Grev hit the lights, illuminating the hall.  He then moved to guard the hallway, positioning himself out-of-sight or anyone coming it.

Sorry, made the rolls before I checked the thread.  *L*

Shira covered the remaining guard with her pistol, although she was disoriented a little as the light came on. "'Bee, you should check Thuraya first. For once, I'm all right" she demurred. "That was quiet exciting, but I don't like going into a fight without a weapon. It doesn't suit me at all."

"Now we've got guard uniforms. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she began excitedly. After a moment, she added. "Er… actually, I guess that wouldn't work with Grev. I don't think the Empire makes any uniforms in his size"

Celes responded to Shira without taking her eyes off the guard, or even really flinching at the shift in light.

"Lighting's bad, Grev won't be seen. We just need the uniforms to cause hesitation, not for talking. You, Thuraya, the captain and I will change. This guy will lead us, and himself, to safety. Right?"

"Of course Ms Celes, it would be my pleasure to provide you all with a thorough examination; given our current circumstances however, I suppose a more targeted field ops scan will have to suffice for the time being."



"At once Ms Shira, so good to hear you have not been seriously injured, although I will need to validate that assessment, after I attend to Ms Thuraya as you request."

Happy to be doing what he was designed for, TwoOneBee wastes no time performing multi-layered bio-scans on both Thuraya and Shira.  He then proceeded to scan Captain Ali, Celes and Grev as well.  For good measure, he even ran a diagnostic scan of DeeJay as well.


OOC: 11:12, Today: TwoOneBee rolled 16 using 5 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of {Wild}3,1,3,3,6.  Injury Diagnosis 5d.


Once he has completed his examination of the crew he will stabilize the Imperial guards as well, ensuring their worst injuries are treated and that they will survive.  He also ensures they will remain asleep like the other tranquilized guard, except of course, for the one Ms Celes is interrogating.  Suddenly he stops working, his scanners click off and his amber eyes flash in the dim light.

"Perhaps it is my overworked circuits, but I seem to be receiving additional memory files, corresponding to our previous encounter with...oh my...that did not go well at all I'm afraid.  And yet these memory data blocks are incomplete.

"Of course, it is possible these are manufactured memories; I may have sustained damage to my cyber-cortex, or possibly this annoying restraining bolt is interfering with my data storage protocols.  I shall initiate a self diagnostic as soon as possible."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:18, Sun 19 Aug 2018.

"Right, sounds like a plan!" Shira said in response to Celes. She began stripping one of the uniforms off one of the fallen guards. "Awkward…"

"Of course, 'Bee" Shira said with only a bit of a pout when 'Bee mentioned she'd still have to be scanned. "Well, I'd say we should try to get to safety before sorting through our memories of what went wrong to get us here."

Grev activated the lights, they flickered bravely and then went dark again, accompanied by dying sparks and crackling.  The Empire rarely skimped on their ships, it was one way they maintained power.  Something very grave had happened indeed.

Shira had the guard covered very professionally but the human was no fanatical stormtrooper and offered no resistance.  Rebels had the reputation of not killing or harming prisoners that cooperated and the guard seemed to be banking on that.

Uniforms were a possibility, it seemed the available (and perhaps slightly ventilated) uniforms would fit the human rebels quite well.   The guard nodded at Celes' plan so enthusiastically it seemed his head might break and roll off if he continued.  There was something about the gleam in her eye.

TwoOneBee scanned the others and was pleased to know his initial intuitions (if that was the right word for a droid) were correct.  Besides some bruised dignity, only Ali was actually wounded.  The guard's medpac would help with that under his ministrations.  His scan showed some redirection of DeeJay's cranial circuitry.  But to that, the old protocol droid simply put her finger to her mouth slot in a purely human gesture of ssshh-ing a secret away.  One of her eyes flickered for an instant, her equivalent of a sly wink between friends.

As Thuraya stood up and regained full lucidity and concentration, she remembered yet more of what had happened recently.

"Yes.  Lord Vader is inbound and while you might provide a few moments of entertainment, Master Sundancer, your friends are so much more vulnerable."  Lira Wessex chuckled between coughs as Sundancer released his ethereal grip on her thin neck.  Eli Sundancer thought.  He could only delay the former Anakin Skywalker at the cost of this body.  With concentration, he could even mask his own prominent wake in the Force.  But the others, the young padawan?!

"Who are you talking to, Lady Wessex?  You see...," Sundancer waved his hand in an evocative gesture, "I. Was. Never. Here."

Thuraya gasped in shock at being surrounded by so many stormtroopers and with Vader himself on the way.  If only Master Sundancer had accompanied them, they would not be in these dire straits.

Captain Kolaff said, "I would rather have faced such brave souls in battle.  You deserved better than this.  But needs must.  It will be easier on you if you cooperate.  There is no heroism in sacrificing yourselves for a lost cause."  He then turned to the stormtroopers and commanded, "Disarm, stun and restrain them all in the detention block, except for Blissex.  Take him for interrogation."

"You mean torture." Ali spat.

Looking at her disbelieving father without even blinking or pausing, Lira Wessex said calmly, "That's really up to him."

After that, the flashbacks and the present quickly united.  Thuraya remembered they were stunned in a flare of sensory overload and then woke up in the detention cell but a few moments ago.   But now she remembered what had been kept from her, from them all.

Her Master Sundancer was on board, hiding from Vader, not leaving clues even in his friend's memories.  But now she recalled the truth and spoke out.

"Master Sundancer was with us from the beginning but he has hid his presence from our memories so that Vader cannot steal it from us.  This explains our fractured memories.  But now we know the truth.  What do we do now?"

Before anyone could answer, the darkness was split by a cry of pain, the kind that has to be torn out of a agonized soul.

OOC:
Getting the lights to work further will take ever more effort with ever less gain.  This is obvious to even the least technically-inclined. This ship is wounded.

The guards will not be trouble.  They can be stripped and thrown into a detention cell, a blaster bolt will then fry the lock so they can't manually open the door as you did.  They will offer no resistance and cooperate barring an incredible opportunity to escape (very unlikely).  To keep Star Wars' PG rating, it is a known fact that Imperial personnel have been issued underwear just as bland as their drab uniforms (or, if you wish, Darth Vader Underoos :-) ).  It is a staple of movies (especially Bond movies) that stolen uniforms just happen to be the right sizes for our heroes (but as Luke and Han found out, stormtrooper armor is a different thing :-) ).  The restraining bolt control can be used to free the droids of any remaining Imperial restrictions.

Ali could use some healing.  This should be a snap with TwoOneBee and the 'liberated' medpac.

The reason for your fractured memory is now revealed.  Sundancer influenced the living to forget his presence.  The droids were able to edit their own memory (something they don't remember learning, but then they wouldn't, would they :-) ).  Now, your characters remember, either on their own or with Thuraya's prodding.  You are now fully in the present with no more contrived flashbacks needed.

You know Sundancer enough to know he would be here saving you unless he was otherwise occupied.  At the same time, Vader does not seem to have found you and the still-a-padawan Thuraya is like a tinkling wind chime in the Force.

Your ears can target the source of the scream as coming from another cell in the cell block.  You can end your posts moving towards the scream after some moments of disguising, healing and talking.

Satisfied with the results of his bio scans, the old doctor retrieves the med pac and approaches the Captain.  "If you will allow me, Captain Ali, it would be my pleasure to assist you.  Applying med pac now."  The Captain had instructed him years ago he did not require her permission to do what he believed to be medically necessary for her health.  Still his programming always prompted him to ask before his 'do as you think best' subroutine kicked in and overrode it.  Old habits died hard in the more specialized series of droids he supposed.  Or perhaps it had something to do with the protocol droid nearby.

14:57, Today: TwoOneBee rolled 28 using 6 dice with the WEG Classic system ((4,3,5,5,6,{Wild}5)).

As he finished attending the Captain, he scheduled a reminder to discuss the changes he'd scanned in DeeJay's cybernetic cortex with her at the earliest opportunity.  He finds himself quite distracted by her wink, although he isn't certain exactly why.  It certainly seemed necessary to explore it further...

TwoOneBee's musings are unexpectedly interrupted by a tortured cry that echoes through the dark hallway!

"There is a life form in pain; I must render assistance."  He activates his optical lights and scans his surroundings as he walks forwards, searching for the person(s) in need.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:47, Thu 30 Aug 2018.

As Celes finished getting on one of the uniforms she'd left entry and exit scorches on, she turned to nod to Thuraya in the dark.

"So we have backup. Let's get the unconscious ones settled in here and get out. If this ship is that badly damaged, odds aren't good it'll hold together much longer. Can't lock them in or they won't have a chance to escape. Guard, what's your name?" When the scream let out, her attention went straight to it with a sharp turn of her head.

"Girls, stay behind us. Captain, if you'll take the guard, Grev and I can check ahead of the doctor."

[I'm presuming somebody checking the bodies came across the restraining bolt controller and did the thing, because Celes was busy pointing a blaster and then putting on a guard jacket.

Heading towards the disturbance, hopefully ahead of 'Bee! (I'd rather be shot at first than leave our doctor in danger.)]

"Look away while I'm changing" Shira ordered the guard. She finally finished putting on the uniform, although the boots were even less comfortable than her own, and her silver hair spilled out from underneath her helmet. “Well… I mean, somewhere in the galaxy, there’s got to be humans with silver hair” she said skeptically. Once she was done, she released the droid’s restraining bolts.

Shira gasped and her eyes went wide with fright when her memories came back. If Vader was here, they were in deep, deep trouble. “We definitely need to get out of here” she squeaked.
“Bee! This isn’t the time to go running off” she whispered urgently. But then, if ‘Bee didn’t want to help he wouldn’t be ‘Bee. She fell in behind Celes as she was told. “I guess I’ll have to learn to follow orders better if I’m in the Imperial Military now” she joked quietly.

"My dear friend," Ali said to TwoOneBee, "I would trust you with my life."  She reflected for a moment, "I am trusting you with my life."  And then she giggled as TwoOneBee effortlessly healed her with the medpac.

Not a stormtrooper, the guard still initially would not answer the imposing Celes but could not hide open surprise at her concern for the welfare of him and his comrades.   "Um, N-Nars Dimlander."  He said, and almost saluted.  DeeJay let forth a binary chuckle, the average Imperial learned to salute quickly at any stern voice.

But then Nars looked away at Shira's admonishment, he had been admiring the young ghostling's lithe figure with an innocent wonder which seemed to be more than mere laciviousness.

But the moment was broken with the agonized screams down the corridor.  The Rebels charged down the hallway as if they could outrun the glow rod's light.  The screams were behind a cell door.  But it was easier to open the doors from this side.  A quick press of the right button and the doors opened.  On what passed for a bench in the cell was a figure slumped over and unresponsive.  It was easy to recognize the man--Walex Blissex.

Descending from the ceiling of the cell was a dark spheroid built for a far darker purpose, an interrogation droid.  The droid tilted from side to side for an instant gathering its bearings.  Then it seemed to stare toward the center of the space between Celes and Shira...

OOC:

OK, Ali is healed.  The droids have been freed of all restrictions by using the guard's restraining bolt surrended to the Rebels.  Celes and Shira at least are dressed as guards and momentarily passible in dim light (at least it seems so to your eyes).  The defeated guards will not be any more trouble.   Given their 'druthers, they will simply try to evacuate the ship and they won't admit to your escape lest they be force-choked.

The interrogator droid seems...uncertain.  It should be able to react with decisive action faster than this.

Celes made sure she and Grev were at the front of the group, stolen blaster at the ready. Once she peered into the cell and recognized the man they'd been escorting, she motioned for the others to approach, but then quickly stopped them short and raised the weapon at the approaching interrogation droid. Its own hesitation stopped her from frying it outright. Maybe whatever the Jedi had done to the ship was affecting it, as well. The ex-Imperial officer put on her most pompous voice and stepped into the cell.

"You. Status report." At worst, she and Grev could take it. At best, they might get something useful out of this.

<b>OOC:  Just dropping by during an unexpected free hour.  Go ahead and roll a Con roll for Celes.  The situation is very favorable for her (the uniform helps).

[One Con roll, coming up!

20:03, Today: Celes Varik rolled 25 using 3 dice with the WEG Classic system (({Wild}6(+6+3),4,6)).

25 on 3 dice. That is far better than I expected.]

The interrogator droid quickly said to Celes, "The prisoner is quite strong-willed, falling into unconsciousness before despair.  Very little was learned.  As the ship is on alert, interrogation is suspended for the present time."

OOC: Great roll in an already advantageous situation.  The interrogation droid is completely fooled and will follow any reasonable orders.  It can be ordered to shut down if wished.

First instinct was for the doctor to examine Walex Blissex, but he knew any obvious show of concern for the 'captive' would undoubtedly make the interrogation droid suspicious. They weren't the most complex of cybernetic life forms, but they weren't as dull as most surmised.

The best he could do was a quick scan of the poor man and hope it wasn't too obvious.  Of course, even an interrogation droid would understand him gathering medical data on the prisoner's condition, so long as he did not immediately move to assist him...or at least TwoOneBee hoped that was the case.

OOC: 13:41, Today: TwoOneBee rolled 15 using 5 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of {Wild}3,3,2,5,2.  Injury Diagnosis 5d.

With no living 'officer' protesting TwoOneBee's request, the interrogator droid moved slightly to allow the medical droid access to Blissex.

His examination and the torture droid's confirmation showed just how terribly well the droid was designed.  Blissex was weakened but not actually injured.  He would recover naturally given some time and that was the best solution.  TwoOneBee believed Blissex could walk if guided.

Celes rose an eyebrow at the droid, then looked to the prisoner, a pair of gestures she wasn't sure the IT-O unit could see in this lighting, but it would be important if it could.

"Very well. Dismissed." She didn't dare take a step forward just yet for fear the droid might spot the battle damage on her disguise. Instead, she held onto her patience and waited for the interrogator to leave.

Shira blushed when the Imperial looked over at her. It wasn't an uncommon reaction by humans, but it still made her rather shy.

Shira waited behind Celes and tried to look as intimidating and official as a cute but frail ghostling could. She didn't want to do or say anything that might give them away until she was sure the interrogator droid was no longer a threat.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:13, Mon 17 Sept 2018.

Whatever they feared might happen didn't, the interrogator droid glided smoothly past them and disappeared down a corridor, heading towards a charging station and maintenance shutdown.

With the horrid thing gone, Blissex spoke in a faraway, near-catatonic monotone...  “Asked technical questions. . . about Star Destroyers.. . makes no sense... ship must have been attacked. .. our chance to escape. ..”  Then Blissex went silent and TwoOneBee knew it would be best to let Blissex slowly recover on his own.  He was able to get Blissex on his feet and guide the old man, who followed like the most unquestioning of droids.

Among the Rebels, enough of them had been 'guests' of the Empire long and often enough to know what likely lie ahead in the darkness and smoke.  Ali said, "There is a guard station between these cells and the rest of the ship.  The guards we disabled would not be the full complement available on an undamaged ship.  Yet squads of reinforcements have not charged in after us so that is in our favor.   Your thoughts on how to handle this roadblock, gentles..."  Ali finished, addressing them all.

OOC:
Surprisingly, bypassing the interrogator droid is that easy according to the module.  It will no longer be any problem to you.

Blissex is a very passive, hypnotic state that he will recover from as he burns through the drugs in his system.

The detention center is much like the one Luke and Han rescued Leia from aboard the Death Star.  Ali is right in that waves of stormtroopers should be blasting you into premature end credits by now so the Imperials are obviously compromised in some way.  Rather than engage in long complicated descriptions and maps, I will simply assume at all times that your characters have a superb tactical awareness of the situation and won't make unwise choices.  You have the advantage of surprise, weaponry and similar uniforms; tactical advantages most prisoners don't have.

"Open the diors, toss a genade if we have one,  then use the doors as cover to fire into the guard room.  Unless we can hack the controls and evacuate the air from the room."  Grev says, his voice low as he kerps watch.

"If they're too busy to deal with us, we don't want to make ourselves a bigger target. Be ready for that firefight, but I can try to bluff our way past first, maybe get them to the other side of the ship."

Shira let out a sigh of relief when the interrogation droid left. "About Star Destroyers? I would think there's nothing about them the Empire doesn't know." she said, puzzled. "We'll get you out of here"

"I like the idea of bluffing, but arguing why Grev and Blissex are with us is going to take some fancy talking."

TwoOneBee was almost as relieved as Shira to see the interrogation droid depart.  He found their programming repulsive to say the least.  Many such droids seemed to develop a sadistic attitude in their vocation, or a passionless apathy which were equally abhorrent to a medical droid.  He hoped one day to help them, but right now he needed to focus on helping his friends and himself out of this mess.

"Surely no one would question the transfer of two important interrogated prisoners by an armed escort?  Considering the current state of this ship such a transfer to a more secure location,  prisoner transport shuttle or even life pod seems a plausible course of action.  Hopefully you can convince the guards, I do need to find Mr Blissex somewhere he can recover.  We would also benefit from such accommodations of course."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:26, Mon 01 Oct 2018.

Sundancer watched as his companions became prisoners and both them and the Imperials herding them left the chamber without noticing him.  He felt terrible about such a deception but the young Padawan should understand one day, and she had good friends to guide her should he not return.

Across the Force, he could feel the darkened soul heading towards this great vessel.  He had known the young Anakin Skywalker is passing during the good times just before the fall of everything.  He had been powerful even then.  Who knew what else the Dark Side had granted him now.

All right, you monster, let's meet again and see who will learn from who.  He thought to himself.  At least he hoped it was just to himself, Vader's perceptions were legendary.  Sundancer moved through another doorway than the others had used, seeking out his opponent.

OOC: A needed cutaway scene I needed to get to eventually.  I will let your characters decide what they need to do for a few more days.  You are all thinking clearly that I don't need to hint anything that your heroes don't already know. :-)

Celes nodded to Bee in the darkness, then again to Grev and Shira.

"Grev doesn't need to be armed to be dangerous, and they can't see he has no binders. We move fast, talk fast, and keep their attention elsewhere. All else fails, blast 'em. Let's go." With that, the bounty hunter started down the corridor, looking for all she was worth like she belonged. Aside from the awkward fit, she seemed relatively comfortable in the Imperial uniform. Her weapon was still drawn, as was to be expected in the situation, and a subtle shift of her eyebrows and mouth turned her usual determined glare into one of aloof annoyance. It wasn't likely anyone could see the expression in the dark, but it helped her get into the mindset, and slipping up now could cost them their escape.