Cyril nods when Jamie mentions the Doctor.  "I got the feeling about him too.  He certainly has no love for the people he works for.  He did also seem caring towards the slaves but that might just be in his nature as a doctor.  If he was willing to help up he would be of great use.  I doubt anyone else in there would be susceptible to brines or manipulation."

"The guards in there whilst well armed strike me as untrained oafs.  They're more used to bullying helpless slaves.  A co-ordinated assault by people who shoot back will likely rattle them.  Whilst I dount they are cowards I also doubt they have any planned defense strategies.  Their confusion will give us an edge."

Peering over peoples shoulders with his mouth full of food, Devon said 'Thikths guarth - ' he swallowed and tried again.  'Six guards that I saw.  One on the walls - I didnt see the other.  Two followed us around, and I saw one inside the slave compound, one outside it and one in the guard post by the gate.'  Devon pointed, poking the spots on the map where he had seen the guards.

'Could have been more in that barracks or whatever they're using as a control room - but they didnt let us near those.  All the ones I saw had blaster pistols and stun-batons... a couple had blaster rifles too.'

Nodding to Exillim, 'I saw that weapon mount too.  Its twin is on the north-west corner - I'm pretty sure they're designed to point inwards; put down any slave riots.  Theres a third weapon mount by the guard post, here.  This one looks like its got a 360 field of fire.'

Devon grins a covetous grin.  'And I saw a fighter on the deck outside their hanger - a Cloakshape.  A couple of techs were running pre-flight on it.  Looked to be in decent shape.  The hanger was big enough to get a couple of YT-1300s in along with a two or three fighters... but if it extends underground or they got proper mounting racks in there, you could store a whole bunch of fighters - maybe three times as many.'

Nirro listened carefully as the others made their reports. While they spoke he mentally ran through a check list of things he would need for the op. Taking a sip of juice he spoke Well, their security equipment seems sevicable enough. It's not top of the line but I expected nothing less from criminals. I should be able to slice into their systems once I am inside. I will just need some tools. Maybe if I can get into their operations room I'll be able to disable some of the base functions maybe lock some doors to seal off the bulk of their guards or something similiar. Nirro pauses for a moment a look of uncertainty on his face, I'm not sure about the doctor though, he may hate the slavers but he does work for them. I'm not so sure he would be inclined to help us since he is taking their credits. I mean hating them does not neccessarily equal selling them out.

Allen sits back and listens to everyone as they talk.  Finally, he speaks up.  "Well, I didn't see much from where I was, and what I did see, Exillim did too, so I don't know what I can add.  In fact, he probably saw more than I did.  But yes, it would be wise to have someone covering those guns if you don't blow them up anyway," he says, glancing at Jamie.  Having said what he wanted to say, Allen leaned back against the wall, looking around at the others.

The commander listens quietly and lets each person finish their report without interruption.  He continues to stare at the map he was drawing for several seconds after everyone has finished.

"Well gentlemen.  You've certainly done well from your expedition.  Whilst I was initially hesitant to allow this mission, you have acquited yourself admirably."

"Now based on your recon it seems highly probable we can complete a successful raid on the slavers.  Lets plan this so we can acheive our goals with minimal loss to our people."

"The primary goals are simple.  We need to neutralise the slaving operation and rescue the slaves.  In the process we need to secure as much equipment as we can.  Whilst not the newest vessels, some Cloakshape fighters would certainly get us started in our fight.  Finally we must make the raid look like a massacre.  We need to provide the illusion that we wiped the slavers out."

"You have suggested the doctor is an unknown, but posiibly sympathetic element to the plan.  We should pursue this.  If willing to help he may be able to acquire us some access codes or even smuggle some weaponry in.  Even an accurate description of numbers, general morale, ships and stores would be invaluable.  Cyril and Xil, I want you to work on this.  At this point there is little you can contribute to planning.  Observe the facility and make contact with the doctor when you can.  Cyril I trust you to determine how much we can trust the doctor to aid us."

As the two Talons move off to thier task the Commander turns back to the plan.

"I am going to lay out a basic plan which I then will need us all to elaborate on.  Save your questions and comments until I am done.  I'm sure you'll have many."

"Now, a covert entry is a must.  Wether well trained or not they have the numbers and the firepower to make this operation very bloody if we are detected.  The longer we maintain surprise the better."

"Now we must acquire access to the facility.  You state the front gate is inadvisable due to camera surveillance.  How far do these cameras extend?  Can we slice them or otherwise incapacitate them.  Nirro, Devon, you're our security experts.  I need your thoughts."

"Once inside our first problem will be the roving patrols and the fixed emplacements.  Since the emplacements are not manned if we can secure the guards quietly we will have greater freedom.  Also if we could determine the location of the heavy weapons this would be useful.  We can secure that building for ourselves, providing us with greater firepower.  At worst we have a target for Jamie's exxplosives."

"Communications need to be cut so they can't call for outside help.  Whilst they may be an independant unit, we can't run the risk of them calling in other people, potentially with starfighters that would hamper our work.  We will also need to secure the turbolaser emplacement before we go."

"Finally we need time to assess the quality and quantity of the starfighters there.  Devon will need time to override any security on the fighters and we will need to preflight 'em to check for any traps or tracking devices.  Zyra will have our new base operational in less than twenty-four hours and will be prepped for our arrival.  We can not let ourselves be tracked to his location.  Our survival will rely on our ability to remain covert."

"Finally we will need ground-based transport for team members not flying out.  If the run goes sour and we have to extract quickly I intend for Jamie to do as much damage to the fighters and the base as we can and we will extract by speeder, with or without the slaves.  The longer we go undetected, the more successful we will be."

The commander pauses, giving time for the information to digest.  "That is merely an outline of our goals gentleman.  I know what your opinions and input to make this raid go off without a hitch.  No idea is a stupid one.  The only stupid question is the one that is still unspoken when the blasters start firing."



OOC:  Seven Talons, one slaver base.  Poor buggers should just surrender now!  ;)  Please note I will dish out the unawarded xp AFTER the planning phase.  This is a good chance to earn lots more so please participate.  Good planning = you keep breathing (or at least have a better chance of it)

"Sir, as much as I hate to say this, I can't blow up everything we see.  The sooner we move on this base, the more we'll have to pick and choose our targets.  I have a limited supply of explosives.  If I had a decent amount of time, I could possibly build a few more bombs...the longer we wait, the more I can build."
Jamie took another swig of caf as he considered the Commander's basic plan.
"If we were to enter covertly, we'd have to go over the walls at night, and that's if they don't have illuminated walls.  No, I'm not sure that would work.  Perhaps if the doctor could unlock the gate for us and disable the camera, we could enter through the gate.  If that fails...they'll still let us in if we relinquish our weapons and comlinks.  Again, the doctor could prove extremely valuable.  If he could smuggle weapons, we could march in there like we own the place.  I'm hesitant, though, to put that much faith in the doctor because of one gut feeling...if he told his superiors of our plan, we'd walk into a bloodbath."

"Don't worry.  I'm not expecting you to blow up the whole facility.  Simple strategic targets will serve our purpose sufficiently.  Besides, I'm sure a man with your expertise can find suitable materials at the site to enhace your explosions.  We wont be able to haul off all the munitions, fuel, and other combustibles with the time we'll have.  I'm sure if you incorporated some of these with your bombs we could make quite a mess.  If we're lucky we may even be able to add a strafing run with a newly acquired starfighter to the destruction."




"Well the assessment of night defences is simple.  We will post a watch at night to observe how well their night security is.  Acquiring night vision gear for our people will not be too difficult.  We still don't know how much range of capability this camera has.  You can't even tell me its location.  I'm not sure how we can determine how much of a threat it poses."

"Involvement of this doctor will be based largely on Cyril's assessment of him.  That's why I've sent him and Exilim off to observe and approach him.  The sooner we know if the doctor can be relied upon as an asset, the sooner we can decide how much to incorporate him into our plans."

"At this point, even if friendly I'm not relying on the doctor to be too helpful.  Aside from some intel on layout and maybe some access codes if we're really lucky I doubt he has access to sensitive areas.  Why would a doctor have access to the armoury, starfighter codes, security stations or the like.  Once again, this can be explored once we know more about him."

He takes another swig of his caf.  "Keep the ideas flowing."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:59, Sun 03 Dec 2006.

Allen turns back to the commander.  "Well, sir, a good placed blaster bolt can do almost as much as a bomb in some situations."

"Yes, Sir, I could do that.  I would suggest sending Devon and Allen to scout the base tonight.  If I could go shopping and find what I need on the local market, I could spend time building more explosives."
Jamie tapped his feet on the floor to a tune only he knew.
"If we don't know where there are cameras, we could be walking into a trap no matter what we do.  Perhaps Nirro could find out locations and ranges of any cameras, or even disable them when the time comes?  Nirro, what do you think?
"If we could stun the guards as they open the gate for us, we'd have three or four down to start and that would solve the problem of getting in.  We'd only have to shoot them before they shoot us.  With several of us that wouldn't be hard.
"We'll also need to equip ourselves with binders, Sir.  Stunning a guard will only last for a few seconds.  If they aren't restrained when they come 'round, they could cause us much grief.  If we plan on capturing them they'll need to be restrained anyway.  Binders are cheap, so giving each Talon several would be wise."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:37, Mon 04 Dec 2006.

Nirro listened carefully to all that was said. Well Jaime as long as I can get access to a terminal or better yet their control centre I should be able to lock down the cameras. I may or not be able to open the doors. I would have to get into their system first to see how vulnerable it is. My thinking is if I can get inot their systems before we are detected I may be able to use their own security against them. If I can use the camera systems to find the majority of the slavers and then lock down most of the doors between them and us, it will take them a while to get to us even if they know we are there.

"That sounds awesome!  Could be unimaginably useful.  How likely is success?"

Success would depend on their level of security. If the doors and cameras are not controlled by the central computer system the plan wouldn't work for obvious reasons. Also I would still need to bypass their encryption and that would depend on the skill level of the person the got to do it.

The commander listens carefully.  "This is more promising.  However what kind of terminal do you require?  Do we need to get you into the command centre or will any terminal do?  Can you somehow slice in from outside the complex?"

"It sounds a little iffy now.  Are you sure you can do that?  If we have to get you inside the base, it might not work as well as I had hoped.  Still, it's a good idea in many respects," Jamie said, obviously disheartened.

Well unless it is a local network I should be able to hack in from outside. But it will be difficult. The easiest place to hack would be the Main computer. This is what I propose. I will try to hack in from outside and turn off some systems. Some of them, like which doors to lock we won't know till we are there. So I'll turn off systems that allow us to access the base such as the camera's at the front and open the main entrance. If I can take the turrets offline too I will. Then we hit the base.

Once we get inside we start heading to the control room by stealth. If we can get there with out being detected I can simply log in and do what I please. If not and we get discovered first, I hack into a terminal and try to access from there. If I do not get in from the outside we'll just have to break in the old fashioned way and hope that we can stay undetected long enough for me to lock something down.

Cyril walks back into the hanger just as Nirro finishes his sentence.  "Well we may have some help on the getting in part of the mission."

"I spoke the doctor fellow and he seems willing to help us.  Turns out he doesn't work for the slavers for profit but more because he is concerned for the well-being of the slaves.  This was the only way he knew to help them."

"He tells me he doesn't have access to the security network or the armoury.  He does however have access to the main doors, med centre and prison cells.  He said he can try to gather intelligence on the types of ships they have and numbers if we want.  He also thinks he can arrange a slave riot to provide a distraction.  I have provided im with a secure commlink that we can contact him on.  He is awaiting a call for his instructions."

"A slave riot?"  Mark echoed.  "That could provide us with the distraction we need to get in.  It would depend on wether the front door guards are stupid enough to abandon their posts.  At the very least it will draw off a majority of the guards and have them looking at cameras inside the compound rather than outside.  It might provide us a minute or two to get inside."

"Nirro, can you somehow make a copy of this doctor's access card?  It may not get us everywhere but it means a team can walk in the front door."

"Cyril, if you're sure about the doctor then we need to pursue this.  We need as much information as we can on the security layout, especially where the external cameras are located.  If we can get to the main gates undetected, using the access card we can enter undetected and storm the security station before they know we are there."

"Jamie, I still like your idea of sending a small team over the wall using ascension guns.  I want you to take Nirro and one other to make an assault from the rear.  Your teams job will be to infiltrate the communications complex.  From there get Nirro to their computers so he can control all communications and security protocols."

"I will lead the rest of the team through the main doors using the doctors card should we prove successful.  Our job will be to neutralise the front security station and any roving patrols.  From there we need to get to the ships where Devon and I will assess which are most spaceworthy."

"Once the compound is secure we can determine what supplies we can acquire and what we will do with the slaves."

"Questions or comments are welcome.  I am still debating the timing of this raid.  There will be less of them around at night but Trandoshans are naturally gifted and seeing in the dark.  It provides them with an advantage."

Nirro nods to the Commander, I would just need his security card then I can transfer the access codes to another card and it would not be a problem. As to the timing, couldn't we get some optical equipment to allow us to see better in the dark?

I'm assuming some people are going to be away over christmas (I know of one or two for sure).  So can people at least do the following:

Supply a list of gear they plan to take on this raid.  You don't list it you forgot to bring it.

If you need extra gear you can (possibly) acquire it in time.  Depending on how common (and legal) it is will determine the ease with which you can acquire it.

Happy Christmas all
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:11, Sat 23 Dec 2006.

Xil's Gear

Sniper Rifle (Disassembled in case)
Blaster Pistol (holstered right hip)
Vibroblade (right boot)
Dark clothing (no armour)
Ascension gun with 50 metres rope
Spare clips (1 rifle, 2 pistol)
Night vision goggles
Encrypted commlink
FLight Suit (in bag in case he needs it)
This message was last edited by the player at 12:11, Sat 23 Dec 2006.

Blaster Pistol
Stun Baton
Sensor kit
Encrypted commlink
Comms kit
Stun Baton

Grappling Spike Launcher (will purchase if allowed)
Binders x 5

1 Blaster pistol
1 Encrypted Comlink
1 Datapad
1 Security Kit
3 Code cylinders(empty if can be aquired)
1 Padded Flight suit
1 All Temperature cloak
1 Credit Chip

Padded Flight Suit
Grappling Spike Launcher
Blaster Pistol - Merr-Sonn
Military Comlink
Detonite/timers: 5 each
Vibroblade

Want to acquire: Two more Grappling Spike Launchers (for my teammates)(are these reuseable or one-shot?) and materials to build whatever explosives I have time to build (how many hours/days/whatever do I have?).

Have:
  Blaster Pistol
  All-Temp Cloak
  Tool Kit
  Encrypted Comlink(if I don't have it, I want it)
Want:
  Blaster Rifle
  Grappling Spike Launcher(whether I'm with Jamie or not)
  Datapad
  Vibrodagger(because a vibroblade is a sword, right?)
  Extra Clips(1 Rifle, 1 Pistol)
  Padded Flight Suit(I should probably have one, right?)
This message was last edited by the player at 00:33, Fri 29 Dec 2006.

Padded Flight Suit 
Military Comlink
Blaster Pistol
Blaster carbine
Spare clips (1 each for pistol and carbine)
Stunbaton
Security Kit
All temperature cloak

Hoping you all had a good Xmas! :)