"Well, we already told them the communications work with the warning about the munitions on the ship.  HOw fast can we do the  believable crippling malfunction?"

"A malfunction combined with comm difficulties?"  Mark echoed.  "Would you fall for an old trick like that Five?  I don't credit the Imps with much intelligence but I don't think they're THAT stupid."

Looking out the cockpit, he could just make out the two TIEs closing from ahead.  They would be on them in moments.

"Whatever you do, do it fast."

Jamie took the comms and thought for half a moment.
With the right words, anyone can be convinced...
"Imperial craft...we heard about the recent terrorist activity and we detected munitions in that freighter.  We have a Senator's aide on board and are charged with her safety...I'd appreciate it if you keep that much quiet.  Due to your recent terrorist activity, she is traveling incognito.  We are setting our shields to full power and heading for low orbit."
Please buy it...
This message was last edited by the player at 01:19, Sat 11 July 2009.

There was a silence on the comm after Jamie's claim.  Both TIE's had now fallen in behind the ship and Devon had not noted their weapons were powered.

After about ten seconds another voice came on.  "Unidentified transport.  We have no record of your flight plan.  You are authorised to approach the planet.  Landing coordinates are being transmitted now.  Do not deviate from them.  Out."

Flash recieved the co-ordinates on his station.  The flight path had them landing at the very military station where Zyra was situated, which had both good and bad points.

On sensors, Jamie noted that the two TIE's were still with them and had fallen into an escort pattern.  He also noted the other four TIE's had just opened fire on the fleeing transport which had munitions aboard.

About a minute later Sheila reported she had sent the communications packet.  Wether Zyra could get otu safely was anyone's guess but at least she had a chance.

Now came the 'interesting' part.  They were travelling towards an Imperial military base, home of at least three squadrons of TIE's and other ships.  Added to which they had 2 TIE's in close escort.  The nearest escape from the gravity well was in the direction they had come from where four more TIE's had been firing at a space transport and had now destroyed its engines.




OOC:  Jamie a great bluff.  Sadly the controller matched your roll.  So your bluff didn't fail but it didn't succeed absolutely.  Still, it got you where you wanted to go without combat.  Getting out of course may be interesting.

Mark watched with bemusement when Jamie's fast-talking paid off.  He'd been standing next to Devon just waiting for the fireworks to start.  Instead they'd been given an official escort.  Still they now had the problem of getting out.

"Any more plans Five?  Perhaps you and Ten can work your magic again.  Perhaps you can convince them to let us land, pick up Nine and just fly away?  They might even throw in some caf to go!"

"Gunners, I hope you are ready.  I don't know how they will react when we turn around.  If anyone has a plan, now is the time.  Otherwise I guess we just turn, gun the engines and hope for the best."

"They've given us coordinates to the military base where Zyra is located...I do believe we could land there, Sir, but then the Imperials would recognize us and probably shoot on sight.  However...there are a few people here the Imperials would not recognize.  I'm thinking about it, Sir."

Devon realized that (probably not for the first time) his mouth was hanging open in disbelief, and closed it.

'So... uh... what next?' he asked, whilst trying to calculate the odds of them actually staying alive if they DID land at the Imperial base.
_{'I cant believe we got away with that}.' he muttered

Flash had never been much of one for thinking, just for doing, but since he wasn't in the pilot's seat, he couldn't do much right now.  Well, there was a first for everything.  Setting the coordinates into the nav system, he then spent some time staring at them, racking his brains for a solution.  Slowly and quietly, he spoke up.  "I don't think we'd stand much of a chance in another fight, so we'd best avoid one...  Maybe if they didn't recognize us?  Does anyone have any disguise materials?"

"I don't think disguise will cut it.  They'll ID us for sure.  Here's one idea.  Do we have any smuggling compartments?  We could land...the Talons known to the Imperials hide onboard the ship.  The two other men pose as the ship's crew, and Ten here poses as the Senator's aide.  She gets a message to Zyra then returns to the ship.  Zyra boards and we all leave together."
Jamie thought about his plan for a moment.
"Yeah...I say we turn around."

"Well, the message has been sent to Zyra,  HOpefully she'll be looking for us."

"You want to land?" Jace cried incredulously.  "Are you insane?  It's bad enough you're trying to get us all killed flying through restricted space but now you're thinking of landing.  Have you all forgotten about the whole illegal cargo, fights with TIE fighters, oh and the simple fact we don't have any Senator's aides on board?"



OOC:  Well someone has to be the whining pessimist.  Might as well be the NPC!

"My systems all all ready to go, just have to power up the guns." Xil replied to Mark, "If we can take the escort fighters by surprise it might make the turn and run slightly easier." he continued.

Then we just have to get past the other fighters and far enough out to jump out of here he thought to himself.

Mark listened to everyone before speaking.  "Well Five says we turn and run and he's my space force commander so we're going to run.  Turrets, it will be up to you to try and take out those TIE's before they react.  Seven, with the TIE's on our flanks you're going to need to roll to be provide our gunners with the best shot.  Two, you have shields and nav.  Ten, you need to ensure you're keeping your sensor info going where its needed most."

"We need to time this right to maintain surprise people.  Okay, roll and fire on my order.  Three, two, one, FIRE!"




OOC:  The ship has one surprise round so make the most of it.  We are now into combat so please post accordingly.  Currently the TIE's are on your flanks and you're still heading towards the planet.  Good luck all!

'Got it...' murmured Devon, and tried to relax.  In his head, he pictured where the TIEs were relative to the ship.  He wanted to roll the ship into position as fast as possible, and stop as quickly as possible too - so the gunners wouldnt have to compensate for the movement...

When the order came, Devon rolled the ship into position as quickly and accurately as possible.

Sheila kept the sensor info headed toward the gunners right now, they needed it most. Oce the tie's were gotten rid of, the pilot would need it, but for the moment.. . . .
This message was last edited by the player at 12:43, Sat 18 July 2009.

Mark had only said a few words before Exilim anticipated what they were about to do. He felt the surge of adrenaline as his mind and body prepared for battle.

Knowing that if he powered up the turret to soon it would probably be detected, he concentrated on the incoming sensor data, making sure that the escort TIE's were properly targeted.

When Mark started the countdown Xil powered up his weapons, as the ship began to roll he concentrated on the TIE on his side of the ship and fired as soon as the ship has stopped it's roll.

Eager to help in some way, Jamie keyed the comms and hailed the TIEs as the ship turned about, hoping to help distract the pilots for a moment.
"Behind you!"

On Mark's call the turrets began firing on the unsuspecting TIE's.  A few moments later, Devon performed a sharp 180 degree turn and hit full throttle, heading for deep space.  As they moved, Mark moved over to Flash's station and looked over his shoulder to view the results.

Rann has struck his TIE a crippling shot.  Mark leaned over Flash's shoulder and quickly scanned the TIE.  At least one engine was down and it looked like it was leaking coolant.  However it was still operational.  Xil however had missed his shot entiely.  The unwounded TIE was already accelerating and turning to face them.



OOC: Well Rann has shown his usual gunnery skill and Xil has had the joy of a dice roller that hates him.  The damaged TIE is now at medium range and the undamaged TIE is at long range (it accelerated away from you before starting its turn).

YT-2000:  Undamaged
TIE 1:  Hull: 10% Engine damage
TIE 2:  Undamaged



This message was last edited by the GM at 23:59, Tue 21 July 2009.

SHeila brushed her blonde bangs out of her eyes and scanned the area around them sending the next batch of sensor data to Xil, in the hopes that it will help him hit as Rann seemed to be doing fine on his own.

_{'oooh, we're in it now...'}  muttered Devon as his sensors showed him the unwounded TIE turning to engage them.

Speaking to no-one in particular and everyone in general, Devon said:
'Ok... will be dodging that TIE in a moment - we got an escape route planned?  someone tell me our jump point.'

As the TIE approached firing range and Devon prepared to begin evasive manouveres, he added:
'And can we get a speed boost?  I mean, without draining hyperdrive, shields, guns or sensors?'

"Sure.  Would you like me to polish your boots and clean your litter box too while I'm at it?  Maybe I can make some caf for the Imperial boarding parties too."  Jace grumbled.


Cutting off the comm, Jace went to work and began diverting power from life support to try and coax a little more power out of the engines.  Probably wouldn't last long enough to need life support anyway.

Xil swore to himself profusely as his volley of shots missed the TIE completely.

Continuing to mutter to himself he accessed the sensor data that Sheila sent while lining up the TIE again. Once targeted he will continue to fire at the TIE.

OOC: That will learn me to think that the dice have any good will towards the Talons

Feeling pleased with his accurate gunnery, Rann turns his attention to the second TIE.

Both TIEs turned to pursue the fleeing transport.  The undamaged TIE quickly began closing the distance with the transport while the damaged TIE was having a harder time keeping up.

The ship shook violently as it took a hit from the undamaged TIE.  Devon threw the ship into a roll, calling for his nav plan once again.  Mark shook Flash, only to realise that the Duros had passed out, his wounds overtaking him once more.  Peering at Flash's board he called out "Rear shields down to three percent."  He then began dragging Flash out of the seat.

In the turrets Xil and Rann felt the ship rock with the shield hit but responded with a volley of fire, both hitting the TIE but inflicting only light damage.  Everyone continued to exchange fire for several seconds before a pair of well aimed shots from the turrets took out the lead TIE; Rann's strike shearing off the port wing as Xil's shot flew straight into the cockpit, a true precision shock.

Sadly, the pair did not have time to celebrate as the TIE that Rann had initially damaged let off a laser volley that slipped past the already-weakened rear shields to impact against the hull.

Having just finished getting Flash out of the chair and takent he position himself, Mark was nearly thrown to the floor as the blast hit.  As it was he held his position through brute force alone.

"Switching shields to double rear.  Engineering, damage report, then get our shields back up.  Seven, evasive maneuvers while I plot us a hyperspace jump.  Get us out of this planet's gravity well as fast as possible."  He didn't bother sending orders to the gunners, they knew what they had to do.

On Sheila's screen things looked even worse.  Having done a tactical sweep of the area she noted that the four TIE's that had taken down the munitions freighter was on an intercept course, current ETA was one minute.



OOC:  Since Flash is on holidays I've found a convenient way to move him aside until he returns.  We can live without comms but we REALLY need a co-pilot!.  So know more commander bonuses for anyone!

Currently you have one destroyed TIE (combined Rann/Xil kill) and one TIE that has been seriously damaged by Rann.  Its trailing you but only just matching speed (so remaining at long range).

The ship has taken a hit to the hull but currently all systems seem to be functioning to capacity.

The four TIE's on intercept are in front of you (so between you and the fastest way out of the gravity shadow).  Behind you is the planet.  Taking an oblique course will buy you a little time before contact but result in a longer wait until you can jump.

The planet will likely scramble more TIE's (there were several squadrons at the military base you were stationed at, but they will like need several minutes to launch (which is an eternity in combat!!!)


YT-2000:  Shields 53% (double rear so 106% rear)Hull: 65% <System damage unknown at this point>
TIE 1:  Hull: 10% <Engine damage>
TIE 2:  Destroyed


This message was last edited by the GM at 08:24, Thu 23 July 2009.

Xil let out a grunt of satisfaction as the lead TIE was destroyed.

He switched targets to the trailing TIE knowing that they had to take it out as fast as possible. As soon as he had it in his sights he opened fire, determined to bring it down.