The crystal wave gradually sank back into the ground and came to rest before the crystal mesa of Neskroff. The city of Neskroff was built into a huge crystal mesa. Corridors and rooms have been dug out of the semi-clear stone; artificial light from the city makes the plateau glow from within.

There was a large gateway built into the base of the crystal mesa. It served as a skiff port and as the main entrance into the city. There are half-dozen Rebels guards standing by the gateway. Two dozens civilians are also by the gate. They stop talking and stare at the approach of strangers. The guards level their blaster rifles.

Above a gunship approaches the top of the mesa and disappears from sight, entering the starport at the top of the city.

Oglo assesses the security at the front gate at a glance.  He feels confident that by riding the waves, the group got to the gates before the Imperial scouts did.  That is if they scouts didn't have a speeder.  In any case, they weren't getting into the city through the front gates.  It looked too heavily guarded.  Everyone probably knew everyone else at least at a glance.  No one walking in from the outside would would be let in.  Oglo and his partners at least had earned the confidence of the local natives so they had some marginal trustworthiness.  The Imperials though would have to find another way inside.

Oglo then turned and spoke to Lyla saying, "They not get in.... hrrmmm... this way.  Go find... hrmmm... another way in.  You good at that."  He was about to turn away when a smile cracked two of his mouths.  An amusing memory had come back into his head.  Turning back he added, "And don't strip... hrmmm... naked this time."

"You know I can understand why she might think it would work....but on Tattoine? That's just madness." Tera responded to Oglo, she raised her hand looking in earnest at the guards "Don't shoot, we surrender and well, this is going to sound a little stereotypical....but can you take us to your leader? We're part of the alliance sent to get some information that needs to get to the Handree."

Rynn arched an eyebrow at the group, discussing how to get into the starport. "Guys... I live here." He said, and walked toward the guards. "Rynn Culmar, Grey Nine. I was after a Imp Scout ship when we both went down. I need to get a message to Red Leader, let him know that there are Imps in the area, and we have an X-wing and a Civillan ship that need recovery."

When Tera steps forward the guards keep their blaster rifles raised. It is not until Rynn made himself known that they seemed to relax. The Rebel guards called for their leader. Corporal Tessus heard what Rynn had to say and picked up a com-box. The crystal structure of the mesa interfered with communications. The com-box used fibre-optic cables to connect units through a computerised switching system.

Tessus spoke for a while then hung up the receiver. He then waved for all the Rebels to enter the starport "the city is now on alert. We've ordered a curfew and we'll have all our officers start checking IDs. There are a lot of people here, though; it could take a while."

"In the meantime, we're shut down the starport - no more ships are going to be leaving until the Imps are caught so we can't recover your starship yet" he explained and turned to the guards gave them new orders to close off the gateway and shut down the turbolifts. Then turning back he asked "any of you folks know what the Imperials looked like?"

Lyla had a rather long and sore ride on the crystal wave, spending the whole of it on her bum and clutching a thick shard of crystal. She was unable, and increasingly unwilling, to surf the wave upright. She may have squealed a bit, but stubbornly had no recollection of it.

She was glad to be deposited before the city of Neskroff, and glad to see it. The subterranean city reminded her of the twi'lek cities of Ryloth, built into great caverns, their entrances sealed by blast doors and gates, all to defend against the elements and the great beasts of the wilderness. But instead of bland stone, the translucent crystal glowing in the night was a marvellous sight.

Lyla was contemplating tracks on the ground when Oglo addressed her. 'I still don't know what you're talking about, Oglo.' she answered tiredly. 'Nobody in their right mind would think that was a good idea.' Besides, the crystals were completely the wrong colour and there weren't nearly enough credits in it.

She listened to the exchange between Rynn and the Rebel corporal. 'There's four survivors: Meahonon, Talke, Lerenga, and one other. The droid downloaded some files, there might be personnel records in there?' she said, looking at T3-M8 for confirmation and not sure if she should expect any. 'These aren't your regular stormtroopers or Imperial officers, but Imperial Survey Corps: scouts, explorers, trailblazers, survivors, the best. They're quick, smart, independent thinkers, used to working alone in hostile environments. They have a skiff, loaded with supplies. They can climb your mesa, crawl through your tunnels, hide in the caves, and survive in the canyons, and they will stalk your soldiers,' She glanced back at Oglo and Tera with wry look. 'And they could do it naked... You need to have the whole city on full alert, total defence, locked down. It's vital we catch them ASAP before they go to ground.'

'Now, I'd like to patrol your perimeter, see if they've gotten near the city or gotten in by any way.' It was night now, but her night-sight would still serve her well.

"Yeah, everything she just said, plus, there are three ships out there, including my X-wing, which I believe is operational if it gets dug out of the crystal. If we don't get a ship in the air, at least to guard the other three ships they might escape." Rynn explained to the CPL. He looked around. He didn't know these people and couldn't really vouch for them, but he would if it came to that.

"I could give you a fair description of each of them." Tera said. "I didn't see them personally, but I have the memories of someone who did."

Klyn had enjoyed the ride but the comments about no ship leaving to get back to the Gold did rattle him a bit.

"I knew I should have flied here..." he grumbled.

Still, finding the imperials was the quickest way to get the Gold back, so he better do whatever he could to get the job done.

"They fled in a fast landspeeder, T3 must have the exact details on the model. "

Tera frowned "It wasn't a landspeeder, it was a skiff." Tera added just in case it needed to be said.

Turning away from the com device on the wall that must have been the focus of the little droid's attention for a while the single lit eye emits a holographic image again, between the guards and the civilians, depicting the visual records of each imperial from their personnel files.  After the last of the crew is displayed in sideshow style the speeder is added to the end of the show, either a direct recording from the ship's computer if there was one, or an image of the model in the inventory of the ship drawn from a set of stock holographic data held in memory for just this type of event.

Oglo felt like joking with his female companions, if only to embarrass them in front of the Rebel guards.  There was something about this planet that made him feel like being so capricious.  It probably had to do with the complete lack of plant life in the environment.  Add to that this plant-babies were now sloshed onto the floor in the cargo hold of the Gold.

"I can think of a couple of reason why you might have stripped naked to sneak around.  The main one that applies here is that you have been putting on weight.  You have no thigh-gap.  When you walk, your pants rub together making this squeaking sound.  The other only applies on Tattooine.  The color of your skin is a very close match to the natural rocks and sand.  Here, that's no advantage... Unless...", spoke Oglo quickly as he wasn't being his usual self.  "Unless you can change the color of your skin.  Tera, make note of that.  Make your next crazy medical experiment be about trying to create a Twi'lek chameleon."

"They'll likely be heading for the starport" the corporal suggested "only one bank of the turbolift is in operation. I can take you there so you can get to the starport and then your droid can keep any eye out for the Imperials if you're no objections" he asked after seeing the holoprojections of the Wanderer's crew.

To Rynn he confirmed that the regular patrols would keep an eye on the crashed ships and once the starport was opened again they would recover them. When Oglo talked he looked at the Ithorian perplexed and not quite answering what must be some kind of jest.

OOC Let me know what you want to do. Either follow Tessus's request or do something else.

Lyla stared speechless at Oglo, with the wide, confused smile of one who couldn't believe they were being so insulted, or so humiliated in public at such an inopportune time. 'That's one hell of a hypothetical there, Oglo.' she said when he finally paused. 'But thanks for the compliment. Yep, nice and curvy now I'm no longer scavenging and hiking all day.' she accepted, patting her tummy. After all, with multiple stomachs and an omnivorous diet to survive on a food-scarce homeworld, Twi'leks could eat almost anything. Being well-rounded was a status symbol for affluence, so Oglo had in fact complimented her. Or, at least, Lyla was choosing to take it as such. 'And yeah, I used to be white.'

With that said, she returned her attention to Tessus and actual business. 'Sorry about that... Yeah, if there's time, I'd still like to patrol the perimeter to see if and where the Imperials could get in. Is there a landspeeder or speeder-bike I could borrow?'
This message was last edited by the player at 00:37, Tue 25 Feb 2014.

"The starport has been locked down so the Imperials aren't going anywhere" the corporal answered Lyla confidently but had to shake his head at Lyla's request "the base's speeders are all in the starport" he explained.

"I'm good with going to the starport. The sooner we find the Imperials the quicker that medicine can get offworld." Tera stated as her opinion.

Lyla was surprised at the response. Was base security really so lax? The Rebels must have thought themselves completely safe and hidden here. Now they'd learn better. 'Really? You ought to keep some by the gate for patrols and to go pick up downed crews.' Well, walking around the mesa didn't appeal and would take far too long. If they had to go to the starport anyway, then they might as well check it out first. 'Fine. Let's go to the starport.'

Oglo snapped out of whatever it was that had come over him.  "Violence took place here... hrmmm... Yes, a death still lingers... hrrmmm... a spirit is not at peace.", he offers in way of explanation for why he was so rude.  Although it is missing a level of explanation that would make people realize that it was meant to be an apology.

The Neskroff authorities had shut down all the turbolifts except one bank. Corporal Tessus led the way down the crystal boulevard of Ralmathen Corridor on the way to the starport. The level is almost completely deserted, due no doubt to the curfew. There are a few guards in evidence, and some civilians being escorted to turbolifts. Suddenly blaster fire can be heard coming from down another corridor.