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, welcome to STAR WARS - Episode IVa - Another Hope (SWd6 2e)

22:23, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den.

Posted by The ForceFor group 0
The Force
GM, 1132 posts
These aren't the dice
rolls you're looking for.
Wed 10 Jun 2020
at 20:31
  • msg #58

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

It takes less than a half hour to carefully survey the perimeter of the net and detach all of the devices.  Hopefully all...

And, as it turns out. it was all.  The net is no longer rigged to... do whatever it is the devices were designed for.

Vekkis Lund eyes the tall fins on the shuttle.  "We need a way to get the net off without it snagging up there."

Further inspection, and, "From here the shuttle looks to be in good shape,  I'd say it probably hasn't been here too long."

In the distance the sounds of battle continue...
Rhijans Thanus
player, 1470 posts
Just let me do my job and
nobody else gets hurt.
Thu 11 Jun 2020
at 06:08
  • msg #59

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Rhijans shrugged.  "Suppose this stuff is durable enough to climb?" he asked.  It was, of course, intended for camoflage...just it could also bear some additional weight, or it would be useless in any kind of extreme weather conditions.

"It wouldn't be fast, but I could climb up there and pull it up and over the top.  Getting down could be interesting...but if nobody's got any better ideas..."  He shrugged, then added, "We could always pull what we can loose, and whatever snags, we just cut off and then burn it off with atmospheric friction...wouldn't be as effective for covering your ship, but it would be a lot faster and safer."

Whoever had left the shuttle here had obviously had some kind of technique for getting the netting up and over the shuttle, but they hadn't left those tools behind.  His lips pursed again, as another thought hit his mind.  "Or we could use your ship...tie one side of the net to the landing struts, lift it up and over and then bring it down to untie it.  It's the most likely to get us seen, but the least likely to get any of us directly hurt.  And it would be the fastest."  He looked up in the direction of the ongoing battle, trying to gauge whether it was moving, and if so, in which direction...
Vekkis Lund
NPC, 20 posts
My other ship's a
star destroyer.
Sun 14 Jun 2020
at 19:21
  • msg #60

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

"Fast is good, I think." Lund agrees.  "And we can use the shuttle to haul the net over the Gambit, then move the Gambit into the place where the shuttle stands now.  It'll be a tight fit, but it should be doable."

"Then we leave, just as fast as we can."

He considers for a moment, then, "Shouldn't take too long from here to Ord Mantell, even in this Imperial tub."

And that brings a smile to Karra Hedine's face...
Rhijans Thanus
player, 1471 posts
Just let me do my job and
nobody else gets hurt.
Mon 15 Jun 2020
at 00:09
  • msg #61

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Rhijans nodded.  "I think I can help speed things up, if you trust me at the controls...that way you're not having to run back and forth between both craft."  It had been a while since he'd been the one in charge of the controls...but he did know a few things about flying, and while he wasn't ready to jump into a dogfight with a TIE fighter anytime soon, the stuff involved in shuffling the two ships' positions was pretty basic, routine maneuvering.
Haarmon Dak
player, 860 posts
Are you talking to me?
Mon 15 Jun 2020
at 15:00
  • msg #62

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Haarmon didn't have any bright ideas. You can't Slice in a swamp, after all. He did his due diligence in searching the perimeter of the shuttle, but he probably went slower (way slower) than anyone. He didn't really trust himself to find the damn things and he didn't want to be the guy setting one off.

As they discussed the netting, he went up the access hatch. He wanted to see if he could get in. Or if the whole thing would blow up if he tried.
Shard
player, 1503 posts
Most days, I'm tired.
...or drunk.
Wed 17 Jun 2020
at 14:26
  • msg #63

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

When finished, Shard takes some time to relax.  It's stressful business; there's always the chance she'll miss something, and that something will pop up in her face before exploding.  She's seen it before, and it wasn't pretty at the time.

Or after.

When the stress-relief is finished, the older woman marches to where Rhijans and Lund discuss take-off.  From the corner of her eye, she notes Haarmon heading for the hatch...and dismisses concerns.  She trusts he knows his business, and he's not a child; apprentice or not, best she stops treating the young man as such. "I'm no good for flying things," she admits.  "At best, I'm an inspired passenger.  So I'll leave moving the ships to the two of you."
Vekkis Lund
NPC, 21 posts
My other ship's a
star destroyer.
Wed 17 Jun 2020
at 21:01
  • msg #64

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Lund smiles, "Sounds like a good idea.  Just don't scratch her."

Haarmon, perhaps surprisingly, finds that the shuttle's hatch, while closed, is not locked.  The ramp drops and the inner hatch slides open smoothly, as interior lighting flickers to life.

A lone figure appears at the top of the ramp, a Human male, bearded and immaculately dressed in some sort of dark grey uniform.  He bows.  "Welcome aboard Captain Ansart.  I trust you will find this vessel to your satisfaction.  Oomba is, of course, awaiting his... finder's fee.  Failure to pay the agreed sum will, naturally, result in a contract being drawn up with a bounty hunter to terminate your existence."
Juragga
player, 651 posts
Wookiee Warrior
Bringing the Boom
Thu 18 Jun 2020
at 17:07
  • msg #65

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Juragga rumbled an offer to help.  He wasn't an ace pilot, but a skilled astrogator and gunner.  And he could certainly pilot a ship on basic manuevers.
Haarmon Dak
player, 861 posts
Are you talking to me?
Sun 21 Jun 2020
at 14:59
  • msg #66

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Well, that stopped Haarmon dead in his tracks. Apparently this was all for someone else. Some dude named Ansart. The only question now was, how far into this did he want to stick his foot?

"How long have you been waiting here?" he asked. That was pretty safe.
The Force
GM, 1134 posts
These aren't the dice
rolls you're looking for.
Sun 21 Jun 2020
at 21:31
  • msg #67

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

The lights flicker momentarily, and the stranger replies to Haarmon's question, though his answer seems somewhat nonsensical... "Welcome aboard Captain Ansart.  I trust you will find this vessel to your satisfaction.  Oomba is, of course, awaiting his... finder's fee.  Failure to pay the agreed sum will, naturally, result in a contract being drawn up with a bounty hunter to terminate your existence."

The lights dim again.

"Welcome aboard Captain Ansart.  I trust you will find this vessel to your satisfaction.  Oomba is, of course, awaiting his... finder's fee.  Failure to pay the agreed sum will, naturally, result in a contract being drawn up with a bounty hunter to terminate your existence."
Shard
player, 1504 posts
Most days, I'm tired.
...or drunk.
Wed 24 Jun 2020
at 13:58
  • msg #68

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Oh, void.

"Oomba."  Shard heaves a heavier sigh than normal, which takes some doing.  "Just fantastic.  Everywhere we go, we're either tripping over him, or Nimadda."  It could be, she supposes, far worse; it might be both.

Slowly walking to where Haarmon regards the holomessage, she studies it with fatalistic curiosity.  "Anyone know an Ansart?" she inquires, but her eyes flick toward Rhijans.  He's a bounty hunter; if this is old, perhaps he has heard of a contract put on Ansart's head.

"Finder's fee," she muses.  "For what?  Cargo from this world?  Something Ansart was supposed to pick up?  Who's betting we find something worrisome in the hold of this ship?"
Rhijans Thanus
player, 1472 posts
Just let me do my job and
nobody else gets hurt.
Wed 24 Jun 2020
at 15:44
  • msg #69

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Rhijans shrugged.  "It's a stolen Imperial shuttle...that's enough to warrant a founder's fee, all on its own," he answered, as he turned to see what had elicited the question (he had, after all, been well outside the shuttle discussing flight options with Lund).

"Leaves me wondering just how Kourene got word that this shuttle was here, though...at a guess, they captured Ansart, or he's some kind of Alliance asset.  Any other option would only mean that they knew a shuttle had been left here...they wouldn't have known that the guy who arranged for it hadn't taken it already."

He glanced at the netting that had been cut loose, and gave another shrug.  "My guess?  Ansart is, or was, an Alliance asset, this was arranged for something he was going to do, and he never made it here.  Jungles grow fast, if this had been here very long, the netting would have a lot more stuff growing through it...but it wasn't brought here for us, been sitting too long for that."

He turned back, giving Lund a wave to indicate he'd take care of the shuttle, letting Lund take care of his own ship, and turned starting up the ramp.

"Whoever he may be, Ansart isn't here now.  If he's dead, Oomba can send out all the bounty hunters he wants, he's not getting anything for his efforts.  And if he's Alliance, they'll find a way to pay Oomba's fee...they can't afford to compromise an agent with those kinds of connections."
Vekkis Lund
NPC, 22 posts
My other ship's a
star destroyer.
Wed 24 Jun 2020
at 18:54
  • msg #70

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

"Smuggler!" Lund says, snapping his fingers, "Ansart was a smuggler, came to see Oomba... maybe five or six years ago.  Wanted something and made a deal with the Hutt.  For two or three months Oomba had people coming to see him about that something, helping him to find it.  Finally one of them reported success.  But I don't think Ansart ever came back to see if Oomba had gotten hold of it."

"Nobody ever mentioned the topic again, not in front of Oomba or anybody who was likely to run to him."

He smiles thoughtfully, "My guess would be that this is the something, and Ansart probably died before he could get to it."
Shard
player, 1505 posts
Most days, I'm tired.
...or drunk.
Sun 28 Jun 2020
at 14:33
  • msg #71

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Shard listens, considers, and listens some more.  "All that makes sense to me.  I'm going to suggest we search the inside of the shuttle with the same kind of pickiness we did the outside," she finally decides.  "If this thing was important, it's pretty likely its new 'owner' left behind some more toys to keep others away." 

Happy thoughts.

After a flicker of uncertainty, her visage firms up.  "So...right."  With that, Shard edges past the holo and starts a slow, careful entry of the ship, searching the area for suspicious threads, wires, or even lights.  Then she pauses.  "Probably better ways of doing this," the woman mutters.

Find the pulse.

Slipping deep within, she hunts for the balance point between her fear and her calm, searching for a stable place to stand within her own spirit.
The Force
GM, 1135 posts
These aren't the dice
rolls you're looking for.
Sun 28 Jun 2020
at 21:02
  • msg #72

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Karra Hedine frowns.  "Ansart never came back?  This Oomba is a Hutt, right?  Why would a Hutt leave a valuable shuttle sitting all the way out here if his customer never came back to pay him for it?  That doesn't sound like the way a Hutt would run his business."

"I have a bad feeling about this."


Vekkis Lund grunts noncommitally.  "If Ansart found the ship, I would guess the first thing he would do would be to switch off that annoying message.  Speaking of which... " he disappears into the interior of the shuttle.
Juragga
player, 652 posts
Wookiee Warrior
Bringing the Boom
Mon 29 Jun 2020
at 04:27
  • msg #73

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Juragga scratched his shaggy head, trying to follow the sudden turn of events.

"Waaaarrrrrgh," he rumbled.  I can search the shuttle top to bottom.
Rhijans Thanus
player, 1473 posts
Just let me do my job and
nobody else gets hurt.
Mon 29 Jun 2020
at 06:25
  • msg #74

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Rhijans shrugged noncommitally.  "I'm guessing Oomba was hedging his bets.  There wasn't a whole lotta uproar at Oomba's after those Imperial ships came in-system and ended up hunting for us for a while.  Tells me Oomba's got some kind of deal with the Empire.  Wouldn't surprise me if he sold out Ansart.  Message was left here in case Ansart eluded the Empire, that way Oomba would still get payment.  Probably got the shuttle in exchange for a promise to sell out the guy looking for it."

He continued as he moved into the shuttle.  "There could be some kind of tracker on it...that would allow Oomba to turn over anyone else that took it...might even also be an Imperial tracker because they didn't trust Oomba's offer to turn Ansart over.  Or it could just have been left here...if Oomba got it as part of a deal, it didn't really cost him anything, and having an Imperial shuttle around would raise questions among a lot of the people Oomba deals with, so there wasn't much incentive to retrieve it.  And if it was part of a sell-out deal, and any of Ansart's crew got away, there's actually a vested interest in letting it disappear...the shuttle is evidence that connects Oomba and Ansart, and while the Empire might not be fused about the connection, there are smugglers and other crime organizations that might stop dealing with him completely over something like that."

He stopped, and turned to face Hedine.  "I'm not saying we shouldn't search...very thoroughly...but there's plenty of good reasons for Oomba to have lect this sitting out here for an extended period."

He gave another shrug, and added, "It's equally likely that he had nothing to do with Ansart's disappearance...in which case I'd almost guarantee some kind of tracker is on board, so he could tell when Ansart found it and started using it, and could begin arrangements if Ansart never paid up."
Haarmon Dak
player, 862 posts
Are you talking to me?
Mon 29 Jun 2020
at 13:44
  • msg #75

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Haarmon stood at the doorway, staring into the shadowy interior. "Well," he said, "If someone wants to tell me with some certainty that taking ten steps ain't gonna turn me into Bantha-burger, I can get to that terminal over there and see what I can see."
Rhijans Thanus
player, 1474 posts
Just let me do my job and
nobody else gets hurt.
Mon 29 Jun 2020
at 15:20
  • msg #76

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

A vague hint of a smile played across Rhijans' face.  "Well, it's no more likely to prove fatal than anything else we've done in the last couple of months."  He didn't watch to see if Haarmon moved into the ship or not, just continued inward, heading toward the cockpit.
Shard
player, 1506 posts
Most days, I'm tired.
...or drunk.
Mon 29 Jun 2020
at 15:30
  • msg #77

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Shard winces, rubbing her forehead.  She forgot how painfully...sharp...the sensations can be, and this came as a bitter reminder.  The voices of her companions rolls over the older woman like thunder; with some effort, she filters them away, listening instead to the dripping of water, the drone of insects...  Squinting slightly, she nods before stepping forward to deftly snag a small holoprojector from beneath a passenger seat...but not before checking over for wires and other surprises.

"Found our message.  Maybe there's something more in this, Haarmon.  Why not have a look?"  With that, the older woman proffers the device to their resident tech wizard.  "I'm going to join Juragga and have a look around for cargo...and smuggler's compartments."

Rhijans, after all, has the cockpit well in-hand.  With a wave to the Wookie, Shard indicates he should lead on.  "Let's figure out what the big deal was about this thing, hm?"
Juragga
player, 653 posts
Wookiee Warrior
Bringing the Boom
Mon 29 Jun 2020
at 17:16
  • msg #78

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Juragga nodded, shuffling forward on shaggy feet to take the lead.  He spared a concerned glance at Haarmon as he did so, hoping the kid would be okay and nobody had wired the terminal in some nefarious manner.
The Force
GM, 1136 posts
These aren't the dice
rolls you're looking for.
Wed 1 Jul 2020
at 21:18
  • msg #79

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

In the cockpit, Lund is running diagnostics on the computer, and watching for anything that looks unusual.  As Rhijan's enters, he looks around and says, "I'm not seeing anything unusual".  In one hand he holds an access panel with the words, "Careful - Not finished checking yet" scrawled on it.

Shard and Juragga carefully search the interior of the ship.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, they find no smuggling compartments on the Imperial vessel, and no cargo.
Rhijans Thanus
player, 1475 posts
Just let me do my job and
nobody else gets hurt.
Wed 1 Jul 2020
at 23:40
  • msg #80

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

Rhijans nodded at Lund's report, leaving the pilot plenty of room to work.  Rhijans could fly these things...but he knew precious little about fixing them, and a half-competent tech would likely be able to splice a tracking device in line in such a way that Rhijans wouldn't notice that it didn't belong there.

"Any rumors about why Ansart wanted an Imperial shuttle?" he asked.  While it was military-grade equipment, a shuttle wasn't exactly the optimal vessel for smuggling...no significant cargo space, and it wouldn't be likely to outrun any fighter craft...  They, themselves, needed it for infiltration, which was it's best illicit function...
Juragga
player, 654 posts
Wookiee Warrior
Bringing the Boom
Fri 3 Jul 2020
at 17:36
  • msg #81

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

"GuhhhrRRAAAAAWWWwwwwrrruhhhn," Juragga commented.

I don't think Ansalt was ever here.  This tub was still waiting for him.
Vekkis Lund
NPC, 23 posts
My other ship's a
star destroyer.
Sun 5 Jul 2020
at 19:04
  • msg #82

Part 24 - One flew over the mynock den

"Not that I ever heard." Lund replies.  "I just heard that he wanted something from Oomba.  Then he never came back to see if Oomba had found it for him."

Lund replaces the cover on the control panel, and thumbs a stud.  Nothing happens.  "That's good.  No alarms.  No unexpected power usage, no signal attenuation or delay, nothing to indicate a tracker."

"Wait a minute!  Something I just remembered... Oomba called in a bounty hunter about a year after Ansart came to see him, then disappeared.  Might be connected.  Hunter's name was... let's see... ah... right!  Boba Fett!"
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