“To help us convince the Imperials to leave, there must be a profit?” the Ithorian challenged Lyla “are you so consumed with greed that you can not see the beauty here that needs saving?”

Lyla stared, utterly dumbfounded, wondering where on Alluuvia he kept getting that idea. Was there a credit stuck to her helmet or something? Eventually, she realised he'd misunderstood her again, since her frustrations and desire to get away from here were making her terse. But eventually was not now. 'Huh? What? No!' she stammered exasperatedly. Then she surrendered to the inevitable before going for broke. 'Oh, cruk it... We came to this world with no anger, no greed, no desire but to do the right thing. Instead, we've been threatened, drugged, betrayed, attacked, and hurt, and we've been insulted, mocked, and obstructed. You're still doing it. We've been so patient, but we're not taking it any more. If our presence so offends, then we're leaving. There is no beauty on this world, there is only ugliness and evil. Especially in that cave. Before you judge others, how about you confront the greed in your heart,' she pointed to Iych-thae with an accusing finger at where she figured an Ithorian's heart probably was, 'And you the anger in yours.' she added to Anyar, and could only guess where the Anguillan kept its heart or whatever.

Her rant done, Lyla turned and swam away, clapping hands on Lamar's and Klyn's shoulders to get them to follow as she said wearily. 'This is getting us nowhere. The Scourge aren't here, the Imperial base isn't part of our mission, and we'll get killed if we try to make it our mission. We'll report it to Radell and Command, and they can send someone fluent in Mystic Crank to deal with it. Come on, let's get out of this madhouse.'

Ithorian remained clam during Lyla’s diatribe. He was a visitor to Alluuvia just as Lyla was and had not threatened, drugged, nor attacked them, he’d only asked for help “help if you can, we all have a responsibility to the galaxy. If you choose to go then you should” he watched as Lyla swam away, the peaceful caretaker of the galaxy’s face was sad.

Not turning or looking back in any way, Lyla gave a dismissive wave from over her shoulder and led her team back to the Alabak's Gold and its airlock. She was done with this place. But once they were at last back inside the ship, had shed their swimsuits, and returned to the cockpit, she had more orders to give. Just one bit of business to take care of. 'Klyn, power the engines, lift off the sea bed, and bring us around, 182 degrees. Lamar...' She paused, for a moment in which to reconsider her course of action, but she couldn't think of anything more right. Right for her team's morale, and right for future peace on this stupid planet. No one else should have to suffer such pain again. Her voice was colder and crisper as she continued 'Get on weapons. Target that cave. Get rid of it.'

Lamar had had the chance to calm down, especially as he saw Lyla get upset. So when he received her order he hesitated. "L.T. That's not the way. You kept me from killing them when I was angry, I feel I should stop you from making the same mistake. If we fire now there will be casualties. And we'll be doing what the Empire did. Take a breath and calm down. Think about this and then make a decision."

Lyla gave a long and level look at Lamar. She was a little irritated, not because he'd questioned her orders but because she'd come up with this to satisfy Lamar and Klyn, to give them justice. They seemed to have swapped places, with him now trying to be the voice of cool reason, and she appearing to be the hothead. Was it true? Maybe the events in the cave had affected her more than she'd thought, only her pain was older and colder, her anger more patient and practical. 'I am calm and I did think about this.' she said firmly. 'Next time they try this shit, they'll kill someone, or someone will kill more of them. They won't stop until someone takes away their torture pit. This is bringing peace.'

She slipped past him to the laser cannon targeting panel and stared intently at the screen, but Anyar and Iych-thae and other Anguillans still seemed to be milling about the cave entrance like they had nothing better to do. One of them had even gone inside, no doubt to check on their squid monster. Maybe they expected their pet Piscator to still be alive. 'Come on, you morons. Move!' she urged in a low voice.

But the more she waited, the more her anger and frustration faded, dwindling away without resolution. At last she turned away with a heavy sigh. 'Cruk it. Just take us out of here. Make an orbit while I run passive scans for the Imperial base, so at least we've got something to show for this.' While she worked, her eyes found Lamar's again. 'I thought you wanted that? "Demands blood", remember? Bringing down that damned cave seemed like a good compromise.'


OOC: Perception 28, looking for the Imperial base
11:20, Today: Lyla Rahn rolled 28 using 1d20+9. perception.

Looking at Lyla, he nodded. "I did. And someone helped me realize that I was overreacting. They said 'Letting it go is how we show to ourselves that we are worthy.' So I'm returning the favor and helping the next one who needs it." He gently patted her shoulder as he slipped into the pilot's seat. "Taking us out of here aye L.T."

He will then begin taking the Gold out of the water and head for space.

As Lamar threw her own words back at her, Lyla scowled in self-recrimination, but then her expression softened into a crooked smile, but her eyes showed her gratitude. 'Sounds like a real wise character.' she agreed ironically. 'You should listen to her more often... But thanks.'

Cracking a sardonic grin he quips, "She has her moments. Let's get out of here."

Lamar, barring anyone stopping him will take the ship into orbit.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:19, Sat 12 Mar 2022.

The ships took off and left the planet Alluuvia. In orbit they located a stationary base, however it was much smaller than what the Rebels had seen on Sedri.

What type, and faction is the base?

The base was an Imperial MFB-4 Mobile Repulsor Base. It was two hundred metres in diameter. It had a landing pad, a shield generator and laser cannons.

Seeing the Imp base he pulled it up on the viewscreen at his console. "L.T. We got an Imp base on scanners. Must have been on the other side of the planet when we arrived as I didn't notice it then. What do you want to do?"

'That's the one.' Lyla confirmed, leaning over and examining the sea base and remembering their last experience, however long ago. 'We infiltrated one of these on Sedri, only much bigger. Hmm. It might be easier to sabotage, but we're the only ones with this intel, If we go after it and fail, the Rebel Alliance and Radell will never know and it could grow into something bigger and badder.'

She rose and paced the cockpit, thinking and trying to scout a trail through the web of choices, the limits of mission parameters, and the haze of uncertainty. 'Our mission is to secure this world for Radell. We can't do that until that base is gone. And Radell can't claim it while pirates are taking their ships and cargoes and ransoming their crews. I don't want their interdiction field yanking us out of hyperspace while we're making a getaway from here.'

Turning to face the team, she laid out their options and her plans. 'So, I'm for returning to Elrood, updating Todkal on the situation, and communicating this intel to Rebel Command. We can learn what's been going on while we've been out here, then make plans for dealing with the Scourge and their gravity well projector. Chalmer Trilili is an ex-Rebel, a traitor, and that makes him our problem.'

'It does mean bending our mission parameters a bit, but I'm not dying for a company's bottom line. What do you say?'

Lamar had to admit to himself that he did want to destroy that base, but he also needed to survive to finish his personal mission. As such he was all for being cautious. "Sounds like a plan L.T." He said seriously to her. "Count me in if we can come up with a good plan to kill that base."

'Done.' Lyla agreed with relish. No one had objected, so she made the commander's decision. 'Plot a hyperspace jump to Elrood. Make it so.' she confirmed, pointing dramatically at the screen.

As Lamar plotted the course he felt a disturbance in the force, as if someone had crossed the streams, but shook it off. "Sure thing L.T." Turning to the astromech droid. "Bill! Wanna help me plot this course? I bet I'll finish first." He said with a grin to the feisty little droid.

From orbit the two Rebel ships began to plot their course back through The Drift. Before they were completed both of the starships sensors detected the approach of a fleet of ships. The fleet consisted of ten ships, two larger ships and eight smaller escorts. Also in orbit the ship sensor detected an Ithorian Shepherd-class shuttle, a smaller herd ship.

Then if things weren’t getting crazy enough for Lyla, Lamar and Rynn the warning light on the life support system on the Wayfarer blinked twice then went out.

Over on the Alabak’s Gold Tera and Klyn had no such troubles with the life support, their only worries the approaching fleet.

'Oh, who the cruk wants us now?' Lyla sighed exasperatedly and leaned forward to the sensor display to investigate this new fleet and new reason for not leaving. But no sooner had she started than first the air supply, and then the temperature controls, and then the gravity shut down. 'Damn it. Shoulda known Radell would loan us the junker. Okay, someone get life support going again. I'll see who this is.'

She returned to the sensors, scrutinising the data and silhouettes against known ship types. Ten ships! The Scourge hadn't had this many, even before they lost more than half. Imperials? If so, it confirmed her instinct to get the hell away. And the Ithorians, they had terrible timing as usual.


OOC: Perception 27

Seeing the approaching ships, Lamar commed the Wayfarer. "L.T. are you seeing this?"

He began scanning to identify the ships approaching, while simultaneously looking for a place to hide two ships. There was an asteroid belt, the question was how volatile was it, and how long did they have?

The Wayfarers scanners identified the fleet as IML, Imperial Mining limited. The fleet consisted of a mining rig, a supply freighter and eight TIE fighter escorts.

After checking out the new ships on the scene, her lips pursing in a look of concern, Lyla commed a reply to the Gold. 'Yeah. Looks to be a couple of IML mining ships, and an eight TIE fighter escort. Looks like I had the right instinct about turning around and taking our tails outta here. We don't need them and the pirates.' she noted. 'Let's tiptoe away and find some place to hide and watch them. It'll give us a chance to repair life support too. Bloody thing's just broken here.'

"Aye, aye L.T." Lamar responds as he takes the Gold towards the nearest moon. Figuring if he can get close he'll get lost in the ground clutter of the moon.

13:59, Today: Lamar Danar rolled 15 using 1d20+9.  pilot.

As the Imperial fleet flew closer, the Rebels took evasive action.

OOC I’ll need Stealth checks from both pilots to hide the ships. See Starship Stealth rules for modifiers.

Starship Stealth (SotG 18)
• Use as Stealth, vs Use Computer of ship trying to find you
• Add your vehicle’s size & DEX modifiers, and take a –5
penalty if you’re not trained in Pilot.

Lamar was a good pilot, but this ship was not small. She also didn't maneuver as quickly as he liked, and left a broad signature. That said he maneuvered her towards the moon, he watched nervously at the Imp ties to see if they followed...

14:53, Today: Lamar Danar rolled 7 using 1d20.  vehicle stealth.