In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 619):

You seal the box as a security officer suddenly shouts nearby, "Everyone over here!  Line up!  You can leave once you've been searched!"

They search you.  But the guards who do so don't look at you again once they're done.  One of them just waves you through the door.

What does Rei do now?  I also need to know how she goes about doing so.  If that makes sense.

Thanks

Not having done anything wrong - obviously! - Rei didn’t mind lining up too much. She wasn’t going to pretend she enjoyed the search all that much, but… Ah well, it was done and over. Still, while she waited, she looked around to see if she could spot Peri or Rokzi.

Oh, she knew what she was supposed to be doing if they got separated - which seemed to be the case… - but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t prefer being with them even though the next part wasn’t supposed to be the most difficult one. Hopefully. Had she jinxed herself?

Uh… Well… Once through the door, Rei began to look for a ship she could get on to go back in orbit.

In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 621):

We've accomplished what we need to accomplish.  Let's get you back in Kaya's headspace now

Kaya, you get a signal.  It's Rokzi.

...had some trouble...fine now. Heading...heard from Rei?

“Understood.” Calmly replied Kaya.

Before adding a second later in a deceptively calm tone. “And am I supposed to understand from your question that you have, somehow, managed to lose Rei?”

In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 623):

...complication...security came down...not on us...lost sight of her...crowd...think she's...shuttle...hear me?...tracker...

Oh that's right.  Rokzi tagged Rei with a tracker which she didn't know about.  You flip it on.  You are getting a signal, though not a strong one.  She seems to be on a shuttle which is headed for...the high port.

“You're breaking up.” Kaya growled while she checked on Rei's tracker.

“She is headed to the High Port indeed.” The young lieutenant confirmed soon enough. “Are you getting her on the way or do I need to do it?”

In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 625):

...it...interfering...you can...

Rokzi's signal is now officially lost.  As you check the transmission bands, you can see someone is pumping feedback onto all channels. It seems whatever went down at the planet has caused at least one of the companies to start jamming transmissions planet side.

Kaya frowned unhappily. She considered for a moment broadcasting a rather heated message about how jamming a warship's communications was an act if war - or piracy in this case probably - but decided not to do that...for now anyway. Not that she wasn't annoyed, but she wouldn't know if she hadn't been in communication with someone on the ground, something she didn't want to draw attention to.

So in the end, she 'simply' elected to head to the High Port to pick up Rei. And then... Well, she supposed she'd have to start by debriefing the nurse...

In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 627):

As you approach the high port, Rokzi's comm line clears.

Can ya hear me now boss lady?  Anyway.  There was a complication.  Not on our end though.  Seems like security clamped down on the hall.  They were looking for someone and I don't think it was us.  I saw them hustle a couple of tech looking guys out a side door.  And they seemed to be searching everyone.

I've been able to confirm Rei got off planet safely.  Sending you her tracking tag now.

Only concern I've got is from the chatter I'm hearing from the security here on the shuttle.  Sounds like we're gonna get searched again once we get off onto the high port.  I'm gonna ditch this comm.  But Rei might not know what's goin' on.  And if they find either her comm or the tracker...

You can see Rei's signal.  Laying it over a schematic of the high port looks like she's...in an office in the section housing ESC corporate staff.

You have no idea what she would be doing there.

“I see her in the ESC corporate staff’s housing.” Kaya grumbled. “Try to learn what the 'someone' they are looking for did if you can. And who it is, I’d like to have a word. I’m on my way to the high port too, maybe I’ll manage to communicate with her if she has her comm’s still.”

In fact, she didn’t lose anymore time doing just that. “Rei, can you hear me? Cough once if you can’t speak right now.” Kaya was really hoping she’d be able to talk to her because as it was… she couldn’t leave the ship until Peri was on board…

In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 629):

On it

---

There is a pause.  Rei coughs once.

“Alright. I may tell you things you already know, but... Well, bear with me.” Kaya said to Rei, “Rokzi and Peri are on their way to the High Port, they're not too far behind you and apparently things went fine on their side. The something that happened on the outpost was completely unrelated to you all from what I'm told. That's the good news.”

“The bad news is that they're going to search you all once again. Which wouldn't be much of a problem except that they're going to find your comm' and we'd rather avoid that. Oh and you have a tracker too that you'll have to ditch too.” Kaya relayed the location of said tracker, “Do you think you can ditch them without being seen, or should we find another option?”

“One cough for you can, two for the 'other option'.”

In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 631):

Two coughs.

Wow.  That's maybe my most insightful post yet!

I am in awe. So much eloquence!

“Alright. Just to be clear, that plan involve us coming to help, right?” Kaya asked: she didn't think it likely, but for one reason or another Rei might have another idea.

While she kept an ear on Rei, Kaya opened her com' to Rokzi. “I've contacted Rei, she apparently can't talk right now and can't discreetly remove her com' and tracker. What's your ETA to the High Port?”

In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 633):

One cough.  Which you guess means "yes".

Rokzi buzzes back.  We're about to dock.  I'm gonna have Peri try to hack their security and see if she can set off the fire alarm.  I'm gonna try to get duck in during the confusion.

Anything you can do to add to the confusion would be appreciated.

ssrrss“I would have preferred not to, but…” Kaya sighed, “I know something I can do. Tell me when you want it. It won’t do much of anything for random guards, but at least their HQ should have their own worries. Just let me know when you want me to step on the anthill, I can do it anytime.”

While she flew closer to the planet, as if she was aiming there at a leisure pace but in such a way that she was going to find herself within the volume of space currently jammed, Kaya reopened her communication to Rei. “Alright Rei, Rokzi will be with you shortly. It’ll become lively soon enough, but don’t worry, that’s just us.”
This message was last edited by the player at 00:49, Fri 21 Apr 2023.

In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 635):

It takes an hour.

Rokzi buzzes you.  Go Chief

Yes.  Do go.  Whatcha gonna do?  Huh?  Whatcha gonna don?

“Alright, here goes nothing.” Was what Kaya transmitted, before she acted.

As if she had just noticed the jamming, she widely changed direction going to full military power. Which included all her weapons systems, sensors - which she used to swipe the entire area around her very…noisily - but more than that…it also included the targeting arrays. And as pretty much the only thing that could jam the area was the station, it was what she targeted and locked, seemingly ready to start poking holes at it.

“If whatever alarms they have to tell them they’re being locked doesn’t draw their attention…” Well, she had another thing to do, but she would need to get out of the jamming first.

In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 637):

Oooohhhh!  Saucy...

You get a response.

Gryffin...scans are showing you have locked your weapons on Station Y29-7.  This is a violation of the Barony's neutral status and an act of war.  You are being targeted by System Defense Arrays as we speak.  Power down and prepare to be boarded.

Rokzi whistles low on the secure line.  Wow...You don't do things half way, do ya?

Goin' in after our girl.  I'll ping you as soon as I can

Your scanners show four separate defense satellites have you targeted.  And it looks like two of the Baron's personal armada have changed course to come intercept you.

“You are at least right on one thing: this is either an act of war. Or of piracy I suppose. But you're being widely mistaken here about who's committing it.” Kaya answered the communication while adjusting her course to open up the range with the satellites, and updated her targets. At least as importantly, she made sure her telemetry was securely transmitted to both local and remote HQs now that she had left the jamming area.

“I will neither power down nor let you board anything. Locking weapons is at best a really unfriendly act, but nothing more. You however have jammed an Imperial Fleet vessel. It is an act of war. You will cease, and you will power down your weapons systems and prepare a full accounting as to what kind of brain-dead scheme that was. Know that my telemetry has been - and is being - transmitted and will support my claims.”

“If you get within range, I will use any means necessary, up to and including blowing your ships up. Do not test me on this, you do not have what it takes.”

In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 639):

There's a pause.  A new voice comes on.

Gryffin.  The jamming was not on our end.  You should already know that.

You WILL power down.  And you WILL accept boarding.

Otherwise, I'm fine with going to war.

You have 15 seconds to decide

On your secure channel.

Got her.  But still need to get out of the offices.  Heading that way now

Next time, I’ll post, then say 'sorry, I’m still here'…
I’ll answer for Ailith tomorrow, just wanted to have at least one post up.
And…sorry…

“Sec.” Kaya answered. Then transmitted to Rokzi. “Alright. At least that’s one thing that went right.” Now she just had to find a way to get away from that mess…

Coming back on the coms with the locals, she said, “Confirmed, I’m standing down.” She switched her targeting systems off. “I cannot have you board my ship though, I’m sure you can understand that. Best I can offer is give control to my second and surrender myself at the station while you sort out that mess.”

“Let’s not forget that my ship was jammed. I was merely acting to defend myself in the face of a possible pirate action.”

In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 641):

No worries.  RL happens.  And welcome back.

I do have to pull my notes on your games though to remember where we were.  I'll answer Kaya's post tomorrow

Thanks

In reply to Kaya Wilden (msg # 641):

There's a squawk on your comm and then...

"Stand down and turn over authority to your second.  Follow our coordinates exactly.  Come in with all shields and weapons powered down.

"You step off your ship, hands in the air. Then we'll talk."

The coordinates are bringing you into a berth on the high port.

I am assuming you are flying in and docking. But let me know if you are taking any steps before you land.

Thanks

You assume right, just that she’s going to wait a bit for Peri to take control.

“On my way.” Kaya answered, “Make sure my second gets access to wherever you want me to dock as I can’t leave the ship until she has taken control.” The young lieutenant cut the connection, followed the instruction she had been given and set the autopilot for the high port, then leaned back into her chair with a sigh, rubbing the edge of her nose.

“_{Well, that’s one fine mess for sure…}” But… Try as she might, she couldn’t think of any other way to protect Rei, and that was the most important. At least while her defence was obviously pure bullshit, it stayed within the realm of 'it might be true', so hopefully that would be enough.

Assuming she could sell it… For now though, she left the command chair and went around to make sure that there wasn’t anything obvious that would give the game away if a local officer came onboard to 'talk'. After all, she could refuse being boarded and searched, but if she also refused a simple 'visit', that would be way too suspicious and she didn’t need that at the moment.