"yeah, right." mumbled Devon as he got back to work.
"Lets just hope that the muscle doesn't arrive wearing standard issue white armour."

Devon paused to check a circuit diagram on his datapad, then typed a brief reply to A9.
"How's it look from where you are?  We've got the safeties and error checks turned off now, so if we can trace the encryption circuits and pull them out of the loop, we should be able to send the main computer an 'unlock' signal and it'd think it was genuine, right?"

A sudden rush of beeps and excited electronic chirps from the R2 unit is accompanied, about ten minutes later, by the sound of the hangar door opening.

Cor and Zyra walk in.  Cor is blindfolded and has both hands on the top of A9's shiny dome as the astromech guides her toward the ship.

The Umbaran is in a form-fitting slinky black dress that manages to be both sexy and classy, black thigh-high platform boots and several bracelets around each wrist.  Under the impromptu blindfold the shape of wraparound sunglasses can be seen.  It's a shiny, sexy outfit that's obviously meant to be alluring but not get her arrested.

Her manner, though, doesn't match the clothing.  She's tense and shivering, keeping her head as still as she can.  Nonetheless her footfalls don't seem to falter any as she walks.  One of her hands, resting on A9's head, tightly clasps a datapad.

The astromech, for his part, seems quite accustomed to his mistress's foibles and unerringly directs her toward the ship.

OOC:  Just to clarify, Cor, Zyra and A9 are now in the hanger, heading for the ship?  I believe we locked down access to the ship, though of course if Devon and Mika could hack the lock, others could too.

Zyra follows closely behind, similarly blindfolded, her arm latched firmly on to B2-CC9's.  Once the group is inside, their 'handlers' speak quickly to CC9, turn and leave the hangar.  Once gone, R2-A9 quickly shuts and locks the door and are able to remove their blindfolds.


OOC: To clarify, nobody outside the ship can get in unless they slice the controls or ask Mika or Devon nicely to let them in.   However Mika and Devon have yet to be told of their 'guests' so wouldn't know (A9 is serving as their eyes, ironic as he doesn't possess any!).  Mika and Devon need a few more minutes to bypass security and then preflight the ship.  Hopefully someone has a plan to get this ship offworld!

Beeps and whistles.  Beeps and whistles!

Cor keeps her blindfold on. It seems hers is in place for somewhat different reasons to Zyra's.  Quite a contrast to the talking she's been doing over the comm channel, the Umbaran is silent now.

Mika gives another muttered curse word.  "i just got my hands past that damn inducer and into the wiring matrix.  You mind lettin' 'em in?"  Mika considers Devon to be the senior guy inside the ship and she feels a bit awkward asking him to play doorman, but shereally didn't want to turn loose of the components she'd finally managed to access just yet.

Devon scrambled out from under the control panel he was working on and peered out at the droids and two blindfolded figures.
"what the hell? they're wearing blindfolds..."  he gave Mika a puzzled look.
"What's that about? Cant see anyone else with them and A9's messages don't mentioning any problems.. I think we might be OK."
Devon pondered for a moment, then slid his blaster from its holster, checked its settings and put it back. "I'll go get 'em.  But if you hear any blood curdling screams, you come rescue me, OK?"

Trotting quickly down to the main hatch, Devon thumbed the switch to open it.
With one hand on his blaster Devon crouched to peer through the widening gap as the ramp lowered and looked hurriedly around.
"We're having a mildly paranoid day here, so get in here fast and then we can swap stories."
As soon as they were on board, Devon jabbed the hatch controls again, causing it to start closing.

Zyra seems amused by Devon's antics.  She brushed past him with a smile.  She is wearing a long coat that is open in front which reveals the dress she is wearing.  A matte black with shining green gems, it is cut low and seems a little small.  It does little to hide Zyra's cleavage.  Her dress is long but with a very long slit up the side.  Her horns are gilded in gold leaf and her face is heavily made-up, which is quite unusual for her.  She also wears a far amount of gold jewellrey, one long chain especially which drew the eyes downwards to her plunging neckline, not that any self-respecting male needed such help.

"B2-CC9, could you assist your mistress onboard please?  Seven, why don't you take us to wherever Ten is hiding and you can bring us up to speed on your actions."

Zyra moves to wherever Devon indicates Mika is located.

The combat droid stares at Zyra a moment.  Who knows what it's thinking?

"By your command."  Then it takes Cor's hand and guides her into the ship's interior.  Tromping down the corridor a little way it then stops and commences a very obvious weapons check on its blaster rifle.

A9, having relinquished his mistress to the huge battle droid and having no other orders, heads back to the hangar computer.

Cor waits until she hears the docking ramp clamp shut behind them.  When CC9 releases her she feels for the wall, and then for the opposite wall.  She turns carefully to face one of them - the other wall, toward the ship's hull - before removing her blindfold.  Staring at the wall seems to calm her down and then after a few moments she starts looking about the corridor curiously.  "Yes, Mister Nallis has requested a situation report on the ship's status.  Again."

Then she speaks to the battle droid in a low voice, her words phrased carefully in Umbaran.

"By your command," the droid responds and immediately lumbers off down the corridor.

'Mister Nallis can go shove his sniper rifle up his...'  Devon trailed off into harmless sub-vocal grumbling.  'We'll report when there's something to report.  He needs to leave us to get on with things.'

'I think the Talons are not having their best day ever, ladies.  From what we've been hearing on the comms, it seems like things are going wrong everywhere'  Devon gave Zyra and Cor an apologetic grin and turned to lead the way up to the bridge.  'And thats left us more than a little twitchy.  Still, its good to see you guys.'

Stepping over Mika and various scattered tools, Devon perched on a console that had a dent in its casing where someone must have kicked it at some point. 'Can we make this quick - still got work to do here if we want to fly this bucket.'

Devon glanced from Cor to Zyra. 'Looks like you guys have been having fun.  We got in here OK, with some help from A9.  Little guy is invaluable - especially given that local security assume hes a droid from one of the ships and basically let him go where he likes.  Front desk thinks me and Mika are private security contractors running a check on the ship at the captains request; our clearance expires in about another... two hours.'

OOC:  I think its two hours?  not sure and having to post from my mobile phone so cant check easily.  if its not 2 hours, someone please correct me!

Devon paused, gathering his thoughts.  The sight of Zyra and Cor obviously wasnt helping his concentration.
'Our main problem here is that I managed to electrocute myself... and the feedback sent the ship into total lockdown.  Right now we cant even switch a damn light on.  We're working on it.  Should have full control in another half hour or so.'

Actually, it was more like ten minutes.  But like many other engineers, Devon believed in the idea of always saying things would take longer than was actually true.  That way, when you finished on time they thought you were a miracle worker.  He hoped Mika shared the belief and didnt correct him.

Zyra smiled at Devon's report.

"Do not worry about your clearances, that is all in hand.  We'll be leaving as soon as you're ready."

"Cor, could you assist with repairs?  I'd be grateful if you could shave some time off Mr Kismet's schedule."

"I can," Cor nods, "though ship engineering is not my speciality and I may be of more use on the comms still.  Unless, that is, Mister Nallis has the extraction - or elimination - of Troop leader well in hand.  A9 is a skilled mechanic," she adds to Devon.  "Did he refuse to provide repair assistance?"  The Umbaran looks concerned; does her astromech require an 'adjustment'?

Mika voice is muffled by the fact that she's still buried to the waist in a maintenance hatch.  "Nope, A9's great.  But we needed someone on watch and he was the least conspicuous.  Besides, we figured between the two of us, Devon and I could handle the ship.  I've got to say, we'd probably be done now if it weren't for all of the interruptions.  Can someone hand me that hydrospanner, the little one with the blue handle?"

"Ah, of course."  She nods thoughtfully.  If she has any opinions on the interruptions that the shipjacking team have experienced then certainly she doesn't voice them.  She tugs the hem of her skirt up a little to aid bending - coincidentally exposing considerably more leg, which probably doesn't help Devon's concentration any more - and squats down by the hatch to hand the hydrospanner to Mika.

'I'm guessing you sent CC9 off on guard duty?  Hope he's going to stay out of sight.  A9 doesnt look out of place round here, but a battledroid?  Might raise a few eyebrows.'
Laying down on his back, Devon pulled himself back underneath the panel he had been working on.
'Then again, I'm betting your outfits did that too.  So you say you've got our clearances sorted?  AND permission for us to fly? What did you do?'  he stuck his head back out for a moment and grinned up at the two women.  'And who did you do it to?  For that matter, I just gotta ask... what was with the blindfolds?'

Devon worked in silence for a few moments, then one hand emerged and groped round in the scatter of tools on the floor.  Devon could apparantly identify his tools by touch because there was no hesitation when he selected a particular dataline probe.
'So whats going on out there?  And what are we going to do with that storm trooper who says he's helping us?'  Even with his voice muffled by the console he was working in, the others could hear the emphasis Devon put on the word 'says'

"Quite full of questions, mmm?"  Cor starts scanning the ship where the pair are working on it, making a few mental notes before starting to get her hands dirty.  "CC9 will remain out of sight to anyone who cannot stare through ship hulls.  If someone who can see through solid metal and plasteel comes along then we will be in a little trouble, yes.  But for the moment he is patrolling inside the ship, not outside of it."

She waves in Zyra's direction as she's taking data readings from a collection of instruments, keeping a close eye on data flow.  The lack of her normal toolkit is aggravating her, though.  "Ms Jax dealt with air clearance.  You would have to direct your questions regarding her private business to her.  The blindfolds were for... mutual protection.  Mine came in handy, as it turned out."  She doesn't elaborate, but she does continue.

"What is happening is that Mister Nallis is meeting with the Troop Leader and, I sincerely hope, assessing whether he should be put down or taken into... our care.  What we are going to do with him is, I suspect, not something you or I have much say in."

After a few moments she taps her commlink earpiece (see comms thread).  Once she's said her piece (seems she knows how to be... lenient in her time estimations, too) she rolls up her proverbial sleeves and gets to work helping fix their ride.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:48, Fri 20 July 2012.

Zyra had seated herself in the pilot's chair and was going through what little of the preflight checklist she could without power.  Hearing all Devon's questions to Cor, Zyra turns.  "Now, now Mister Kismet.  You and Mika just finished telling us how you can't get your work done due to distractions.  We can't have Ms Lambar distracting you now can we?  We can talk when your work is done."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:57, Sat 21 July 2012.

With a third engineer helping out, the work goes even faster and less than five minutes later, the ship begins to whir to life as systems begin coming online.


OOC:  You have bypassed security.  Probably would pay not to shut down systems until you've had time to completely take over the system, but for now you have full ship control.  You could have her airborne in a few minutes

The pilots controls emitted a subdued chime and several screens lit up.
"Yes!"  shouted Devon from underneath his console.
He scrambled hurriedly out, and leaned past Zyra with a mumbled 'scuse me' to start typing typing commands into the pilots console she had been working on, studying the results and flipping through menus almost too fast for her to follow what he was doing.
"A qualified 'yes', a limited 'yes'... but we've got her.  She's taking orders and we can lift soon as preflight is done." He grinned round at the others and then continued typing.  There was a large component of relief in Devon's grin.
"What ever you do, DON'T log out of anything that's logged in - we still don't know the command passcodes... all we've done is bypass them.  It'll take time to convince the ship to let us to change the passcodes, but that's only an issue if the real owner realizes we've jacked his ride AND has a transmitter that can reach her."

Devon quickly bolted the console he had been working on shut and scooped his tools back into their kit.
"We need to run preflight if we want to go anywhere."  He looked at Zyra.  "This can is designed for a one man crew, but we can speed things up a LOT if we have someone in engineering, and a separate navigator."

"I am sure we have more than one person able to pilot, there are two engineers right here, and an astromech outside," Cor says mildly, straightening and brushing her dress down. She pulls out her datapad again and brings up some maps, making notes here and there.