Log:Resistance: Perfectly Legitimate Business
Resistance Smugglers gather data in the Tyrius System
OOC Date: November 6, 2015 (Optional)
Location: Rodia
Participants: Aryn Cole as Deel Kallos, Ektor as GM, Kaelyn, Kisaiya, Nova Korell, Tallissan Lintra, Sar Yavok, The Resistance
The Tyrius System is a minor hyperspace hub in the galaxy's Outer Rim, without much to distinguish it to the larger galactic civilization apart from being the home of the Rodian species.
The planet Rodia itself is a verdant ball of blue-green seas and darker green wilderness, marred in places by the black blots and grey haze of industrial pollution. Freighter traffic is minimal, though multiple private vessels come and go hourly, there are none occupying the incoming spacelanes when the *Starbird* and *Catastrophe* arrive in system (followed shortly by the *Wanderlost*), within minutes of each other.
This low traffic, remote system lacking in any major ship building seems an unlikely place for the Core and Human-centric First Order to post a warship, yet for the year since the Hosnian cataclysm, the ominous profile of a Nebulon-K frigate has commanded these sparse space lanes. The incoming freighters are promptly scanned, and 'greeted' by the *Void Crosser* with a terse transmission warning them to obey all laws and depart immediately, once their business is complete.
In the copilot's seat of the /Starbird/, Nova Korell chuckles softly. "The 'Unwelcome' mat must be out back for a rug-beating," she replies. "Should we call them back, or just fly casual?"
Deel Kallos' ship, the Tig Tickler, emerges from hyperspace with a sudden jolt and brief blue flash. The CEC YT-2400 isn't a heavily modified ship, but it's outfitted to haul cargo and that's just what it's doing. The old pilot is a veteran from the Galactic Civil War, sporting a trimmed gray beard and winter white hair. Old blue eyes look ahead before glancing toward his co-pilot. "Easy does it. Bring our scanning equipment online." The ship's engines light with a bright blue, and the unorthodox looking vessel spirals forward at a very casual pace.
A bounty hunter's guild Pursuer craft clears the atmosphere of Rodia- likely having lifted off from Equator City- and angles out of the planet's gravity well in the rough direction of the Wanderlost. Otherwise, there is little activity. No TIE fighters patrol the system, no further orders issue from the frigate.
Kae yawns and rolls the Wanderlost just slightly, setting it in for an easier bank. All in all it's looking like the freighter really isn't moving with much purpose, other than setting up a re-entry at a long distance as supposed to angling for re-entry to the planet at a later time. Kae raises an eyebrow, and begins looking over her datapads and such, trying to figure out a good way to get a good reading on the frigate without the frigate knowing she's scanning...
"Gotta be a sensor cycle in here some wheres." She mutters to her self, while the Wanderlost steadily gets closer.
"No, let our transponders talk. Mine is such an innocent baby," Tallie chuckles at the thought. "Why we are even a bit gray, Nova since I bought this through a blind from Nar Shaddaa then went over it with a fine tooth comb." Lips pursed, Tallie leans over the console and mutters, "That's a strange expression, isn't it? So, we are just having a look-see, right?"
A twitch of her fingers sends a projection over to Nova, "We are a bit busy wouldn't you say? Or do you think this is normal traffic? Let's see what a little more pressing probe brings to our eyes and ears."
A few moments pass: "Get that? Someone is talking in encrypted code but not on that big bird's frequency."
"It's from the days of finding insectoid parasites in hair. You used a comb made with a lot of very fine teeth," Nova replies. Count on the bookworm soldier to know something that pointless. "Give me a minute to run that encryption through our computer. It doesn't look that complicated..."
She pulls the console's keyboard over in front of her, toggles the multi-function display to the right function, and gets to work.
"What do you mean 'the dish fell off'? Find. It. GO!" The Captain yells and points at the aft door. He glares at the LE series droid as it quickly moves out of the cockpit. "Sweet Scarlet and Tatooine's Stars it had better be up there.." Deel smacks the side of his comms computer and glances back to the main view port to see where he is in his descent. He may have to try again on the way out if he can't get things to work right.
The Pursuer craft passes between the Wanderlost and Starbird, beginning to vector for a hyperspace jump.
Inside the *Starbird*, the otherwise scrambled static of encrypted shipboard communications fades into coherence as Nova slices into the shipboard signals under lowest level encryption. <<-abnormal system traffic. Send the stand-by fighters for a patrol, summon off duty pilots to ready status.>> One 'yes, sir' later, and broadcasts aboard the frigate carry the order throughout the warship.
Catastrophe Kisaiya is in the middle of flying alongside Kaelyn as best she can. One hand on each stick for the most part. A hand lets go here and there to give another tap to change through settings but quickly grabs back at the stick. A look to her astromech as she lets out a heavy sigh, panning through another screen and then another as she quickly switches between flying and trying to get more on this Frigate.
"Ack!" Kisaiya grabs at the controls again, not keying the mic, but staving off her fighter drifting too close to the Wanderlost. "Ka-a-a-ae," she's talking to herself in the cockpit without pressing the comm, "-why did you change this just before I went on this mission." She's having a bit of a tough time trying to figure out some of the displays, while flying, and trying to get more information. But - she's made a discovery! It's a frigate!
Kae is tapping away, she can't find a way to normally circumvent the frigate's scanners, then she stares... "Ooooh, that works." She mutters, looking at protocols... She then gets on the coms after setting up a power escelation in the ship's main sensor array, designed to look like a possible overload, needing a flush before it messes up the systems... << Frigate, this is the Wanderlost here. I'm getting an issue with my newly installed sensor array, I have a catastrophic power buildup. I am bringint the Wanderlost to a halt, and I have to purge the power relays. Get ready for a large ping. Recommend pointing your receivers away from the freighter while purging the system. I will be motionless and without shields for a short while, again, I repeate, I will be dead in space and without shields for a bit. The E-wing is flying escort.. I have to shield and lock down the cargo as it's electronics bound for Rodia.>> She says, as the power in the sensors continues to seem to build...
Kae then not waiting says << Yes this is a declared emergency... Purging lines in 30 seconds.>> And she starts counting down over the airways... As she hits Zero, suddenly a large, drawn out sensor ping radiates out from the VCX, like the person had litterally thrown all the power directly into the sensors... Needless to say the surge of sensor energy might play a bit of havoc on other sensors... Kae in the meantime directs a deep scan at the frigate, nicely hiding it under the large surge of sudden scanner beams blasting away from the light freighter.
For now the Wanderlost just floats in space, lights flickering a bit, going between red and white for those looking into the inside of the ship, before the lights return from 'emergency' lighting to normal.. There is some static on the channel before Kae's voice can be heard << Sorry about that new systems, new powercore in this old bird, we had a bit of a surge. Powering up now.>> The wanderlost's systems now seem to be coming online.
"Please don't tell me that you are talking about little critters walking around in your hair. Please." Lights flicker across Tallie's face, turning her blonde hair green and orange as she gives Nova a quick glance over her shoulder. "How do you even know that?"
Another ship jumps into the system seeming to do the little slow dithering dance before heading into orbit. Around the planet. "Next order of business - how is that encryption breaking going?"
They are witness to the system purge going on in the Wanderlost. "Oh clever that. Clever, clever." The Starbird though continues to run silently.
A system alarm beeps insistently, "Aaaand, there we go. We are being pinged but the Pursuer!" Her hands move smoothly over the controls, "Let's see how they feel about a little handshake. Shall we? Lovely." A deep frown for the ping they sent that bears almost no information. "They are not piloted by droids. Looks like three lifeforms on board. Bet you they are not cargo handlers, Moonbeam. No, indeed. Not with that armament...magpulse missile launcher, light ion cannons, laser canons....
"I read it someplace. Decryption program's ticking," Nova says, referring to the computer's processing of the encryption. "Now we just have to wait for it..." She glances at the sensor screen. "He's getting awful close. What is he, curious?"
A wicked thought strikes her, and she grins. Standing up, she unfastens her belt and pants, letting the ships gravity pull them to the deck. Turning her back to the passing Pursuer, she shimmies her brief-clad hindside at them. Pink, so the show should be pretty visible unless they're too far away.
Just then the sensors ping alarmingly, startling Nova. "Wha..?!" She hastily turns and drops back into her seat. "Did we get scanned? Is that..? Oh. It's from /Wanderlost/. Thank goodness. I was afraid we were in trouble," she says, winding down to a sigh of relief.
And the computer pings, the digital equivalent of *Ding! Fries are done!* Nova looks... and her eyes widen. "Oh, wow... that comm traffic? Someone just told someone to launch the standby fighters and get the off-duty pilots into their cockpits. They're suspicious of something. I think it's all the traffic."
The droid returned to find Deel already fixing the terminal readouts. "Well?" He asked. The droid answered in a series of beeps then shrugged. "I didn't think it fell off. Let's try it again." Deel points to the comm station and crosses the small space to prep the recalibration. "Alright.. do it.-- Okay, I got it. Recording.. got it!" Deel slings himself back into the Captain's seat. The controls are taken and his ship angles toward the planet.
<<Gotta tell you guys, these Rodians know how to make a fellah feel welcome,>> Sar comms to the rest of the group. <<Honestly, it's probably a blessing I sold the first Jawa. Might've gotten into a bit of a firefight with Rodian planetary security the last time I was here. Delede's fault, though,>> he explains, flipping a few switches and settling back into his pilots chair. <<So. What're we doing?>>
Completing its transmissions and calculations, the Pursuer craft powers down, and streaks into hyperspace.
Kaelyn's broadcast and sensor dump elicit an irritated "What's wrong with these people? Keep passive sensors on that ship, and launch all remaining interceptors." Those not aboard the Starbird will hear, <<Freighter Wanderlust->> they got the name wrong, <<Instruct your escort to power down weapons and shields for the duration of your purge. Any failure to comply will result in your being fired upon.>> Back on the bridge, the commanding officer asks, irritably, "When did they get so close?"
A trio of TIE/fo fighters launch in tight formation from the frigate's hangar, followed in short order by three more.
Kae tilts her head, and reaches over, flipping her coms so that it can pick up residual traffic and all... She ends up getting the local shock-ball tourney... << Wanderlost here! We have gotten systems purged, everything is coming online, moving out now.>> She says and starts to gently throttle the freighter up and head toward the planet. << Come along Catastropheeee!>>" She says cheerfully over the coms... In the background the shockball tourney can be heard, along with music too?
Pretty typical sounds one might expect to come from a fully independant freight ship. Kae continues to fly along with shields down for now, weapons offline as she continues her parabolic arc, this now taking the freighter further away from the frigate at a nice, sedate, casual pace.
Kisaiya was already being compliant with this - not like she wouldn't be since they're being all casual - and so she tucked in right along (as close as she could manage) to the VCX-100. Using the bigger ship as a sort of shield in case things went badly. After all, she would only need the protection for just a little bit if it did and shunt the power to the weapons.
Kisa gave a bt of a frown up through the canopy, looking beyond the cannon above her head at the ship her sister is in. "I hope you got this right, Kae." She turns back down to her displays though, since her hands are mostly free until Kaelyn begins moving the Wanderlost again. She's humming a little tune under her breath with a little 'Oooooo' sound mixed in there as the hands run over the displays.
"Ack!" And as the Wanderlost starts moving, then she's flying along with her sister once more.
Tallie hears the movement behind her, not imagining for a moment that her shipmate is getting ready to live up to part of her name. She turns in time to see the full moon. "Frekking galaxies, Moonbeam. You didn't?" Shaking her head she mutters, "But you did!"
"It's beginning to heat up, Moonbeam. I think you should uncap those weapons but don't power them up right now. We want to play innocent to the last second.
"This is Starbird to Voidcrosser. Did we read that right? Everyone likes a little love but not that much. Stand down. Stand down. We are not in a threatening stance. Do you read me?"
"Join me next time?" Moonbeam suggests with a little laugh, though not without blushing. She's sitting at her station with her pants down, after all. But she does take her crewmate's suggestion, hitting a few controls to unlock the servolocks on the weapons and put targeting systems on standby. One press of a button will now power them up, and another will get them ready to blast precisely. "Innocent, but prepared to be naughty. Hopefully we'll just coast right on down to the planet without having to use these..." Well, a shower of sparks announced the failure of ol' Deel's crypto de-encryptor device. It is cast over his shoulder with an annoyed grunt and he glares at the LE droid that looks back at him. Rather than try to salvage the situation, he elects to drive the ship onward and into the atmosphere. As the ship disappears into the cloudy mists, Deel mumbles under his breath. "I'm too old for this drek."
"Huh. Must be broken," Sar says, smacking at the comm system as he looks out at the void behind his viewscreen. "Coulda sworn one of them egg-heads took a look at it not too long ago."
The initial flight of three TIE fighters fall in to.. firmly escort the VCX and E-wing into orbit. It's an unsettling feeling flying with three TIEs just sitting on your six.
On the subject of unprotected rears, Nova moons the enemy before Tallie's protest is either unnoticed or outright ignored. The second trio of TIEs maintains a patrol pattern around the frigate's perimeter. The pilots, smugglers, troopers, and Sar are released to their headings and not a shot is fired.
Suddenly Kae grins like a loon. The Wanderlost gently lifts, rolling over so that it's inverted to Kisa's E-wing... Kae backs on the throttle a bit and is now where she can look into the canopy of the E-wing and vice versa... Now Kae is making jestures at Kae and stuff... Maybe it's just silly, who knows, there's flailing, cheek puffing, and tongue sticking out too and whatnot... They're probably conversing over tight beam channel at this point. All in all, it's completely in character with Kae and all...
Soon enough, the two are entering atmosphere, and heading down to the landing platform to drop the cargo and all... Kae pretty much staying well Kae, now that she can blow off steam and be her normal self....
The Cat flies along nice and level as the Wanderlost inverts. But not before Kisa says back on a very-scratchy comm to the Frigate that sounds like Kisa might be eating the mic <<"VANK RRR SCORT, MAKIN MY OOB EASY.>> And then she's looking up at her sister through the canopy and through her helmet to be waggling her limbs back. Maybe they are talking on tight band or perhaps they have just developed some sort of non-verbal communication.
