"I don't carry the kind of hardware that BB did," Taliesa answers, "but I use a bit more brains than brawn to get the job done."

"Getting in through the main airlock is going to be either easy because of the code or hard because it's the wrong code. I realize that you are prepared to assault the Mercifuge, but I think you'll have better luck with subterfuge. I like the idea of claiming to have a message from Silverhand. Whether they believe it or not, a second team of two should try to gain access through one of the exterior hatches while the first team functions as a distraction. I'll need someone with electronics skill."

"I'd recommend Collyn teleport into one of the staterooms as a third string to your bow."

Most of Collyn's 'training' was to teleport to some place that he either could see directly or some place that he'd visited before. He's never teleported anywhere while wearing a boarding suit.

He can't teleport to some place he's only seen a drawing of. He might be able to teleport to a place that was described to him in detail. He can teleport to a place he's viewing via camera or comm unit. Black and white image doesn't matter, but he's not sure about a PRIS image. It's a question of detail resolution.


Like any other starport, there's a public directory of all ships currently docked and which bay they are in. Mercifuge is in Bay 17. Vultane is in Bay 8. Bays 1-10 are upper level, Bays 11-20 are on the lower level.

Of course, you can pay to have your ship not listed publicly.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:49, Mon 05 Dec 2022.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 19):

     Varca, standing in the middle of Vultan's Crew Lounge, ponders Taliesa's suggestions for a few moments...

     Finally, Varca reaches up with his right hand to touch a discrete button on the side of his Raider Suit's helmet -- causing the open-but-opaqued faceplate to silently fold over his face, sealing the suit.  A moment later the faceplate becomes transparent, showing Varca's glare.

     "Everyone suit up." Varca orders via the vocoder in the suit, "Weapon load-out is sidearms and light melee weapons only!  If all ya got is fists, then plan on using them!"

     "Donio and Rejji will remain on Vultan.  Sorry Rejji -- you are in charge.  I know how you just hate that..." Varca smirks,

     "Viridian ... as much as I'd prefer to keep you in charge on Vultan as a pilot, I've got this sneaking feeling that we'll have more need of you on The Skull as a guide."

     "Same goes for you, Aaron.  You bring up a good point that, for this mission, you'll be more useful as a Medic rather than a Pilot, here.  If things end up in a firefight, better you be with us, rather than we try to call for medical aid from the 'Port ... and then dealing with all the explanations concerning what happened."

     "Collyn, you stay close to me.  Do whatever you gotta do to prepare yourself to teleport -- Emperor's Name, I never thought I'd ever say anything like that! -- But you do not teleport without my specific order, got it?  You go jaunting off on your own, and then we won't know where you are!  Got it?"

     "Taliesa -- in the event that our Plan A doesn't go off as planned, then you, Krrsh, and Viridian will become our Plan B EVA Team.  So, check with them to see that they can keep up with you on an EVA.  That's part of Plan B."

     "This is how Plan A works -- we will all head towards the Mercifuge's docking bay.  Everyone just act casual -- it's bad enough that we're gonna be walking through this place dressed for a battlefield -- I don't want any of you acting all tough and bad-ass, as well.  I want everyone to act like we're just a bunch of over-dressed Mercs, out looking for a place to put down a lot of booze."

     "As a group, we make our way to Mercifuge, once close enough, and from cover, we'll give Silverhand's codes a try and observe what happens.  Either the ship goes into lockdown, or we gain access to open the main airlock."

     "Plan A is if we gain access to open the airlock.  Once we know we can open and close that airlock, Viridian will then go to the lock pretending to have a message from Silverhand -- Viridian, I want you to do this because, of all of us, you sound the most like someone from Theev!  We should assume the three Crew on Mercifuge have locked the airlock."

     "So, once we know we control that airlock hatch, Viridian goes to the hatch and announces he has a message.  When somebody shows up, Viridian tries to get them to open the hatch.  If they open the hatch -- we jump 'em.  If they won't open the airlock, then we use the code to open it ourselves -- and we jump 'em."

     "Doesn't matter if they open up, or not.  In Plan A we can open that hatch ourselves.  The purpose of running the messenger ploy is to get one or more of the crew to come to the airlock, where we can jump 'em, without having to hunt for 'em."

     "Now, if Silverhands codes don't give us access to the airlock hatch, or if they put the ship into lockdown, then we go to Plan B." Varca says, "Taliesa and her flunkies will find the nearest airlock to the outside and then spacewalk to the nearest airlock they can find on Mercifuges outside hull.  Once Taliesa and her group are in place, we move against both airlocks."

     "If the codes have put the ship into lockdown, we just shut it off and enter the ship -- the Crew should already be confused by the lockdown, so they might respond slowly to any report of two hatches being opened ... or, we can hope they will be."

     "Now, if these codes we have from Silverhand's comm don't do anything, then we go with a modified Plan B, where it's just harder to open each airlock."

     "That's the plan.  Everyone gear up -- we are out the airlock in ten.  Move, people!"

"Aye, aye Commander Varca!" he advances with the group, right on Varca's right elbow. The entire jaunt to the Mercifuge! He was glued to Varca's elbow! He followed orders exactly! Not wanting to fuk things up!

"Sounds like a plan," Viridian comments as he suits up. He then follows the others out and attempts to walk along the corridor in a jauntily casual manner rather than in a menacing one.

While there were lifts between the various levels of the Skull, there were also flights of stairs that connected the two docking rings and the promenade above. Six lifts, three flights of stairs.

"You don't suppose the crew is upstairs at one of the bars, do you?" he asked over comms.

"Good plan!" Donio also comments. Of course, he was referring to the part where he stayed on the ship.

"Say, Viridian... just how many bars are there upstairs?"

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 22):

     Varca stalks walks away from the ship with the assault team -- he's trying to appear as if he's just another spacer off to have a good time with his buddies.  But the fact he has to walk around this shady starports ill-kept hallways with his faceplate open --so passers-by can see him 'smiling' -- has it looking more like an uncomfortable grimace.

     Which, actually, it is...


      Varca comes to a sudden halt, and turns a wide, Red-eyed look of surprise towards Viridian,

     "That never occurred to me!" Varca admits, "I forgot that non-Vespexers go out and socialize in locations that aren't as secure as their home bunkers -- or in this case, aboard their own ship..."

     Varca pivots slightly and reaches out with his gloved right hand to give Krrsh a light slap on the shoulder.

     "Hey Krrsh!  You used to hang out with Redthane's outfit -- d'you know any of these guys?  Maybe be able to ID any of them in a bar crowd?"

     "Yeah ... if we can account for any or all of these guys being off-ship, that'll make our task of getting onto Mercifuge just that much easier.  Good idea, Viridian!"

     "Alright, slight alteration of plans!" Varca says, rubbing his gloved hands together, "Viridian, you are going to lead us all on the fastest Pub Crawl through the bars of The Skull, ever!  Krrsh, you are gonna check out the crowd at every pub, bar, and dive -- looking for familiar faces.  Specifically, the faces of the three remaining members of Silverhand's crew."

     Varca looks around at the assembled team, "When and if we locate one or more of them, we'll figure out how to grab 'em based on the specific situation at the time."

     "Keep two things in mind..." Varca raises his right hand and lifts a single finger,

     "First.  We try to take these guys alive.  We're gonna give 'em the same choice we gave the boys that were with Silverhand, on the planet.  I just want to be making that offer from a position of power."

     Varca raises a second finger,

     "Second.  I don't care if anybody has a drink or two while we're doing this operation, but anybody screws up because they were drunk, and I'll stuff you in a suit locker, here on The Skull, and leave you behind.  Assuming you survive your screw-up, that is."

     "Okay, Viridian, take us to the nearest drinking hall.  And, Krrsh--just hold it right there!" Varca points an accusing finger at the Vargr, "I can see it on your face--you're about to say you're not sure you can ID these guys for us ... at least, I think that's what you're gonna do.  Maybe you gotta sneeze.  I'm not that familiar with Vargr facial expressions."

     "Well, anyways, I don't wanna hear it!  Just try, right?  Okay, let's go."

"The last time I was here, there were seven places that could be considered 'bars'," Viridian answers Donio.

"I expect Cruikshank's is probably still here. It's a gritty bar favored by pirates but probably too conspicuous for the Mercifuge crew. They're more likely to go to the Devil's Due... or maybe the Stellar Drift."

"Six Suns Cantina caters to the more legitimate commercial interests while Martigan's Belt is a belt miners' paradise and supply store. Starburst casino changed hands five times in the week I was here, so no telling what its status is now."

"All I was going to say was that we have I.D.s on the crew," Krrsh answers. "It's not like they are secret or anything. We should all be able to spot them."

"The only problem with me is that what holds true for them also holds true for me--they might spot and identify me."

"In any case, if they are in a bar, then all we gotta do is wait for them to go back to their ship."

"Viridian's probably right--Devil's Due is a dingy dive where they could lay low."

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 26):

Collyn listened and stayed quiet. Sticking to Varca like glue as instructed! "Take the Mercifuge now and wait for them to come back?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:42, Wed 18 Jan 2023.

As directed, Krrsh leads the group to the upper level and around the ring to the Devil's
Due. Because none of the businesses are built as separate buildings, they all have standard storefront windows, though some are blocked by paint or posters. Devil's Due is one of them, so you can't really see inside without going in.

Keeping Krrsh's concerns in mind, Viridian is the one to enter and survey the occupants. He returns a minute later and informs you that the three crew are indeed in there drinking.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 29):

     "Right." Varca says as soon as he gets the word from Viridian, "If you're certain, Viridian, that it's all three of them you saw, then yes -- just as Collyn said, we'll head for Mercifuge right now, and give the codes we have a try, to get us in."

     Varca starts heading away from the Devil's Due, heading back towards the docking area -- specifically, to where Mercifuge is docked.

     "Ideally, the codes get us into the ship, where we set up an ambush for those three, when they come back, drunk.  Worst case, the codes don't work and those three receive an alarm from the ship.  In that case, we still set up an ambush for them, just out here on the docks."

     "But we can hope that, even if the codes don't work, we won't set off any alarms and we manage get into the ship on our own -- where we still set up an ambush."

     "Remember, we want to try and capture these guys while doing as little harm to them as we can.  Our objective is to gain the ship and recruit these thugs to our crew."
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:10, Tue 24 Jan 2023.

"It was definitely the three of them," Viridian confirms. "Murdo's in armor and doesn't appear to be drinking all that much. I'm  guessing Frad and Lu are both three sheets to the wind, but Murdo's riding herd on them."

"They seem to just be killing time. They probably aren't expecting Silverhand back for another day at least. Did she make contact before we met her? Didn't seem like it. Whoever she wanted to contact had to become available and find a way to get to the Scrap Heap without being seen."

"It's the rats in the Heap that are the main concern. We never detected any of them, but that doesn't mean they weren't there and saw everything. It could take them a few days and go-betweens to pass the info on to anyone that matters."

"Just sayin'..."

Krrsh leads the group back down to the lower deck and then around the docking ring to where the Mercifuge is docked.

Not surprisingly, there's no sign of anyone on guard. However, there is a surveillance camera that covers the docking ring leading to the docking bay. While it'll capture anyone walking along the ring, it won't show the actual approach to the hatch.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 32):

     Varca quickly outlines a diversion for the camera -- in case any person or AI is watching...

     As a group we will walk past the access to Mercifuge.

     Varca & Collyn will move to the back of the group.

     At a whistle from Varca, two people at the front of the group (doesn't matter who) will start shoving each other and shouting/laughing as they have a "good-natured argument".

     Everyone else will crowd around shouting encouragement -- the intent is to provide both a distraction and cover for Varca & Collyn to slip over to Mercifuge's hatch without being seen by the camera.

     At the hatch, Varca will attempt to gain access to the ship using Silverhand's codes.

     If this works, Varca will open the hatch and call the others to follow him and Collyn inside the ship.

     If the codes do not work, then we shall attempt Plan C (C for Collyn). Collyn will use the PRIS system in his helmet and take however long it will take (okay, no longer than 10 minutes) to use those various sensors (including X-Ray imaging) to look "past" the hatch and into the airlock chamber.  Once Collyn feels confident he has a good "view" of his destination, he'll try to Teleport to the other side of the hatch and open the airlock, if he can.
     If he can't open the outer hatch from inside the airlock, Collyn will have to repeat the Teleport process to move past the inner hatch and try to open the door from the shipboard side of the airlock.

OOC:  Varca has Comms, Computers & Sensors all at Level 1; each receiving a +1 bonus.  He has Silverhand's "repaired" comm unit with the "access" codes (for whatever Bonus or Advantage).  He also has a helmet mounted PRIS system & hand-held EM Probe (for whatever Bonus or Advantage).
     If that's not good enough (and it probably isn't ^_^) lemme know and I'll roll 2d6...

Following Varca's plan, Viridian gives Krrsh a light shove as he says, "I told you the ship was in the other direction! And you're supposed to know your way around here!"

He wasn't quite sure if the Vargr would pick up on the cue, so prepared himself for a 'retaliation'.

The sudden shove caught Krrsh by surprise but he picked up on the cue quickly enough.

"It's a friggin' circular deck!" he snapped back as he returned the shove. "It doesn't matter which way we go--we'll get to the ship either way! You afraid of a little exercise?"

As if the shoving would turn into an actual fight, Rejji and Taliesa move forward to break it up if it does.

Meanwhile, Varca and Collyn slip down the access walkway to the Mercifuge's main airlock. Varca quickly enters Silverhand's access code. The text on the little screen pops up showing that the ship is currently under lockdown by Murdo. The code you enter registers as Silverhand... OVERRIDE. And the airlock is unlocked.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 36):

     Varca smiles as the airlock indicates it's unlocked.  Quickly he cycles it open.

     "The Dragon smiles!" Varca comms to the group with excitement, "Everyone onboard!"

     With Collyn beside him, Varca steps aboard the pirate vessel Mercifuge ... scanning with everything he has, for the booby traps his over-suspicious mind just knows were laid by the crew...


OOC: Today: Varca Lexand rolled 14 using 2d6+2 (6,6) with Electronics(Sensors) to scan for traps/alarms.
     WOO-HOO!! Boxcars!!

In reply to Varca Lexand (msg # 37):

     "I said Move It ya scruggs!" Varca growls over the comm, "More'n likely those three just got an alert that Silverhand just walked aboard -- and they'll be scrambling to get down here as fast as possible!"

     "Now, everybody aboard so we can set up an ambush!  And remember -- we want to take them alive, if we can, so try to use non-lethal methods.  And the guy who might give us the most trouble is also the guy Viridian said he saw wearing armor -- so if we gotta go lethal on anybody, make sure it's the guy in armor!"

     "Now MOVE!!!"

Collyn played with his psionic sword.

"Don't forget to reset the airlock security," Viridian reminds Varca as he brings up the rear boarding the pirate ship.

He then starts looking around for some place to hide to ambush the crew when they return.

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 40):

     "Yeah-yeah ... ya ain't gotta tell me how to crush twilk bugs..." Varca responds to Viridian, "I'm gonna shut down Silverhand's overrides and reset the locks just as soon as everyone is aboard."

     "Oh, hey!  As all of you find hiding spots, keep an eye out for internal vid nodes -- the Crew are locked out right now, so they shouldn't be able to access the internal vid feeds -- but once I shut down Silverhands overrides, one of them might think to check the ship's security feed.  So, make sure you've spotted the vid nodes, and you're out of their field of view."

OOC: Okay so, StarMaster is still incommunicado, but he managed to call me from his Retreat in Tibet get in touch with me and gave me some instructions...
     First: we are, for the moment, in Full Control of the Mercifuge.  We have access to all areas of the ship, so...

     This is Mercifuge.

     Location #3, on the upper deck, is the airlock we just opened & came aboard thru.  This airlock opens into a Crew Common Area (location # 5) AND it is the only entrance onto the Bridge (location #2).

     Let us begin plotting...