Log:Waywards: Satellite Catch

Playing Catch With A Satellite

OOC Date: October 1, 2017 (Optional)
Location: Just Outside Nar Shaddaa Space
Participants: Kadi, Ax, Jax Greystorm, Sesti Greystorm, Waywards

Ships are ready, satellite is ready, remote control for the satellite is also ready, notwithstanding the bonk on Nezlani's head earlier. The team has checked out the starmaps of the immediate area and the asteroid field, which at least gives them an idea where it's narrower, where it's fatter, and where they can go around it. Which is good, since this plan involves one ship on each side of the asteroid field, but far enough away that they don't appear to be doing anything remotely connected to the asteroid field. They're maybe looking for something, but not asteroids. Nosirree. The Burnt Offering is on one side, and the Phantom Knight on the other, both with tractor beams, both with awesome pilots. Kadi has set the remote control to connect to the ship she's on, the Knight, and she's ready to go. The ships are nearly in position.

With a skeleton crew aboard both ships, Ax isn't feeling very comfortable. "We're sitting ducks," he mutters towards his wife. "We don't have enough crew to make both ships combat effective," he adds. "Let's just hope our shields hold if we get attacked." He sits in the pilot's seat of the Knight. >>Jax, you there? How's that old boat handling? I know she's not nearly as fast as the Soul was. Sorry we haven't replaced the upholstery yet.<<

Jax was sitting at the helm of the Burnt Offering. The ship's shields angled toward the astroid field. <<She handles like a Captial ship. So likea pregant rancor.>> He looks over to the gunnery pit. << Yeah, I want a comfy seat next time. Got to portect this shapely ass of mine from springs. We're ready over here when you are.>> He says having the tractor beam set up.

There's plenty of room to move, and so, right now, that's what the zabrak is doing. She listens in, and stops to look at the sensors, then walks around anotehr time. However, once she hears that things are in position, she'll take up a position at the scanners to read for the satellite.

Kadi looks at her husband and she frowns, fretting at the words he's saying. "Don't get attacked," is her comment, though she is feeling rather helpless. "I know that's not all that much use, but - well - I don't know what else to even think about saying." She takes a moment, and then says, "If we're all set, I think you get to launch the ball, when you are ready, Ax." Course, her shoulders are hunched, and she sighs a bit, slightly deflated.

Ax takes a deep breath. >>If we get assaulted, I want you to haul ass out of there, Jax. If you gotta abandon ship and fly out in your Helix, then by all means do so. No ship is worth your life.<< Ax then looks to his wife. "Alright, if you're sure I'm going to launch on the initial trajectory," he asks. He definitely didn't feel like this was the best way of handling this, but he didn't have the heart to tell Kadi that. After all, she worked pretty hard on that satellite and he wanted to make sure it was used. >>Incoming, Jax<< he calls on comms, and with the tractor beam, he gives the satellite a nudge to try pushing it through the asteroid field. "Let's just hope it doesn't get smashed to bits half-way through. No way to calculate with 100 percent efficiency the trajectory of the asteroids if they impact on each other."

Jax looks over at Sesti on the sensors. He gives Sesti a smile, "Get ready. Ax is sending the satellite." Jax starts dialing in the tractor beam, << Aye Aye Ax. I'll get as most of the crew out as I can if we need too. But lets hope we don't need to do that.>

"I see it," Sesti drawls to Jax a few moments later. She leans forward and begins tapping at the console. "Let us hope I remember those codes that Kadi taught me to access the remote control on the satellite. How does that flippin' tractor beam work again? Oh, right..." she taps a few more times, and then nods once. <<We have it, Kadi, Ax. Downloading and then sending to the next coordinates.>>

The satellite make it through the asteroid field easily enough. There were a few times that the device came close to colliding with an asteroid, but through quick and effective operation of the remote control functions, she was able to steer it out of harms way. When it is caught by Sesti's tractor beam, the data withing is uploaded to the ship. Quickly flipping through the pictures taken by the satellite, it doesn't look like there is anything in this area. You'll have to try another one, mostly at random to try again.

Kadi is at the sensors on the Phantom, somewhat worried about it, but keeping watch. She takes a moment, listening to what's said on the comm, frowning a bit. It's a bit difficult to understand, almost as if - Hrm. Her fingers fly across the screen as she checks the latency and the bounce, and then she smiles. >>The asteroids are bouncing signals around enough that sensors aren't likely to detect comms. so long as we keep them short and tight. Roger, Sesti - waiting to pick up on this side.<< She thinks for a moment, and then "Also, that's probably why we can't determine the exact source of the 'thing' in there - the asteroids are bouncing its signals too."

Ax listens, "If the satellite doesn't work, I'm coming back in the Blade." He continues flying, waiting on Jax to launch the satellite back to them.

The Burnt Offering moves into position with the Satellite. Jax takes aim for the next set of Nav points to the Knight. <<Alright, I'm firing.>> Then Jax hites a button firing the probe. He looks over at Sesti and grins, "Anything of intrest?"

Sesti looks through the information as it comes up on her screens, looking intently and leaning forward once, but then she shakes her head. <<Nothing,>> she tells Jax and the other ship. <<Could be.>> She turns her seat towards Jax as they wait for the satellite to reach Kadi and Ax.

"It'll work," Kadi says, with a tight smile. "I'm sure of it." She listens on the comms too, not speaking up, so as not to take too many chances on the thing. Instead her concentration is on the satellite as it makes its way through the asteroid belt, coasting on the momentum from Jax's toss. She tracks it cautiously, using only the teeniest of instructions where needed, and then pulls it aboard, downloading all the information she has. She takes a breath as she works through the data, and then she hisses softly. "Metal. I'm sure that's a glint of metal," she says. "Look Ax!"

Ax nods to his wife, glancing over at the computer screen as they're downloading the information. "Did you see that?" he asks his wife as the sensor data comes through. "I think I know about where that is," he adds. >>Jax...Altering course slightly. 22 degrees 4 seconds. Repeat. 22 degrees 4 seconds.<< and with that broadcast, Ax is moving the ship so that when they launch the satellite next, it's hopefully closer to their target.

<Affirmative> Jax responds, <Moving now.> Jax finds himself at the position to catch the satellite. "Incoming." He says as he looks over to watch Sesti do her thing. He glances back over at the scopes. <Refining coordinates 19 degrees 12 seconds. Repeat 19 degrees 4 seconds.>>

"Where?" Sesti replies, turning her chair back to the screen, and scanning it. "I do not see anything?" she looks it over, and then, there... "oh, yhasu," she mutters, and hastily types into the computer, the breathes out a heavy breath. "Almost lost it. Sending it back?" She types once more, and the looks up, and waits once more.

This go around, when the device is caught by the Burnt Offering, coupled with the data collected from a second sweep.... There. In the distance, there is a full on strip of metal. It's still hard to see because of another asteroid in the way, but at the very least, you can see the smallest strip of something metallic in nature.

Kadi holds her breath as she waits, especially when Jax gives updated coordinates, based on what he and Sesti are seeing. She takes a deep breath, on tenterhooks and pins and needles waiting. Still, when the satelliate and the ship are close enough, Kadi uses the tractor beam to pull it in, downloading all its data to the ship's computer banks. She scans it, and then her eyes widen. >>Ax, that's a structure there - some sort of facility. Might even be multi-layered.<< She frowns. "We're going to need an infiltration team, I bet. And - hrm. one more throw might be good."

"As you wish," Ax says. >>Hopefully last throw,<< he says over comms. >>17 degrees, 2 seconds. I repeat. 17 Degrees, 2 seconds.<< He then moves the Phantom Knight into proper position before launching the satellite for the last time.

Jax is in the process of moving the ship up as Ax coordinated him too. Though he finds having to move around the astroid. << Wait wait, I'm having to correct course.>> The offering not in the correct positon when the probe is launched. <<Sith Spit>>

As Jax swears, his wife focuses on the screen in front of her. "Alright," she mutters. Her fingers are busy at the computer for a few minutes, and then... the satellite starts to make a course correction of its own, slowly, but enough to bring it close enough for the tractor beam to reach it.

The two ships have collected quite a bit of useful data. Both ships have regrouped and set a course back to Nar Shaddaa, sharing the data they have both collected from the satellite. There certainly is some sort of facility in the asteroid field, that much is certain from the holo-images on display.

Kadi takes the time while Ax is flying the ship back to Nar Shaddaa to start collating and correlating the data they have. She starts setting up holo-images, showing what she sees. >>I think there are docking connections - you can see the connectors. That makes sense - those droid ships need to be able to land somewhere. And if I'm right, that's an airlock. Which would mean it would have an artificial atmosphere, or at least it should." She pauses. "So it might be that the mastermind is not a droid. And that we might not need EVA suits once inside. Maybe.<<

Ax listens as his wife says her mind. >>Alright, back to base,<< he says over comms, and then maneuvers the ship away from the asteroid field and moving towards Nar Shaddaa. >>Thanks Jax and Sesti. Without your help, it was a success. Let's get back to base and the drinks are on me.<< He then looks towards his wife. "Well, never thought I'd play toss with a sensor probe or satellite, but it seems to have worked."

Jax looks to Sesti, "Thanks for the save." Then Jax nods as he hears Ax's message. <Heading back to base.> He looks to Sesti, <You want to slip out and go get a drink?" Then moves to head back to base.