Kyvarr remained behind as the others filed out.  Even if Devon didn't have work for her, she needed to work on their marine identity.  She'd eat later on since they were breaking for an hour.

OOC:  Well Devon/Cor have paused the briefing for an hour.  Food is available in the canteen.  Given your limited room to move you have the luxury of going to the canteen (where Heigren, Fiarr and Lin have gone), staying in the recreation area and heading to the dormitories.  Not a lot of choices but room is kind of at a premium here.

At present I have everyone in the recreation room except for the three I mentioned who moved to get some food.

Good call, Arcas thought about the pause. The plans sent in the air, his included, were all based on some singular idea. Although a simple plan was typically the best, some contingencies were not unwelcome.

Arcas wasn't hungry enough to return to military rations yet; They were probably stolen from the Imperial military engine. Instead, Arcas headed to the bookshelf and took the first book. Maintenance and use of BlasTech weaponry. With a small disappointed frown he put it back and drew another one. Modern starfighter tactics, vol. II He opened the book and checked the year it was written before shaking his head and putting it back. Modern indeed.

Eventually he ended up with Torch to Unknown, a pulp adventure about a group of hyperspace explorers who meet exotic peoples and bring the light of civilization to new cultures. It was either that or military books he had read or manuals he had no use for.

With the book in hand, Arcas sat down in the most comfortable spot he could find and started reading while listening in to the conversation around him.

Kira sat in silence, musing over the potential plans in her mind and her part. As a trainee bounty hunter, she could pull of the task of appearing as a bounty hunter...she knew the basics of the in's and out's of the life. Likewise, the plan as an imperial soldier on her behalf was plausible as a human, with the right gear she could look the part and follow orders.

She sat in the common room, not feeling hunger pulling her out of the room, instead drinking water in her silent thoughts, occasionally silently muttering something unheard by others to herself.

She would wait for Devon and his decision for any more input, but one path more than the other she could give some information on.

Fiarr looked over the food options.  Knowing Heigren, there wouldn't just be standard fare but even the Zeltron couldn't work miracles.  Still, she'd served on a carrier back in her starfighter days so was used to the food.  Military rations were quite delicious compared to some of the things she'd had to eat over her career.

Grabbing a tray she headed to a table in the canteen and waved Lin over.  "So what's your story?  You spend months on an Imperial prison camp, one of the worst I've ever seen and when you get back you join up with a group of ragtag nobodys who don't even have a role.  If you're as good with computers as you suggest you undoubtedly could find a job on a capital ship or more likely in counterintelligence.  Though you don't strike me as the 'military type'.  Why the Talons?"

Her tone was friendly, suggesting genuine interest.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:43, Mon 01 Jan 2018.

Lin shrugged. "You seem like a reasonably capable bunch that is fighting the Empire, hitting it where it hurts the most. Yes, I could probably become embedded with some intelligence taskforce and spend my time staring at the screens for the rest of my days, but it's not me. Yes, I am more than capable slicer, but it is not all I am. I have infiltrated places in broad daylight without people realizing who I am. I am not a desk jockey - I can work in the field, I can fly a starfighter. If the Talons give me a chance to do that, to do some real damage to the Empire instead of compiling intelligence data for someone does not listen, you know, really listen, then I am all in for the Talons. I might not be a soldier exactly, but I can hold my own in a fight if necessary", she said calmly.

Taking a quick look around to see if there was anyone within an earshot, she lowered her voice. "You know, Fiarr, I saw things at the camp. Things that make me want to fight the Empire. I wanted to fight it before I ended there, but now I want to fight it even more. The Imperials, they do not care, who they hurt. Their Moffs are a group of corrupt old men who care only for their own power and follow the Emperor only because he keeps them there. Do not take me wrong, there are still people serving the Empire out of fear or habit - belonging to something rather than remaining a nobody on some backwater planet. I understand them in a way. I was born high and rich, but never wanted that life. I snuck out of the family estate at night and hit the gambling dens down by the spaceport. I did not even have to resort to cheating - I could beat most spacers there in Sabacc with ease.

I begun to tally a rather nice stash of credits from that venture, but things changed. Had it not been for my uncle who ran in to me one night, no-one would have known. But we struck a deal and he never told my father. He introduced me to espionage and I ended up meeting Zyra on one of my jobs. That's also a reason, I was at the camp. I was caught delivering some very good data on an Imperial project to the meeting with practically everyone who is important in the rebellion, when we were ambushed. Did not manage to sneak out, because I was in the middle of it. Then, I was hit by a stun blast full on and woke up in cuffs."

"Sounds like you've led an interesting life; Pilot, slicer, infiltrator, gambler.  One thing has me curious though.  If you are skilled at infiltration, why ask me to attach your data taps?  Surely it makes more sense for a skilled slicer/infiltrator to do that themselves?  It wouldn't be hard to disguise you as human or Chiss.  That gives you greater freedom of movement than I."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:20, Mon 01 Jan 2018.

Heigren comes over to Fiarr and Lin.  "You ladies mind if I sit with you?  Doesn't seem to be many others who are hungry.  Surprised.  I thought they'd have drained the caf maker dry.  I instructed the droid to make it 'pilot briefing strength'.  Amusingly it understood what I meant.  Apparently it's about half way between battery acid and a Gamorrean chilli.  So probably only needs about twenty seconds to melt through the hull."

If there were no objections, Heigren sat with Lin and Fiarr at their table.

"By all means, my dear", Lin said to Heigren with a wink. That combined with the little occurrence at the party raised a question whether there was something going on between the two on the romantic front. "And it is quite simple, Fiarr. As a human, they will keep an eye on my comings and goings. Surely, they would keep an eye on your comings and goings, if they knew of you. My plan works on the assumption, they do not - that we can infiltrate you aboard under our guise and you can slip in to the ducts unnoticed. That way you would have an advantage as they would not know what to look for if they would even know to look for anything."

Fiarr smirked.  "Well considering escaping from a secure hangar undetected is a lot harder than slipping into a maintenance duct in a deserted corridor I'm assuming you just don't like to get your clothes dirty."

Devon stood and stretched.
"Enjoy your hour, guys - but keep thinkin'.

Hey Kyvarr, I gotta run an errand to the Ghtroc... since thats in the hanger an officially I'm a lowly trooper, I'm guessin' I'd need your permission to go there?  If anyone asks, I'll tell 'em you ordered me to do some stuff in the ship since I'm one of your qualified engineers.  That should make me bein' in the hanger nice an' official, right?

See you in an hour."

Devon headed out of the canteen, collected his toolkit from the barracks and headed down to the hanger.  When he arrived at the hanger, Devon chatted briefly with the Deck Officer to explain what he was doing in the hanger, but the man waved the explanation away as soon as Devon got the bit about Kyvarr ordering him to do it.  The Deck Officer was busy, and with Devon now being an official presence in the hanger, he ignored the Corellian and got back to his own work.
Devon shrugged and boarded the Ghtroc with no further fanfare.  As he did, his shipjackers brain was thinking about what had just happened... the Deck Officer had accepted Devons story without question - he hadn't called Kyvarr or done anything to check.  Devon found himself once again asking himself the same question a career ship thief always asked when they found a potential weakpoint in security...

Can I use this to my advantage?  and the far bigger and ultimately more entertaining question:  If I had to do it... how would I take the Indefatigable?
He wondered about setting the same question to the Talons as a thought experiment.  Maybe after the mission - best not to distract them now.

Aboard the Ghtroc, he headed up to the cockpit and dropped into the co-pilots seat.  For the look of things he popped open an inspection panel, laid out his tools and started some basic maintenance.
Then he activated his Talon commlink.

OOC:  switching to PM

"Understood sir."  When not in the presence of others, she fell back into the Talon hierarchy.  "Have anyone with a query contact me by comm."  She pulled out a datapad and made a note to write up the order later.

She instead made her way over to where Arcas was sitting and took a seat near him.  She eyed the cover of his book and was surprised by it.

"Good book?" she queried.

Arcas turned a page. "The prelude desperately wants me to like the main character." After eyeing the next page, he closed the book and sighs. "I prefer nonfiction."

He turned his attention to the felinoid. "Not hungry?"

Mika settles back into her chair.  "Like I could pass for a bounty hunger, or an Imperial."  She observes aloud but not directing the comment to anyone in particular.

She glances over at Kira.  "How do you pull off the bounty hunger gig?"  Kira wasn't all that big and scary-looking.  But all that's only on the surface, her mind continues to crunch on plans to infiltrate the base.

Kyvarr shrugged.  "We have an hour.  Besides, while Heigren is no soldier I'm sure he's arranged enough food to feed the ship."  She made a note to check the alcohol stores.  Couldn't have the 'marine squad' drunk the whole time.

"So why the Talons?  You're clearly a capable pilot and would be welcomed in any fighter squadron.  Why stay here, especially given your. . .concerns about this war."

Aderek took the time to go grab a bite to eat and drink, taking a short reprieve from the planning.  He let the others grab their food first.  He eyed the options, he was surprised by the options given the limitations he was well aware of.  He had no problems with the military rations, they were in his opinion better than much of what he got from the jungle food, since he had not been on the top of the influence ladder there.

He stops a moment to thank Heigren for his obvious efforts in pulling together the varied foods for the event.

Heigren shrugged away Aderek's thanks.  "This is nothing.  Team works better on food and caf.  When we get some real downtime I'll take you out for an evening you won't forget!"

He gestured to a seat.  "Sit with us.  Lin and Fiarr were discussing who gets to crawl around in dark holes.  Join us, tell us about yourself.  Pays to know each other before we go raiding Imperial bases together."

Arcas looked at Fiarr and leaned back. "My options are quite limited. I can't return home without endangering my family and myself. Any place where the Empire has influence is a risk." Arcas turned his gaze towards a wall poster. "That means leaving for the Outer Rim or staying here. Oh, I am certain I could find employment somewhere, but that would be abandoning what I believe in and running away."

Arcas fell silent for a moment. "This is the best way I can affect the future of the Galaxy that circumstance allows. In a starfighter squadron I would be putting on bactapatches on injuries at best or just be perpetuating bloodshed at worst."

Aderek goes ahead and takes a seat as invited.

"Me, I used to run a medical practice in Reclamation Station [a small station in the fringes that many would probably not have heard about, made from remnants from some destroyed capital ships.].  I sort of specialized in prosthetic systems, given my own personal experience having dropped me in the middle of the topic.  But, out in the fringes, your specializations get you the bigger buck, but most are flexible with the breadth of what work you take.  I had plenty of work that would qualify more as general practice, even done plenty of child birth, and some species have some interesting anatomy relating to it."  He chuckles.  "Also had been on the board there at the station with regard to their life support infrastructure, for the station.  Had my med suite, personal quarters, and even some rental suites.  I'm certain the imperials confiscated it, or more likely turned it over to someone they thought was sympathetic to them.  They thought I was involved in some purported plot by a past associate of mine, from back in the old days.  I had no idea what they were talking about, don't necessarily doubt their accusation with respect to him, but I hadn't heard from him for years.  However, the concentration camp certainly concentrated my dislike for the new 'Empire' and its interests."

He takes a bite of his food, washing it down with some drink.

CC9 angles its head slightly, regarding Arcas for several long moments.  It doesn't move, however, keeping to its spot by the wall like a particularly menacing guard.

Kyvarr laughed at Arcas's last statement.  "Spoken like a true flyboy.  You have no concept of bloodshed until you've got down in the mud with the grunts.  Down on the prison planet I killed dozens of prisoners whose only real crime was being driven mad from starvation."

"If you stay with the Talons you will need to kill and you won't always have the luxury of stopping to decide if he deserves it.  On a previous mission we killed dozens who may or may not have been innocent civilians caught up in a riot."

"Coompared to this you fighter jocks have it easy.  Your opponent has a weapon and some training in its use.  She stepped into that fighter knowing she might die.  Downright civilised compared to what you'll need to do with us."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:24, Sat 06 Jan 2018.

Kira snapped out of her musing and looked at Mika with a smile. "Like how you know machines i guess....training and luck. When i was young i was orphaned and found my way on a mercenary ship. The captain was a crusty on man, but he was kind to a kid like me." She stretched and and continued. "He was a former bounty hunter, and taught me what he knew. He said i was gifted in some aspect in it, but i lacked focus."

She mused at her training at the man's hand, learning many lessons the hard way...some resulting in injury. Though it was a hard lesson, she learnt quickly. His methods were hard, but she learnt well that way.

She looked at Mika. "I aren't technically a bounty hunter....just have the skills of one, though not as skilled as many. But bounty hunter's are a unusual bunch. Their skills lie in finding people and stealth." She sighs as she looks at Mika....she could have easily been like the woman if her father had still been alive.

"Being a bounty hunter isn't about size or strength....it's about planning, knowledge of what you have to do and confidence."

Mika returns her attention to Kira.  "Give me a broken inverter module and I've got knowledge and confidence aplenty that I can fix it, or I can craft a replacement.  But I don't see how I could apply that to hunting down a bounty."

Mika pauses, thinking back on some of the scraps the Talons had been in together since she signed on.  When it came to it, she'd stuck in and had done what she had to, not that she'd had all that success when it came to slinging a blaster.  No, if she was going to pass herself off as a bounty hunter, she'd need a lot more seasoning than the could afford on this job.

"Good stuff, thanks, but I don't think I'm gonna pull off playing a bounty hunter in the next couple of days.  Still, if the Imps have female maintenance tech's, maybe I could pull that off."  Her in a brisk uniform, saluting and 'sir'ing' people at every turn... "Or maybe not so much..." she adds in a subdued tone.

Arcas gave a short chortle. "I'm not afraid to pull the trigger should the situation require. If the Empire taught one thing well, it was how to end lives."

"With the Talons I trust I can influence our operations before the first moves are made. With any larger organisation one's trust must be in the wisdom and foresight of the ones on top."

Arcas waved his hand. "Take this operation for example. I wholly support our actual goal: Stealing supplies from the Empire. I know first hand that they would most likely go to waste, so redistributing them to the galactic populace for peaceful purposes is the best way to garner sympathy", he explained. "But what I don't understand is why the station should be destroyed. I'm certain it has some strategic significance to the fleet, but I doubt the command is going to bother telling the grunts about it."

"And having been in an organisation that demanded blind obedience, I'm sure you can see why I am tired of shedding blood without knowing why and for what purpose."

"Arcas Endeel."  CC9's voice is heavy, monotone.  "Suggested probable scenario: you may be mistaken about the reason for this proposed mission.  I shall clarify.  Mission parameters: liberate supplies, ships, technology.  Optional parameters: destroy station.

"This is not a mercy mission.  It is a military strike against an enemy installation manned by hostile forces.  Extrapolating that the supplies will be distributed to anyone but the Alliance to Restore the Republic is premature at best, naive stupidity at worst.  If nothing else, there would be little to no logical point in distributing military starships, which are one suggested part of our objectives, to the galactic populace."

The droid does not shift an inch, keeping the human in its sights.

"Additionally: disseminating all tactical information to every organic member of a military structure is uselessly inefficient.  Even the information given by Jax and Sheppard to the Talons prior to the founding of the Alliance was incomplete and, at times, mere courtesy.  In a larger structure every single organic would be thrown into inefficiency by your conflicting organic programming.  All military structures, and even your organic governments, understand this as fact.

"Should you wish to avoid being told only as much information as you need to perform your function efficiently but no more, you would be well-advised to vote against the Talons joining the Alliance.  To swear yourself to another master while you wish to remain your own is illogical."