Led by Jamie and Cyril the group made their way across town until they were only two blocks from the small field the slavers used as their base.  Security looked reasonable but not over-the-top.  A 10 metre high duracrete fence surrounded the property.  There was only one main gate that was reinforced from the inside.  An overhead flight had shown a security booth just inside the gates.  There was a parapet all the way around that was manned be three Trandoshans at all times.

Little else could be determined without getting inside.  A closer flyby had resulted in warning shots from a mounted anti-ship laser turret.  Clearly these guys did not enjoy company, nor was subtlety their strong point.

The only clear vantage point for a sniper/observer was a residential building two blocks away and close to the group's position.  It's roof would allow one to look down into the airfield though they ran the risk of being spotted by an alert sentry.  Added to which the building had security on the front door with swipe card access.  One could not merely 'walk in'.




OOC:  Over to you guys.  If you need specifics feel free to attach PM's to me in your posts.

OOC2:  Remember to include what equipment you guys are carrying.  If you don't list it and you want it later that's too bad.  I assume you all have personal sidearms and your encrypted commlinks.  Anything else you'll have to list.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:11, Thu 05 Oct 2006.

Exilim stood quietly to one side awaiting his orders.  Over his shoulder he carried a duffel bag in which was held his dismantled sniper rifle.  He didn't know if he should have brought it but he was the team's sniper and he was determined to be prepared.  His only other weapons was a heavy pistol on his hip and a vibrodagger tucked into his boot.

Periodically his eyes went to the roof of the nearby residential building.  Its roof offered him a good sniping spot, but it was awfully exposed.  Was it too much of a risk to be up there?  He silently looked around for good vantage points whilst he waited for orders.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:20, Thu 05 Oct 2006.

Jamie sighed, taking in the scene.
"Somehow I figured this would be a little more...private.  Xil, Flash, go ahead and prepare yourselves on...or near...that roof up there.  Stay somewhere hidden unless one of us actually gives the order to fire.  If they see you, we're in pretty deep.  Keep radio silence unless absolutely necessary."
Jamie checked his comlink, then fiddled absently with his gear for a moment.  He wore light armor and carried a pistol, a vibroblade, and an ascension gun.  He seems excited at the prospect of his first real mission with the Black Talons.
Don't mess this up, Jamie.  Give Dad a reason to be proud of you!
"Alright, Crusaders, it seems we won't just be walking in.  We'll be knocking first!  Everybody ready?  Oh, yes...does anyone speak Dosh?"

Nirro was nervous. It was like the nervousness he experienced before battleexcept that this wasn't a battle. At least, it wasn't supposed to be and Nirro fervently wished it wouldn't turn out to be one. He came well prepared for any eventuallity, he carried his blaster on his hip, his datapad and credit chip in one of the many pouches and pockets on his vest. His all temperature cloak around his shoulders. He didn't think he'd need it but one never knows what will end up being neccessary. Be prepared for anything. That was Nirro motto. Dosh? No, don't beleive I know that language.

Allen looked around him at the buildings, trying to find a better concealed vantage point than that open roof.  Just visible under his camo-style all-temp cloak, were his blaster pistol on one hip and his tool kit on the other.  Packed up in a conveniently unnoticeable backpack under his cloak was his rifle.  "Sorry, I don't either."

Exilim shakes his head.  "Languages were never my strong point."

He looks to the rooftop once more.  "Uh, how do you propose I get up there?  I don't have an access card and I'm no slicer or fast-talker."

"If I could somehow gain access to one of the rooms on the upper floors I would have a wonderful vantage point.  I'd still have good sight but I'd be concealed.  On the roof I'll stick out for kilometres.  In a room I could be ebhind one of dozens of windows.  However I have no idea how we might gain entry to one of the apartments; not my specialty."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:55, Fri 06 Oct 2006.

Cyril Hyquin remained quiet as Jamie commented on how openly the slavers seemed to operate. Though he could easily answer that question, he didn't bother to explain at the moment - divulging what general information he knew would bring only questions that would distract the others from the mission.

"I had planned on our Trandoshan ex-ally on teaching me their tongue, but it seems I shall have to learn it elsewhere," replied Cyril instead, thankful that the topic had changed, with his tone now back to the character of the Crusader commander.

He cared not to bring additional tools to the mission - he already had everything he needed on his person: the equipment he had requisitioned before leaving the Indefagitable, as well as his personal 'kit'. Efficiency was always his strongest point, besides his ability to be secretive. He took only a few moments to adjust his vest to provide just a little more comfort, considering how restrictive such 'armor' had always been in a mission. Then again, life and death sometimes came close to mere millimeters; those millimeters were often worth the slight discomfort.

Cyril looked at the residential building, and listened intently to Exilim's assessment. He had done little sniping in his time; the pistol was his favored blaster weapon, and even then only on 'stun'. However, he could not disagree that a sniper out on the roof would be a very noticeable target in such an open enviroment.

"You need to get inside?" he inquired, rhetorically. "If so, which one among you has experience in disabling security devices?" he asked next, though he already expected one or two of them to answer. "And I assume that person brought along the proper tools?"

As he waited for their response, Cyril began to subtlely observe the goings-on around the building's entrance.

Leaning against a wall, Devon glowered up at the building they were talking about entering.  He scowled at the various windows for a moment, as if there were already snipers in the rooms, all aimed at him.  like Nirro, he was jumpy, and trying to cover it with his cover personality - surly and combative.  Devon glared up at the building as if it was a personal insult and shook his head curtly in response to Jamies question about languages.



Straightening up from his slough against the wall, Devon gave the buildings doors a speculative look.
'Generally, I do vehicles... but I'll give it a shot unless someone else wants first crack at it.

Jamie frowned at the residential building.  Under normal circumstances he would blow open a door without a second thought.  Unfortunately, it was a residential building; he wouldn't want to harm any innocents...not to mention the lack of explosives.  He glanced back at the slaver building; it was killing him inwardly to stick to his own advice, but he would have to resist spending all his resources before the main target.  With a wince he returned to the scene.
"I could try if Devon can't.  I have a little know-how, but no tools.  I don't think two of us should just wait here in the street, though.  They do have sentries on those walls, and we'd look rather suspicious standing outside the front door.  Unless Nirro and Cyril would like to take a walk around the block, we'll all go make sure Flash and Xil can reach a good vantage point.  I'd rather not break into anyone's house, though."

Cyril shakes his head disappointedly at finding out that the two he expected to answer affirmatively, didn't think of bringing tools for their trade.

"Let's go," he said, as he began to walk to the front door of the residential building. Thankfully, it seemed that traffic was light - one to two persons every minute, at most. Along the way, he subtlely pulled out a device from his clothing - a security kit. He had not wanted to show that he had it, but the lack of foresight from the experts in the team meant that his field experience was far more valuable now than their know-how. A spook always needed to be one or two steps ahead; being one step behind meant failure, or worse.

"Never leave base without your work tools," he lectures, as he hands over the kit to Devon. "Devon, disable that terminal, but try to make it look like you're repairing it. Exilim, Flash, try to look impatient, then walk right in the moment that door opens. Leave any curious bystanders or passers-by to me."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:51, Sat 07 Oct 2006.

As they reached the doorway, Devon waved off the offer of Cyrils security kit, then rummaged in the pack he was carrying and produced one of his own.

'I never said I didnt have the stuff I needed...' he mumbled by way of explination as he gave the lock an appraising look.  'I just said that...' he opened the kit, extracted a comlink and handed it to Cyril.  'generally its vehicles I do.  Keep an eye on that - if it goes off, then I've triggered a silent alarm; which is a Bad Thing.'

Now that he was dealing with something more within his realm of experience, Devons earlier jitters evaporated and he worked calmly and methodically; running sensors over the terminal, popping open panels to attach his gear to the exposed wiring and glancing frequently at commlink he'd handed to Cyril.
'Stole a YT-1300 once...' he added conversationally as he worked.  'Nice ship.  Shame I didnt get to keep it'

"Shame I had to show mine," was Cyril's lone thought.

Taking back the security kit, plus the device from Devon's, he looked at the others and silently offered the security kit to anyone else who had security experience. If none would, he would simply shrug, return the kit back to it's place under his garments, and act as if he never had it.

"A Corellian transport, right?" Cyril replied, picking up on the conversation. He began to appreciate the methodical precision of Devon's lock-breaking; he could hardly do any better than what he could see the shipjacker doing now. For his part, he thought that talking was at least keeping the other 'Crusader' focused. "What'd you do with it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I didn't think to bring one," said Jamie, accepting the security kit from Cyril.  "I'll keep it until we get back to base, if that's alright with you?"
He watched Devon's masterful work intently.  "You're better than I thought.  Good thing, too!" he said with a quick chuckle.

Allen looks impatient.  "Hurry up already," he says, tapping his foot.  You notice the faintest smile on his face.

Devon accepts the security kit and goes to work on the lock whilst Jamie stands in front of him to conceal his work.  The security is of poor quality and is no match for Devon's skills.  Less than ten seconds later the door beeps, gratning them access to the building.




OOC:  I didn't let you take 10 as requested Devon as people are coming in and out of the building at times and others walk by.  You don't have the luxury of taking your time.  So I rolled it instead.

"Nice work, Devon!" Jamie said, beaming.  "I'm not sure I could have done that.  Let's get these two a nest to sit in."
Jamie enters the building and looks for stairs or an elevator or some other way to the roof or the next floor.

"Go," Cyril tells Exilim, Flash and Webb. "The rest of us will be on the lookout down here. Keep your comms on standby."

When the others proceed inside, he waits until Devon replaces the terminal to it's former condition, before motioning for him and Nirro to follow him to a discreet corner. There, he begins to intermittently engage the men in a casual manner, all the while watching the front entrance for any signs of danger.

Allen walks in.  "Well, don't stand around looking suspicious, let's go!"  He walks in and proceeds to make his way towards the top of the building through the most obvious route.

Nirro saunters along with Cyril trying to liook inconspicous. He will stand with the other men keeping a careful watch at bothe the building they just broke into as well as the base. He will also engage them in conversation, whether real or feigned, to cover up his observations.

'Remind me to tell you about it when we get back to... base.'  Devon replied.  Whatever had happened to the YT-1300 he had purloined, he didnt feel talking about it in public was the best idea.

Mumbling to himself, Devon continued to work on the door.



Devon blinked in suprise as the lock quietly clicked open - even allowing for it being a simple residential lock, he hadnt expected it to open that fast...

Making a note of what access codes would be needed to open the door next time, Devon quickly removed evidence of his tampering, packed his tools away and then followed along after Cyril...

As Flash walks in a couple, probably residents walk out.  They give Flash a strange look indeed as they walk past the group.  Flash, Jamie and Exilim enter the builidng whilst the rest remain outside.

PM <Jamie, Exilim, Flash>

PM
This message was last edited by the player at 19:10, Tue 10 Oct 2006.

PM

PM

PM

There was little to see as Cyril and his team waited for the sniper group to be ready.  People and speeders travelled by but nobody entered or left the compound.

After about ten minutes, Jamie walked out the front doors and made his way back over to the group.

Almost in unison with his return a single word was heard on everyone's commlink.  It was clearly from Exilim.

"Ready"

It was now all up to the ground team.

'Great' grumbled Devon, his jitters reappearing and again being covered with surliness.  'Lets go talk to the nice slavers...'

Running his hands through his hair Nirro straightened up and tried to look tough.

Jamie sighed and grabbed his comlink.  "Remember," he said to the snipers, "If you don't maintain comm silence, it could cost us our lives."  He stowed the comlink again and smiled at Devon.
"No worries, Devon.  From what I could see up there, getting in will be a piece of cake!  Like a prison, the problems may come when we want to get out!  Those big guns on the parapet point in, not out."

Nirro smiles despite himself, That's not a reassuring thought.

'Yeah, I feel better already...' grinned Devon

Cyril gives his disguise a once over, as Jamie steps out of the building. He hears Exilim's "ready" call, and proceeds to collect the others. He makes a mental note of the information just relayed by Jamie, that may just help in the future. In the very least, he'd know that the best way to distract them would be to do something outside the compound.

"Let's get going." he says, in the practiced tone of a commander. Leading the others, he walks up to the entrance to the complex, and tries to discern how exactly they were supposed to announce their arrival.

"Glad everyone is having a good day," Jamie said sarcastically as he stepped aside and followed Cyril.
He quietly whistled in excitement as he saw the gates up close.  He leaned close to Cyril's ear and whispered.

PM

The group slowly approaches the main gates, eyes keen for any kind of trouble.  As they approach the gates they open and three Trandoshan burst out, all pointing blaster rifles at the group.  They all have blaster pistols strapped to their wastes and none of them look pleased (if you can tell with a Trandoshan!)

One of them growls in halting Basic.  "Dis private place.  You no be here.  Go or you diez."

The speed at which they showed was impressive.  There are no grates in the door to look out of and no guard on the parapet could see the group unless he looked straight down.  These guys somehow knew the group was coming.


OOC:  Well the Trandoshan's have the jump on you.  Three of 'em appeared with blaster rifles at the ready.  Somehow they knew you were coming.

Jamie half-closed his eyes, exhaled slowly and paused for a moment. 
"It's dice, not diez.  Dice are random, and we aren't here randomly.  We're here to buy.  If you shoot us, we'll take our business elsewhere...you wouldn't want that, would you?"

PM

The guard stares at Jamie for a second, trying to comprehend what the human is saying.  It doesn't take him long though for his rifle to be pointed at Jamie again.

"Me have orders, nobody comez in.  You no be here.  Go or diez now."

The other two guards keep their weapons at the ready.



OOC:  Well Jamie's bluff clearly hasn't worked.  You don't think he saw through the bluff but he clearly isn't going with it either.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:37, Mon 16 Oct 2006.

Jamie berates himself silently as the guard didn't take the bluff.  Stupid, stupid...
Slowly he turns to Cyril and mumbles quietly enough for the Trandoshans to not hear him.  "One chance; you get it perfect or I call this off."
He returns his gaze to the guards once more.  His fingers start twitching a little, apparently itching to reach for his blaster.

When the Trandoshans start acting tough, Nirro stands up a little straighter, he folds his arms across his chest. When they pull out their blasters Nirro tries hard not to show it but his heart starts racing. Not a good place to die!

Glaring at the blasters aimed at them, Devon scowls and does the knuckle crack again.

I really hope he thinks to himself that this dosent come down to shooting - doubt we'd be accepted as buyers then...

He was honest enough to admit that mainly he didnt want it to come to shooting because chances of the Trandos missing at this range were small to say the least...

After Jamie's less-than-successful attempt, Cyril moved forward and began talking to the Trandoshan.

"Excuse the hired help.  They have a tendency to mouth off sometimes.  Now Gerta the Hutt will be most upset to know a trusted associate was turned away.  She spoke so highly of you."

The guard seems to cringe slightly at the name.  "Gerta?  You know Gerta."  He backs off and talks into a commlink for a minute or so.

"You and friends come in.  You leave weapons with guards inside.  You obey rules or you dead."

The gates open and the group is escorted in side.  To the left of the gate is a guard station.  A shouted command in Dosh has a guard running out with a large box.

"You put all weapons and coomlinkz in dere.  Then we go in.  You get talk to Mrash."



OOC:  Well you're in.  Since Cyril has been non-responsive for a week I will NPC him until his return.  Jamie, command is yours.

Nirro sighed, nothing is ever easy! he thinks to himself as he unholsters his blaster and puts it in the box followed by his comlink. Nirro wasn't happy about relinquishing his weapon ans com but in a way he never expected the Trandoshans to act any differently.

Jamie watched in awe is Cyril so easily persuaded the guards to let them in.  His jaw actually dropped slightly, but he remembered himself and clenched it like a street tough.  Things were going smoothly again.  Smoothly enough to enter the compound.
He stiffened as they were ordered to relinquish their weapons.  He slowly reached for his blaster, torn between entering the slaver lair unarmed or calling off the mission.  He glanced at Cyril, who seemed to possess unequaled confidence in his prowess with the tongue, and twirled his blaster in a last salute before placing it in the box.  The blaster was promptly relieved of its loneliness as a vibrosword was relinquished, followed closely by a military-grade comlink.
Jamie gave Nirro and Devon a slight nod, then made an after-you gesture to Cyril.

Mumbling a continual litany of (perhaps mercifully) unintelligible complaints, Devon slipped his own blaster-pistol from its holster and placed it in the box.  A vibro-dagger and stun-batton that Devon had had hidden somewhere on his person rapidly followed, then his 'Crusader' issue commlink, and finally Devon dug into one of the pockets of his flightsuit and handed over the commlink from his security kit.

Once all the blasters and blades are placed in the box, the group is escorted by two guards out of the security complex and into the main field outside.  There a Rodian stands to meet them.  This one is more conservatively dressed than the Trandoshans.  He wears no weapon of any kind.

"Welcomez." he says in heavily-accented Basic.  "You are herez to buy maybez yezz?  I am Skee.  I handle all tradez.  We do business maybez yezz?  Let me show you around."

As Cyril breaks into his story once more, the rest of the group has time to look around.  With the security station behind you (north), you can see a large launch pad before you.  It is large enough to handle two large freighters simultaneously.  To the south is a small tower, complete with various radar and comm towers.  This clearly serves as the control tower and headquarters.  To the west is a large barracks-style structure which likely serves as residential facilities for the Trandoshans.  Next to it is a larger hanger.  It is big enough to support a number of large transports.  Out the front a Cloakshape fighter is being worked on by mechanics.

Skee begins ushering the group towards the a large building in the south-east corner of the facility.  It has no windows and has three doors, all locked.  There is a bored-looking Trandoshan on duty who comes to attention as the group closes.  After a brief talk in Dosh, the guard unlocks the door and the group is ushered in.  The two Trandoshan guards remain behind the group at all times, there blaster rifles constantly at the ready.

The smell that strikes the group is overpowering.  No smell in the galaxy compares with the smell of dozens of humanoids packed in together in abject misery.  The group are led down a corridor, there are 16 small cells, 8 a side, each containing 4-6 slaves.  The races include humans, wookies, a Talz and even some Twi'leks.  All of them are young and look fairly healthy.  Some still sport defiant looks and glare at the group as they pass.  Others meekly stare at the ground, their defiance gone.

Seeming not to notice the smell, Skee keeps talking as he walks.  "You seez?  All good qualitiy.  Strong, healthy, they fetch good pricez.  We feedz them once a dayz to keep them well.  We even have Doctor.  Me showz you."

At the end of the corridor is another locked door.  The group is ushered through.  A small waiting area is passed through and on into a crude but modestly-equipped medical facility.  A ventilation fan works overtime to combat the smell.  This combined with the strong smell of surgical disinfectant.  In the corner a young human is setting a slave's arm which had been broken.  Whilst not showing any true concern for the man's injury the doctor nonetheless gives the man a strong analgesic before resetting the bone and refusing it.

Skee.  "You seez?  Good medicine.  Not lose slaves to sickness.  Good Doctor keepz them well."

A beep emerges from Skee's commlink.  He mutters into it for a moment.

"Meez needed for a moment.  You stay here.  Talk to Doctor.  He tell you our slaves strong."

Skee moves from the room.  The two Rodian guards stand by the door, obviously to keep the team in and prevent them from wandering.  The doctor seems not to pay attention to the group's presence as he works on finishing his work.

The good doctor raises an eyebrow at the mention by Skee of the slaves being kept well. Though the rodian walks away distracted, the doc mumbles, "Leaving me to explain the quality of the slaves, poor choice Skee."

Looking at the group of them for only a brief moment, he turns his attention to the setting of the arm in front of him. With quick speed, the wrappings, and bacta laced binding is spun around and around elbow to shoulder. As the back and forth movement of the wrap continues, he mentions a bit more loudly to the group of them, ”I'll be to the point here. I'm not a salesman, and I don't care if you buy anyone or not. I'm a doctor, and I'm paid hard credits to keep the slaves from dying, not to make a sale. Any questions?”



OOC:  Okay if any of you need more info on anything ask me in PM and I'll make the necessary checks.  For now you are alone in the medical centre with two rodian guards, the doctor and his patient.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:37, Sun 29 Oct 2006.

As they are led through the complex, Jamie looks at the parapets and towers, marveling at the security. 
This place is a fortress!
He couldn't help a frown when they passed all the slaves.  This is awful!  Dozens of humanoids kept in these conditions...and what is that smell?  I've got to help these people.
Jamie had to resist talking to the slaves, informing them of their impending rescue to give them enough hope to live another day.  The only thing that kept him  from doing so was the knowledge that it would likely cost the lives of his entire team.  The slaves would have to hang on a little while more.
He scrutinized the doctor as he set the slave's broken arm.
"They seem to be strong enough," he said to the doctor, "But how are they psychologically?  Are they prepared for skilled labor?"

Nirro's walke through the complex was decidedly unpleasant. He hated slavers. If things had gone different for him when he was younger he might have ended up a slave himself. He sighed, never mess with the Hutts from Nar Shadaa. While Jaime speaks to the doctor, Nirro casually stands watching the doctor administer the treatment. At least the they get doctors Nirro thought, well, they will be free soon enough.

Ignoring the question for the moment, the doc calmly mentions to the slave, "I'm going to ignite the plastic polymer, and it's going to get a bit warm. Stay still." Turning to the durasteel crate beside him, the doc grabs a small instrument, a bluish black cylinder with a small funnel at the end. Aiming the device at the slaves cast, a slight reddish light is seen from the funnel end of the tool, and as it hits the cast, it is seen to be firming up under the light.

Appearing intent upon focusing on the detail of the firming of the cast, the doc finally answers the earlier question. "Psychologically? You care? Taking a moment to meet the eyes of the questioner, he doesn't wait for an answer. "I guess you wouldn't ask if you didn't. They come from a variety of planets and sources, some don't know what a hydrospanner is, and others have probably worked in more equipped labs than I'm used to." Not quite sure if that satisfied the man, the doc asks, "Just exactly what kind of skilled labour did you have in mind?"

"Whoa," said Jamie, watching the doctor ignite the cast.  He reached out a finger and tapped the hard cast once the doctor was finished.  "That's pretty cool."
He looked back to the doctor.  "I'm talking about the kind of labor that doesn't appreciate questions.  Are they intelligent enough to be trained quickly?"

Shrugging in disinterest at the comment about the cast, the doctor answers.

"Labour that doesn't like questions? I'm guessing you mean slave masters that don't like questions from the slaves. Well, I suppose some are more subservient than others. If you want a hard and fast rule, the work makes a difference as to whether they will listen quickly or not. You want a person to start repairs on a radiation shield of a shield core, then you may have some issue. If you want entertainment, then maybe try a lizardmonkey."

"I'm figuring you're not being specific about labor because you don't know what they will be used to work on, and you're buying for someone else. That suggests you aren't in the loop to know what's going on." Leaning back, stretching his back out after being hunched over the arm of the slave, the doctor doesn't try and smile, or look interested. He seems to be showing some disinterest in the man actually. "Whatever, I understand, not your credits, not your concern. I guess we all have owners in the end. Some are better paying positions though, right?"

"Actually," snapped Jamie, irritated by the doctor's obvious lack of interest, "I meant I don't appreciate your questions.  If I'm going to buy any slaves, they need to be fit physically and mentally, able to learn a range of skills quickly."
He almost asked if the slavers had any lizardmonkeys on stock, but caught his tongue just in time to remain credible.

Devon had kept silent during their tour of the facility, trailing along behind Jamie and watching everything.  Although his perpetual scowl made it hard to be sure, he looked at everything they saw with apparant interest.

Devons scowl became slightly more pronounced as they were shown the slaves, but he held his peace.  Once the doctor had finished talking to Jamie about the slaves mental health, Devon gestured brusquely at the slaves broken arm.
'How did that happen?'

Hearing the difference in attitude, now the doctor smiles, somewhat smugly, his lips tight, but curled up at the edges. "Oh don't mind me. I'm just some doctor working out of a corner of a slave ring. What difference is it to me what kind of work you may or may not know the slaves will be doing? Trying to be civil, or something like that."

At that point, the doctor turns to his equipment, starting to gather things up, several of the pieces at a time, and walks them over to some scratched up cabinet, but still shiny in some places. Opening up the doors, the variety of instruments, and devices fill the cabinet, even stacked on top of each other. He seems to put the equipment in hand in a specific spot, even though it seems like clutter. It takes a moment, and as he is placing things away, he glances at the guards at the front of the medical area, and then mentions, "I do what I can for them. They get sick, I help them. When some blasted bantha fodder wants to be a bit none too gentle, they get sent here."

He turns to the slave, and placing a hand on the cast, he adds, "Try and keep this dry for the next hour, and after that it should be fully set."  He gives the slave another hypospray in the shoulder and then as he grabs the last batch of his equipment from the table, he yells to the guards,  "Hey Doda, the cast is set, and he's done here. You want me to take him back,  or did you want to?"

"Was there any other questions?"

Hearing Devon ask about the slave's arm he shrugs.  "I don't ask questions about how things happen.  I just keep them fit and well.  Its what I'm paid to do."

"And paid wellz no?  We very lucky to have our Doctor."

Skee stands in the doorway smiling.

"Doc has told you much?  Told you how our slaves strong yes?  We have good quality.  Fit for much work."

The doctor nods then carries his gear back into a storeroom behind the medical bay and is lost to sight.

Jamie closed his eyes for a moment and stroked his chin.  After a deep breath and a moment's concentration, he says "Oh yes...very good quality...good doctor."

He opened his eyes and looked straight into Skee's.  "Indeed, they all look good.  How many do you have available?  We'd like a large quantity.  What's your price per slave?"

Skee eyes light up at the talk of credits.  "Not easy question.  Dependz why you need slaves.  Simple labourz cost less then clever onez.  Pretty onez also cost more yes.  You give me list and I make a cost."

Skee's commlink beeps and he notes it before gesturing to the door.  "New shipment is arriving.  We go out yes.  Doctor busy soon.  He likes to see slaves when they land."

The group is ushered outside.  Skee points to the western sky but his gesture is unnecessary.  A Barloz Medium Freighter is making a landing.  Two Headhunters fly in escort of the ship.  As the transport lines up for landing, the two fighters remain airborne until it is safely touched down.  Only then do the two fighters land beside it.

With suprising efficiency, the fighters are taxied into the hanger whilst the transport lowers its gangplank.  Slaves cuffed together in pairs, struggle down the ramp.  Four trandoshans watch over them, stun rods in their hands.  Periodically they zap a slave to keep them moving.  In under five minutes a score of slaves are moved from the transport into the medical centre.  Then mechanics who had been working on the Cloakshape fighter move to the transport.

Skee turns back to the group.  "good security.  Our ships fly with slaves until the jump to hyperspace.  No problems with pirates yes.  We keep you slave safe and even deliver them. . .for a small transport fee."
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:47, Fri 10 Nov 2006.

Nirro watches the freighter come in for landing. He watches the headhunters being taxied into the hanger and glances that way to see if he could get a glimpse inside. He is trying to see how many fighters, headhunter or otherwise are inside. He will not stand and stare in there, just a quick glance or positioning himself in such a way as to be able to see inside through the corner of his eye.

Jamie watched the landings like a hawk, taking special interest in the Z-95s.
"You always escort with only two fighters?  That's not much...or are they modified?  I'm surprised you haven't had trouble with pirates."
He winced as the slaves passed, and turned his eyes away from them toward Skee.
"We don't need pretty slaves.  Mostly we need hard laborers, but we also need a few clever enough for tricky work.  Delivery would be convenient, but if you charge too much we'll do it ourselves.  What's your price?"

Skee grins at Jamie's question of security.  "Our security is good.  Details no matter.  Some things me not know and no tell you anyway.  Bad for business."

"You want strong slaves yes?  Standard price is two thousand credits.  Smart ones cost more.  Give you many years of service.  Price is good yes?  Better than what Hutts charge you.  Cost to deliver depends on where you go."

It is not possible to see into the hanger at the moment due to your positioning.  The transport is effectively blocking your view of the hanger.

Jamie's jaw dropped visibly, but he caught it and forced himself to look away from Skee, to the walls.
"Two thousand!?  And more for the smart ones?  That's a bit high, don't you think?  I could get a labor droid for under a thousand!  I admit there are advantages to living slaves, but two thousand is a bit high.  The price should be in the hundreds!"

Slee stares at Jamie for a few seconds a look of confusion and suspicion on his face.  Then his composure reverts to one of a smile.

"You make joke yes?  Mez sorry, not understand human humour.  Me thought you were serious for moment."

As his interest returned to Skee, Jamie forced a smile.
"Ha!" he said, pointing a finger at the slaver.  "You believed me."
He looked around the compund for a moment, then said "If you would kindly return our weapons and comlinks, we should be reporting back to our own master now.  I think we've seen enough; we will return in the near future to negotiate a deal."

Skee smile remains slightly taut but he nods to Jamie.  "Yess, yess.  You come back, we make deals.  Lotss of creditss for all.  Good luck, guarsds will show you out.  Me must see new stock."

Skee moves off into the slave holding area where the new arrivals were taken.  The two guards escort the group back to the guard house.  There is little said as the group's gear is returned and they are escorted off the base.

The doors slam behind them with a resounding clang and the group is once more on the street.


OOC:  Okay I'm assuming the team will regroup and head back to the hanger (and who knows what fun).  However as you proceed could people include pm's of stuff they wanted to know about the slavetr compound and have yet to ask (or who asked and didn't get a response from me).  That way when it comes time to debrief/plan everyone will know enough to contribute in regards to their specialty. 

Jamie holstered his blaster and patted himself down, chuckling.  He thumped Nirro on the back enthusiastically.
"Still in one piece!  I'd say that was a success?"
Once they were a block away from the compound and out of sight, Jamie activated his comlink.
"We're done, fellas.  Can you meet us outside the building?  Oh, and Allen...don't stand around looking suspicous, eh?"

OOC: Yeah, I think we'll regroup and go straight back to base.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:20, Mon 20 Nov 2006.

"Yes, sir."

OOC: This is mostly a PM, but you can hear what I said over the comlink.

Nirro exits the base with the others and heads back, Well the easy part is done, he thinks to himself.

Trailing along behind the others and fiddling with his commlink, Devon pauses momentarily to turn and glower back at the doors to slavers compound, mutters what sound distinctly like a curse, then followed after his team-mates.

<<A little while later>>


The group arrives back at the hanger without incident.  A large section of the hanger had been cleared out by the Commander and a rough map had been commenced on the ground.

"Welcome back Talons.  There's caf and food in the corner.  Then get over here and lets plan a raid.  I want our little fleet to be well stocked shortly, courtesy of some slavers."

Xil helps himself to a cup of caf and a sandwich before walking back to the 'floor plan'.  He points to a spot outside the building.

"The residential block here provides a good vantage point for me.  It doesn't offer me views of the entire facility, but I have good sight lines here, here and here.  I can mostly see the landing area and hanger which means I can cover people as they take off."

"I only saw two guards walking the walls.  They rarely looked outwards and they seemed bored.  There may have been more at ground level but I couldn't see any.  I could see one weapon mount on the southeast wall.  Nothing was mounted at the time but it looks like its designed to take a heavy repeater or an E-web.  I have a clear shot at anyone who tries to man that emplacement."

"Even at night the shots shouldn't be too difficult.  There is minimal ambient light on the roof where I will set up.  We have the codes to the doors and elevator so I wont need any assistance at that end."

Jamie eagerly helps himself to refreshments, then drags a chair to the map and seats himself.
"Sir, I don't believe getting in the compound will be a problem; if things go sour, getting out could be a problem.  They expect us back sometime soon to further negotiate a deal.  They'll open the front gate for us, but they will immediately want to confiscate our weapons and comlinks.  They do have a security camera outside the front gate, so I won't be able to set up explosives for an escape.  These things are cheap, though.  Does everyone have one?"
Jamie waves his ascension gun over his head for all to see.
"The gun emplacements look like they're designed to point in.  There's a big turbolaser for surface-to-air defense.  If we were to start a ruckus, the wall might be a good place to start.  If we can get a proper security magcard from one of the guards, we should be able to bypass most of the doors in the compound."
Jamie takes a swig of caf before continuing.
"We might have another option, Sir.  We met the doctor.  He hates the slavers, and he hates us...he thought we were slavers, too...but he is compassionate with the slaves.  I believe he'll do anything he can to help them, Sir.  If Nirro were to send him a message, I think he would assist us.  If he sided with us he could be invaluable...but if he didn't, we could end up walking into a trap.  If we leave ourselves an easy out, it could be worth the risk."

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! :)