbit. It has as much to do with the skill, strength and proximity of the one detecting it as it does the one making the ripple. As such, I could sense some of you calling upon the Force during your skirmish. It was clumsy and out of desperation, but shows potential. 

Aside from detecting the use of the Force, it is also possible to sense others directly through the Force, though generally this can only be done over short distances. In the Force, we are all luminous beings. each of us radiating the Force from ourselves. The strength of one's connection to the Force is reflected in how brightly they shine within it. Those who are sensitive to the Force shine brighter, those who are strong with the Force, brighter still, and so forth. If one is skilled in the Force though, they can dim that light or even conceal their presence all together, though generally it is easier to detect those with less training or a weaker connection than yourself. With this ability one can roughly gauge another's connection to the Force, though it is usually only useful in detecting the untrained, as like I said, many learn to dim their presence in the Force and thereby conceal their true power. 

For example, I could sense that you," she said motioning to Glint, "were more than simply sensitive to the Force. You have had some Jedi training, but not much. And judging by your apparent age, I have an idea why. I also sensed the perceptions of another on the outpost, this Inquisitor I would assume, when she was looking to the future through the Force. It is an ability we call Farseeing, and she does seem to have some particular skill at it. I was able to conceal my presence from her though, so you need not worry about my presence bringing more Inquisitors for the moment. At least not until she finds out I am with you, which is unlikely as long as I a somewhat mindful.

There are also items and places that have a connection to the Force. This connection can manifest at times, in various ways, which brings me to this ship. It seems to have a connection to the Force, however subtle, that makes the ship, it's passengers and contents difficult to sense with the Force. Not so much invisible in the Force as much as it is difficult to get a hold of it or a good look at it or nail it down in one's perceptions. I have seen something akin to this before, in my personal studies. It should provide a degree of protection against this Inquisitor's Farseeing and other abilities.

And lastly, proximity and relationship are almost always factors with virtually any use of the Force. The closer you are spatially and the better you know a person, place or thing, the easier it is to sense or affect them through the Force. With the Inquisitor and I being strangers, and she not knowing I am here or even possessing so much as my name, there is little to worry about her detecting me. If she never met you personally and all she has is your names and files, then that is good as well. It provides some connection, yes, but very, very little. And if she does not know that you have this ship even, then all the better as well." Sola Be explained.

[Glint]

Glint nodded along with the explanation. His own understanding was fuzzy around the edges, only really aware of the generalities, so it was new information to him as well. 

"Fewer Inquisitors is better. One has been enough of a pain to be getting on with. Now, though. Given you'll be travelling with us for a bit, I realise we've yet to introduce ourselves. I'm going by Glint at the moment. Our illustrious Captain is Zaylee. Roki is the quiet one. Mar and Tal are former crew of the Cruiser we fenced earlier. Got most of us out of a pinch a while back. Kel's our Slicer. Pretty good at what he does as well. Our resident Spook is Arcata. Handy with a blaster, and former Imperial Intelligence. You've met Tubby, of course, but we've also got two maintenance droids. Frick and Frack. They're characters.  So, Sola Be, everyone. Everyone, Sola Be."

He passes around the room, gesturing to each individual as they are named

"Hopefully we'll all be able to get along. We are down a member. this would have been the Jedi you had been told about. She split with the Rebels at our last port. Had some business she needed to complete. Pity, really, but what can you do?"

He offers a shrug.

[SalmonMax]

Arcata nodded politely as her name was spoken, acknowledging the introduction. She felt a prickle of unease when the alien Jedi mentioned that simply having files wouldn't be much of a connection. She and the Inquisitor had...sort of met. They'd been in a room, and Arcata had had the Inquisitor's attention for a brief moment. Granted, there'd been other trainees there as well, and each of them had also made a presentation of themselves and their work...Arcata had no cause to believe the incident 'counted.'

But she suspected it might. She kept that unease well away from her face though. It was dodgy enough trying to keep on their good side without admitting their nemesis might be able to find her even fractionally more easily than the others.

"Indeed," she said simply, putting a diffident stamp of almost-approval on Glint's words. "Well then, I'll leave you to it for the moment. Perhaps when things have settled we can speak more."

She gave Glint a curt nod, and breezed out of the room. As tempting as it was to obsess over the Inquisitor's supposed powers, that was a trap. It would prevent Arcata from doing her job...both as a crewmember, and as a concerned Imperial citizen.

With that in mind, she headed for the 'bridge,' of the ship...more of a somewhat overblown cockpit really, but one played sabacc with the hand one was dealt.

Until one had some extra ones up their sleeve at any rate.

 

Once there, Arcata paused and asked Zaylee, "Captain, now that we've acquired a ship we can work with, do you have a plan for how to proceed? We have a destination, but it might work for us to see what opportunities exist for us between here and there as we go."

[Zaylee Zanne]

Listening to Sola Be explain the Force as she worked on plotting the course to Rhada Itoa, Zaylee pondered. If the Force was an energy field and its effects and presence were observable and measureable, then it stood to reason that it was possible to build a device to do so. She wasn't sure how to go about it, to be sure - she was starship mechanic and electrician more than a designer, but it was certainly a thought to pursue at a later time.

Zaylee jerked around in surprise when Arcata entered the cockpit and addressed her. Seeing it was the former Imperial Spook who didn't seem inclined to shot her in the back, the small woman relaxed and brushed copper and gold hair from her face, though when she nodded, most of it fell back to partially obscure a teal eye.

"I was thinking about that," Zaylee replied. "Since we know where we are going, I was looking at where we could pick up a cargo along our route to offload at Rhada Itoa." Her nose scrunched up as she frowned. "Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with this route. A now some of the names, been to a few once or twice, but..." She shrugged then waved at the route on the console, highlighting the names of planets and star bases. "You know if any of these places would be a good place to pick up cargo?"

[SalmonMax]

Arcata broke a rare smile; it was as precise and as measured as the rest of her, but it was a start.

"I could lecture you for hours on the politics of the region, but I suspect that wouldn't be constructive to our present pursuits."

She leaned over a little to examine the console more closely.

"We'll want to avoid large shipping routes and ports...that limits our possibilities, but it also drives up demand for our services..."

After a moment she nodded. "All right, I'll conduct some research on some of these planets and prepare a report and some suggestions. However, it would probably be worth our time to seek out a contact native to the area."

(OOC - Oh GM, what sort of roll would you like to find out some decent trade routes, and possibly to dig up a 'safe' contact to get more info from? Streetwise?)

[Noir]

OOC - Most of what Arcata is doing would be Systems Knowledge (or just Knowledge att default). And do not forget that you have a rather old spacer who has been working this sector for years.

Finding a contact would indeed be Streetwise.

An alternate way would be to use Law Enforcement to see if you know of people that might fit the bill due to criminal records, but you would have no prior relationship and who knows how inclined they would be to deal with you.

[SalmonMax]

After a moment, Arcata starts to leave, then abruptly turns back and squints closer at the screen.

"Just a moment..."

She reaches out and taps a star system, which zooms up and shows more detailed information.

"This one. Bel-Tokka. I thought that seemed familiar. It's a little off our path, but only a little...and we'll find a Duro there named Rota Bur. He was on a watch list for trafficking in unauthorized Imperial goods. However it was deemed too much trouble to go through for too little reward to sanction or capture him. He's not black market, and intel didn't show he had important contacts or serious crimes."

"But he's been in operation for quite some time, and specializes in exactly the sort of cargo a small, independent freighter like this could profit from."

[Zaylee Zanne]

Zaylee mused for a moment. She would have preferred picking up a perfectly legitimate cargo from a perfectly legitimate trader, but the grey market wasn't too bad and without knowing this route too well, she didn't want to waste the time it would take stopping along the way to ask around for a shipment that was heading in there direction. Besides, this Rota Bur sounded the sort that had cargo well suited for the Quasar Ray.

The slight woman shrugged then nodded at Arcata as she made an adjustment to the course she was plotting. "Bel-Tokka it is, then."

[Kel Uno]

Kel appeared again in the cockpit. "We got the manifest whipped up, Captain. Anything else you figure I should work on?"

[Zaylee Zanne]

Zaylee pursed her lips, considering, then nodded. "We're taking a slight step off our course to Rhada Itoa to see about picking up a cargo on Bel-Tokka. Along the way, I'd like you to work on developing another, comprehensive Transponder code with a false history, just in case the Quasar Ray or Typhoon Star are being looked for."