# Galactic Empire: Serving the New Order



## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 3, 2004)

((OOC thread is here
IC thread is here))

Carida. The location of both the Imperial Stormtrooper Academy and the Imperial Army Academy. The destination of the Dominator and the rest of the 5th Fleet. There have been alarming reports of at least three major leaders in the Academies defecting to the Alliance. Your small group of only five members from various branches of the Empire, the Krayt Dragons, has been assigned the task of bringing these traitors to justice before they are able to escape.

You sit within a small, private briefing room. On the wall is a large holoscreen, currently displaying a stock image of the pale green planet. You wait only a moment before Vice Admiral Terath Zercone, the commander of the Dominator and the 5th Fleet, enters and nods. He motions to the holoscreen, which soon displays a small chrono, counting down from about fifteen standard minutes. He speaks in the usual haughty voice of an Imperial Navy Officer, though unlike many, it is well known he had no previous family connections to help him to his current role.

"You all know the basic situation on the planet," he said simply, "Before leaving hyperspace on our way to Carida, we recieved an update on the situation. There was, as of the last half hour standard time, a group of three Officers, former academy instructers, and at least twenty others, barricaded within one of the major training centers. We recieved word that a trasmission was intercepted from these insurgents. This transmission was directed to a nearby Rebel base. The location of which we do not know, however, it is expected that they will be sending a small force to extract these traitors."

He paused a moment, looking over each of you with a stern look, "Your mission is simple. Kill the traitors before any Rebels arrive. If they do arrive, do not let any of these men escape. The former instructers know vital information in the way of codes, locations of bases, and classified projects that cannot fall into Rebel hands. We still have nearly ten standard minutes before leaving hyperspace. Do you have any questions?"


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 3, 2004)

*Captain Archimedes Daxxon*

Archimedes grips the armrests of his chair so tightly that his knuckles empty out of all color and he grinds his teeth while he thinks: _...traitors? ...here? ...now?_  Fighting down a momentary rage, he focuses himself on the objective: _What would I do were I rapid terrorist dog?_

"Sir! Is this to be a 'quiet' operation sir, or will we we be allowed to complete our objective in the manner in which we choose?

After a short pause, he also asks, "Will the local Imperial assets be aware of our presence sir? What assets are to be at our disposal?  And will we be furnished with the personell records for the trai..." He grimaces as if the very word sickens him. "...trait ...targets sir?"

_OOC: Everyone okay with this color of text?_


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 3, 2004)

Joric Tyrcus leaned back in his chair, his legs crossed.  He absently buffed a scuff-mark from the heel of his boot.  The opportunity to hand out a little justice appealed to him.  _Perhaps a swift, brutal show of force will deter any future desertions._  He listened as the stormtrooper babbled his questions.  _I admire his enthusiasm._

_Academy trainers eh?_ "Anyone we might know, Commander?"


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## DralonXitz (Nov 4, 2004)

*Commander Dralon Xitz, TIE Pilot*

In the Center of the five Imperial Soldiers is Commander Dralon Xitz, the leader of the Elite Group of Imperials.  Men from every walk, Intelligence Officers, Stormtroopers, had all been assembled to complete missions critical to the Empire.  And Commander Xitz was honored to lead them.

_Well, it seems they have plucked me out of my TIE for yet another extermination of traitors.  Nasty buggers, like flies they are._

The Commander leaned back in his chair, clad in his officer's uniform with a black Trenchcoat draped over his body as he looked up at the Admiral.  Dralon was used to being perceived as defiant, he had been that way for years.  But they never did a thing about it, there wasn't a better pilot in the Empire.  Vader perhaps, but I'd be willing to take the challenge.

*"Well Admiral, I believe I understand the situation.  As Captain Daxson previously asked, I shall further pursue the matter.  Do I need to take these men into the complex, or can I do this my way, wire some explosives to the building and blow it to hell?  If the building is the matter at hand, I understand."*


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## yangnome (Nov 4, 2004)

Devlin sat in the briefing room with the five other men, waiting for the briefing for his first real assignment.  Recently graduating academy, he was anxious to put his newly acquired skils to use.  He rose to attention as the Vice Admiral entered and took his seat when told.

Devlin listened attentively while the Vice Admiral gave them the mission brief, but unlike the others, he didn't open his mouth.  Instead, he watched carefully the reactions of the others in the room.  These were the men he'd be working with on this mission and he sized them all up and down, scrutinizing their behavior and their demeanor.  Devlin wondered to himself the loyalty of these men who sat here with him. 


 _If academy instructors were capable of treason, anyone in this room could potentially be a traitor as well.  I might be the youngest in here and have the least amount of experience, but I know I can trust myself.  The others will have to prove themselves first.

Let's see, we have the commander, a pilot, seems to be arrogant like you'd expect from any pilot.  Funny how that is seeing as how any wookie can fly a ship.  

Aside from that, we have a storm trooper, at least we have some muscle; a compforce and intelligence officers.  I'll need ot keep my eye on that intelligence officer, they'll let anybody into teh intelligence service these days.

_


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 4, 2004)

The Vice Admiral looked over the group, shaking his head, "We can't take the building out. Its underground below most of the major barracks for the recruits. Currently, the garrison there is assisting in directing the trainees, and they have the traitors pinned in the building. I don't know the names of these men, but the commander on the ground will be able to brief you on those details. The highest priority is getting there before any Rebel forces. The planet was left with less defenses than normal because of the search for Rebel Bases, so the fleet there is weak and would likely have trouble with even a small force."


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 4, 2004)

*Capt. Archimedes Daxson*

Archimedes visibly forces himself to relax. _We have ten minutes until we drop out of hyperspace... that'll give me just enough time to collect my armor and weapons._ A grim smile creeps onto his face. _They will pay for this betrayal... and may whatever lies in the next life have mercy on them, for the Emperor surely won't._

Turning to the others, "I have no further questions, sir... although I think we should be prepped and inside a landing craft by the time the Dominator drops from hyperspace." He turns to Commander Dralon, "Your orders Commander?"


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## DralonXitz (Nov 5, 2004)

Lobo Lurker said:
			
		

> Turning to the others, "I have no further questions, sir... although I think we should be prepped and inside a landing craft by the time the Dominator drops from hyperspace." He turns to Commander Dralon, "Your orders Commander?"




The Commander nods at the Admiral as he quickly stands up, cracking his neck as he looks over at Daxson and replies, *"Get your Gear Captain.  That goes for the rest of you.  I want us inside that landing craft in 7 minutes flat.  Any man who can't make it, get the hell out of my Squadron.  Move out!"*  The commander quickly turns around and walks out, his Trench Coat flinging around as his boots clank down the hallways of the ship.


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 5, 2004)

_Interesting.  I suppose he's efficient, at least.  _

Lt. Tyrcus rose slowly from his seat, a thin smile playing across his lips.

"Let's do this swiftly and decisively.  We cannot show weakness after Tarkin's debacle.  I have no doubt that the Empereor is watching us all with increased scrutiny.  See you in the shuttle."

With that Tyrcus left the group and moved off to gather his equipment.


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## yangnome (Nov 5, 2004)

Devlin rose from his seat, still not saying a word.  After the commander left, he headed towards his quarters to retrieve his gear, which had been already prepared.  From there, he headed straight to the lading craft.  He was the first there.  His thoughts still circled around those he'd been paired with and the mission they had to carry out.


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 5, 2004)

Archimedes raced down the corridor's to the Storm Trooper barracks. Now was not the time for propiety. His haste earned him scowls from the officers that he passed, though most recognized him as one of Commander Dralon's group and said nothing... while he was in earshot.

He entered the barracks and immediately began putting on his armor. The other stormtroopers looked up with interest. "Action Archimedes?" they asked.

"You know that I can't answer that." He replied. "But, I have to admit that I'm going to enjoy the operational tempo of this assignment." With that final comment, he grabbed his blaster rifle... it was a thing of deadly beauty... all polished blue/black metal with a leather grip. His name was engraved upon the barrel. Dax had given it to his shortly after his graduation from his Storm Trooper Training. He'd obtained permission to use it in place of the standard issue blaster rifle.  He carefully slung the weapon behind him, using the strap. His power packs fully charged, and his vibrosword strapped to his thigh, he made his way to the hangar. 

He was pleased to note that he was early. The pilot, Devlin, was waiting. Archimedes didn't know him well, but if they were to be working together, they'd have to learn to respect each other.

Giving his weapons a final once-over, Archimedes paused and said. "Word in the barracks is that you're one of the best pilots in the Empire. You ready for this?"


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 5, 2004)

In the main hangar, a small lambda-class shuttle sat on the bay, ramp down beneath the cockpit and three wings up in the usual folded position for landing. They had exited hyperspace a few minutes earlier, and some techs were doing final checks on the shuttle.

One of them, a younger looking man with short blonde hair, approached Dralon, "Sir, everything is ready for you. Good luck."

((Just a side note for Dralon. Lambda Shuttles are Starfighter-class so you can fly those, too. ))


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 5, 2004)

His preparations complete, Tyrcus strode into the main hanger where the rest of the unit was gathering.  Dralon was getting the last minuite ok from the technicians.  

Tyrcus stood by, arms folded across his chest.  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, appearing to those around him to be focusing his thoughts in preparation for the mission.  He let his mind wander free from the shackles of the moment, casting about for an impression of what might lay ahead.

ooc:  Will use farseeing to get an impression of the situation planetside, hoping to sense any powerful images of the near future.


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## yangnome (Nov 5, 2004)

> Archimedes paused and said. "Word in the barracks is that you're one of the best pilots in the Empire. You ready for this?"



Really?  That would certainly be news to me, I've never flown a ship in my life. Devlin said with a chuckle.  * You must have me confused with the Commander.  I believe he's the ship jockey.  As for the mission, I'm always ready to carry out the Emporer's work.*


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 5, 2004)

*Capt. Archimedes Daxson*

OOC:  OOPS!!!  My bad, I meant to check up on that but then the baby started cryin'.   

Archimedes looks up from his weapon's check. "My apologies sir, I believe I was paying more attention to my weapons than to you... I did indeed have you confused." 

He grins, "Not to worry though, it won't happen again. When we're on the ground, there will no further mistakes."

Archimedes boards the transport and chooses a seat without a view... he's never been comfortable with looking out a window while a starship is landing. He give's his armor's subsystems a final once-over and straps on his helmet.


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## DralonXitz (Nov 6, 2004)

Commander Xitz nods to the technician and walks into the shuttle, giving a thumbs up as the entrance hatch closes.  Taking a quick survey of the shuttle, he makes sure all of his men are there and slides into the Pilot's seat, putting his Comm headset on as he begins to flick a few switches on the Control Panel.  As he waits for the sub systems to come online, Dralon looks back at his troops and asks, *"Ready boys?*


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 6, 2004)

*Capt. Archimedes Daxson*

Archimedes noted the commander's entrance into the shuttle and snapped to attention. At the commander's nod, he relaxed and added, "Ready sir."

He strapped himself in, hoping for a smooth flight... he'd never quite gotten the hang of space travel in small ships like this one. Emperor willing, they'd have a smooth flight down to Carida.

Carida... it seemed like he'd left here only yesterday, fresh from his training. That there could be traitors here perplexed him.  The rebel propaganda was insidious... playing upon people's natural tendency towards chaos. Did they simply not understand that in order to provide greater security and in order to focus all the scattered power of humankind (economic and intellectual) the galaxy needed a unifying factor?  The Emperor provided that. Through him, and by extension, his Empire, peace and unity could finally be achieved. Archimedes could not let the rebels prevent this from happening. He'd do his part. He'd break heads, and kill rebels, no doubt... that's what his job was. But at least he had a purpose. These terrorist would take that from him... and that was something that he couldn't allow.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 6, 2004)

It was a short and simply flight from the Dominator to the planet below. From the look of it, you weren't expected until later, as the large hangar had two or three speeders that looked to have been hastily moved to make room.

As the shuttle powered down, you could see a door open on the other side of the otherwise empty hangar. Out of it, a man in the usual olive green uniform ran out, hastily pulling on his hat in the process and obviously doing his best to look at least partialy presentable.


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## DralonXitz (Nov 6, 2004)

Commander Xitz takes off his headset as he gets up, making sure he has everything he needs with him.  After gripping his Pistol for a moment, he slides it back into the holster and quickly walks to the hatch, popping it open.  As the pressure is released and the door opens, he takes in a deep breath of natural air and hops out, his hard boots making a loud clank as he lands.  Straightening out his trenchcoat, he begins to walk to the man in the olive green outfit and says, *"And who are you."*


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 7, 2004)

Archimedes follows the commander out of the space transport, inwardly relieved that the flight is over. As the commander begins his interrogation of the nameless officer (and in Archimedes' experience, they were all basically the same hanger officers with slightly different faces and interchangeble names) he trained his weapon nonchalantly in the direction of the officer... taking care to take up a position that offered a clear shot... if the officer noticed, all the better.

OOC (will roll intimidation if necessary, as aid to Commander Dralon's questioning).


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 7, 2004)

The man saluted hastily, "Private Dalen Kardon, sir," through heavy breathing, he looked to all of them and then motioned towards the door he'd entered from, "I'm sorry there wasn't anyone here to meet you, sir. Everyone's busy holding a security perimeter. Unless you need anything, I can lead you there now."


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 7, 2004)

*Capt. Archimedes Daxxon*

"How long have they been in there?" Archimedes asks, his armored face-plate inscrutable. "How many entrances are there in the building in question? Has anyone tried going in through the ventilation shafts?" He thinks some more. "There must surely be security cameras in the area, what do they show? If they've been blocked, then what was the last thing they saw? Better yet, just get us the latest security footage from the area."

Traitors on Carida... who'd of thought it could happen. How many minds had they poisoned? "Commander Dralon perhaps, when we finish here, we should find any moles they might have left behind... they could do irreprable damage here if they left any complices."


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 7, 2004)

Tyrcon turned to the stormtrooper.  "I do not think ferreting out conspiritors will be a problem," a cruel glint in his eye as he spoke.  "Just leave one alive for me to question.  We shall see how far their allegiance to the Rebellion will hold."


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 7, 2004)

*Capt. Archimedes Daxxon*

Archimedes nodded an acknowledgement to the Intelligence Officer. "I'll keep that in mind."  He was still an unknown factor and Archimedes didn't know if he could trust him... he was with Imperial Intelligence after all. 

Rumors in the barracks ran rampant about what exactly happend during Intelligence interrogations and Archimedes suspected that the truth was far worse than any rumor. But, at the end of the day they were on the same side... weren't they? The Emperor sactioned them, and if they were good enough for the Emperor, he'd just have to get used to them.


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## Veritas (Nov 7, 2004)

[ooc: I am SO sorry for not posting sooner. It's been a horrible week to find time to do anything, and I've unfortunately been neglecting all my games. I'll be paying more attention now. Sorry again.]

Major Rannik had remained quiet through the briefing, confident that the Vice Admiral would provide them with all the information and equipment they would require for their mission. It angered him beyond words that men who's entire existance was owed to the Empire, and who were training the future officers and soldiers that served that Empire would turn against it! They were no better than mynocks, feeding off the system and depleting it with their infestation. Well, just like mynocks, they would be exterminated, and the more public the better, so as to deter anyone else from these traitorous thoughts.

Now on the surface, he checks his rifle and slaps in a fresh powerpack. Hearing the Intelligence officer comment on interrogation, he nods in agreement, however in his estimation, ISB would be better suited for this activity. He remains quiet on his thoughts though... a skill that allowed him to survive his training.

"Ready here, sir." Rannick reports.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 8, 2004)

"They're completely sealed in as far as we can tell," Private Kardon said, still speaking quickly and somewhat out of breath, "The holorecorders didn't pick anything up. The only way we know who's in there was from running through all the personnel in the facility. We've not been able to get much else information as the transmission that was sent out used an encryption we've never seen before."


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## yangnome (Nov 8, 2004)

Devlin stepped off of the shuttle looking the private up and down.  The private was busy explaining the situation to the commander; Devlin would have to admonish the soldier about the poor condition of his uniform later.  For all he knew, the private could be one of the traitors as well.

He heard the intelligence officer speak of conducting the interrogations.  A slight grin crossed his face as he thought _ and when your interrogation methods prove to soft, I'll get some results from the infidels._ 

Devlin's attention turned back to the private's briefing.  Something did not seem to be adding up with his story.

 *"Private, could you please get us a full list of suspected traitors and their backgrounds.  Also, if I could look at the roster of personnel stationed here, I might be able to pinpoint other rebel sympathizers.  I am certain there are more than jut the three we have been briefed about."*


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## DralonXitz (Nov 9, 2004)

Ankh-Morpork Guard said:
			
		

> he man saluted hastily, "Private Dalen Kardon, sir," through heavy breathing, he looked to all of them and then motioned towards the door he'd entered from, "I'm sorry there wasn't anyone here to meet you, sir. Everyone's busy holding a security perimeter. Unless you need anything, I can lead you there now."




Commander Dralon coldly eyes the soldier, looking for any signs of deceipt in his eyes.  As his piercing eyes penetrate into the man, he sees something deeper in him, something not right.

The Commander silently stood there, letting his men ask their questions.  After they finished speaking, he looks over at Devlin and nods, then returning his glance at the Imperial.

*"Yes, I would like to see those records Private.  But before we do, there is something we must discuss..."*  He looks down for a moment, then delivers a cold punch to the stomach of the man with one hand, and unsheathing his Pistol with the other.

*"Now my dear friend, here is the deal.  My friend Devlin here doesn't believe a word you say, nor do I.  So we're going to do it like this.  I'm going to ask you a question.  Every time I don't like the answer, Devlin breaks a limb.  Got it?"*


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## Veritas (Nov 9, 2004)

Major Rannik smirks when he sees the Commander slug the young soldier. _The fool didn't even see it coming._ he thinks

He steps down the ramp, his rifle held at the hip but ready, scanning the rest of the bay for anyone who might try to interfere.

(Spot check: 17-1=16)


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 9, 2004)

((Rannick: 



Spoiler



The hangar seems empty


))

The young Private grunts painfully and stumbles back and then down to his knees. He shuffles back some, trying to catch his breath and looking terrified and surprised. Kardon's eyes widened as a realization came over him.

((We're going to go ahead and go into Initiative order here.
Joric: 15
Archimedes: 9
Devlin: 18
Rannick: 13
Dralon: 4
Private Kardon: 20.))

Quickly, the young private got to his feet, stepping back and drawing his pistol as his free hand reached up and tapped his left ear. In a voice still desperate for air, he called out, "General, sir! The Rebels are in hangar 325A! I need backup now!!"

((Actions?))


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 9, 2004)

*Capt. Archimedes*

On his action: Archimedes will set his blaster rifle to Stun and fire upon the guy.
*Attack Bonus +7 (3 base, + 2 dex, +1 masterwork, +1 point-blank shot)
  Stun DC = 20 (18 base, + 1 masterwork, +1 point-blank shot)*

Puzzled, but well-trained Archimedes thinks: _What the heck just happened?_ He growls, "You dare to call _ME_ a *REBEL!?!* You traitorous scum! You address a fully trained and _ARMED_ StormTrooper! That insult will be your last!"


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## DralonXitz (Nov 9, 2004)

Dralon jumps back, his Blaster already drawn as he aims at the man's skull and softly speaks, *"See ya bud."*.  He then clicks the trigger, with the Gun set to kill.

+4 To Attack


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 9, 2004)

_Am I dealing with rank amateurs?  Everything falls apart so quickly without effective leadership._

"Daxon!  Don't let these ingrates roil you!  Act like you've got a pair!"

(OOC:  Tyrcus will step back, draw his Blaster and Inspire Confidence on Daxon.)


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## yangnome (Nov 11, 2004)

When he saw the Commander hit the private, Devlin was surprised by the rash reaction. He suspected the private as well, but had been looking for more evidence before taking action.  His surprise changed to amusement as the Commander told him how Devlin wold interrogate him...

_broken bones?  not nearly as effective as needles placed in the spinal cord and much more messy.  Clearly the Commander hadn't worked with the ISB before.  Then again, had his aptitude been high enough he'd be in the ISB and wouldn't be flying the tin cans._

When he heard the private call to the general, his fears about the rash action came true.  Clearly this wasn't the direction things needed to proceed.  Oh well, the kid deserved what he got anyway, look at his uniform and his demeanor.  Anger welled up in Devlin at the thought of being called a rebel.  He stepped forward and kicked the private in the ribs, then spit on him.  

 Watch who you are addressing before throwing such accusations around you impudent worm!

_Everything else will be straightened out with the general in due time._


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## Veritas (Nov 11, 2004)

With the young soldier being handled by the others, Rannick turns his attention to the perimeter. Any moment soldiers were going to come through the doors of the hanger, potentially opening fire on them. [ooc: is there more than one door into the hanger?]

He runs over to the door the soldier came through, and checks the corridor there. The last thing he wants to do is to make it seem like the soldier's lie is in any way the truth. The best way to diffuse the situation is to act normal... however, he remains on guard with his rifle ready.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 11, 2004)

((Devlin: Note that the Private has stood up...your unarmed strike against him is an 8. It misses. I'm tempted to roll an attack on the spit, too ))

The young officer managed to step to the side, out of the way of Devlin's foot. He still had a bit of a surprised expression on his face, though it was slowly hardening into determination.

((Joric: Providing Daxson with a +2 to saves and +1 to attack/damage.
Rannick: The door is a fairly large blast door, but its the only one there. The door is closed, but opening it shows a long boring looking corridor that's currently empty.
Archimedes: Note that damage bonuses do not add to Stun DC, so its only an 18 save. Attack against the Private is a 21. It hits...but he passes his Fort save, so no stun.))

The blue rings extended out from Achimedes' blaster rifle, engulfing the young Private but not actually taking him down. Beyond a short dazed look that crossed his face, the stun blast didn't seem to affect him.

((Dralon: Attack is a 25...critical hit. The Private takes 18 WP damage. He's dead.))

Despite the misses of his comrades, Dralon's shot is placed perfectly. It hits Private Kardon straight in the face, shutting out any scream of pain from the man as he is sent onto his back, a small trail of smoke rising from his horribly ruined and burnt face.


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 11, 2004)

"Nice shot Dralon. With accuracy like that, perhaps you should have been a stormtrooper."


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 11, 2004)

The Other Librarian said:
			
		

> "Nice shot Dralon. With accuracy like that, perhaps you should have been a stormtrooper."




_OOC: That's too funny, is that supposed to be a joke?    _

"Indeed. Now, I don't consider myself unintelligent commander, but what the heck just happened... That maggot just called _us_ rebels. Is it possible that a mistake has been made?"

As the Commander looks at Archimedes he adds, hastily, "...not that he didn't deserve to die. I myself felt the Emperor's will guiding my shot, even if he did shrug it off."


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## Veritas (Nov 11, 2004)

"The hallway is clear, Commander." Rannick reports "But I don't expect that to last. What are your orders?"


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## yangnome (Nov 12, 2004)

*I suggest we stand in place.  If we prepare to fight, it will only confirm the private's accusations in their mind.  It will be much easier to explain his treason if we proceed calmly.*

Devlin looks up at the doorway, then back to the others.

* At the moment, I do not trust anyone here.  That doesn't mean we can kill the lot of them however.  We must proceed with caution though.  Check everything you are told and then double check it.  I meant what I said before.  If there are three known traitors here, there are probably more that have not yet been exposed.  The traitors could be anyone we talk to, they could be everyone we talk to.*


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## DralonXitz (Nov 12, 2004)

Commander Xitz grins as he spins his blaster and holsters it again, looking over at Captain Daxson and says, *"Thank you Captain."*

As he hears Tyrcus' comment, he laughs and says, *"No soldier, Stormtroopers are a bruter profession.  I prefer killing with grace.  And it's Commander Xitz, never forget it."*

As he stretches a bit, he hears Rannick's words, and looks around the room, taking into account everything about it.  He then coldly makes a decision.

*"I agree with that Devlin, but if there is one traitor, there is bound to be many more.  We'll handle this my way, I don't want to take any chances with this.  There could be Information stored here crucial to the Security of our Empire, and I won't take the risk of it being stolen by some Rebel fool.  Your orders men are to execute everyone we see, I don't care what they look like, Man, Woman, Child.  Burn them all down, then we'll get out of here.  If you somehow feel offended by the Judgment, come forward now and I'll demonstrate how we Deal with Insubordinates.*


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 12, 2004)

((Rannick: 



Spoiler



You can hear heavy steps of boots coming down the hallway.


))


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 13, 2004)

"Affirmative Commander Xitz." It seems as though Archimedes will say more, but instead he sets his rifle to Kill and stalks towards the blast-doors.


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## yangnome (Nov 13, 2004)

If those are your orders, I will carry them out.  I do feel however that the decision to kill everyone may be a bit rash.  The Admiral mentioned that there were not enough forces here to stave off a rebel attack.  Thinning the numbers further will only make the problem worse.  I am certain that through examination of records and interrogations that we could uproot all of the traitors without dealing such a blow to the Emporer's cause.


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## Veritas (Nov 13, 2004)

"Troops on the way, sir." Rannick reports calmly.

He then backs up through the door again, and hits the control panel to close it. Better to set themselves up properly before those coming can see us.

He then backs off and sets himself up with a good angle on the door, and prepares an action to shoot the first person that comes through.


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 13, 2004)

_OOC 1: How far away is the transport from blast door? Assuming that it's not too far, Archimedes will use the transport for cover. He'd favor crouching behind a barrel or storage box/container if there was one nearby._

_OOC 2: Archimedes will use his *Knowledge: Tactics +7* to try to set everyone up in the best possible position (or if one of the other tacticians has a better check, he'll Aid Another with his skill check). If I remember correctly it'll get us an initiative bonus._

_OOC 3: Are there likely to be any Stormtroopers present in here? If so, Archimedes will use his *Profession: Stormtrooper +7* to try to anticipate thier standard plan of attack and set our team up in a more favorable position? Or would this just tranlate to a +2 synergy bonus to the Knowledge: Tactics check?_

Archimedes takes a covered position as near as possible to the blast doors and likewise readies an action to shoot the second person through the door.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 13, 2004)

((For everyone: The blast door is a good fourty meters away from the shuttle. Other than the transport you came in, the hangar is completely empty.

Achimedes: 



Spoiler



It looks like the safest place to be and staying within firing range would be flanking the doorway, though it still leaves you vulernable to attack. Its likely that they'll simply march in ready to blast anything in their way. A simple, but very effective tactic.


))


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 13, 2004)

Tyrcus readied himself for the incoming wave of troops, taking up a position in the rear.

"Well done Dralon, you've really stirred up the nest now."

((OOC AMG - 



Spoiler



Tyrus will send a telepathic message to Devlin, along the lines of "I agree with your assesment.  I feel our Commander has overstepped his authority, and common sense.  We should be prepared to deal with him in an appropriate fashion."


  /OOC))


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## Veritas (Nov 14, 2004)

Rannick has been counting down the time until the doors open and he feels the necessity to speak "Commander? We have about 10 seconds before those blast doors open. Are you sure this is the best course of action? We will be gunning down quite a few loyal and potentially productive Imperial citizens here... and it is possible that this will draw resources away from the real rebels, allowing them to escape."

Regardless of his words, he sights down his rifle barrel, waiting.


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 14, 2004)

"If we're to continue on this course of action, I suggest that we all take up flanking positions next to the blast doors."  After thinking about this for a second he adds, "My armor should protect me from the worst damage, so I'll draw thier fire from the center of the room."

"If we only have ten seconds, then you really do need to get moving." Saying this, Archimedes trots to the middle distance between the transport and the blast door and crouches down on one knee, so as to present a smaller target. He trains his blaster rifle on the as yet unopened doors.

_OOC: Readying an action to multi-fire/rapid shot the first target he sees when the doors open._

"You might want to hold your shots until the first couple targets pass through the doors. They'll likely just barrel in with guns blazing... Commander, it goes without saying that we are not in a tactically superior position here. We're far outnumbered by the very men who taught almost all of us how to fight..."


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## Veritas (Nov 14, 2004)

Major Rannick checks his location... roughly 75 degree angle from the blast doors... on the same side as he heard the running coming from... that way, when the blast doors open, they will not have a good angle on him to start. He stays on his feet, to give him better mobility, should he need it, but he turns his body to the side to present a small profile. He still has one shot prepared, so as to have a better chance at hitting.


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## DralonXitz (Nov 14, 2004)

Dralon pulls out his Pistol again and grips it, setting his sight over at the door where the Stormtroopers are about to pop out of.  He listens to what his troops tell him, processing it throughout his brain, calculating every possibility.  He then makes a decision.

Turning to his troops, he quietly speaks, *"My Orders are final.  Burn them down."*

Getting ready for combat, he kneels down next to Archimedes and trains his sight for the door, waiting for the storm.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 14, 2004)

((Devlin: 



Spoiler



You hear Tyrcus' voice softly in youd mind, "I agree with your assesment. I feel our Commander has overstepped his authority, and common sense. We should be prepared to deal with him in an appropriate fashion."


))

On the other side of the blast doors, you all soon hear the sound of movement. Well over ten troopers. However, the door isn't opened. Instead, another loud mechanical noise can be hear behind you. Turning, you see the large hangar bay closing slowly. Though it will probably take a few minutes for the bay doors to close, it would take longer to warm up the shuttle and escape.

Though most noises are drowned out by the bay doors, a small hissing noise can be heard growing on the other side of the blast doors to which you are all facing.


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 14, 2004)

"Commander. Call me crazy, but I do believe that they're going to seal us in here." He pauses. "Its not a brilliant military tactic, but it is emminatly practical. With the hanger doors sealed and the blast doors are welded shut, all they have to do is pump the air out of here... or just leave us here to starve." 

He pauses again to think some more. "Can the shuttle's laser cannon's breach the blast doors?"


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## yangnome (Nov 15, 2004)

ankh: 



Spoiler



I have some questions about what I can do for my action.  please email me, myusername@ myusername.com, substitute my username of course.  Thanks.


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 15, 2004)

"Excellent thought, Daxson.... it's worth a try.  Hop to it!"

Things were going from bad to worse, and quickly.  Tyrcus checked the settings on his blaster, and quickly loaded a knockout dart into the Sorosuub.  _Best be prepared for any eventuality.  _


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 15, 2004)

"I lack the training in how to use starship weapons, Lt." Archimedes replies calmly. "If you need a bomb set, wounds field-treated, or a computer sliced, I'm your man, but I don't belong at the controls of a spacecraft."


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## Veritas (Nov 15, 2004)

Rannick keeps his blaster rifle ready and steps over to his superior. Speaking in a low tone, so only those standing very close can hear, he says "Commander, may I respectfully suggest that this might be the time to talk to them? Discovering another traitor" he says, indicating the smoking body on the floor "is commendable, but destroying Imperial property and killing useful Imperial soldiers and citizens will not look good on _any_ of our records. All they have is this _scum's_ hasty transmission accusing us of being the rebels... however, we have authorization from the Vice-Admiral for this mission. With the weight of his orders behind our words, we can resolve this and get to the real rebels... every minute we draw troops away from them, is another minute they're given the opportunity to escape! Once we've dealt with them, we can go over this place with a microscanner to find the other traitors and deal with them... as it stands, we are only helping the rebels here!" he hisses.

ooc: ankh - 



Spoiler



I ready an autofire attack on the Commander, just in case.


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## DralonXitz (Nov 15, 2004)

Turning his head as he sees the blast doors close, he hears Rannick's suggestion.  Finally consenting to the logic of it, he nods and says. *"Alright Rannick, you make a good point.  Here's what we'll do.  Daxson, go raise the white flag and reason this out with them.  I'm going over to warm up the shuttle.  If for some reason they don't like our diplomacy in the matter, I'll blast our way out of here and take full responsibility from the Admiral.  Let's hope they are as reasonable as you are."*

With that, Dralon will quickly dart over to the shuttle and try to speed up the warming up time of the ship.


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## Veritas (Nov 15, 2004)

Rannick nods to Xitz as the Commander heads over to the shuttle, and shifts his rifle slightly so it's in a more neutral position. 

Glancing about the area, he moves up to the blast doors with Daxson...


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 15, 2004)

Archimedes thinks for a minute and stand up. He shoulders his rifle in the classic parade position and marchs to the blast doors, pausing in front of them. He takes off his helmet and scans the wall for the camera/holorecorder that's sure to be there and addresses it.

"I am Captain Archimedes Daxxon of the 23rd Stormtrooper Battalion, trooper number R10152676, currently on-assignment to the 5th Fleet Krayt Dragons under the direct supervision of Vice Admiral Terath Zercone of the Imperial Star Destroyer, Dominator." He pauses and looks the camera dead in the 'eye'.

"There has never been a disloyal Stormtrooper in the history of the Empire. My allegience is to the Emperor himself. Scan my image profile and run a cross check in the imperial database. My record will speak for itself. Be thorough in your search, but don't take too much time. We've been given carte-blanche to do *whatever is necessary* to complete our mission here."

He waits patiently staring at the holorecorder w/out flinching and w/out blinking.


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## yangnome (Nov 15, 2004)

Devlin breathes a sigh of relief as the Commander backs down from his decision.  After the commander moves ino the shuttle, Devlin heads over to Tyrcus. he whispers to him, 



Spoiler



It is a fortunate Lt., that Maj. Rannick was able to convnice the Commander that his plans were flawed.  If the Commander shows any sign of such indiscretion again, I will be forced to place him under arrest. 

 Even with his apparant change in judgement, I am still worried about him.  He is either a loose cannon with bad judgement, or he is somethign far more foul.  Only the rebellion would have gained anything had we followed trough with his orders.   I trust if such a need arose, I'd have your support Lt.


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 15, 2004)

Tyrcus rubbed his chin thoughtfully at Devlin's words, then nodded slowly.  He then moved over to the side of Archimedes.

_That stormtrooper at least has his head screwed on straight._

He addressed the camera to back up the Captain's words.  

"Furthermore we operate with the sanction of both Imperial Intelligence and the Security Bureau.  Complaints regarding the conduct of any member of our unit," he said rolling his eyes, "may be submitted to the appropriate comittee.  Until then, anything less than your full hospitality may be taken as a sign of sedition."


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 16, 2004)

The hissing noise on the other end of the blast door quickly came to a stop after Archimedes started speaking. There was a silence after the he and then Tyrcus spoke, then a comm speaker on the wall sounded with the voice of an older sounding man with a strong Coruscant accent.

"If you're so loyal, Daxon, where is Private Kardon?" a pause, then it addressed Tyrcus' words, "You have no sanction over me. I am in charge here, and even your damned commander must know that. Why did the Private comm me about Rebels in there?"

As much as a comm unit could display emotion, a strange hint of worry mixed in with the anger could be sensed easily.


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 16, 2004)

"Private Kardon is right over there." Archimedes points. "Though he's in no condition to give you, nor anyone else, confirmation of that fact. And its _Captain_ Daxon..."

"My commanding officers have not seen fit to disclose the reasons for thier actions. I'm sure that information is available on a need-to-know basis and that I simpley don't need-to-know it. I follow orders, same as you."

While the speaker digests this Archimedes scowels. "I tire of this pointless bickering. Whom am I addressing? Check your scanners and you will find a Star Destroyer in orbit of Carida. How many rebels have you heard of with access to a functioning Star Destroyer AND the latest security codes?"

"THINK man, we Krayt Dragons are on a mission and you are detaining us. You may not be in the Imperial Navy, but do you really want to know what kind of bull a Vice-Admiral could pull down on you for interfering with a black op?"

OOC: AMG, do you want me to roll Intimidation +9 (I _think_ that's my score).


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 16, 2004)

There was silence for a moment, then the man's voice returned over the comm, "I was the one who ordered your unit here, _Daxon_. If you had checked _you_ sensors on the way down to the planet instead of planning how to kill my men, you'd know we have our own fleet up there. You'd also be smart enough to know that Star Destroyers have been infiltrated by Rebels in the past. And the fact that you are here on _my_ planet threatening _my_ men instead of dealing with the problem I order you here to deal with speaks nothing of your strong reputation," the voice paused, likely to allow for his words to sink in, then returned sounding much more angry than  before, "Your Vice Admiral is not stupid enough to contend with me. He wouldn't be anywhere without me in the first place, _Daxon_. You are speaking with Grand General Lien Kardon, and everything that occurs on this planet goes through me. Now, _Daxon_, what have you done with my son?"


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## DralonXitz (Nov 16, 2004)

Getting tired of the General's endless jaber, as he finishes speaking a voice is heard from near the shuttle.

*"He has done nothing Lien.  I am the one responsible for the death of your pathetic son, and I am proud to admit that."*

From near the shuttle appears Commander Xitz, his trench coat dragging along the hanger floor as he approaches the Camera and looks directly into it.

*"Now you listen to me.  I don't care if you are Lord Vader himself, you shall not harm my men.  They gave their loyalty and their trust to me, and I shall be responsible for what occured.  Now step out from your nest and meet me like a true Imperial, if your not afraid of happening to you the same thing that happened to junior here.*


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## Veritas (Nov 16, 2004)

_Stars! He shot the man's son!_ Drannik thinks... and then he replays the events in his mind. _I assumed he had a reason to strike the kid. That perhaps he'd seen something in his manner... something suspicious... but maybe the kid was innocent, and because Xitz hit him, he thought we were the rebels. This is gonna be baaad._


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 16, 2004)

Archimedes nods to the camera. "Acknowledged General. Looks like I'm breathing air far above my pay grade." Archimedes steps to the side to allow the Commander to speak and puts his helmet back on.


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 16, 2004)

Tyrcus could not help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.  

_The fool Xitz has all the tact of a rutting rancor._

"Dralon, one lucky shot does not a hero make.  Curb your toungue if you value your own skin."  
_
On the other hand, friend, keep it up.  The sooner you're put down, the smoother this mission will go..._


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 16, 2004)

There was nothing from the comm unit for what seemed like an eternity, yet it was only three minutes before the Grand General's voice returned, more venom filled than before, "I am doing my duty as an Imperial Officer, unlike you _Commander_. I am not murdering loyal Imperials. I am containing the traitors and I was preparing to strike before I was forced to divert a good portion of my troops to deal with you. Now, we are back where we started and there is word the Rebel Fleet is already in the system. If you wish to do your job and no longer risk further action against you, I suggest you put your weapons away, step into the corridor, and follow the escort to me immediately. Do not think you have any authority over me, your men are just as responsible as you are if these Rebels kill even one of my men."


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## DralonXitz (Nov 16, 2004)

The commander sheathes his pistol, looking down for a moment, he thinks, _"Damn, I can't believe daddy here makes Grand General and produces a pipsqueak like Private Kardon.  I better follow along for now, I'm going to hear as much hell for this as when I blew up that Prototype TIE...."_

*"Alright General, you win.  We'll step into your corridor and follow your joke of an escort to you.  Just make it fast, I hate long waits.*.


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## Veritas (Nov 17, 2004)

Major Rannick slings his rifle over his shoulder and prepares to accompany the escorts.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 17, 2004)

When the blast doors opened, it was fairly obvious that the escort was not a joke, or full of them. Ten stormtroopers stood, rifles aimed in and reay to fire. The markings on the sides of the helmets indicated that the lowest ranking member among them still outranked Dralon, and many other markings showed that these were members of one of the elite storm commando units.

Behind them, a single officer stood. He did not wear the olive green uniform, but instead his was a jet black with the rank showing him to be a General. The man had a battle hardened face from what must have been years of service, yet the age only seemed to make him more dangerous. The worst part was he didn't look the least bit worried. In a sharp, uncaring voice, the officer spoke, "Stow the attitudes. We already have enough to shoot you here for treason, so I wouldn't suggest attempting anything foolish," he paused, allowing them the illusion that they could respond, then cut off the silence sharply, "You will lead the way. At the end of the corridor, turn right, and follow that until you reach the second escort."


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 17, 2004)

Archimedes snaps to attention so quickly you'd swear that you heard a small sonic boom. "Sir!"  He salutes, and leads the way down the corridor.

_We'll pay for this fiasco eventually, but for now I should just remain focused on the task at hand._ He inwardly sighs, _I hate getting caught in pissing matches between career officers..._


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## Veritas (Nov 17, 2004)

Rannick is only a millisecond behind the stormtrooper in snapping to attention, and so close are they that it seems possible they rehersed it beforehand.

"Sir, yes sir!" he chimes in and moves up with Archimedes to lead the way.


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## DralonXitz (Nov 18, 2004)

As Dralon sees the platoon of men, he eyes each one of them up and down, seeing their rank markers.  

_"Jeez, wonder how much sucking up these men did to achieve their ranks..."_

As he moves his glance over to the General, he listens to his orders and says sarcasticlly, *"Well Lienie, seems like father time hasn't done you any favors recently, does it?"*  Coldly laughing, he spits in front of the General and walks down the hall, following his men.


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 18, 2004)

Tyrcus salutes, stepping in line behind the rest of his party, and follows down the hall.


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## yangnome (Nov 18, 2004)

Devlin also snaps to attention at the sight of the General.  He renders a crisp salute along with the others and floows them through the gauntlet of stormtroopers.


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## Veritas (Nov 18, 2004)

Rannick frowns at Xitz's continued contempt for authority. _How did he get assigned as our leader? He's going to get himself and us killed if he doesn't shut his mouth and follow orders._ he thinks. _Maybe I should have shot him, but then I guess I'd be robbing the Grand General of the pleasure of doing it himself._


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 18, 2004)

Without another word, you were marched along the long, dull grey corridors. Passing many closed doors, it seemed like the place was empty. The echo of the footsteps through the corridor didn't help this at all. In a few minutes, you reached the end of the corridor and a group of Imperial Navy Troopers. They motioned to a large, cargo sized turbolift.

Once inside, the turbolift descended for another minute, and then stopped to reveal a very large gathering of stromtroopers, officers, navy troopers, and technicians. In front of the chaos as they all moved around chaotically, an older looking human officer, wearing rank insignias that showed him to be a Captain, spoke, "Do you plan to shoot me or shall we get to business?"

The voice was sarcastic, mocking, and yet deadpan at the same time.


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 18, 2004)

"Not unless I'm ordered to." Archimedes takes in the chaos around here. "What exactly are we looking at... and why hasn't anyone imposed the Emperor's Order here?"


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## DralonXitz (Nov 19, 2004)

Commander Xitz slowly examines the room, amazed by the level of Imperial's in the area.  As he moves his glance to the Captain, he skepticlly glances at him, taking in his comments.

*"Captain Daxxon, I believe what we are looking at is just as I suspected.  General Kardon here is no better than the Rebels.  He's running his own show."*

Grinning, he looks back to Tyrcus and asks, *"And you thought I was a fool Tyrcus."*


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 19, 2004)

There was a hand signal from the Captain, and the stormtroopers that had escorted you raised their weapons. His black gloved hand still up, the man stepped over and stood face to face with Dralon, "Under authorization by Grand General Kardon and your Vice Admiral, you are stripped of your rank and demoted to Officer Cadet."

At that, he reached up, grabbed the rank insignia on Dralon's uniform, and tore them off. Tossing it to the ground, the Captain stepped back and looked past Dralon to the others, "Major Gair Rannick, you now have command of this unit. Do not think that all of you have escaped your punishment for insuboridination. As you can see, we are dealing with a very sensitive situation. A Rebel fleet has just exited hyperspace and engaged both the defense fleet and the 5th fleet. The Rebels have already destroyed three support craft and three assault transports have landed. These dedicated men here are preparing defenses and getting ready to do their job. Thanks to you, the defenses around the traitors has been thinned out even more. You will follow me to the command station."

He paused, turned on one foot, and started through the mass of Imperials. Interestingly enough, all of the men got out of the Captain's way without touching him or disturbing their preparation. To the left, one of the stormtroopers motioned with his rifle and spoke in the modulated tone the helmet created, "Move."


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 19, 2004)

Tyrcus turned to Xitz.

"While the urge to gloat is strong, Cadet, I do think we should show the General that some of us have the will to resist our baser urges."  He paused.  "And that's Lt. Tyrcus to you, Cadet."

He continued on, following the General.


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## DralonXitz (Nov 19, 2004)

As his rank is stripped away, he coldly glares at the Captain, *"You fool.  You may think you have won Captain, but you have no idea who you have just done this to.  My father is Fleet Admiral Typhora Xitz, commander of the Annihilator, answering directly to the Grand Admirals.  By morning, you and the Vice Admiral will be mining spice in Sullust.  And as for Lien, well, let's just say he has friends in high Places."*

Not doing anything stupid for once, he quickly follows his men to the Command Center.


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## Veritas (Nov 19, 2004)

Rannick salutes the Captain and says "Yes, sir."

Turning to the others, he says "You heard the man... move." and he follows after, shooting Xitz a look of contempt as he passes the man.


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 19, 2004)

"Yes Sir." Archimedes follows Major Rannick through the crowd. 

_Well this is certainly interesting... I wonder what old Dax would say about this. Hopefully the major won't turn out to be so rash... and hopefully he'll have the spine to do whatever is necessary to complete the mission. I'll have to keep my eye on him, he's been good so far, but he's no Stormtrooper._

"Lets go get those traitors."


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## yangnome (Nov 19, 2004)

Devlin stood in the room at attention and did not say a word as the Captain spoke, or even at Daxxson's response. Instead, he stood professionally, eyes and ears taking in everything around him.  He was already in lock step behind the Captain and his escorts when Maj. Rannick ordered the group to move out.


[OOC: I'll be away from computer/internet access until as late as Monday night.  Feel free to control Devlin as necessary.  At the moment, he has no intentions of sticking his foot in his mouth.]


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 19, 2004)

It was a short walk to the command center. In fact, it was just another section outside an inner wall that everyone seemed to be avoiding. Likely that was the first part of the sealed off area where the traitors were. All that the command center consisted of was a pulled in holoprojector, a few consoles that probably weren't there the day before, and a mess of command personell debating and working.

The Captain approached an older man in a white uniform(with the so many bars that it would have been impossible for the man to be anything but the Grand General), saluted, and spoke a few words. The General nodded, and motioned to the holoprojector, which activated and showed an image of the schematics of a building.

"We will leave personal matters behind for the moment," General Kardon spoke in the voice they already recognized. He watched them all with a critical eye, but had the look of a man in business mode, "These are the schematics to the building we have the traitors holed up in. As you can see, we are currently on the outer edge, with the inner areas being the ones sealed off."

The base suddenly shook violently. Many of the conversations stopped, waiting for the voice that came over the base's intercomm system, "Rebel troops have landed and have breached the base in multiple locations!"

The General scowled and tried to ignore the voice, "We're too overconfident..." trailing off, he motioned back to the holoprojector as troops started to scramble, "There are two major entrances to that building that we have not been able to cut off. The first are the sewer lines, which drain off about seven kilometers to the west. The second is a vertical ventilation shaft that leads directly into the building. We attempted cutting off both, but they locked us out of the system controls. We have confirmed that there are twenty five traitors, not including the three trainers that led the defection. The degree of training among the troops ranges from new recruits to long time warriors."

He paused and sighed heavily, obviously distracted by the earlier actions of the day, "I can't say there's any good way to get in there. All of the main entrances are well defended, they've got heavy weaponry that held off two previous attempts to get to them. It is possible that they would not expect a smaller attack from a group your size, but the angle of attack is your decision. I can only advise you on where our previous attempts have failed."


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## Veritas (Nov 19, 2004)

Drannick steps up to the Grand General and delivers a crisp salute "Major Rannick, Sir." There is a small measure of sympathy for the man in his eyes, for the loss of his son, but he doesn't dwell on it or let it distract him.

Getting right to business, he looks over the schematics for a moment. "If you've been unable to lock down both of those routes, sir, my first impression is that it's possible that they're planning on using them themselves. I'd like to hear where ther previous attempts have failed before I proceed, but my first thought is to have the city flood those particular sewer lines, sir."


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 19, 2004)

Archimedes eyes the schematics thoughtfully. "Maybe you should have some men rig the sewers with some Thermal Detonators and just collapse all access to that level. That would leave just one obvious Ingress/Egress."  He pauses. "Then, when their attention is turned to the ventilation shaft we could stage a feint assault into the shaft and while they are repelling it we could enter through one of the entrances that you currently have sealed off."

He unconciously toys with the safety of his rifle and then turns to the General and the Krayt Dragons, finally stopping to rest the gaze of his black helmet lenses on Major. Drannik. "They might not expect an attack like sir... after all, Stormtroopers are usually bull-headed and straightforward in thier tactics."

Looking at the General, "Sir, do we have access to the traitor's command personell's files? It might help our tactical planning if we knew a little of thier histories and experiences? Although... I dare say we've not got much time to formulate a plan."

He looks at Major Drannik and waits.


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## DralonXitz (Nov 19, 2004)

Cadet Xitz walks into the room, coldly eyeing the Grand General, a bit in awe of his endless array of badges.  Learning from his past experiences, he just quietly nods to the man and sits back, listening to what he had to say.

As he hears the information, a thought pops into Dralon's head.

*"What happened today is in the past General, but I believe I have a solution to our dilemma.  We cannot just force our way in, we'll continue to lose more able bodied stormtroopers.  We can't override the system controls, they've got that locked down.  Now,"*Dralon says, stepping forward as he points at the ventilation shaft,*"This is our key Sir.  If we send one man there, quietly with an element of stealth, we can simply force them out.  At the ventilation shaft, have the one man release a heavy amount of tear gas into the ventilation shaft.  It will flood the room, and they'll have no choice but to surrender.  If they refuse, they'll just suffocate.  I believe this option will ensure victory with the least amount of casualties, Sir."*

Dralon nods to the Grand General and quietly waits.


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## Veritas (Nov 20, 2004)

Looking to the stormtrooper and then over to the newly demoted cadet, he turns back to the stormtrooper. "I was thinking something along the same lines. If they plan on using those routes, we cut off one, then use the other to lure them out. I think with the variety of experience they have, as the Grand General has mentioned, they will likely be expecting a trap as well. However, I think the key here is that they only have limited resources."

"With the rebel forces entering the area, we have to move quickly. I don't want to destroy part of the city's infrastructure, and setting up such an explosion would take time, so I think flooding the sewers would accomplish the same thing without the cleanup afterwards, and it would be accomplished quicker." 

"What I suggest we do is follow the plan of staging a feint attack... however we should stage more than one, and choose one specific one to be the actual attack, with one backup, just in case."

"Grand General, do you have any extra stormtrooper armor available? I think I have an idea to add to this."


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 20, 2004)

The General thought about this for a moment, then said, "The ventilation shaft doesn't cut off, so if we gas them we gas the barrack above. Besides, its a straight down drop through the ceiling. We left it alone because of that...as for the sewers, I'll order them flooded."

He paused then, thinking of what Rannick said, then nodded, "We've got a good amount of extra armor up in the barrack above. It'll take a few minutes but I can get it down here if you need it."


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## DralonXitz (Nov 20, 2004)

*Cadet Xitz, Imperial Pilot*

Cadet Xitz nodded and said, *"Understood Sir."*  He paused for a moment then asked the General, *"Sir, you said it's a straight drop down through the ceiling.  I request permission for this.  While you flood the sewers and the men stage the feint assaults, with the Krayt Dragons committing the actual assault, I would go down this Ventilation Shaft using some kind of rope and approach into the building itself through stealth.  Once inside, I will take out their leader, demoralizing the men and allow the men inside by unsealing the shafts.  It sounds impossible, but believe me, I will accomplish it.  I also would request a second DL44 pistol and 2 Thermal Detonaters if that is possible, Sir."*


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 20, 2004)

Archimedes looks at Cadet Xitz, the lenses of his helmet unscrutable.

_Ballsey... and it might work, though the odds are definately against him._

"Are you sure you want to do that Dralon? That shaft is likely under heavy scrutiny, and with the sewers flooded it'll be their only way out. In my professional opinion, you're commiting tactical sucide."

Turning to Major Drannik, "The only forseeable complication with flooding the sewers will be if any of them can swim. It wouldn't be so hard to jury-rig a breathing device... hell, even a hose would work.  It just seems to me like we're leaving too much to chance by simply flooding the sewers."

He pauses to think, the effect is most unbecoming on a stormtrooper. He addresses the General. "Perhaps you could post a squad of troopers in aquatic armor down there, just in case?"

Finally, turning back to Maj. Drannik, "I still think that breaching the facility via ventillation shaft is suicide, although you know I'll go wherever I'm ordered to."


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 20, 2004)

Tyrcus listened thoughtfully to the suggstions of the others before offering his own.

"The traitors are in a strong position.  I think it unlikely that they will leave that position to come out. But I like the idea of sealing the sewers with explosives, rather than flooding them, if not both."

 He turned to the stormtooper.

"I think the Dragons need to go in.  The General will need all available men to defend against the exterior assault.  Looks like we're getting the shaft."


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## Veritas (Nov 20, 2004)

"For the city to flood the sewers in this area, they'd have to pump a lot of water through... the effect wouldn't only be to fill the sewers, but to set up such a current as to make maneuvering in those tunnels extremely difficult. Setting up a guard at the drain will catch anyone already in there, as they're flushed out like rats." he smiles a bit at his comment.

"I agree that we should be the ones who go in. I want us all in stormtrooper armor when we do, and I want all men attacking the other entrances to be similarly equipped. It is not to assume we are up to your standard of training, Archimedes," he assures his stormtrooper comrade "it is so that all the attackers look exactly the same, and they will not know that we are one of the groups. We are the unknown factor in this assault, and we should remain so."

"And yes, we're definitely going in the shaft. The other teams will open fire on all of the exit points to distract them while we do. They won't be able to draw men away from those points or they'll risk a breech in their defenses. While they're distracted, we'll go in. We'll clear out the resistance in the middle, and then take out the guard posts one by one, catching them in a crossfire with those on the outside."

"And I think thermal detonators are a bit too potent for what we want. Simple concussion or fragmentation grenades will do nicely. We want to take out the people, not them and the building around them. If we encounter fire from the bottom of the shaft, we can drop a few grenades down there to soften up the defenders, and as a deterent for them."


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## DralonXitz (Nov 20, 2004)

Lobo Lurker said:
			
		

> Archimedes looks at Cadet Xitz, the lenses of his helmet unscrutable.
> 
> Ballsey... and it might work, though the odds are definately against him.
> 
> "Are you sure you want to do that Dralon? That shaft is likely under heavy scrutiny, and with the sewers flooded it'll be their only way out. In my professional opinion, you're commiting tactical sucide."




Cadet Xitz slowly nods to Daxxon, his eyes lacking their usual rebellious fury.

*"Maj. Rannik, and Captain Daxxon, I know it sounds like suicide.  But believe me, I've been in tighter situations before.  I have nothing to lose, believe me.  Also Major, I do request you let me complete this alone, I know the Dragons are one of the Most Elite Units in the Empire, but my chances of success are dramaticlly increased by stealth, and 5 men down a shaft will not equal the required stealth results.  I can handle this, trust me Sir."*


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## Veritas (Nov 20, 2004)

"It's... brave... of you Xitz, but one man against 25 aren't odds I'd send any man in against... and besides, they will be watching the shaft. I doubt you'd get halfway down by yourself before they picked you off. Your offer is noted, but I stand by my decision that we're all going in together."


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 20, 2004)

Nodding to the Major. "Ready when you are sir."  

Archimedes glances at the rest of the group, pausing a few seconds on Tyrcus before moving on. "You all lack the proper training to use standard-issue stormtrooper armor. I think you'll find it highly confining and obtrusive. We don't have much time so you'd better suit-up, learn fast, and hope that the traitors don't notice that you're not using your armor correctly."


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## DralonXitz (Nov 21, 2004)

Xitz nods at the Major's decision and coldly replies, *"Understood sir"*  While the rest of them talk, Xitz thinks to himself, _"This fool, he has no idea he is sending his men into a deathtrap.  He's no leader, he never has been and never will be, I better make up a backup plan when he gets us into the firestorm"_

*"If that is our plan, I still request my second pistol.  I feel more comfortable with two weapons than one."*


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 21, 2004)

Grand General Kardon took in all of this, then said, "If you are so determined to go through the shaft, I would suggest you not go alone. No matter how strong the assault from the outside, going down that shaft without an extra set of eyes and arms is suicide."

He paused, then motioned to three of the four normal entrances, "I will stage feint attacks at these positions. That should divide their forces enough for those of you that do not go down the vent shaft to catch them from behind. I am sorry, but we do not have any extra weapons here. You will have to go up to the next level to get to the shaft, though, and there may be a weapon rack on the way. But don't delay. We've let the Rebels onto the planet and they aren't foolish enough to squander that opportunity. I suggest you all get moving right now."

The General turned, and started barking orders to the other officers in the mark shift command center. The remaining troops that had not gone up and to other sections scrambled to the entrances and prepared for their feint attack on the traitors.


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 21, 2004)

Archimedes turns expectantly to Major Drannik. "Your orders sir?"


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## Veritas (Nov 21, 2004)

Drannick looks at the schematic and where the General indicates... "Before we go, General, pardon my asking, but what is it about the fourth entrance that makes you discount it as an exit point for them?"


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 22, 2004)

At first, the General looked surprised at the question, but then he smiled, "I had expected that the fourth was where the rest of your men were planning on strutting their stuff."


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## Veritas (Nov 22, 2004)

"No General. We are _all_ going down the ventilation shaft, as your men provide the cover. If you provide this cover at _all four_ entrances, it will draw as many of them away from the shaft as possible. We'll take out those rebels in the center and then work our way to one of the entrances. When we've secured that entrance, your men can  enter to help with the cleanup. Now, unless Officer Cadet Xitz would like to volunteer to storm that fourth entrance by himself... we'll be heading out."


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 22, 2004)

The General nodded after thinking about this, and issued a few orders to one of the other command crew. Turning back to Rannick, he said, "Get yourselves up to the next level. The feint attacks will be spread thin, but should do the job if you move quickly. I'm going to order them to attack in five minutes."


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 22, 2004)

Archimedes checks his power packs, sets his weapon to kill, and switches the safety off. He nods at the rest of the Krayt Dragons and turns to leave for the upper level.


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## DralonXitz (Nov 23, 2004)

Cadet Xitz smirks and looks over at Major Drannick, running his hand along his DL44 as he coldly says, *"It would be an honor Sir, for me to take that fourth Entrace.  You can count on some havoc."*

He nods to his Commander and then looks over at the Grand General, giving him a casual salute as he sprints off towards the fourth entrance, looking everywhere for a pistol along the way.


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## Veritas (Nov 23, 2004)

"GET BACK HERE NOW, CADET XITZ!" Rannick shouts before Xitz can leave the room "THE MOMENT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING SARCASM IS THE MOMENT YOU'LL BE ALLOWED TO DO SOMETHING ON YOUR OWN!"

He waits for Xitz to return.


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## DralonXitz (Nov 23, 2004)

As he hears the Major's words, he quickly stops, slowly turning around with a cold glare in his eyes as he approaches Major Drannick.

*"Let me tell you Something Drannick.  There are three things that must never be present in an Imperial commander.  Humor, Sarcasm, and Stupidity.  So far, you seem to possess two of those traits.  You never truely had the quality of leadership when you were under my command, and if it weren't for me, you would have fallen apart ages ago.  So, if you ever do that again, I can assure you you shall regret it.  I don't care if your a Major or not, quit acting like an immature fool and get to work."*


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 23, 2004)

Archimedes taps his rifle against his thigh. "Time is wasting sir, we dont have much time. Every moment we waste here gives our enemies more time to prepare."

_   Everything is easier when you work with stormtroopers... most of us may be short on imagination, but at least we don't fight amongst ourselves._


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## Veritas (Nov 24, 2004)

Rannick looks at Xitz as though the man is a first year cadet mouthing off to him. All he does is raise an eyebrow, and then lets out a small snort of derisive laughter. 



Spoiler



Although several scenarios go through his mind, including shooting the man through the face or at least putting him on his smug, spoiled ass, he restrains himself, thinking _"Gair, it'd feel pretty good, but just think how much better it's gonna feel when you watch the General peel the flesh from him one strip at a time."_


"You crack me up, Xitz... now move it! You're taking point!" and he uses the barrel of his rifle to wave Xitz forwards towards the door they're going through. "Let's go men... and everyone keep a close eye on Cadet Xitz. He's gonna show us _all_ how to be the best ex-commander a man can be."


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## DralonXitz (Nov 24, 2004)

He glances over at Rannick and arrogantly replies, *"Well Rannick, are you sure?  I mean, don't you think these Fine Men would rather have a man on their side with such high military experience as yourself, with such noteworthy deeds as destroying a Rebel Workstation on Dentaal with a grenade by accident?  Oh yes, I know all about that morsel of honorable and courgaeous Imperial Service.  But, if your sure Ran, I'll lead em.  "*

He laughs darkly at him and goes through the door, brushing his hair back as he strolls upward.


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 24, 2004)

"Why don't we all just stay focused on the task at hand. Personal snipes, insubordination, and punishment can wait until the the mission is completed."

_  It seems as though it's begun already... Where in the Empire does the army and navy find these guys? _


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## Veritas (Nov 24, 2004)

Rannick shakes his head at the man's stupidity as Xitz walks away. _He just digs himself deeper and deeper... and does he honestly think we don't know about his little "accident" with that prototype? What a waste of skin._

He waves the others forwards, but stops the stormtrooper for a moment... 
(for everyone except Xitz, who would be too far forwards to hear)
Speaking without anger or attitude, he simply says "Watch your tone, soldier. There's a reason I'm letting him get away with this, and it's not because of his _daddy_. The Empire has an investment in that sack of skin and it's going to get its money's worth, one way or another. Now, let's get going, but keep an eye on him. He has to come with us, but he doesn't necessarily have to come back..."


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 24, 2004)

Archimedes salutes at attention. "Yes sir. Respectfully sir, the Captain was just reminding the Major that time is of the essence."


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## Veritas (Nov 24, 2004)

"And your reminder is noted." he replies with a nod of respect to the stormtrooper. "Now let's go." and he leads the way after the cadet, his rifle at the ready.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 25, 2004)

The lift reached the level above without trouble, though it was surprising to find the upper level near completely empty except for a couple of droids scurrying about. A brisk and quick walk takes you to what looks to be the correct vent shaft. It is on the floor of a seperate maintinence access tube. Going upwards, there is a ladder that leads that direction, but the floor is covered with a grate and it looks like the ladder does not continue downwards.


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## yangnome (Nov 25, 2004)

"Anyone care to explain to me why we didn't think to just flood the whole sector they are locked in?  If it works for the sewers and corridors, it shoudl work here too.  Oh well, I guess its too late for that.


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## DralonXitz (Nov 25, 2004)

As the group gets to the Ventilation Shaft, Dralon looks up the access shaft and thinks a few thoughts in his head as he hear's Devlin's remark.  He sighs and replies to him, still looking up, *"Because Devlin, you have an idiotic Compnor excuse of an Imperial for a Commander, and an even more idiotic Grand General commanding his lapdog, Rannick.  Between the two of them, they couldn't produce a successful raid on an Ewok Tree Village."*

Dralon then kneels down and grips the grate, and with an exertion of force attempts to pull it off.


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 25, 2004)

Archimedes, loosens his vibroblade and then, very carefully peers down the shaft, sighting down his rifle.

Whispering: "Might I suggest that you all keep it down... thier sentries are sure to be listening."

OOC:  A-M G, are there any hand-holds? Will climbing be easy? Is there any rope + grapnels around? Are there any computers around that can link to the evironmental systems?  What does the bottom/entry to the level below look like.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 25, 2004)

The grate came off easily when Dralon pulled on it, and the extent of the problems to using the ventilation shaft were immediately apparent. First was that the ladder did not go down. In fact, there looked to be no way at all to hold. Of course, it was also a very tight space, and looking down the fifty or so meters showed only the grey floor below. 

((OOC: As for things in the immediate area. There's an empty weapon rack, an empty armor stand, two consoles, and a few doors that likely open to individual quarters.))


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## Veritas (Nov 25, 2004)

Keeping his voice down, he ignores Xitz and replies to Devlin...
"No corridors have been flooded, Devlin, only the sewers. Flooding those floors would cause massive damage to the building's electronics and security systems, not to mention the Command Center... and we were ordered to take them out *without* destroying the building."

He looks down the shaft and says "Archimedes, we're going to need the grappling hook and line from your utility belt. We're going to rappel down one at a time. Xitz, you're first. Let's go. We've wasted enough time as it is."


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## DralonXitz (Nov 25, 2004)

((OOC:  Ill post this assuming Daxxon gives the grappling hook.))

As he is handed the grappling hook and line, Dralon secures it to a nearby floor panel, making sure it is firmly in place.  After tugging it for a moment, he grips the rope and looks up at Rannick, laughing as he says, *"Good luck Ranny, you'll need it."*.  With one last check, Dralon hops in and begins to slowly rappell down the long metal chute.


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 25, 2004)

"I'll go next for fire support... unless you have any objections sir? Or perhaps the less armored among us should go first... with my armor, my decent will be anything but quiet."

"Maybe I should have tossed a couple grenades down before Cadet Dralon began his decent..."


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## The Other Librarian (Nov 25, 2004)

"Quick, toss them now.  I'll go next if you want to keep things quiet."


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 25, 2004)

Archimedes stands by, holding the rope while the mysterious man from Imperial Intelligence climbs down.

"Who's next?"


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## Veritas (Nov 25, 2004)

"Once the General starts his feint, we can start throwing grenades, but you're right, for now we want this kept quiet. Devlin's next, then me, then you can follow us." he says to Archimedes.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 26, 2004)

It is not long until the five minute mark that the General gave had passed. Though nothing is heard below to suggest the feints have begun, there is still no activity that can be seen below.

((Note that Dralon is now about a third of the way down.))


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## Veritas (Nov 26, 2004)

"Archimedes, are you picking up any communication on your helmet comm?"


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 27, 2004)

"No Major, not yet. All has been silent."


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## Veritas (Nov 27, 2004)

Keeping his voice quiet, he replies "Hmph... It's possible that they're just maintaing radio silence so the rebels don't intercept anything... however, it's also quite possible the General has decided not to risk his troops to protect the man who killed his son." he looks down the shaft.

"Well, distraction or no, we're here to do a job, and we'll get it done."


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## Lobo Lurker (Nov 27, 2004)

OOC: _In classic Star Wars Homage..._

"I've got a bad feeling about this..."


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## Veritas (Nov 27, 2004)

OOC: heh, you beat me to it.


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## DralonXitz (Nov 28, 2004)

Dralon stops rapelling and listens to Rannick's words, replying with a typical witty remark, *"If that is the case Rannick, we have you to thank for leading us into a deathtrap, Mister No General, we are ALL going down the shaft.  It's your brilliant decisionmaking that landed us in this idiotic expedition down the shaft of death."*

Tired of the long journey down, Dralon wraps his left leg tight around the rope, holding on with one hand and quickly slides down the rope at an accelerated speed.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 28, 2004)

When Dralon reaches the bottom, he is met with a serious surprise. The bottom is not the level below. Instead, when he hits the bottom, he is still surrounded by the walls of the shaft. As his feet, what had originally looked to be a discoloration in the 'floor', was actually a handle on what was probably a hatch that Dralon now stood on.

Quietly, not far below and beyond the hatch, Dralon could hear the sounds of blaster fire.


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## DralonXitz (Nov 28, 2004)

Dralon silently presses himself against the wall and looks upward at Rannick, sending forth the message, *"It's on Rannick."*


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## Veritas (Nov 28, 2004)

_Just like you to spout the assinine comments prematurely, Dralon._ he thinks.

"Take the fast route, Devlin, we've got to get down there. Archimedes, if you can, before you come down, rig the grapple so you can undo it with a sharp tug. We may need it again." he then takes ahold of the rope and quickly follows Devlin down.


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## yangnome (Nov 28, 2004)

Devlin grabs the rope from the Major, grabs hold, wraps it around his leg and tries to fast rope down the vent.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Nov 29, 2004)

Devlin's decent nearly dropped him right onto Dralon's head. He missed the man, and they soon found that this was a much more cramped access vent when one attempted to stand side by side. There wasn't going to be any room for anyone else to drop down yet, and from the look of the hatch, they wouldn't be able to open it with even one of them standing there.

...obviously, this had been designed to be accessed from within the section they were trying to get into, not the other way around.


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## Veritas (Nov 30, 2004)

"What's the hold-up down here? Rannick calls down


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## yangnome (Dec 1, 2004)

Devlin, seeing the cramped condition grabs hold of the rope and tries to clibup a bit, offering Dralon a bit more room to fiddle with the door.  He calls back up to the others (as quietly as possible, while stillbeing able to be heard),  Hold on, problms getting the hatch open.  It looks like its going to be a pretty tight squeeze.


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## DralonXitz (Dec 2, 2004)

Dralon kneels down, pushing Devlin up and examines the floor for a moment, thinking of a solution.  

_"Why bother with a fancy complicated solution, I'll fix it my way..._


Then he quickly stands up, pulls out his Blaster Pistol and unloads a flurry of shots into the center, with the purpose of blasting it away.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Dec 2, 2004)

The blaster shot hits the hatch with a very loud explosion. The sounds below are suddenly much more apparent. Blaster fire and explosions both near and farther away can be heard. As the smoke clears from the destroyed hatch, the floor below can be seen. Its about five meters down, and a bright white color compared to the rest of the facility.

Screaming can also be heard, though all of the voices don't seem to be near to the hatch.


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## Lobo Lurker (Dec 2, 2004)

Archimedes waits until everyone slides down the rope then power slides down himself. 

*OOC*: If he can't rig the grapple to release with a tug, then he'll just leave it and collect it when all the dust has settled... or replace it when they return to the Dominator.  _Either way, let me know AMG._


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## DralonXitz (Dec 2, 2004)

As the hatch below him blows open, Dralon, holding onto the rope with one hand, his blaster with the other grins and shouts, *"It's go Time!"*

He grips his blaster and drops down to the floor, rolling once he hits and quickly surveys the room for the apparent enemy leader.


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## yangnome (Dec 2, 2004)

Devlin follows Dralon down through the exit, covering the area to Dralon's back (Assuming they are standing back to back to cover any oncoming threats.)


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## Veritas (Dec 2, 2004)

Rannick follows the others down, and when he reaches the very bottom, he brings his rifle up, scanning the area for targets.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Dec 2, 2004)

Dropping down into the room below, you find that it is only filled with empty crates stacked up like a barricade. There are scorch marks along one side of them. Two hallways extend out from the room. One behind and one in front. From behind, you see two stormtrooper bodies sprawled out and unmoving. Looking the other direction, you see even more stormtroopers. There are also blaster shots sounding from that direction, though it turns a corner and you can't see anything beyond the bodies scattered around.


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## Lobo Lurker (Dec 2, 2004)

*Capt. Archimedes Daxxon (Soldier 3)*

Deactivating the safety on his rifle, Archimedes takes cover behind the bulkhead and points his rifle down the hallway (the one the blaster fire is coming from).

"Your orders Major?"


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## Veritas (Dec 3, 2004)

(ooc: with all the D-names, It's a struggle not to type "Drannick". heh)

Rannick takes in his surroundings, looking for surviellance cameras in the room or hallways... he also glances around at the dead stormtroopers quickly, looking for any resources they can use (utility belts, rifles, etc), although he doesn't really expect to find much. 

He quietly issues orders, indicating the quiet corridor first "Dralon, scout out that corridor and report back what you see."

He then points to the corridor the blaster fire is coming from. "Devlin, head up to the corner and see what we're up against there. Both of you report back immediately."


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## yangnome (Dec 4, 2004)

Devlin moves up to teh corner the major indicated.  He keeps his blaster in his hands, pointed down at the ground.  He bends down to about waist level and leans his head slightly around the corner, trying to see what is happening down the hallway.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Dec 5, 2004)

Devlin:



Spoiler



Looking around the corner, you see that the corridor goes back about ten meters before turned another corner. However, backed up at that corner is a group of seven or so stormtroopers and a single Imperial officer. They are ducking back to avoid blaster shots that continually assault them, trying to fire back between barrages. The corridor is also much more littered with bodies than the others, mixed between stormtroopers, officers, and men in more casual dress.


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## yangnome (Dec 7, 2004)

Devlin makes his way back to the others.  "Sir, We've got a group of about 7 stormtroopers and an officer down teh hallway.  No indication of who's side they're on."


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## Lobo Lurker (Dec 7, 2004)

"They'd have to be on our side. Stormtroopers aren't disloyal... its just not possible."


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## yangnome (Dec 8, 2004)

* "Not only is it possible, I've seen specific cases where it has happened.  Simple-minded folk especially can be very loyal, but they can also be easily manipulated.  These traitor instructors have been in the perfect position to infect many students, including storm troopers with treasonous rebel sympathies."*


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Dec 8, 2004)

Rannick looked to stormtrooper among them and shrugged, "Yes, a graduated stormtrooper is perfectly loyal. But this is a training facility, and Devlin's right, its possible that the instructers have been traitors for long enough to manipulate the trainees no matter how loyal."

He sighed and looked the other direction. There was no sound that way. The trail of bodies did lead the direction Devlin had checked in, "We're going to have to risk this. Stick our heads out, get attention, but don't shoot. The traitors should know who's among them, so they'd probably fire on a new face. Its risky, but...if they don't fire, we can hope they're on our side until we can find an officer."


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## Lobo Lurker (Dec 9, 2004)

*Capt. Archimedes Daxson*

_"Understood sir._ I'll go and see if we can't figure out who is who. If they shoot at me, my armor should protect me." Archimedes seems to be angry. He jogs to the corridor and stands half-behind the corner.

*"Don't shoot, we've been sent by Grand General Kardon to assist with exterminating the rebels. We've already had enough trouble for one day... Who's in command down here?"*

Archimedes scans thier uniforms for signs of rank (Spot +5) and tries to determine whether or not they act like proper stormtroopers or not (untrained Sense Motive +1 with help from Profession: Stormtrooper +7?).


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Dec 10, 2004)

Archimedes' call got the attention of two stormtroopers. At first, one of them turned a gun on him and nearly firedd, but the second grabbed the arm and pointed him back down the other corridor. The second trooper motioned to someone that Archimedes couldn't see. A moment later, the olive green capped head of an officer popped out from behind a series of barricades. The blaster he was holding was slightly red from constant fire.

Risking a glance the other direction again, the officer fired off a couple of shots to the distant opponents before looking back to Archimedes and calling, "You're late! We thought you were supposed to flank them, not come up behind us!"


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## Lobo Lurker (Dec 11, 2004)

*Capt. Archimedes Daxson*

Archimedes exposes himself and keeps his rifle trained in thier direction, but not pointed exactly at them. He approaches two steps.  

"Who's in command here?" Glancing at the officer and the troopers, *"Name and Ranks people!"*

_*OOC: AMG - I'm going out of town for the next 4 days. Feel free to run Archimedes while I'm not here.  *_


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Dec 11, 2004)

"Apparently I'm in command!" the same officer yelled back after ducking down to allow a couple of stormtroopers shots, "Second Lt. Markon, sir!"

There was a pause and the second Lt. crawled out from his cover, took a glance towards where the blaster fire was coming from, then ran across the opening towards you. He wasn't hit, though a few shots did come awfully close. Breathing heavily, he oviously was doing his best to not look threatening as he spoke in a more quiet voice(though still a near shout to be heard over the barrage of blaster fire), "The traitors had started retreating down this passageway when we attacked. They've stopped their retreat and are holding us here. I was just getting ready to lead a group around to flank them when the CO was shot."


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## Veritas (Dec 13, 2004)

Rannick looks the officer up and down, then glances over his shoulder at the soldiers there, taking in their numbers and condition. He also accounts for their wounded and dead. 

"We'll handle the flanking maneuver, Lieutenant, how many are you facing?"


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Dec 13, 2004)

The Lieutenant looks a bit surprised but at the same time, a weight leaves his expression, "There were nearly thirty of them when we first came in. Most of the bodies here are ours, but we've taken down a good amount of them, too. The traitors are easy to spot. The troopers took of their helmets, and the officers have ripped off their ranks," he paused to motion to a few such items littering the ground, then pointed back towards where you had come from, "The only way to get around them is to head back that was and follow the other corridor. Just keep taking lefts and it should put you right behind them."


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## Lobo Lurker (Dec 15, 2004)

*Capt. Archimedes*

Archimedes nods at the Major, "With your leave sir?" and takes off at full-speed down the corridor to get a flanking position on the traitors. 

_OOC: I've only seek Veritas, Yangnome, and myself posting lately... did we lose everyone else?_


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## yangnome (Dec 16, 2004)

Devlin falls in step behind the storm trooper, blaster at the ready.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Dec 18, 2004)

Following the directions that the Lieutenant gave you, it isn't too much trouble to navigate the corridors. It is obvious that you're getting closer as the sounds of blaster fire start to grow again, though they are still distant. That is, until you round another corner.

Two blaster bolts streak right past, impacting the wall next to you. It is quickly apparent that these were not aimed at you. A good distance away, you can see a group of stormtroopers firing at a group of helmetless troopers at the middle distance down the corridor. There are crates and boxes set up as a barricade to the actual stormtooper's fire, but a few shots do fly over and towards you. The good thing is that the helmetless troopers aren't facing your direction. The bad news is that a few of them disappear down a corridor, leaving only six to provide covering fire. From the looks of it, they're falling back even more.

Before you can react, however, the corridors rocks violently. Down near the true stormtroopers you see a series of powerful explosions, defeaningly loud. Smoke covers the area on the opposite side of the corridor, making it impossible for those troopers to see...if they're even alive. The helmetless troopers, however, seemed to be expecting this. They were getting to their feet and looking like they were going to retreat with the companions. Luckily, you still have a clear view down the corridor.

((Going to go ahead and roll Initiative. Note that this is a surprise round, with all of you aware but the helmetless troopers are not.
So, Initiative. Joric 16. Archimedes 3. Devlin 6. Rannick 18. Dralon 17. Order for Surprise Round is: *Rannick, Dralon, Joric, Devlin, Archimedes.*

Map is attached. Lines are the walls. Xs are the crates, hS(number) are the helmetless troopers, and the other letters are you guys. Hopefully you can pick out your character.  Note that the map IS to scale, so 1 square = 2 meters. Actions?))


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## Lobo Lurker (Dec 18, 2004)

*Captain Archimedes Daxson*

OOC: Three... THREE!?!   
OOC:  So those guys are... 38 meters away?
Actions: 
- MOVE: Move up *10* meters.
- ATTACK: Toss a frag grenade...


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Dec 19, 2004)

((OOC: You can only move 10m unless you take a double move.))


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## Veritas (Dec 20, 2004)

(ooc: hmph... gotta be within 20m to use a grenade it seems... 5 range increment maximum.)

Since he acts first, Rannick is going to use Heroic Surge to make a double move (20m) up to square B16 and then he'll open up on the group with multifire, firing at hS5 and hS2.


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## DralonXitz (Dec 22, 2004)

Dralon coldly grins at the traitors ahead and looks at the other side wall, gripping his Blaster as he quickly dashes to square B22, diving through the air and rolling into a kneeled position as he lands.


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## yangnome (Dec 22, 2004)

Devlin grips his blaster and moves up to F21.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jan 7, 2005)

((Sorry for the long delay. Things should get back to normal speed now...and if you haven't, please go check in at the OOC thread. A little note: the B squares are walls, so when you guys run up to "B#" I'll assume C. Sorry about any confusion. I will be doing all the rolls myself...so, here we go:

Rannick's attack[I'm assuming you're using a blaster rifle] against hS5 is an 11. Hits and deals 3 damage.  Attack against hS2 is a 5. Misses.))

The two shots from Rannick's blaster rifle streak off towards the helmetless troopers. The first strikes the back shoulder of the man's armor, causing him to lurch forward and sending a short puff of smoke up from the new black scorch mark. The second shot goes high, hitting the ceiling of the corridor far ahead of his other target.

At the same time, Dralon is already through his roll and onto his knee, in a stable position to open fire from. Coming up behind Rannick is Joric, his blaster pistol out and sticking behind his commanding officer for the moment. Devlin follows up behind Dralon, moving ahead of his former commander and readying his blaster while staying out of the way of the other man's shots. The groups stormtrooper, Archimedes, follows Rannick, staying next to him and readying a grenade to throw.

((Notes: NPCed Joric. Archimedes can't throw the grenade far enough, so he moved twice instead. End of Surprise Round. Initiative for the enemies is a 4. So, new order is:
*Rannick, Dralon, Joric, Devlin, Traitors, Archimedes*. New map up. Actions for Round 1?))


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## Lobo Lurker (Jan 7, 2005)

Archimedes runs to D11 and tosses his grenade at the greatest concentration of traitors (currently D3). 

*"Die you traitorous dogs! The Emporer's wrath is upon you!"*


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## Veritas (Jan 8, 2005)

(ooc: 3 damage on 3d8+1? or is that after DR?)

Seeing as Archimedes is going to throw a grenade (as this was obvious from his surprise round actions), Rannick will coordinate with him, running up to C11, pulling a grenade, activating it, and tossing it to E5.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jan 8, 2005)

((Veritas: Yep, that's after DR.))


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## dead_radish (Jan 19, 2005)

Edit: No grenades.  

Joric considers the field, and positions himself at D21, calling out to Archimedes.  "Well done, trooper, keep them scattered, and unable to react!  Remember your training, and keep a steady aim!  For the Emperor!"  _He's young and impressionable enough that calls like "For the Emperor" still rally him, I'd guess...._

OOC: Inspire Confidence on Archimedes.


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## ImperialMilitary (Jan 19, 2005)

Dralon, convinced he could kill them all by himself, smirks and fires his blaster at the trooper at the corner in F6.


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## doghead (Jan 19, 2005)

*Devlin, human male*

_Whoa. This is not a good place to be._ 

For a moment he considers an expedious retreat to the shelter of the corner. But he realises that in the time it would take to coordinate that, they would loose their advantage of surprise. Time to to try and roll over them before they have a chance to react.

*Devlin adds his blaster fire on the stormtrooper at the junction <F6> to Dralon's.*

*ooc:* SPORTING BLASTER PISTOL: +0, 3d4, 8m, 20x2


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jan 21, 2005)

((Rannick's throw is a 'hit', and the grenade lands in the square. Every hS except for 2 makes a Ref save for half damage. 4 and 6 pass the save. They take 4 damage each, while the others all take 13 damage. This drops hS1, 3, and 5.))

Rannick's grenade drops, rolls for a moment, and there is a short, disturbing silence. A moment later, the grenade explodes in a bright flash. When the smoke and dust clears, three of the troopers are on the ground, each with many cuts and holes in their armor, and very bloodied faces. Obviously, the lack of helmets was not the brightest idea in the world. The other three are in positions that seemed to cover them from the brunt of the blast, though it is somewhat surprising to see the two nearest the explosion still up and not looking all that happy.

((Note, because of this taking out the large collection of troopers, going to give Archimedes a chance to change his action if he wants. No new map, but you can just look at the old one and ignore the three dead.))


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## Lobo Lurker (Jan 24, 2005)

Archimedes retargets to F5... or R5 (I forgot & I suck at coordinants)... right between the two in the corridor).


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jan 24, 2005)

((Dralon's up next. His attack is a 6. Misses.))

The young Dralon charges forward, blaster blazing at the nearest of the troopers. But the bolt instead hits the wall, putting a deep black scorch mark on the otherwise clean white wall. As he runs forward, Joric steps back, calling out to Archimedes as he moves.

((Devlin's attack is an 9. Another miss.))

Devlin fires over the shoulder of Dralon, the red bolt shooting past and striking the wall, closer to the corner this time and at least getting a reaction out of the helmetless tropper. After pulling back to reach around the corner, the trooper returns fire with his blaster rifle. The shots are quickly joined by those from the two other troopers.

((hS2 holds his ground and fires at Rannick. The attack is a 17. That hits and Rannick takes 13 vitality damage.
hS4 fires at Archimedes. His attack is a 5. Miss.
hS6 fires around the corner at Dralon. The attack is a 13. Another miss.))

Two shots go high, striking the ceiling above both Archimedes and Dralon. They echo loudly and drops down a few sparks, but do no actual damage other than a few bright spots in the eyes. Rannick, though, feels the blaster bolt shoot right past his shoulder, lightly scorching him but thankfully not hitting. 

((Archimedes' throw hits the square, placing the grenade right where it needs to be. The two troopers have to make Ref saves...hS4 passes, and hS6 fails. So, hS4 takes 2 damage and hS6 takes 9. That kills 6.))

Just as the smoke from the first grenade clears, the three traitorous stormtroopers have a quick second to watch Archimedes' grenade land at two of their feet. A half second later, it also explodes. Two loud cracks and yelps are heard just under the explosion, and when the smoke clears again, only two of the troopers stand, with the third sprawled against the wall and unmoving.

((End of Round...new map uploaded.))


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## dead_radish (Jan 24, 2005)

*Joric chuckles quietly to himself.*  _They even die like stormtroopers.  At least our is smart enough to keep his helmet on...._  "Well done, Archimedes, and Rannick.  Keep them off balance and finish them off.  Don't let them escape."  *Considering, he shrugs, and draws his own blaster, taking aim at hS2, and firing.


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## Lobo Lurker (Jan 24, 2005)

Archimedes, his voice made hollow and lifeless by his helment's voice filters says, "I could have tolerated an intelligent traitor... An intelligent traitor would have realized that this was an inescapable situation. Unfortunatly, only a *fool* would think that they could blast thier way out of Carida! That you still wear your uniform is hearsy. You're not a stormtrooper, not anymore. By the will of the Emperor, I'll see you dead and your body rendered down into soap and pig slop."

Archimedes will move up 5 squares (that's my max move-action distance, right... I still haven't gotten down how much distance each square equates to), train his blaster-rifle on the traitors, and multi-fire (which one isn't really important at this point, especially given my initiative).


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## doghead (Jan 25, 2005)

Devlin takes a deep breath, steadies, and lets off a couple more blasts at the standing Stormtroopers.

ooc: * SPORTING BLASTER PISTOL +0, 3d4, 8m, 20x2 * Rapid shot if possible *

If his line of sight is blocked, he will move to a clear one. If the last Stormtrooper is downed first, he will push up to the corner, being careful to avoid being shot by those that the ST's were fighting.


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## Veritas (Jan 25, 2005)

Given the much better odds, Rannick will open fire on hS2 with a normal shot, leaving the other traitor for the others.


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## ImperialMilitary (Jan 25, 2005)

Dralon snarls and advances on HS4, stopping to take a shot.  *"You rebels are all pathetic and beneth me! A true hero of the Empire!"*

OOC: A full move and then a shot at HS4


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jan 26, 2005)

((Rannick's attack is a 21. Hits and hS2 takes 9WP damage.))

This time, the shot from Rannick's blaster rifle hits, colliding with the center chestplate of the traitorous stormtrooper and sending him stumbling back some. A large, black scorch mark is now on the armor, but the plasteel did its job and protected the man from the brunt of the shot.

((Dralon's shot is a 14. Another hit, and it deals 5 more damage. That drops the trooper.))

The shot from Dralon's pistol catches the scratched up trooper's armor right at the shoulder, sending the man twisting back into the corner behind him before slumping down and dropping his rifle. 

((Joric's attack is a 12, just hits and deals 8 more damage for 17 total. hS2 is down. Combat is over. ))

Before the stormtrooper could react and return fire from Rannick's shot, another blaster bolt strikes his chest. There is a grunt of pain from the main before the force of Joric's shot sends him onto his back with a loud thud and clank from the armor.

With the troopers down, the air seems to calm at least slightly. In the distance, you can see the smoke clearing and a few shouted orders from what sounds like the officer who sent you around the flank.


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## Lobo Lurker (Jan 26, 2005)

*Capt. Archimedes Daxson*

Archimedes pauses over the dead bodies of the almost-stormtroopers. _They had so much potential... and they're not really to blame, though they did make thier choice. It's the officers that must be made to pay for this treachery._

Turning to Major Rannick, "All clear sir. Proceeding to next target." He hoists his blaster and hustles towards the voice of the junior officer in command of Carida's Storm-trooper force. 

Upon reaching the officer he addresses him. "Where are the rest of the traitors?" Looking around at the carnage, "Our mission isn't complete yet. Do you and your men have any specific orders now that this specific nest of traitors has been eradicated? If not, you'll accompany us and provide fire support."

OOC: _I'm assuming that the hallway to the right (on the map) leads back to that officer and his troops, if not, then I'll proceed along the corridor._


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## dead_radish (Jan 26, 2005)

Joric nods in satisfaction.  "That's how a well commanded squad reacts, Dralon.  With purpose, not with arrogance."  He turns, and walks to the bodies of the troopers, searching for a few unused grenades or energy packs, and looking down the corridor.


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## Veritas (Jan 27, 2005)

_ooc: with the baracades in place along the "north" part of the intersection, I'd assume that's where the loyal officer and his men are... the right corridor was where the traitors were retreating to. Or at least that's how it looked when we showed up._


Rannick is pleased with the results of their attack, and nods in acknowledgement to Daxson and Joric, but says "Stay sharp. This isn't over yet." 

He moves up to E7 and trains his blaster rifle down the hallway to the right to cover Draxson as he heads over to talk to the officer in charge of the other troops. He will warn everyone if he sees any more traitors.


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## doghead (Jan 27, 2005)

*Devlin, human male ISB agent.*

Devlin pushes up to the corner once the last Stormtrooper is down. If no one else has, he flips a quick look around it to make sure its clear. He glances over the bodies of the fallen to see if there is anything in the way of a heavier blaster or grenades.

He's a little startled when Archimedes ... _I always thoutgh that they just had numbers_ ... announces he's moving onto the next *target*, then proceeds straight for the junior officer in command of Carida's Stormtrooper force. For a moment Devlin wonders if the Stormtrooper is going to go in with guns blazing. _Nope, seems not._

Devlin amuses himself for a moment watching the junior officer's face as the Stormtrooper begins giving him commands. _Priceless._

He returns his attention to the corridor which the Storm troopers were protecting.


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## ImperialMilitary (Jan 27, 2005)

Dralon snorts at Joric's comment. *The weak always support the weak. * He eyes Rannick a good one and then moves to stand behind him.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jan 28, 2005)

The young officer stared at Archimedes for a moment, then motioned to a group of troopers behind him, "You, take command and go ahead after the traitors."

As the group of troopers stormed past, pushing their way through, the officer stepped back to look over all of you, "You are done here. My men will take this from here. Your new orders are to return to your ship. These are directly from your superior officers. From the sound of it, the boys up there aren't happy. Friendly advice for you: Follow the orders."

Without a word, the man then ran to follow his troops...leaving all of you alone in the corridor with the bodies.


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## Veritas (Jan 28, 2005)

Rannick looks around at the others in the group and says "Alright, men. You heard him. Let's go." He starts to walk away, but as he walks past Dralon, he says in a quiet voice to him "Time to face the music, Cadet."

"Move out!"


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## Lobo Lurker (Jan 28, 2005)

OOC: I think I got confused... I thought that group was the same group that we passed earlier. Being that it was a flanking action I assumed that they would be on one side and we'd be on the other. Did I make a mistake in my interpretation of the events?

Archimedes nods, if the officer is of a higher rank, he'll add SIR to the affirmation.

Returning to Major Rannik's side, he nods. "All in a day's work sir. By your leave?"

Looking at the rest of the group he removes his helmet and wipes his brow. "Whatever happens to us, all we can do is move on and learn from our mistakes. Our former commander made a judgement call and like a well-oiled team, we followed through with brutal efficiency. There's no use in laying blame. Whatever punshiment awaits us, we'll accept it unflinchingly." He pauses and looks everyone dead in the eye, his ebon skin contrasting with the polished white of his armor, cutting a heroic profile that would surely have ended up on a recruiting poster had there been any of the publicity corps nearby. "We'll accept it because we've got a galaxy to save and an Empire that needs us. We're not perfect and we're not politicians... we're soldiers. And we have a job to do."

He turns, puts his helmet back on, and starts making is way back to the shuttle, keeping an eye out for hidden rebels.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jan 28, 2005)

((OOC: You didn't actually pass that other group...instead, you went around the other way and came up behind where they were shooting forward at. Sorry for any confusion. ))


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## ImperialMilitary (Jan 28, 2005)

*What was done, I do not regret. And if any of the rest of you were half the men that Archimedes is, you would stand up and take my... I mean our blame, Major. * Dralon sniffs and turns on his heal and storms off.


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## dead_radish (Jan 28, 2005)

*Joric sighs, and shakes his head, watching Dralon's back as it recedes.*  _One blaster shot, and we explain to high command that he was in fact working with the rebels.  He was put down....  So easy, but best not to complicate things._  "

OOC: The officer that ordered us back - do I recognize him?  Is there any reason to suspect that he is anything other than an Imperial Officer?  Sense Motive/Spot/Profession as necessary....  I just find his use of "Your superior officers" a bit suspicious.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jan 28, 2005)

Joric:



Spoiler



You don't recognize the officer, but he seems genuine enough. There's nothing to indicate that he is anything else but a little disgusted before he leaves.



Following the corridor back, you find your way to the turbolift and head up to the hangar and to your ship. Once there, a group of eight stromtroopers escorts you into the ship and you find that there is already a pilot and a few other troopers within. All are watching you carefully, but no one speaks at all.

As your shuttle leaves the hangar and heads back up into orbit, you catch sight of a large squadron of TIEs flying the other direction, back towards the training complex. Once aboard the Dominator, your escort leads you down the familiar corridors of the Star Destroyer and to the turbolift. After another long walk, you reach the briefing room. Apparently, the Vice Admiral is going to get straight to business.

Entering the small room, you see Vice Admiral Zercone standing in front of the holoscreen, waiting. Watching. Silent. Silent until all of you have sat, and then finally, he snaps, _"What in the name of the Empire were you thinking down there? Do you all simply assume that because you are a part of my fleet you are immune to protocol?! Do you think that it makes you better than those men down on Carida? Do you think you're simply above reprimand because of your station or your family?!"_ his voice then calmed, but it felt dangerous still, _"Tell me why I should throw all of you off of this ship right now."_


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## Lobo Lurker (Jan 28, 2005)

Ankh-Morpork Guard said:
			
		

> _"Tell me why I should throw all of you off of this ship right now."_




OOC: I'm assuming that you meant ...whyt I should*n't*...

Archimedes holds his tongue and instead sifts through his thoughts and hopes. _...this is your chance Dralon. Be the hero when the cost is high... be the officer that all officers should aspire to. Be the officer that a Storm Trooper would want to serve. We'll willingly die if ordered, but we deserve officers who will respect and deserve our sacrifice... be worthy...be worthy..._ He frowns at his thoughts. He hadn't realized how much the Imperial Military hierarchy had gotten to him. He wouldn't call himself disillusioned. But he was aware of the reality of the situation.

He continued waiting for his superior officers to do thier unspoken duty...


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## Veritas (Jan 29, 2005)

Given that he is now the commanding officer of this squad, Rannick stands at attention and speaks. 

"Sir! We were sent into a sensitive situation, where things may not have been the way they seemed on the surface. Caution and skepticism were high on our minds. An error in judgement was made, but the error was made in the effort to root out a cancer that threatened the Empire. If we were overzealous in our actions, it was only due to our desire to do that job in the most effective manner possible."

"Mistakes are made in battle. I know that perhaps more than anyone here. However there are always benefits to any event. Due to this event, loyalty to the Empire will not be an issue at this academy again."

"As acting commanding officer of this squad, I stand ready to accept sole responsibility for the squad's actions and accept any consequences you feel are necessary."

He remains at attention awaiting the Admiral's reply.


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## dead_radish (Jan 29, 2005)

AMG and Veritas:
[sblock]
Joric will speak telepathically to Rannick.

"It's not worth your career, sir.  Dralon was a loose cannon.  Lay the blame at his feet, make an example of him, hell, call him a rebel, and keep yourself out of it!  I'll back you if needed."
[/sblock]

To everyone else: Joric stands, eyes unfocused, and waits patiently.


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## doghead (Jan 29, 2005)

*Devlin, human male ISB Agent.*

Devlin listens to Rannick. Its a little much to claim that unending loyalty to the Emperor will be the result of shooting the commanding officers son. But perhaps the sheer boldness of the claim will work for him. Devlin is rather impressed that Rannick offered to take sole responsibility for the mess. It makes Devlin's job of saving his career a whole lot easier. There is no way he is going to allow everything he has achieved be distroyed because no one saw that Dralon should never have been promoted past Deckhand.

Devlin considers the best way to approach this.

ooc: *Diplomacy +8 * P(Military officer) +3 * Sense Motive +3

Devlin requests permission to speak frankly. If granted he continues.

"Admiral, I belive it would be a waste of a good officer to accept's Rannick offer. He was not in charge when General Harmon's son was shot. Rannick was not the one who pulled the trigger, and Rannick was not the one who insisted on compounding the error by insulting the General and his son.

"Cadet Dralon holds that dishonour.

"Rannick was the one who stepped up and lead when that was needed. And he showed great professionalism and restraint in not shooting Dralon for insubordination as the cadet continued to insult and criticise Rannick throughout the attack on the rebel positions. Instead, Rannick put the mission objectives first and kept his focus on achieving them."


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## Veritas (Jan 29, 2005)

AMG and dead_radish
[sblock]Rannick is slightly startled to hear the man's voice in his head, but he maintains his composure. He thinks loudly, in case Joric can hear his thoughts "If Dralon were still in charge, it would be him up here, either by choice or us forcing him. But I'm in charge now, and it falls on my shoulders as commanding officer. The Admiral should know that Dralon shot the kid, but I'm not going to hide behind that arrogant fool."[/sblock]

If Devlin was allowed to speak, Rannick looks impressed with his ISB associate, but holds up his hand to forstall any more from him and responds before anyone else can. "Yes, sir, it's true that Dralon pulled the trigger on the General's son. And he acted in an insubbordinate manner to both the General and myself. But Dralon is no longer in command of this squad. I offer myself because *I* am in command of this squad and a squad commander is responsible for those under his command. Therefore, I am ready for whatever orders the Admiral has for me."


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## ImperialMilitary (Jan 29, 2005)

Dralon rolls his eyes and snorts and then stands, preparing to speak in his own defense. *I pulled the trigger, I take all responsibility. Because I don't regret it at all. He was a pathetic private, I did the Empire a service. Do you know who's son I am? We'll see how far this charade gets.*


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## Lobo Lurker (Jan 29, 2005)

ImperialMilitary said:
			
		

> Dralon rolls his eyes and snorts and then stands, preparing to speak in his own defense. *I pulled the trigger, I take all responsibility. Because I don't regret it at all. He was a pathetic private, I did the Empire a service. Do you know who's son I am? We'll see how far this charade gets.*




<inward sigh> ...he's doing the right thing for the completely wrong reason...

"SIR, Permission to speak freely SIR!"

If granted: "The why's and howfore's of our mission objectives were left up to us. No matter the manner in which the mission was accomplished, it was, in fact, accomplished. Perhaps we made some errors in judgement but isn't one of the most important things that we ar taught during our command training is that indecision kills? Perhaps Private Dralon had a reason for acting as he did, perhaps he did not. The long-view is that A) the mission objectives were completed and B)  we acted as a unit... irreguardless of what our personal feelings might have been. If we are guilty of those two things then I, for one, am willing to accept any judgement you deem appropriate. The major's intention of saving the rest of us from blame is noble, but I stand by my actions. I did them. I participated in the Private's death and with my aid, the mission was a success. Before you dole out any judgement upon Major Rannik or Private Dralon, know that I stand ready to accept whatever punishment you deem necessary for doing our job."

Diatribe completed, he sits back and awaits the Admiral's judgement, whatever it may be.


OOC: fyi, NCO's of Sgt. rank and above do recieve a form of officer training... at least in the US military)


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jan 31, 2005)

The Vice Admiral waits for everyone to finish speaking before waving them all silent. He paces across the room a moment and then looks straight at Archimedes, _"But you did NOT complete your mission objectives. You were only allowed to stay on that planet because you were needed. When you were not, you were recalled here. The Rebels have escaped."_

He went silent before stepping back to the center of the room and looked over all of you again, _"Your orders were not to kill everyone in that facility. Your orders were to assist the General and his men in aprehending or killing the defectors and the Rebels. To do that obviously requires meeting up with the General. Killing his envoy, be it his son or not, immediately destroys any chance of success. Your delay is what let those Rebels escape."_

Again, the Vice Admiral went silent, but this time it lasted longer. It was almost a disturbing silence before he spoke again, in a calm but stern voice, _"Major Rannick, you were not in command of the unit at the time of the incident. As the General has informed me, you performed your duties as were necessary. 

"The one who is responsible will be dealt with. Private Dralon, you are to be transported to Coruscant. It seems that the Emperor's top advisors wish to speak of why you allowed the Rebels to escape...your father is one of them who is curious. Lieutenant Tyrcus will accompany you as an escort. It seems that his superiors do not wish him to be involved in an operation with such a blemish on its record. The two of you will be leaving in one hour.

"As for the rest of you, you will remain here with the fleet an apart of the Krayts. There will be new members joining the squad and hopefully they will assist in the prevention of any repeats of today. We are leaving the system immediately after Private Dralon's shuttle is gone."_

And without another word, the Vice Admiral left the room. He didn't even look at any of you when he passed by.


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## dead_radish (Jan 31, 2005)

*Joric nods to himself, pleased.  He gives Dralon a harsh glare.*  "For everyone's sake, I hope the Emperor's advisors are quite .... through.  I hear Lord Vader's techniques often leave no visible marks.  I'm sure rumors that he's killed a number of men that displeased him are simply that.  I'm sure your father, too, will be quite proud to welcome you home, _Cadet_."  He gives a perfunctory salute to Devlin and the rest, and leaves without any further comment, returning to his quarters to prepare for the journey.*


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## ImperialMilitary (Jan 31, 2005)

Dralon snarled at those left in the room. *Don't think of this as a defeat Major. I will be back and greater then ever. You will be my lap dog when I come back. My father and I will see to it. * Dralon stormed out of the room.


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## Lobo Lurker (Jan 31, 2005)

"It seems we've been given a stay of execution... for the moment, at least." He looks at Rannik, "Well Major, if you've no pressing need of my services, I'll be at the firing range and then off to the simulators. As well, a few of the privates have asked me to lead them through some of the more advanced drills." He nods, "By your leave."

He stands and stretchs his nearly seven foot frame. "Next time, we won't fail..."


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## doghead (Feb 1, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB agent.*

"Run along little boy. _Daddy's_ waiting."

Devlin smiles innocently at Dralon as he storms past.

He turns to Tycus.

"Good luck. You're better out than in of this one I think. You seems to have been blessed with your superiors."

"Whoa. Hold up Archimedies. You don't mind if I join you at the range, do you? I'd like to get a little time in with some weapons. I'd appreciate your input."

Assuming the storm trooper agrees, Devlin sets off with him to the range.


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## Veritas (Feb 1, 2005)

Rannick rolls his eyes after Dralon storms off, but can't keep the visual coming into his mind of shoving the barrel of his blaster rifle into the man's smug face and pulling the trigger on autofire.

He turns and nods to the stormtrooper. "By the way, good work down there, all of you. If it wasn't for Dralon, we wouldn't have failed _this_ time."

He says in a more quiet voice. "It took quite a lot of self-control for me not to empty my blaster into Dralon's face. I wonder if I can convince a tech to misalign the compensators on his shuttle... it'd be doing the galaxy a favour to have him littered over half a quadrant. It'd be too bad for Joric. He's a good man... but some sacrifices have to be made." he adds with a note of morbid humor in his voice.


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 1, 2005)

Archimedes nods to Devlin. "Lets go then."

Hearing the Major's musings on the way out, he chuckles. 

Turning back to Devilin, "So, what kind of weapons are you familiar with?" He begins lechturing on the virtues and uses of certain blasters in certain situations and about things the 'troopers are taught that Devlin likely didn't pick up at OCS.


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## doghead (Feb 1, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB agent.*

"Pistols," Devlin responds, tapping the sporting blaster at his side. "They don't go in for weapons training much at ISB. But I'm fairly handy with a stun club," he adds with a grin.

"I'd like to pick up a pistol with some clout. And I wouldn't mind a little work with rifles. You'll all probably be safer if I don't carry one for the moment, but you have to start somewhere, right?"


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## dead_radish (Feb 1, 2005)

At the firing range (Cause it's more fun this way):

As you enter, a man has just finished his run at the targets, and is talking to a trooper next to him.  "I dunno - they just brought me in.  I hear the group had a major snafu, killed some higher-up's kid, let some rebels escape.  Pretty sloppy group overall, it sounds like.  So yeah, I'm just thrilled I'm getting imported.  Sounds like they're rather heavy on the order-givers, and light on the useful people, so that could explain things...."


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## doghead (Feb 1, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB agent.*

Devlin breaks into an easy laugh.

"You heard right. We needed a little more grunt, a little less ego."

He gives the man a once over.

"So you must be the grunt."

But the smile on Devlins face seems genuinely warm, and he holds out his hand.

"2nd Lt. Devlin Tremblane, Krytes Dragons, on secondment from ISB. Not sure if I'm one of the order givers, or one of the useless people."


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## dead_radish (Feb 1, 2005)

He looks over to the hand, and grins as well.  "Either way, you don't fit the description of the arrogant SOB running the show."  He snaps a precise salute, then shakes the hand.  "Sir.  Warrant Officer Talsriaanel Dolgeth, recently assigned."  He gives Devlin just a moment to run over the name in his head.  "Most people just call me Sri.  And yes, I'm a grunt.  Imperial Army, sniper and long-range weapons specialist.  Though you won't find me boxed up in a tin can, I'm the Emperor's man."  Sri carries a sizable rifle, a bit over 2 metres in length, and obviously heavily modified.  "The rifle is all legal, sir, before you ask.  Upgraded it myself."


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## Veritas (Feb 1, 2005)

With the meeting over, and the others off to the shooting range, Rannick decided that what he needed was something to eat and some sleep.

He headed for the officer's mess to take care of the first.

Getting into line, he gathers food onto his plate and sits somewhere to eat.


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 1, 2005)

The man Sri is talking to, straightens up and salutes as Devlin and Archimedes enter the range. 

"At ease corporal." says Archimedes as he returns the salute. Looking over Sri, the tall storm trooper attempts to size him up. _Calm, self-assured, not particularly respectful of the higher command, long rifle, performs his own rifle modifications, and looks pretty limber._ 

"Sharp-shooter? Well, you're no Storm Tooper." he says eyeing your Imperial Army uniform. "But could definately use your skills on our team. And as for our recent failure... lets just say that the mission FUBAR'd due to..." he glances at Devlin. "...circumstances beyond our control."

"We're off-duty so lets just keep the saluting to a minimum here." He sticks out his hand. "Captain Daxxon."  He turns to the firing range and jerks his thumb towards the targets. "I was just about to show Devlin here some basic rifle usage techniques, care to join us?"


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## doghead (Feb 1, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB agent.*



			
				dead_radish said:
			
		

> "The rifle is all legal, sir, before you ask.  Upgraded it myself."




"Is there such a thing as an illegal rifle?

"Speaking of rifles and what not, Captain Daxxon, as he has just mentioned," Devlin indicates the storm trooper at his side, "has kindly offered to  give me a little hands on experience with rifles and other gear. I think that he is hoping I might, with a little effort be shoehorned into the ranks of the useful people.

Devlin pauses for a moment, then turns to Archimedies.

"Actually, Captain. It seems to me that it might be an idea for *everyone* to spend some time together doing a little basic training as a team. The sharp end of things is your speciallity, what do you think?"


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 1, 2005)

"I quite agree. We need to be brought up to speed on just what each other's specialties are. I've studied tactics extensively, and soldiering is what I do best. I dare-say that you'd be a fine choice for liasing with local planetary governments though, as my negotiations tend to be with the business end of my blater-rifle."  He smiles, pearly white teeth contrasting with his ebony skin. "I'll bring it up with Major Rannik next time I see him. Good idea."


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## doghead (Feb 1, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB agent.*

"Organising some areas of authority would be a good idea, but perhaps we should wait till we are all assembled.

"But actually, I was thinking more along the lines squad combat training. I know if you were working my terrritory, I'd be making damn sure that you were doing what I wanted you to."


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 1, 2005)

Archimedes pauses and arches an eyebrow. "You _did_ recieve basic military training didn't you? Went through boot? Hmm... perhaps we should review some close-order drills... I hadn't anticipated some of the training failures of other Imperial Military institutions. You make a good point Mr. Devlin. I might even suggest that you drop by the parade grounds in your free time. I know the constant parading and marching seems pointless, even to the storm troopers performing them, but when it comes time for actual combat, you'll note that most military formations mirror parade formations and that most tactical manuevers closely resemble drills." 

Archimedes sets up a target and requisitions Devlin: a light blaster, a heavy blaster, and a blaster rifle. He gestures to the weapons in front of him. "I personally prefer blaster rifles. They've got range, are accurate, and pack a good punch. Others I know prefer pistols as they are even more accurate at close range and aren't nearly so bulky. Many Storm Troopers are issued blaster carbines... but I don't like them too much. They have slightly more range than a heavy blaster pistol, but are too heavy to be weilded in one hand. I must confess that I much prefer heavier weaponry... they just suit my personal combat philosophy."

"If I'm going to be shooting at someone, I prefer to be further away. And realistically, if I'm pulling a trigger, I want to be firing the most potent weapon I can get my hands on. One day I hope to requisition myself a Light Repeating Blaster... but I currently lack the skills to master such a high-powered weapon."

"In any case, if I'm going to close in with an enemy, I prefer using my vibrosword rather than a blaster. I've got more control over the results and I don't have to worry about sheilding technologies."

"But... before we get ahead of ourselves, choose a weapon and I'll try to remember the basics of maintenance, clearing the firing chamber and induction coils. We'll work on sighting after you have a basic idea on how the weapon works."


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## doghead (Feb 1, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB agent.*

"Well, I went through basic. But it was very basic. What I didn't do was go through it with anyone from this squad. The better the members of a team know each other, the better they work together. In my experience."

Devlin selects the light blaster.

"I would have to agree with you. If I am going to be shooting and shot at, I would prefer to be as far away as possible as well. I'm familer enough with these, in principle, but the only weapon I have any real time on is the sporting I carry now.

"But let see what these can do."

ooc: Bab+0, Dex bonus +0. -4 non-prof penalty with rifles. don't be expecting to much. actually, I'd suggest standing well clear when he has a rifle in hand.

Devlin works through the weapons Archimedies has collected. He does what Archmedies asks without complaint. Mastery has always come from mastery of the basics Devlin's father always said. And while Devlin rather thinks his father is an idiot, Devlin agrees with his father on this. At the Acadamy, Devlin found that the ones who complained the most about the endless drills were the ones whose vaulted opinion of their own ability least resembled the reality of them. 

However, if Devlin also gets the chance to blow some holes in a target with Sri's cannon, he'll happily accept that too.


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## dead_radish (Feb 1, 2005)

*Sri grins at Devlin, clearly impressed.*  "You're a man after my own heart, Devlin.  Too many officers are scared to get their hands dirty, and think a good squad just happens.  I daresay Archimedes here is more of an expert on coordinated attacks, though.  Troopers are used to covering for others, and trained for it.  Maybe gathering the squad wouldn't be a bad idea...."  *He glances at Devlin's gun.*  "Though if you're going to train on the gun, rather than just carry it, I'd say you'd best pick up a SoroSuub ELG-3A, or at the least, a Merr-Sonn 44.  Either one will do more damage than that thing, and they're pretty accurate at range.  Hell, even a SoroSuub SC-4 would be better, though those have that little tracker in them...."  *He glances at Archimedes' weapon as well.*  "Hmmm.  Interesting weapon you've got there.  I see you didn't go for the standard issue either." *He hefts his rifle.*  "If you have a few credits, and a bit of time, I could speed up the harmonics on the energy crystal, and adjust the piping on the barrel.  Looks like it's already a fine piece, but I think I could give you a bit more accuracy, and a longer range, though it's slightly less powerful.  Still, a rifle like that, you'll hardly notice....  Parts would run you several hundred creds - 'bout a quarter what you paid.  Or what the Emperor paid, more likely."


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 1, 2005)

OOC: Archimedes' rifle is not standard issue... that much is obvious to your expert eye. It looks like someone spent a lot of time and energy engineering the weapon. Its metal is a slightly blue texture (non-standard alloys). 
---

Archimedes used Aid Another on Devlin's attacks, helping him to build confidence. They slowly start moving the target back further and further as his hits come more frequently.

"Small unit combat drills might be just what the doctor ordered." You can see the wheels spinning in the tall storm troopers mind. You get the suspicion that Archimedes might be one of those nuts that views being a soldier as a calling rather than a job.


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## dead_radish (Feb 1, 2005)

*Sri will give a few pointers, though he'll make sure not to step on Archimedes' toes.   He will, however, obviously place his target at the farthest range possible, and assemble his Sorosuub X-45 in front of everyone, then practice shooting with and without the scope.  He will offer Devlin a chance to shoot his cannon (though it's actually just a large size blaster rifle) as well.*

OOC: Edited my prior post about Archimedes' rifle, and after seeing that 2 more came in while I was typing..


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 1, 2005)

The door hissed open and closed and another stormie entered the firing range. Anyone who took notice of his entrance would see a man with short brown hair and bright blue eyes. His helmet was tucked under his right arm, and he appeared to be chewing gum. He paused a moment to glance at the group and gave a polite nod and set his helmet down before removing his blaster rifle from it's holster and setting a target up down range. He liked this part of his off duty routine the least, preferring to spend his time practicing his hand to hand and K'tara, but business before pleasure. Spend some time in the firing range and then he got to relax. "Got to stay sharp."   Talking to himself was a bad habit he'd yet to break.


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 1, 2005)

ImperialMilitary said:
			
		

> "Got to stay sharp."   Talking to himself was a bad habit he'd yet to break.





Archimedes nods his head, agreeing with the nearby storm trooper. "Indeed, there are only three things the Emperor requires of us. The *disipline* to follow our orders; The *will* to carry out our duties, no matter what they may be; and *ferocity* to mercilessly strike down all those that would threaten the Emperor and his New Order." he says ritualistically.


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 1, 2005)

Bruck smiled broadly at Archimedes. "Well put."  He nodded with a grin to the rest of the group. "Bruck Dravvad. I'm new on ship, just got transfered into the Krayts from the 113th. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find any of them would yah? The sooner I get the introductions over with the better."


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 1, 2005)

Archimedes straightens up and sticks his hand out. "Capt. Archimedes Daxxon." he says by way of introduction. "These are Sri and Devlin. We're about half of the Krayt Dragons. Nice to meet you."

"I'll introduce you to Major Rannik later, he'll be your commanding officer."


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## dead_radish (Feb 1, 2005)

*Sri laughs.*  "I think he might like good aim, too.  But judging by some of the casualty lists I've seen, I don't know that's a requirement any more.  At least not for the stormies...."

To Devlin/Archimedes: "So, we're more than half the Krayts, now, right?  Any idea where we're off to next?  The Emperor's Will is ever active, eh?."  Though the words are flippant, he seems to actually mean the words.


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 1, 2005)

Bruck shook Archimedes' extended hand. "Thank you sir, I'd appreciate that. Good to met you as well."


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 1, 2005)

Archimedes frowns at Sri's words, but senses the underlying truth. The man's attitude is flippant, but he knows that those in Sri's specialty are frequently on thier own. If his capacity to perform his duty stemmed from self-reliance instead of faith in the Emperor, then so be it. Either way, he was still useful.

"The innate  problem with fielding a large number of storm troopers is that the commander has no way of directing each of thier individual targets. Humans, as a rule, tend to 'follow the leader'. Thefore if one independently minded trooper gets it in his head to shoot the most strongly armored portion of a target, it's likely all the troopers will do the same. Not terribly effective, but we're shock & terror troops... not commandos per se."

"The optimal function, therefore, of a Storm Trooper company is to place us in front of another army and let us crush it into oblivion. Our companies are useful, if a commander knows how to use them." It seems as if he'd say more, but you get the impression that he's too disiplined to talk bad about his commanders.


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## dead_radish (Feb 1, 2005)

*Sri, however, clearly isn't.*  "Yeah, I feel for you there.  That's why I never wanted to get in the can.  Too many people see the stormies as a measure of time - if we put three regiments in front of the army, we'll have 8 minutes before the enemy destroys them, and engages our main force....  Stupid men.  But then our line of work only seems to attract those that truly understand the Emperor's vision, and those that are there merely to line their own pockets and gain personal glory...."  *He finally seems to realize that he's speaking to people all ranked higher than himself, and trails off, busying himself with his weapon suddenly.


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 1, 2005)

Archimedes grins when Sri catches on, but turns back to helping Devlin set up without saying anything.

"So, where are you from soldier?" he says to no one in particular.


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## dead_radish (Feb 1, 2005)

*Sri shrugs*  "Me, I'm from Corellia.  Grew up in Coronet, then the Academy.  Been on the move since then."


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## doghead (Feb 2, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB agent.*

Devlin concentrates on his shooting, leaving the talking to the soldiers. _Small unit combat drills. Thats what I was trying to say._ He grins to himself, and continues to work through the drills and weapons.

Devlin is not surprised at hearing how limited some of the officers are. He is surprised at the soldier's philosophical acceptance of it, and their grasp of their role, strengths and weaknesses. _Its not so surprising old boy. You've just never had the chance to hear soldier's speak openly._ The conversation occasionally drifts towards dangerous waters, but Devlin notices that the others have sense enough to alter its course themselves. He keeps his peace.

"Stun. When I set to stun, I'd really like to make sure that they go down. Anything to help out with the accuracy," he shrugs in the direction of his targets, wouldn't hurt as well."

_We don't have alot of capital with the brass at the moment, but I'll talk to Rannick about getting some access to a workroom and the parts Sri needs. That might reduce the cost a bit._


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## dead_radish (Feb 2, 2005)

*Sri nods to Devlin.*  "Possible.  Very possible.  The construction on a blaster leaves a lot more points of entry.  You can tweak and tune a lot more bits.  The power coupling, the internal wiring, the chamber bore....  If we can find or buy the parts, I can take a bash at it."


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 2, 2005)

Bruck grins in responce to Archimedes question. "Commenor, born and raised. Nothing fancy here."


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## Veritas (Feb 3, 2005)

Rannick finishes his sparse meal and starts to walk back to his quarters, but with the anger still in him from that fool Xitz, he suddenly diverts down another corridor, almost running into two junior officers, and heads to the rifle range to blast something.

Coming through the doors, he sees the other Kryats there.

"Ah, Archimedes, Devlin, you're still here. I thought I'd come in to fire off some rounds." He nods to the other two men.


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## doghead (Feb 3, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB Agent (in white)*

Devlin notices Rannick, turns and snaps a crisp salute.

"Major Rannick Sir."

A hint of a grin plays across Devlin's face.


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## Veritas (Feb 3, 2005)

Rannick casually returns the salute, but chuckles and says "No need to be so formal, Devlin. "


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 3, 2005)

Archimedes, too, snaps to attention so fast you can hear his bones popping. "*OFFICER ON THE DECK!*" he barks.

After having his salute returned he turns to the Major. "Good to see you Major, we have some things to discuss. First, these are Warrent Officers Sri and Bruck. Both have arrived recently and been transferred to your command."

"As well, Devlin & were discussing our unit's performance and have decided to consult with you about possible close order field drilling and basic small unit tactics. We feel that if the Krayt Dragons all know what eachothers role is, in and out of combat, the unit as a whole will function more smoothly." he pauses. "Thoughts?"


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## Veritas (Feb 3, 2005)

Rannick trades salutes and handshakes with the two warrant officers. "Sri, Bruck. Welcome to the Krayts. It's good to have you with us."

He listens to what Archimedes has to say after the introductions and replies.
"Excellent thinking. I'm glad to see we're getting over the oppression of our former commander and moving on to better things. Since all of us are here, we should start in on this right away. You never know when command is going to give us a new mission."


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 3, 2005)

"Well sir, there's no time like the present. I suppose we should start out by defining what exactly our roles are."

"Sri is a sharp-shooter/sniper. He can provide long-distance fire support... which reminds me. Bruck and I have comlinks built into our armor, but the rest of you should get one so that we can remain in constant communication."

"I am fairly flexible in my use, medium range fire-support, close range fire-support, and I can fight on the frontlines as well, though it is not my specialty. I am also fairly well versed in tactics and demolitions."

"Bruck, I don't know about and Devlin's blaster skills aren't his strong points, though I'd guess that his skillset would be useful as a liason to any civilians or other ground forces that we're not currently in conflict with."

"You, sir, seemed capable on the ground, but I'm not sure what your role would be."

He looks around at everyone. "This is a discussion, feel free to chime in."


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 3, 2005)

Bruck snapped to attention with a salute at Archimedes shout. Listening to the short conversation that followed with a slight grin. "Excellent, getting straight to the brass tacks. I'm useful for medium range fire support as well, but mixing it up close is what I excel at, sir."  To accentuate his words Bruck holstered his blaster rifle and shifted to the standard K'tara ready stance. "I'm aces with our standard hand to hand drills, plus I've picked up some more advanced techniques as well,"  With a nod, he returned to standing at ease. "Outside of combat, I know enough about demolition to be dangerous." He grinned at his own joke. "And I've picked up some first aid training from the medics. Though the Emperor help you if I should need to use it."  Bruck finished with a smile, he was one of those types with infectious good cheer and sense of humor.


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## doghead (Feb 3, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB agent.*

"I talk better than I shoot, definately. Although I am working on the latter so as to be a little less useless." He flashes a grin in Sri direction.

"And I agree with Archimedies. Some time on small unit combat drills would be a sound investment. Any news on what were going to be doing next?"


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## Veritas (Feb 3, 2005)

Rannick's eyebrow goes up very slightly as the Archimedes talks... _He's a good soldier, and officer, but it seems as though he feels he's in charge... or maybe he thinks he should be..._

"Well, Archimedes, I suppose my role is that I'm in charge." he states evenly. "As for what I'm good at, I'm a front lines soldier. I don't have the martial arts training of Bruck here, but I'm equally good with any weapon you give me, blasters, heavy weapons or hand-to-hand, and I have demolitions and first aid training as part of my CompForce training. I'm glad I'm not the only one with those, though." he nods to Bruck with a slight smile.

He responds to Devlin's question "Command hasn't talked to me yet, but then, we just got back. I'm sure they're still rather angry about the rebels escaping, and as the Vice Admiral said, we'll be jumping to lightspeed after Xitz's shuttle leaves. So, we'll have at least a few day's wait before our next mission."


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 3, 2005)

(( OOC note, everything Bruck said including the "sir" was directed towards Rannick.)) Bruck would stand silent till everyone else is finished listing their specialties. Nodding his head here and there as he complied a mental list, a slight grin ever present as he chewed his gum.


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## dead_radish (Feb 3, 2005)

*Sri nods.*  "It's good that all of us can handle a weapon.  Devlin's improving too, so I wouldn't worry about standing in front of him, at least.  And I am a long range specialist, but the Longblaster's good at any range, so feel free to put me up front.  My prior units have mixed me between general fire and covered sniping, so I'm really comfortable with either one.  But if anyone's going to get blown up, I'm not the one to do it - I'd let Bruck or Archimedes handle that duty."  *Considering to make sure he covered everything, he continues* "I'm also a fair mechanic, though most of my experience is focused on weaponry, and not conventional vehicles.  I can make do in a pinch, though - every's got power and wires, when you get down to it.  Sir."  

*When shaking hands and saluting, Sri is somewhere in between Archimedes' whiplash actions, and Rannick's casual demeanor.  He does clearly have respect for authority.  He considers everyone's uniforms after speaking.*  "It seems we're a mixed bag, here.  Three army, a COMPNOR, if I'm not mistaken, and.... ISB, sir?"


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## doghead (Feb 4, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB agent.*



			
				dead_radish said:
			
		

> "It seems we're a mixed bag, here.  Three army, a COMPNOR, if I'm not mistaken, and.... ISB, sir?"




Devlin nods. "Yeah. But don't tell anyone."

OOC: So whats on the menu? Some small unit drills. A little hand to hand and range work. Some time in the armoury. Anything else?


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## dead_radish (Feb 4, 2005)

"Interesting indeed.  Hopefully effective, eh?"  

OOC: I think so.  General soldierific downtime until then.  We can ffwd to the mission, I think.  I got all the intro RP I needed.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 4, 2005)

((OOC: XP given to the three remaining members over in the OOC thread. Same with weapons modding...anything else we need to get done or are we all ready to move to our next mission?))


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 4, 2005)

Ankh-Morpork Guard said:
			
		

> ((OOC: XP given to the three remaining members over in the OOC thread. Same with weapons modding...anything else we need to get done or are we all ready to move to our next mission?))




_There's nothing to see here. Move along... Move along._


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## Veritas (Feb 6, 2005)

(ooc: ready here.  )


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 6, 2005)

(ooc: Ready as well)


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 6, 2005)

Four days passed before you were called upon again. Gathered in the usual briefing room, there was no wait at all until the Vice Admiral appeared. He looked over the group and nodded, _"I see that you've all met. Hopefully, Major Rannick, the new members of your team will have sound judgement."_

He paused and stepped to the side as the holoscreen on the wall turned on. After a moment where it focused, the image of a sand coloured planet appeared, with a couple of moon orbiting slowly, _"Yesterday, we recieved word from Imperial Command on Coruscant. It seems that one of our deep cover agents has stolen a new prototype starfighter from a secret Rebel base. The location of the base is still unknown to us, as we have lost contact with our agent. The last transmission that was recieved indicated the agent was being tracked by several Rebel groups. As the starfighter had a tracking device in it, the agent was ambushed each time he escaped."_

For a moment, the image of the planet shimmered, then the Vice Admiral motioned to the planet itself, _"This is Tatooine, the last known location of our agent. He was supposed to meet with the local Moff to transfer the starfighter, but it seems that a group of Rebels caught up with him again and he was shot down. Though we know he crashed in the desert, we do not know the location. The Star Destroyer that patrols the system is already in orbit and the planet itself has been locked down. No ships have arrived or left since yesterday. We know the prototype and our agent is down on that planet.

"Your job is to find them both, if possible. Priority goes to the prototype fighter, but our agent is just as important. All of the resources of the planetary garrison will be at your disposal. Once you are dropped off, the fleet will be leaving as we have been assigned to track down the base that the prototype was stolen from. You will be reporting directly to the local Moff, who should be arriving soon after we do, adding another Star Destroyer to the planetary blockade.

"Any questions?"_


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## Veritas (Feb 6, 2005)

Rannick shifts in his seat and speaks up.

"Sir, I understand the necessity of secrecy for a deep cover agent, however, given the circumstances, is there any information on this agent that you can give us? A picture? Their real name or a list of their known aliases? If they survived and made it to one of the local settlements, it would make it much easier to locate them."


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 6, 2005)

The Vice Admiral sighed and shook his head, _"I would if I knew, Major. However, it seems that the director of Imperial Intelligence has managed to keep the details from even us. All I do have is the callsign: Delta Four. Getting that took calling in favors, and I'm all out of those for now."_


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## dead_radish (Feb 7, 2005)

*Sri sighs, and shakes his head.*  "So, sir, to sum up: We are to find a man who doesn't want to be found that we can't identify, on a planet full of sand and backwoods rebels.  Is that a fair assessment?  Do we at least have any orbital scans that might indicate a large concentration of metals in the desert?  Are there any natives friendly to the Empire, or neutrals at least?"


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 7, 2005)

_"You're assessment is correct,"_ the Vice Admiral says, nodding to Sri, _"The local Moff likely has more information than I do. I've given you all that I know...this isn't our usual area of space. In fact, we're clear on the other side of the galaxy, but it seems that the Moff personally requested us and the Emperor allowed it. We'll be leaving hyperspace in about ten minutes and then you'll be on your own."_


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## Veritas (Feb 7, 2005)

Rannick furrows his brow at the Admiral's last words.

"Sir? The local Moff requested us _specifically_? I don't want to downplay our ability or fame... even given our recent setback... but isn't that a little strange?"


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 7, 2005)

_Looks like I'll be a little out of my depth on this one. I'm good with fear and intimidation... but that's not especially useful against people whose help you need._ The tall stormtrooper steeples his hands and considers the planet. 

_Tattoine eh? Never heard of it..._ "Is there anything in general we should know about this planet sir? Is it tactically or commecially important in any way? Are there any sesitive issues here? Or should I save these questions for the Moff?"


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## dead_radish (Feb 7, 2005)

*Sri takes another deep breath, and closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them, seemingly much more relaxed.*  "I apologize, Vice Admiral, for my prior tone.  I think we'd best save our questions for the local Moff - you're just giving us a ride, and delivering the message."


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## doghead (Feb 7, 2005)

*Devlin Tremblane, ISB Agent.*

Devlin listens, but says nothing for the moment. To much is unknown to make any real judgements at this point.

He thinks that Sri assessment is a fairly good one, and he nods in response to Rannick's question. In light of the points Sri just raised, its a damn fine question. Half way across the galaxy is a long way to go to collect a few soldiers. And while the Dragons carry the 'elite' monika, they, in Devlin's assessment, perhaps deserve, at best, the monika 'talented'. Untested, unproven, and inexperienced.*

ooc: being only level 3 (at most) suggests that they are a long way from the 'the best in their fields'.

BTW, what does _Moff_ stand for?


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 7, 2005)

Bruck sat silently, slowly taking in the reactions of all the rest of his new unit. _Well it's baptism by fire time. We'll see if we can work together or not. I don't like the lack of solid intel more then any of the rest of you. I've seen that kill too many troopers. But not liking it ain't gonna change it.  _ Lightly drumming his fingertips on the top of the helemt that rested in his lap, he grinned and decided to try and break the somber mood that had permiated the room. "Sounds like a challange. By the Emperor a scavanger hunt in the desert, another glorious day for the black and white."


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## Veritas (Feb 8, 2005)

Rannick glances over at Sri and thinks _Hmph, first he comes off with a bit of an attitude, then he basically calls the Admiral a delivery boy... I really hope he's not going to be a problem._

He then looks over at Bruck and nods, saying "Excellent attitude, soldier. I think that if we only have 10 minutes remaining before we have to head out, we should all go prepare now and then meet in the hanger bay. By your leave, Admiral?"

When they are permitted to depart, he will say "Devlin, if you can hold up though, I'd like to talk to you for a moment."


ooc: if I may... Moff isn't really short for anything. It's a government title... the Moffs each run a sector... they're the "regional governors" that Grand Moff Tarkin mentioned in A New Hope when General Tagg complained about the Emperor disbanding the Senate. Then the Grand Moffs rule over an over-sector, with all the Moffs reporting to him.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 8, 2005)

((Moffs are in charge of an entire sector of space. Grand Moffs, Tarkin was one, are essentially the right hand to the Emperor. They report to no one but the Emperor himself, and are in charge of essentially every aspect of wherever they happen to be at the time.))


_"I believe we were requested for reasons that don't directly effect any of you,"_ the Vice Admiral switched off the holoscreen and stepped to the side, _"It seems that this agent was working in our space. There isn't any confirmation of this, but it seems the Moff didn't wish to get his own men involved when he can use those who...'should have done their job in the first place'."_

After a short pause, he simply nodded, _"It is not for you to worry about. Do your jobs and do it right. Good luck,"_ with a nod, the Vice Admiral stepped out of the room.

Two shuttle trips and a half an hour later, you had traveled from the Dominator, to the Star Destroyer Conquest, to the desert planet below. The shuttle gave you no view of the planet, and when you exited you found yourself inside a well cooled and enclosed hangar. There was no sand or dirt around, instead a chrome durasteel everywhere around. It was like stepping into a starship, though the pilot assured you it was simply a garrison complex outside of a large spaceport.

You were then ushered through a series of halls, passing by many Imperial officers, stormtroopers, and many other folk that looked more like walking trash, before finally arriving in a small, cramped room. There is a table at one end, but no chairs in sight. A door off to the side slides open and a middle aged man with greying black hair and a very clean olive green Imperial uniform steps in. There are no rank insignias or markings of any kind on his tunic, though he carries himself as one would expect from a high ranking noble.

After stepping behind the desk, he leans forward on it, lets out a sigh that sounds like its from exhaustion, and speaks firmly, _"I am Wilan Serack, planetary governor of this dustball. I believe your commanding officer has already briefed you before you left, so I'll be quick about this. We know that the starship crashed somewhere in the deep desert to the west. Attempting any kind of recon effort out there is simply a waste of effort unless you've got a good idea of where you're looking, or even what you're looking for, and we don't have the manpower for that. Its possible some of the locals will have gotten to it, as some of them are crazy enough to live out in that hell. Its doubtful that Delta Four would just disappear, if he's alive at all. We've been hoping he would pop up in one of the smaller towns but there's been nothing and we have no idea what he actually looks like. Imperial Intelligence has a serious stranglehold on any of his details.

"We know there is a small Rebel cell somewhere on the planet, though its location is unknown to us. Its likely that they're out there searching just like we are, but considering that they were always one step ahead of Delta Four, its even possible they've already gotten the ship back into their hands."_


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## Veritas (Feb 8, 2005)

For AMG and doghead
[sblock]Before we took off, Rannick would have asked Devlin to contact ISB and try to pull in a favor. If this was an Imperial Intelligence mission, ISB might have some other information on the mission, or the agent, and with the rivalry between the two agencies, they might be able to help out, just to show up ImpInt. Unless the info was easy to obtain, he'd have to make the initial transmission from the Dominator, and then give instructions where he could be contacted with the information, if it became available... but I think it would help out. Just a thought. [/sblock]


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 8, 2005)

Veritas/doghead:[sblock]Sorry about the jump right after you asked something of Devlin, I'd typed it up and had net problems. It went back up and I just hit send. Never saw yours until it was too late.  Timewise, there wouldn't be much to send and recieve a response as you guys are being pushed around to get to the right place while Dominator's crew prepares for another jump.

So...will it kill you to try sending that message while on Tatooine? [/sblock]


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## Veritas (Feb 8, 2005)

AMG and doghead, again... heh.
[sblock]Nope, I'd live. heh. It was sort of just to get the ball rolling... send off the request to ISB before we leave... or even from the shuttle or the Conquest... and then hope they get back to us ASAP... but sending from the planet would work for our purposes.. might even mean a quicker reply. [/sblock]


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 8, 2005)

Archimedes' brow furrows in thought. Glancing at Rannik he says. "Perhaps we should focus on finding the rebels then? I mean, if they _have_ a tracking device on the ship, then we can just confiscate it from them. What do you think Major?"

Turning back to the planetary govenor. "What are the locals out in that region like? What are thier opinions of the Empire? Do they sympethize with the rebels?"

_...deserts huh, looks like Bruck and I will need to requisition some armor with desert mods._


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## doghead (Feb 8, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB Agent.*

* after the briefing *

Devlins steps aside with Rannick. He listens, and nods in agreement.

To Rannick: [sblock]"Sad, but true in too many cases. I'll look into it and see what I can do.

"On a different matter, I have been wondering about whether it might pay to go with something a little more low key, something that doesn't scream "INTERAGENCY COOPERATION" in big letters. Civvies even, although I'm no so sure how the Troopers would feel about that. Or perhaps just something a little more innocuious. I kind of like the idea of people not really knowing who we are until we want thenm to know.[/sblock]

* before getting on the shuttle *

Devlin stomps around his quarters collecting his gear together. _Why, in the Emperor's name was it necessary to hold the briefing just be fore we have to depart. What would it have hurt to give us enough time to put together a briefing file on ... on Tantoo ... tooloopoo or whatever the hell it is called and review it._ He grabs the last of his things and with one last look around the cabin, slaps the door mechanism and slips out.
_Less than 2 minutes. Great._ 

He sets off a brisk pace, lustily singing the marching song he picked up from the Stormtroopers as he pounds down the corridors. 

_That should give the II guys something to put in their reports._

* on the shuttle *

If possible, Devlin grabs himself a terminal and begin to put together a file on their destination, its climate, and the key people and places.


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## dead_radish (Feb 8, 2005)

*Sri also asks a few questions, in his turn.*  "Sir, do we have any informants on the ground?  Any locals that are well-connected?  Anyone that we can lean on?  And how strong is the rebel presence on this planet?  Are the citizens loyal to the Empire, or are they just weaklings that pay lip service, and don't do their true duties?  And finally, do you have any air transport, or ground vehicles we can requisition, and any desert gear you can spare?"


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 8, 2005)

_"The locals are...unpredictable on a good day. But most days, simply hostile. Or at least, out in the desert the Sand People are. But they aren't the only violent locals around...seems that many of the scum working for the local crime syndicate's are just as bad,"_ Governer Serack paused and looked to Sri. He took a moment to thin, then shrugged, _"There's informants all over the place. Reliable ones, don't come cheap and still aren't always truthful. We have a few of our own men out there, but they're few and far between. We don't have enough men on this planet to do much good on many fronts other than keeping the peace in the larger cities. Thankfully the Rebels don't cause us too much trouble, but they're definitely out there as they sometimes will hit a supply convoy.

"As for equipment, we'll spare what we can but there isn't much. The airspeeders we've got are old and held together by a few very talented technicians. They won't stand up to too much sand in the intakes from what I'm told, though. There's at least one desert converted AT-AT walker over at Bestine, along with a few speeders."_


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## dead_radish (Feb 8, 2005)

*Sri's eyes light up at the Governor's final comment.*  "An AT-AT, sir?  That could be extremely helpful in our search, I'd think.  Give us a height advantage, and firepower if we need it, and cover ground faster.  Is it a long haul to Bestine?"  *It's clear that his words are simply justifications, though, for his desire to get in a Walker.*  "Oh, and these Sand People - are they likely to investigate the crash?  Or are they just savages?"


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## Veritas (Feb 9, 2005)

*Rannick, CompForce soldier*

To Archimedes: "Finding the rebels might be a way to go, but I'd hate to concentrate on trying to find them and just end up tracking them to a ship they've already recovered due to wasting too much time trying to locate them first... the plan has potential though."

He listens to the governor, thinking things ove in his mind, and after Sri speaks he says...

"Well, hold on Sri. Before we go that way, I think keeping this low profile is best." he nods to Devlin. "The less attention we attract the better. We don't want everyone here making some mass-exodus into the desert to try and locate the fighter before us in some attempt to profit from it. In fact, I think it best if all of us left behind our Imperial uniforms, taking only our identification with us. I'd be alright with the stormtroopers bringing their armor, but wearing it would probably just attract the wrong kind of attention. We're going to have to ask people a lot of questions to find what we need, and something tells me the emblem of the Empire isn't going to help much with the kind of people we'll encounter here. Especially with the blockade in place." 

He addresses the governor

"To that end, we'll need clothing to help us blend in with the locals. Weapons that are not obviously imperial issue... my apologies to those in the group with personalized weapons, but they'll stand out just as badly as our uniforms here, if I'm not mistaken. Thus, governor, if you have a store of confiscated weapons and equipment, giving us access to that store would help."

"Once we're properly equipped, we can head out under the guise of being released from the garison stockade, and then blend in and try to find out what we can."

"And, men...unlike our previous commander, if you see any glaring holes in my plan, I want them pointed out immediately. I'd rather go in with a solid idea than to pander to my ego. So, if you have ideas, let's hear them."


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 9, 2005)

"Hmm... while it's not a flaw in your plan..." Archimedes looks at Bruck and then at Rannick. "Its not the armor that makes the storm trooper. I daresay that Bruck and I will stand out regardless of whether or not we are wearing armor. The armor can be taken off, the disipline and training come part and parcel with the trooper... one cannot be separated from the other. Though I will, and I'm sure Bruck will as well, do our best."


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## doghead (Feb 9, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB Agent.*

The briefing, Devlin decides, resembles a news conference more than a military briefing, what with everyone pushing and shoving to get their questions in. Devlin holds his peace until Rannick opens the floor.

"I agree in prinnciple, but I'm not so sure about the role. Why would ex-cons be beavering around looking for a crashed ship. And how well would we be able to pull of the role. We definately wouldn't be able to pass as locals.

"Perhaps something _moderately_ official would work better. A recovery team for a crashed satellite or transport. Nothing so unusual as to draw any great comment, but something that would give use reason to be asking the questions we wish to ask. It would also allow us to draw stay in contact with the Planetary Authority without risking our cover.

"An Imperial tech team with a couple of Troopers for support, or perhaps a private salvage venture working in cooperation with the Imperial Planetary Authorities come to mind, although there may be better ideas."


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## Veritas (Feb 9, 2005)

Rannick nods as he listens to both officers.

Alright, you both make excellent points. I had some nagging thoughts about _all_ our appearances, not just the troopers. It's possible we're much too clean cut for this environment, however, I was hoping to temper that some by choosing our roles carefully. However, Devlin's idea is a good one. It might be enough to downplaying our actual roles in favour of something a bit more balanced." 

"I think with the Star Destroyers in orbit, it would be difficult going with the corporate angle and still look legitimate, so the tech team with a couple of troopers for support would be the better choice. If we go that route, I'm assuming that it wouldn't be a problem for Archimedes and Sri to get some local armor, and the rest of us would need tech uniforms. I can't imagine that anyone here would yet know why the planet is being blockaded... if anyone asks, we can let it 'slip' that some rebels have been tracked to their base here, and the Destroyers are here to make sure they don't escape. Maybe that'll get those rebels scrambling out of their hole." he chuckles.


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 9, 2005)

"Sounds good to me, sir."


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## doghead (Feb 9, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB Agent.*

Devlin switches mental tracks for a moment, putting himself in the shoes of the rebels looking for the agent.

"If you would bear with me for a minute ... " Devlin glances in Rannicks direction. Assuming he gets the nod.

"If I were a rebel, I'd be hoping to be able to find the fighter and/or agent and slip out while avoiding any Imperial entangelments. Assuming that the planetary lockdown has reached the local news services, the rebels are going to take it that we know that they are here. At least, without being able to dismiss the possibility, they will work on the assumption that it is so.

"So it would seem that there is no reason to keep the search quiet hoping to lull them into a false sense of security. Instead, I think that we should inform our people that we are looking for someone who came down in the Western Desert. That way, someone who runs across the rebels might put two and two together and alert us when otherwise they might not have.

"Equally, if someone else, a third party, finds or agent first, they will know where to come. I assume that the _independant parties_ on this planet would rather work with us than fight us.

"Perhaps a bounty. It would be an incentive for any third parties involved to work with us. The only question is, would it make our target _too_ interesting? Are there any third parties on this planet ballsy enough to risk irritating the Emperor by trying to dig out of the target why it is we want him?


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## dead_radish (Feb 9, 2005)

*Sing it, Mr. Heston*

*Sri nods at Devlin's words.*  "I think you've hit it, Devlin.  The rebels are going to assume that an Imperial force is here to look - they know the ship was stolen by an Imperial, they'll assume we'll follow up.  So trying to hide from them will only serve to slow us down.  I doubt they'll confront us directly, and if they do, I doubt they'll survive.  I agree that casting our net wide might be for the best.  Sure, the rebels will learn we're looking, and who we are - maybe it'll make them sloppy."

"But if I know bounty hunters and thugs, they won't care about irritating the Emperor, at least not on a backwoods planet like this.  Hell some moisture farmer could find the ship, and decide he's going to be the Hero of the Rebellion....  Still, a good plan in general, I think."

*He turns to Rannik, finishing his own press statement.*  "Oh, sir, and with all due respect, my weaponry is hardly restricted - the Longblaster is common enough with mercs and the like that there's not a lot that would directly link it to the Empire.  And you will have my gun, as they say, when you can pry it from my cold dead fingers.  Sir."

OOC: I'm loving this game, btw - one of the best I've run in so far.


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## Veritas (Feb 9, 2005)

*Major Gair Rannick, CompForce*

Rannick's eyebrow goes up at Sri's last words "I don't appreciate the attitude, soldier, so stow it! If I order you to *destroy* your own weapon, you'll not only do it but you'll sing a song to the glory of the Empire _while_ you do it!"

He turns to the others.

"I think that there's one flaw in the idea of a bounty... that there _are_ likely people on this planet who would seek to profit from the ship themselves. Especially considering the Governor's mention of a crime syndicate. That could possibly be the Hutts. They may even decide to help the rebellion rather than let the Empire gain the upper hand. These scum profit from the civil war, so prolonging it would be in their best interest. However, I have no difficulty in tossing aside any thoughts of cover to just go get this job done." 

He thinks for a moment.

"Actually, it's just come to mind again that the rebels have been tracking the ship from system to system, so if the local rebels have been given the tracking signal, they can likely trace it... to that end, Governor Serack, I'd like your men to coordinate with the Star Destroyer in orbit, if your own orbital satellites aren't sufficient, to scan the desert to the west for signals or anything else unusual."

"If we're going to get this done, we're going to need a speeder, some scanning equipment, and maybe while you're at it, put your troops on the street just to put the fear of the Empire into these scum. Maybe the Star Destroyer can send down a compliment of troops as well."

"But for the moment, I want those scans done, and get to work on your contacts, Devlin, to see what you can find out."


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 10, 2005)

Bruck had remained quiet through out most of the exchange. He was trooper and he'd do as he was told, but there were occasional nods of agreement with Archimedes and a frown at the suggestion of abandoning his armor. When he had an open moment he'd interject with his own slight clarifying question. "Sir, Might I request that I wear the local armor rather then Sri? As Captain Daxson suggested I would stick out like a sore thumb without it."


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 10, 2005)

After listening quietly for a few moments, the Govenor speaks up again, _"I'll get word to the Conquest as soon as possible to began scans. I'm not sure it'll turn up anything, but its at least worth a try. As for the cities, don't worry about that. We've already got the local garrison troops out and about. Though we are undermanned, so troops are spread thin through some of the more troublesome towns."_


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## dead_radish (Feb 10, 2005)

"So perhaps we should travel to the city nearest the desert, and look for a local guide?  Are there desert scavengers or nomads, perhaps?  They might have a network of informants."  *Sri considers his next words.* "If the ship has been found by someone already, do we have the authority to seize it in the Emperor's name, and in your name, Governor?  And to deal with those that refuse to recognize that authority?"


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## Veritas (Feb 10, 2005)

_


			
				ImperialMilitary said:
			
		


			"Sir, Might I request that I wear the local armor rather then Sri? As Captain Daxson suggested I would stick out like a sore thumb without it."
		
Click to expand...


ooc: whoops, sorry, that should have been Bruck rather than Sri in what Rannick said.   _


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## doghead (Feb 10, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB Agent.*

Devlin smiles inwardly as Rannick handles Sri. Rannick, Devlin decides, has his head screwed on straight. Willing to ask for and listen to his team, but very clear about where the line is drawn, and willing to enforce it. Sri, he's pleased to note, deals with it and moves on without a fuss. _We might just have a chance at becoming a real team._ Which is not always the case when you put a bunch of talented people together.

He returns his attention to the task at hand.

"I agree that we should set up base as close as possible to the Western desert. But I think we should hold off on setting off on a search until we have some idea of where to look."


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 10, 2005)

_"From what I've been told, your orders are from the Emperor himself...so yes, you have the authority to act as you feel is necessary,"_ the governor nodded to Sri before looking to the others, _"The western most town we keep a presence in is Anchorhead. Its small, but we had a little trouble there in the last few months. Other than that, though, I'm sorry to say we've got little else to work with. Unless you have further need of me, I will go and send the message to the _Conquest_. If you need supplies, head to the other end of the base. The Commander there should be able to get you whatever he can that's down on this rock."_


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## dead_radish (Feb 10, 2005)

*Sri nods, and waits until the Governor leaves, then turns to Rannick.*  "I apologize for my comments, sir.  Though I'm pleased you responded as you did.  The last commander I told that just blanched and pretended he didn't hear.  He was shot trying to flee from an engagement with rebels."  *As he talks, he unconciously goes over his Longblaster with an oily rag, wiping sand from sensitive parts.*  "Where are we off to, then?"


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## doghead (Feb 10, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB.*

Devlin rises and salutes the Govener as he makes to leave. But Devlin leaves the formalities to Rannick.

Curious about the Governer's decision not to wear any insignias, Devlin decides to see what the ISB records have to say about the man while he is getting the information Rannick requested.

Devlin laughs aloud at Sri's tale. Partly because, but for the shame of it, he might have been tempted to do the same.

"With your permission, I'd like to get a little more background on the planet and it key personnel," he asks Rannick as they prepare to leave. "Also any key third parties."


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## Veritas (Feb 11, 2005)

Rannick also gives the Governor a salute when he leaves.

After he's gone, he listens to Sri's explanation and says "Apology accepted, Sri. And just between us, I almost shot _our_ former commander. The only thing that kept me from doing so was the hope that I'd get to watch the Grand General on Carida strip the flesh from him... although I'm sure he's having a nice talk with Lord Vader now, so I suppose that makes up for missing out on that."

"Regardless, you'll find that I value men who take pride in their work, and in their equipment, so other than your tone, I appreciated the sentiment. For this team to rise to the glory it's meant for, we're all going to have to work together. I want ideas and input from everyone. We've already seen what happens when a group gets led with bluster and ego... failure is guarenteed. I don't intend for us to fail again."

After the speech is over, he listens to Devlin and replies with a nod.

"Good idea, Devlin. Let me know what you find out. Check into these indiginous species too, to see if they'll give us any trouble themselves." he says, dismissing the agent to do his job.

"The rest of you, follow me over to the quartermaster and we'll see what we can get out of this place to help us." With that, he'll head out over to the other end of the base. "Once we're equipped and we have whatever info we can get from Devlin and the Conquest's scans, we'll make our way to Anchorhead and start our search."


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## doghead (Feb 11, 2005)

*Devlin, ISB.*

"Pick something up for me too."

And with that, Devlin sets off to get on with his end.

AMG: [sblock]* What does ISB know about II's agent?
* Information on the key personalities and factions (including Rebel) on the planet.
* Information on the inhabitants of the Western Desert.[/sblock]


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 11, 2005)

Archimedes walks to the Quartermaster's office with the others to see what kind of medium armors they have there. "Perhaps we should have a gofer purchase the armors locally. I haven't seen the quartermaster's selection, but it stands to reason that it'd mostly be Imperial armor. I suppose I could make do without, but I'd really prefer to have it and not need rather than need it and not have it."


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## Veritas (Feb 11, 2005)

*Major Gair Rannick, CompForce*

"Well, with the points made about the need for secrecy not being really important, given the situation... which I can agree with at this point, you and Bruck should requesition sandtrooper armor so that you fit in better. I'll just be going for more standard combat gear rather than a uniform, and the others should do the same."


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 11, 2005)

Devlin:[sblock]1. All you can find out is that the Intelligence agent is a part of a very high level project. There is no data on it beyond that, as it seems that this project is under the direct supervision of the Emperor himself...or at least one of his top advisors.

2. There seems to be a countless number of 'factions' and personalities throughout the planet. Its almost as if everyone in the galaxy has something on the dustball. Of note, though, is the Hutt crime lord Jabba, who has a fairly large hold on the planet(though doesn't interfere with the Empire enough to be considered any kind of threat). There seems to be many other rival crime lords and gangs amongst the planet, though, again, most of the stay out of the Empire's way. Little is known of the Rebel presence on the planet beyond that it exists, and it is likely in one of the smaller cities as both Bestine(the Imperial Capital of the planet) and the spaceport Mos Eisely(where the garrison you're at is) are well patrolled by Imperial troops.

3. The deep desert is considered unhabitable, and as such, there is only a small amount of information about the areas closer to the eastern edge. Moisture farmers are scattered all across the planet, so it is likely that at least one or two are crazy enuogh to be out there. Scavanging Jawas use old Sand Crawlers to bring in technology and sell to whoever. They seem to have a habit of picking up anything that looks even slightly metallic...though they're little more than trash rats and keep to themselves for just that reason. One definite presence in the outer desert is that of Sand People, the dangerous nomads that are marked as a higher priority than the Rebel cell. It seems that Sand People simply attack and kill any patrol or outpost near whatever it is they consider 'their land. They are fierce, and very violent savages who are killed on sight by anyone with any sense...of course, they usually travel in large packs, and from what you find, it is likely they are not as easy to kill as the report is boasting.[/sblock]

((OOC: Everyone else can get pretty much any kind of armor they'd like that's light, though the two stormtroopers can easily acquire Sandtrooper armor(+6 Fort vs. hot temp) if you'd like. A landspeeder can be assigned to you for transport, and it has basic survival equipment and supplies with it.))


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 11, 2005)

Archimedes tries on his newly requisitioned sandtrooper armor. The click and whir of the internal micro-ventilators startles him momentarily... his usual armor doesn't make noise internally. Now fully outfitted, he straps on his blade and slings his rifle. _...a little tight in the shoulders. But then I'm pushing the upper end of the storm trooper size regulations._ 

He also requisitions a few water & trail rations (name?) that can be easily loaded into the speeder. "Any one know how to pilot one of these things? Demolitions was my combat specialty, not piloting & repair. For all his bluster, Cadet Dralon was an excellet pilot."


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## dead_radish (Feb 11, 2005)

"Well, I can't imagine it's that difficult, but I don't have any specific training...."


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## Veritas (Feb 12, 2005)

*Mjr Gair Rannick, CompForce*

"Yeah, except for that time he crashed that prototype fighter..." Rannick says blandly. "Anyways, I've had some training with vehicles, so I'll handle that." 

If he can get a combat jumpsuit with desert survival modifications, he will. If not, he'll just use his own armor and get a desert poncho and a helmet. If what Archimedes requisitions for food and water won't cover everyone, he'll get more. I assume the survival stuff with the speeder includes food and water, but just in case. And who knows, it could be used as a bargaining chip if negotiations are necessary.


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## dead_radish (Feb 12, 2005)

*Sri too will pick up appropriate desert gear, equivalent to a blast helmet and vest if possible.  He'll get more water than food, to be sure.*


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## doghead (Feb 12, 2005)

*2nd Lt. Devlin, ISB*

As Devlin digs through the files on the sand people, it becomes clear that they can be more dangerous than the 'official' material would suggest. He comms Rannick.

"Devlin here. Reading through some of the local directives and standing orders, I get the impression that the sand people _can be_ quite a handfull. With the squad we have at the moment, I think we should be fine. But I thought that you might want to know. I think that the appearance of strength might be a real asset.

"There is a bit more, but it can wait until catch up with you."

Once Devlin is done, he heads down to the quartermaster's office himself. He grabs two cup of what ever the base serves on his way. One he hands one to the quartermaster.

Devil gets a desert poncho (cos ponchos are cool!) as well as some monoculars and whatever other bits and pieces the quartermaster suggests for desert work. He bags some boots, pants, a jacket, the kind worn by the local army grunts and a small pack. To that he adds a blaster rifle. _If we do run across the sand people, hopefully it won't be close enough to use the pistol._ {1}

If the quartermaster seems ameniable, Devlin chats away with the quartermaster, keen to pick up any first hand information about the set up here, and the western desert in particular. {2}

Once he's done, he strips off his ISB uniform and pulls on the army duds. The ISB uniform he rather carelessly folds and uncermoniously stuffs into his small bag. Part of him wonders if he will ever put the white jacket on again. _What a strange thought Devlin. The old man would burst a vessel if he heard that._ He stuffs the bag into the pack along with the other stuff. Devlin wonders if some of the appeal of the idea doesn't lie in that fact. He buckles on the belt and clips his blaster, stun rod and monoc-case to it. _Would serve the pompous old bastard right._ He slings the pack over one shoulder and grabs up the rifle. _Bugger me, this stuff is heavy. Going to have sort it out later._

Finished, he thanks the quartermaster for his help, then comms the others to get their location. He sets off to join them.

OOC: {1} so what's the damage boss?
{2} DIPLOMACY +8, GATHER INFO +6 - do you want us to post bonuses etc if we think they might be approapriate?


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 12, 2005)

Bruck also swapped out his armor for local issue. Pausing a moment to run a finger over small nicks and cuts. _Those are memories. Hope I get them back when we're done._ He gave a few practice blows and K'tara drills testing how much the armor would restrict his movements. "Not too bad." Once he was finished he'd holster his blaster rifle, put the vibrodagger away and report ready for duty.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 12, 2005)

Devlin:[sblock]The quartermaster seems grateful for the attention, though you can tell he's been severly overworked in the recent days. He doesn't know too much about the western desert, as he's only been stationed here at the Mos Eisley garrison while on Tatooine. He has heard stories, though, and most are about lost patrols. There's also rumors of Krayt Dragons and other dangerous creatures said to roam the area.

((Blaster rifle: 3d8 dmg; 20 crit; 30 range; 4.5kg; DC 18 stun.
And goes ahead and put appropriate bonuses if you want. Its helpful to me, but you don't have to do it.))[/sblock]

((For everyone. We ready to head out? The only armor with desert modification is Stormtrooper armor(since its powered), so light and such won't do you any good. Though everyone can throw in an All-Temperature Cloak to their equipment(+2 Fort saves vs. severe weather). And if that's it, we'll move on. Wanted to head out to Anchorhead, yes?))


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## Veritas (Feb 12, 2005)

((ooc: yup, we're bound for Anchorhead via landspeeder, and Rannick will pilot there. He'll add the all-temp cloak on top of his masterwork combat jumpsuit. He'll grab some goggles too... it'd suck to get sand in his eyes when he's trying to drive. heh. Rannick will leave a request with the Governor to contact them with any results the Conquest comes up with via its scans.))


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## doghead (Feb 13, 2005)

*2nd Lt Devlin, ISB*

AMG: [sblock]When the quartermaster mentions Kryats Dragons, Devlin is startled for a moment until the quartermaster finishes his sentence. Devlin asks the man what the Dragons are supposed to look like, and why they are so dangerous (if he doesn't already know).

He also asks about the last few days, curious as to what has been keeping the quartermaster so busy. Devlins fisrt thought is that it is related to the crashed agent, but the western desert is quite a way from here, and Devlin had got the impression that the Govenor had not taken any great steps up to now.[/sblock]

((Ready to set off here. Oh yeah, Devlin will pass on the results of his inquires to Rannick when he gets the chance.))


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## dead_radish (Feb 13, 2005)

((Ready.  And yes, a cloak))


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 13, 2005)

((Ready aswell.))


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 13, 2005)

Archimedes checks his rifle for obstructions and test fires it out in the open (in an authorized area).

(ready)


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 14, 2005)

Devlin:[sblock]Krayt Dragons are simply the most dangerous predators on the planet. They're huge, vicious, and fiercely territorial. The quartermaster suggests that in the unlikely event you happen to run into one that you keep on running and ignore the rumors of pearls in the creature's gullets less you find out the hard way.

As for the last few days, all the man knows is that they've been moving a large amount of stormtroopers and other personell through the garrison, probably adding at least five times as many Imperial soldiers on the planet than normal.[/sblock]

The trip to Anchorhead is long and boring...but thankfully, due to the speeder being enclosed, comfortable. As you pass over sand and rock and sand and rock, you come to realize that there seems to be little else on the planet beyond...sand and rock. And the sand seems to be dominating over the rock, too.

By the time you spot the small settlement of Anchorhead, the twin suns have risen to their peak in the sky, bearing down heavily on everything below. Anchorhead is a very small town, and the word 'town' is even pushing the definition. There are only two 'streets'(though a street on Tatooine is exactly the same as a desert...just with buildings on either side) that meet like a cross at the center of the town. Lining the roads are a collection of sand blasted, stone buildings, none higher than two levels. If anyone actually lives here, you're hardpressed to find the houses. Likely, they are the buildings without markings, but that's still just a guess. Though you do see a small garage, it seems to be occupied by a couple of ancient landspeeders in disrepair. The few other speeders you see are parked on the side of the road, just sitting in the open sun baking...like everything else that isn't protected under a cloth overhang or similar draping.

There are a good amount of people in the streets, eyeing your speeder in a curious manner though you know that they cannot see in through the heavily tinted glasteel viewport. Though mostly human, you spot the usual collection of short, glowing-eyes Jawas and even a few green-skinned Rodians moving about. Somehow, it wouldn't surprise you if the amount of people you see here are the was the entire population of Anchorhead.

((Rough Tatooine map attached. So you can spot things easier, Mos Eisley is marked in Blue, Bestine in Red, and Anchorhead in Green.))


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## dead_radish (Feb 14, 2005)

OOC: I just realized I have no clue what phrases in SW convey the equivalent of "Holy cow."  

"What a useless, backwater place this is.  It's no surprise the rebels are forming here, though if the citizens would just accept the Emperor's aid, I'd bet they'd be offworld in no time....  Still, I can see why the Governer didn't think he could just head out to search.  So, you think there's anything that passes for a bar in this place, to find a few guides?"


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## doghead (Feb 14, 2005)

*2nd Lt. Devlin, ISB*

Devlin is fairly quiet for the duration of the trip. He puts together a data file from the material he has found and once he has confirmed it with Rannick, passes a copy around to the others.

If there is room in the speeder, he practices field stripping and assembling the blaster rifle a few times. 

He redistributes the contents of pack.

He doses.

The Jawa in Anchorhead catch his attention.

"From what I can understand, the Jawa spend a fair bit of time cruising around the desert in  sizable Sandcrawlers. They collect and sell scrap. Which would make them, in my estimation the most likely third party to stumble across the craft we seek. I don't know if the different Sandcrawlers are in contact with each other, but I think it would be worth investigating.

"I would also like to look into the possibility of opening up a line of communication with the Sandpeople. It may not be possible, but I'd like to see if it has ever been tried."


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 14, 2005)

"...somehow I doubt that many rebels come from this sandball. These people are likley just trying to survive. If any of them found our objective, they'd likely sell it whomever would benefit them the most... and that's not necessarily the Empire or the Rebels. Look at this place, there's literally nothing here. Which means that smugglers have to be everywhere."

OOC: do we have some sort of computer uplink to the Imperial Headquarters on Tattoine, or to the orbiting star-destroyer?


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 14, 2005)

((You've got a comm frequency to keep in touch with the Garrison and the SDs. If you need to upload information, that can be done through datapads and comlinks.))


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## dead_radish (Feb 15, 2005)

*Sri shrugs*  "In any case, this is going to be a dirty, dusty experience, so I'm going to start with the local bar.  I assume they've got one - people here have to *need* a drink a lot.  By your leave, sir."


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## Veritas (Feb 16, 2005)

*Mjr Gair Rannick, CompForce*

"Sounds good Sri. Devlin, you should go with him. We shouldn't have anyone off on their own, just in case. Keep in contact via comlink."

Rannick then makes a call in to the Conquest "This is Major Rannick with the Kryat Dragons on the surface. Is there any update on the scans we requested?"

(ooc:if he ends up talking to someone of higher rank, he'll be more respectful. I'm just not sure who would "pick up" there. heh)


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## doghead (Feb 16, 2005)

*2nd Lt Devlin*

Devlin shrugs. He's about to make some droll comment about getting all the tough duty when he decides to keep his mouth shut. If it goes pear shaped, he's going to look like an idiot. Instead he pulls the holocam from his pack, drops it in a pocket and stows his bag.

The rifle he replaces back in the rack. 

With a touch to the neck to ensure the comm is set, he salutes Rannick and follows Sri out.

***

"Right Sri. No sirs, no Ranks. Lets keep this low key shall we. If possible, I want to find out a little more about the Jawa. The Sandpeople can wait. Asking questions about them will just get a whole lotta attention I suspect.

"Lead on McDonalds."


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## dead_radish (Feb 16, 2005)

"Not a problem, mate."  *Sri doesn't place his rifle in the rack, though he does stow it.  He's dressed in his "expedition gear", which bears no rank insignia or even indication of Imperial affiliation.*  "So, who are we?  Because they're going to ask, if I know places like this.  Oh, and you might want to find any spare creds you've got handy...."


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 16, 2005)

Sri said:
			
		

> "So, who are we? Because they're going to ask, if I know places like this. Oh, and you might want to find any spare creds you've got handy...."



"You'd better bet that someone noticed you got out of an imperial landspeeder with two stormtroopers. My guess is that you'd best stick to something that at least approximates the truth."


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## doghead (Feb 16, 2005)

*2nd Lt. Devlin, ISB.*

((ooc: while Devlins is wearing no ISB insignia, he's obviously in Imperial army kit.))

"Archimedies is right. Keep it simple and as close to the truth as possible."

_We really need to get this straight._ Devlin motions Sri back to the speeder.

"Local liason and squad support, assigned to the S&R effort in the western desert."

Devlin turns to Rannick. "How does that sound?"

"I also think we should add that the local brass are quite pissed off, and keen to avoid egg on their face. Could be worth a few credit to the one who helps them out. But stay vague on the details. Just say the brass haven't said exactly.

"How about we work on the basis that we are off duty until," he glances at his watch and picks a time two hours from now.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 17, 2005)

Though none of the buildings around have any signs, the only one that seems to be getting any traffic is a non-descript, half circular shaped structure. The only collection of people that you see move in and out of there. Of course, there doesn't seem to be many people that would qualify for much more than desert scrap, but people are people in the end.


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## Veritas (Feb 17, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

He nods to Devlin. "Sounds like as good a plan as any. I'm curious if there's some sort of prefect of this settlement that we could talk to."


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 17, 2005)

Rannik said:
			
		

> He nods to Devlin. "Sounds like as good a plan as any. I'm curious if there's some sort of prefect of this settlement that we could talk to."



"On my world, the eldest and wisest were the camp leaders. It stands to reason that it'd be similar here." The tall storm trooper sounds oddly nostalgic.


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## doghead (Feb 17, 2005)

*2nd Lt Devlin, ISB*



			
				Lobo Lurker said:
			
		

> "On my world, the eldest and wisest were the camp leaders. It stands to reason that it'd be similar here."




_Eldest and wisest? Camp leaders?_ Devlin wonders where Archimedies is from.

"Right. See you in a couple of hours. Sri?"

And with that Devlin sets off for the non-descript kinda round building. If nothing that looks like a bar appears, he'll ask someone. Nice and friendly like.


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 17, 2005)

Bruck stood tall and silent, it was "bucket on" time and he knew the near inhuman air a stormtrooper gave off was one of their biggest intimidation factors. He was thankful for the polarized lenses in his helmet as he took a quick glance around the sandblasted wasteland. Being the lowest ranked he'd keep the chatter in check and wait for orders. Only speaking if he felt his insight was required. _Things seem to be moving fine anyway._


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## dead_radish (Feb 17, 2005)

*Sri nods to Devlin, and falls in to step beside him.*  "You ever had a Sloe Jeeen Fyiz, Devlin?  They're popular around this sector, I hear - put hair on your chest, your face, probably your hands and feet too."  *As they walk, he makes idle chatter, and does the same search for a bar.*

OOC: I know, from SWG, that AH has a tavern *and* a cantina, and there's a rebel recruiter in the tavern!


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 17, 2005)

*Sri, Devlin, and anyone going with them:*

A few of the people give you curious looks as you walk to the building, and a couple of Jawas hide behind a large, but not very good for hiding behind, power converter of sorts that's up against one side of the street. The door to the building opens when you approach, revealing a small, square interior that could possibly be a tavern...or a house...a house with many people drinking and sitting at tables in the cramped room. There is a makeshift counter at the opposite end, with a grey-skinned Duros behind it talking with a human woman.

When the door opens, everyone looks straight at you and the place goes silent.


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 17, 2005)

Archimedes starts a small foot patrol along street. Slowly circling the landspeeder. _Filthy aliens..._ he thinks. _One day the Emperor will grind you beneath his heels._ He takes a deep breath, remembering his 'father's' words of tolerance.


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## dead_radish (Feb 17, 2005)

*Sri raises his eyebrows, and takes in the crowd, scanning for practical concerns - blasters slung at people's sides, clusters of aggressive looking folk, back exits, etc.  His Longblaster is slung across his back, and takes care to take a non-aggressive stance.*  "Good afternoon to all of you as well."


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## doghead (Feb 18, 2005)

*2nd Lt Devlin, ISB.*

OOC: Sri, I thought the rifle was in the speeder. Or is the long blaster something else?

Devlin notes the Jawas. _You and me going to have to catch up some time. Better take it easy though, look skittish._ 

He strolls easily into the room and runs his gaze around the room. The attention that they have drawn is pretty hard to ignore.

"Afternoon," he announces with a nod and easy smile in the direction of few of patrons. _Not shooting yet. This should be easy. But first things first. And easy does it._

"Right what you having?" he says to Sri. Once drinks and a table are got, Devlin settles in to enjoy the first one. 

To Sri he say quietly, "Take your time. Give them some time to get used to us. Who knows, they might even get curious."

Devlin takes the opportunity to look around, and wait for a way into conversation. Once in, warm them up, then see what's what.

OOC: DIPLOMACY +8, GATHER INFO +6


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## dead_radish (Feb 18, 2005)

OOC: The Longblaster is indeed the rifle.  It's stowed (slung across his back on a strap) rather than carried, but with him.

*Sri orders something that is as close to pure alcohol as possible - beer can be mived with and filtered through who knows what.  Hard liquor might be watered down, but it's likely to still be mostly alcohol.  And what isn't will hopefully be sterilized.  He nods to Rannick, and does his best to relax, letting the more personable officer take the lead.  He does continue to survey the patrons, though he attempts to do it as a basic curiousity, rather than a glaring assessment of their threat level.*

To Rannick, though loud enough to be overhead if people were trying: "Damn sight sandy out there.  Glad we're inside now."


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## doghead (Feb 18, 2005)

*2nd Lt Devlin, ISB.*

Devlin sticks to something simple, like beer. He doesn't care if it is watered down. So long as it was *water* that they used. He wants a clear head. Sri had better keep one too.



			
				dead_radish said:
			
		

> "Damn sight sandy out there. Glad we're inside now."




"Better get used to it, its not going to be any better where we might be going."

He considers asking Sri if he sleeps with the rifle, but decides against it. _Besides, I already know the answer._


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## dead_radish (Feb 18, 2005)

OOC: Yes, yes he does.  

"Fair enough.  Though I feel like a Mynock wandering blind out in those deserts.  No landmarks, no trails....  I can't see how people are able to do that."


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## Veritas (Feb 18, 2005)

Rannick will use his link to the local garrison to look up the person in authority in Anchorhead, along with a holo of them and where they live. 


(ooc: computer use +5)


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 18, 2005)

Talking to Rannick over the comlink, "Sir, do you think it'd be worth our while to pull up the local census guide's projected farm productions, cross reference those projects with what was actually taxed, and look for discrepencies? If there are, perhaps we could find out where the discrepencies originated and then _interview_ those farmers. The rebels are bound to need supplies from the local populace."


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 19, 2005)

Bruck stood a few paces behind Rannick. _All the better to give the image of simple bodyguard duty. _ He fought the urge to hum to himself even though it would not be heard outside the helmet. He relied on his superiors to come up with and execute the best plan. _Best not to rock the boat too much. New meat in the unit and all._


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 20, 2005)

*Sri and Devlin:*

After you move and order the drinks, the Duros quickly gets them and hands them to you without a word. The rest of the patrons turn back to each other, all looking like they are doing their best to pretend you aren't around. Its mostly obvious in the sideways glances they give you every few seconds.

*Everyone else:*

From what Rannick can tell, there doesn't actually seem to be any kind of authority figure in charge of Anchorhead. In fact, there isn't anything of the sorts that's even comparable. As far as the information on the 'city' says, the place is more a spot for the 'local' moisture farmers and other spread out natives of Tatooine to gather.


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## dead_radish (Feb 20, 2005)

*quietly to Devlin:* "It doesn't seem like they'll be making any introductions.  Do you think we should take the initiative here, or just wait it out?"


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## doghead (Feb 20, 2005)

*2nd Lt Devlin, Imperial soldier.*

Devlin leans back in his chair, taking a relaxed posture. He keeps his voice low and unhurried.

"We have a couple of hours. So lets give it a quarter of a hour, then we can get a little more proactive. Of course, it would be a lot easier if we knew what it was that we were hoping to learn. I suppose we could start with the western desert.

"Did you see the Jawas out there? I really would like to talk to some of them. If the reports are true, they spend alot of their time prowling around the desert looking for scrap. At least, the around fringes of the desert."

Over the next fifteen minutes, Devlin monitors the crowd in the bar to find someone likely to know a little about the desert, and the Jawa. A trip to the pisser gives him an opportunity to move through the room and pick up a little more of the conversations.

If nothing happens in that time, he finishes up his drink and turns to Sri. "I'm going to do a bit of asking around. You want to stay here and keep an eye on things?"

Then he heads off towards whoever he has identified as the most likely to have something useful to say.


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## Veritas (Feb 20, 2005)

Rannick rolls his eyes. "It figured a waste of space like this wouldn't actually have any leadership... probably just a watering hole for the animals to gather at." he says quietly.

Next he'll try to raise the garrison or the Conquest in order to check on the scans he requested.


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## Lobo Lurker (Feb 21, 2005)

Archimedes begins trying to identify the more important structures of this town. Is there are water tower (or anything serving a similar function)? A food processing plant? Is there anything around that these miserable moisture farmers just can't live without... like a gas station?


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 22, 2005)

*Sri and Devlin:*

As Devlin walks around the small tavern, looking for someone that might talk. He doesn't actually see anyone that isn't giving him sideways looks when they think he isn't looking, but eventually, a gruff voice behind him grumbles, _"We don't want none of yer trouble, Imperial. Whatever you want, you ain't gonna find it 'ere. Just simple farmer lookin for a rest."_

The man that spoke is middle aged, somewhat balding, and has the grizzled look that one would expect from someone talking like he was. He sat alone at a table near the back wall, watching you over a thick, blue coloured drink.

*Rannick:*

You raise the Conquest without any trouble, but they report that the scans are going to have to wait at least a few hours. Apparently, a large sandstorm is moving across the desert and preventing any kinds of scans. From what they can tell, though, it doesn't look like its going to be coming close to Anchorhead, but that area didn't show anything anyway.

*Archimedes:*

You can't really tell any of the buildings apart, as there aren't any markings to dictate one from another. There was a small garage near where you 'entered' Anchorhead, but it was very small and looked to be empty beyond an old speeder inside. There are a couple of moisture vaporators sitting through the city, two meter tall spires that stick out farily noticeably. You did not, though, that there looked to be a small power station near the outskirts of Anchorhead...if this tiny place had anything that qualified as outskirts, at least.


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## Veritas (Feb 22, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

The last thing he requests of the Conquest is to send him the meteorological data... the location of the storm, it's speed of movement, wind speeds, etc, and he requests for them to keep them updated on it's location for when the squad needs to enter the desert.

He messages everyone over the comlink *"Well, it looks like it's going to be a few hours before the Conquest can make any scans of the desert. A sandstorm has kicked up out there, but it's not going to come close to this location. The scans they did of Anchorhead didn't turn up anything though. That storm is a concern now... if my thinking on this is right, if objective is out there, it may be buried if we don't move soon."

"Devlin, Sri... any progress where you are?"*


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## dead_radish (Feb 22, 2005)

*Seeing Devlin getting at least basic results, Sri answers, quietly, including Devlin in his response.*  "Noted, Sir.  Devlin is beginning to.  Where will the storm be?  It might help gain some trust if we could share that information...."


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## doghead (Feb 22, 2005)

*2nd Lt Devlin, ISB.*

Devlin turns to see who is addressing him, and gives the old farmer an easy, if slightly tired smile. He is tired. Although the trip here was fairly relaxed, but there hasn't been a chance to escape the job since he joined the Dragons. It will take more than a good night's sleep to recharge the batterys completely.

"We're not looking for trouble," he responds evenly. "What we are looking for is a ship that came down in the western desert. Some sort of stuff-up in orbit and the brass are ... well, not very happy. And quite keen to find where it went down. 

"So here we are. All dressed up and no idea of what really lies out there. But I figured that if anyone was going to know anything about the desert, the locals would. So I thought that I would ask. And grab a beer while I was at it.

"But if you don't know," Devlin looks around at the room, aware that most of the people in here will be listening, "Then you don't know." He shrugs.

Devlin hears Rannick's enquiry though his comm but ignores it, leaving it for Sri to handle. _Patience. There is no point dashing off into the desert unless we know where we are going._


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 22, 2005)

Bruck nodded. Ready to go on your order sir.


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## Veritas (Feb 22, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

He answers Sri *"Understood. I'm downloading the information as we speak, and requesting the Conquest to keep us advised about it. Once they've provided a stormtrack, I can send it your way."* 

To Bruck he responds *"We're not going anywhere just yet... we need a guide. I just don't look forwards to the possibility of flying through a sandstorm or digging the ship out of 5 meters of sand. We'll do what we need to do, but the quicker and easier we can make this mission, the better for all concerned.*"

"*Archimedes... that might work out for finding sympathizers... but looking around here, I can't honestly say I believe that these people have any projections like that... I'm not even convinced there would be an accurate census. However, you make a good point about supplies. Perhaps there's some sort of general store where people get their supplies around here. That might be a place to start.*"

_(ooc: I think this has been asked before, but do the two ST's have TK numbers? Should they have them?)_


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## dead_radish (Feb 23, 2005)

OOC: TK-421!

*Sri nods unconciously to the comlink.*  "Understood.  Any information you can provide would be appreciated sir."


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 24, 2005)

*Sri and Devlin:*

The old man, and at least a couple of others, grunt and nod after Devlin finishes speaking. In a rushed voice, the older man grumbles over his drink, _"You're right. We ain't know nothin'. Just farmers. Ain't done nothin' against you Imperials. Can't go nowhere without bein' accused of somethin' by you people these days."_

*Rannick and Others:*

The storm is mostly concetrated in the nothern part of the desert, and though the Conquest's scanners cannot penetrate the thick clouds near the south, they believe it should be possible to travel there without too much to worry about beyond the usual dangers. The projected course of the storm takes it east, though it could very easily swing around in any direction without warning.


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## dead_radish (Feb 24, 2005)

*Sri grins at the old man, whether or not he can be seen.*  _He's a fun fellow._ *He stands, and walks over to Devlin and the man, motioning for the bartender to set the man up with another drink.* "Consider that a small repayment, then."  *He takes a seat at the bar, but doesn't speak any further.*


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 25, 2005)

*Sri and Devlin:*

The older man gives Sri a cross look before he returns to the bar, then goes on grumbling about something. The Rodian bartender gives you a careful look over again, but moves over to tend to the other patrons.

A moment later, Sri feels something press into his back, and a voice says very quietly, _"Keep your mouth shut and don't move, Imperial."_

*Others:*

Though many of the people seem to have been avoiding you for a while, you notice that there seem to be a larger influx of patrons into the tavern that Sri and Devlin entered. Whether it is the time of day, the storm, or something else, you don't know, but you do notice that the street is getting a bit emptier.


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## dead_radish (Feb 25, 2005)

*Sri goes stock still, and tenses up, both in genuine surprise, and an attempt to send a subtle signal to Devlin.  He shifts his eyes left and right, trying to determine the amount of space he'd have if he were to throw himself off the stool, trusting in his blast vest to protect him....*


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## Veritas (Feb 26, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Rannick's curiosity is peaked by the influx of people and nods towards the tavern to make sure Bruck and Archimedes notice. However, he sticks with business "*Sri, do you have a datapad with you? I can send over the data about the stormtrack to you. Also, it is showtime in there or something?*"


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## dead_radish (Feb 26, 2005)

........


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## doghead (Feb 26, 2005)

*2nd Lt Devlin, ISB.*

Devlin leans lightly one the back of an empty chair and considers the old farmer's response, and his options. At the moment, he doesn't really see any good ones. _Going in hard will just confirm what they believe, and make them harder to reach._

Devlin nods, signalling his understanding.

"I know what you mean. But if you change your mind, the offer is an open one."

Devlinn straightens up.

"Oh, by the way. Word has just come in," he taps his comm, "of a big storm out in the desert. Its not coming this way, but," he shrugs, "thought that you might want to know."

He steps away from the table, turns and scans the room for Sri, spotting him at the bar.

ooc: Will wait to confirm what he sees before going on.


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## ImperialMilitary (Feb 27, 2005)

Bruck gives a slight nod to indicate his acknowledgement, then begins to keep his eye on the tavern.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 27, 2005)

*Sri and Devlin:*

Sri notes that while there is still a man sitting to his left, the stool to his right is empty. It isn't much room, but there's some. Devlin turns to see a tall, red haired man standing very close to Sri. A blaster can be seen pressed against Sri's back. A quick scan of the rest of the tavern shows at least four other armed patrons who are training their weapons on the both of you.

The comlink then sounds with Rannick's question, and the man behind Sri presses the blaster in harder, growling louder this time, _"Don't try anything and don't respond to that,"_ there is a pause, then he says over his shoulder without turning away, _"That goes for your friend, too. Now...you're going to tell me why you are here."_

*Rannick and Others:*

The street have emptied now, and there is a very odd silence that hangs in the area. You hear a sudden movement off behind you, but notice that it is only the Jawas...who are scurrying the other direction and soon slip into a nearby building.

*Bruck:*[sblock]For a second, you thought you could see some movement on the rooftop of the building behind you.[/sblock]


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## dead_radish (Feb 28, 2005)

*Sri considers quickly, and comes to a decision.*  "Just what we told you.  We're looking for the crashed ship.  It's Imperial property, and it needs to be returned.  As am I, to that point.  I'm not sure why you've felt the need to escalate this to violence, over that.  Our entire squad is outside, and there's a star destroyer in orbit.  I doubt they'll fail to notice an attack on an Imperial officer.  I'd recommend putting away the weapons."


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## doghead (Feb 28, 2005)

*2nd Lt Devlin.*

Devlin feels the blood surge through his veins. He feels light, invunerable. He has to stuggle to keep the grin of pleasure off his face.

Devlin nods, confirming Sri's response.

"You _may_ be able to take out the two of us. And perhaps the Troopers outside as well. But I doubt you will have any chance against the Starcruiser. But at the moment, no harm, no foul. So lets be sensible and put away the guns, and talk. 

"If we don't respond, the Commander will send someone in here to check. That could be messy, _very messy._ So, I'm going to contact the commander and confirm his comm, and let him know everything is OK. You can listen in if you want.

"Then we can talk. OK?"

If the gunman agrees, Devlin comms Rannick, telling him that everything is good and that they have established a dialogue and will report back when they have any something.

((ooc: Diplomacy +8))
((ooc: I just realised that I have assumed that the gunmen were locals. Is that right?))


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 28, 2005)

*Sri and Devlin:*

((Yes, the gunman are locals, as far as you can tell.))

The man behind Sri laughs slightly, sounding honestly amused, _"There's always a Star Destroyer in orbit. Try saying anything to your Commander and you will be shot."_

There was a pause as a Bith who had been sitting in the back got to his feet, raising the blaster pistol he had trained on Devlin. He took a few steps closer and said in strongly accented Basic, _"You will hand over any and all identification, weapons, and equipment now. Place it on the table in front of you, or the bar in your friend's case, and then step back."_

You can hear a few of the others whispering quietly among each other, and more than one of them talk about the amazing luck of you turning up here. Or at least, the Empire, probably not you specifically.


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## dead_radish (Feb 28, 2005)

*Sri gives it one last try.*  "Our squad is in the city.  They're likely on their way here.  If you shoot us, it's going to be quickly obvious who did it, and there's going to be an armed response.  They may not even care what happened, and simply send a detachment of troops to wipe this city off the face of the planet.  Hell, or just bombard it.  Is that really worth the money we have on us?"


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## doghead (Mar 1, 2005)

*2nd Lt Devlin.*



			
				Ankh-Morpork Guard said:
			
		

> *Sri and Devlin:*The man behind Sri laughs slightly, sounding honestly amused, _"There's always a Star Destroyer in orbit. Try saying anything to your Commander and you will be shot."_
> 
> There was a pause as a Bith who had been sitting in the back got to his feet, raising the blaster pistol he had trained on Devlin. He took a few steps closer and said in strongly accented Basic, _"You will hand over any and all identification, weapons, and equipment now. Place it on the table in front of you, or the bar in your friend's case, and then step back."_




Devlin gives them a moment to see reason, for the depth of the hole they are digging for themselves to become apparent. But something tells him this is more than just a bit of petty theiving. They have something in mind. If they do hesitate, Devlin will switch to a more aggressive mode and attempt to drive home the stupidity of the path they are walking, and the wisdom of handing over their weapons and living to see the wife and kids once more.

ooc: Intimidate +10

But if they are bent on ignoring Sri's excellent advice, Devlin just shrugs laconically at the imperial soldier; a small grin plays across his face.

"This table?", he asks, turning and gesturing to one nearby with his off hand. Instinct, hopefully, will pull their eyes in that direction for a moment, but he doesn't wait to find out. He pulls his stun baton with his other hand and uses the momentum of his turn to step outside the man's line of fire and crack the baton across his shoting arm.

ooc: Stun Club +2, Stun DC 15


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## dead_radish (Mar 1, 2005)

*Depending on Devlin's actions, Sri will either interject comments as appropriate (Aid Another w/Intim, +1), or, more likely, take the action he's been considering since this thing started - rolling off the stool to his right, trusting in surprise, combined with his blast vest, to carry him through, coming up with the rifle drawn.  If time permits, then follow with a stun attack with the longblaster against the punk who put a blaster to his back.*


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## Veritas (Mar 1, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Rannick puts his helmet on and climbs out of the speeder, taking a moment to lock it down. He then signals Bruck and Archimedes to form up and move towards the cantina, before he quickly follows, drawing his blaster rifle. 

He speaks to the stormtroopers by normal voice, shutting off his comlink "Sri should have responded to that... it may be nothing, but let's get in there, just in case."


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## Lobo Lurker (Mar 1, 2005)

"By your leave Major." 

Archimedes thumbs off the safety and sets his rifle to multifire before stepping nonchalantly into the cantina, grenade in hand. He looks around, eyeing Devlin. "Is something wrong with the comm?"


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 1, 2005)

((Devlin, just want to get some clarification...I assume you're attacking the Bith who spoke with you, yes? Or did you mean the human with the gun to Sri's back?))


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## doghead (Mar 2, 2005)

((ooc: The Bith. I assumed that he was closest. I got the impression that Sri was alittle way away.))


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## ImperialMilitary (Mar 2, 2005)

Catching the quick movement, and before Rannick could get too far away, Bruck flips his com to external. *click* Sir, I beleive I spotted someone on the roof of the building behind us. *click*


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 2, 2005)

*Sri and Devlin:*

((Yeah, the Bith is closest. Just got a little confused with the 'man'. I have a habit of interpreting that a 'human' for some reason. 

So, Devlin's attack against the Bith is a 4. Misses. Going to jump into Initiative order now. Sri 12. Devlin 10. Attackers[there are 3] 9. So that's the order.))

The Bith's free hand catches Devlin's before it strikes, grabbing the man's wrist and then forcing him back with what is probably an angry look, though its hard to tell from a Bith, who growls in heavily accented Basic, while bringing his blaster up again, _"Make sure the place is sealed and get out of here!"_

At that, the other patrons scramble, with the bartender and many others ducking into a backroom and disappearing. In the chaos, you see a third person standing up, behind the Bith against the back wall. The human woman is holding a fairly large blaster rifle and trying to bring it to bear on Devlin.

((Actions...?))

*Rannick and Others:*

When Archimedes reaches the door, he finds that its locked. Before he can try to force it, the a stern female voice from behind you all cries out, _"Stay where you are and drop your weapons, Imperials!"_

Turning around, you see a human woman in an actual tan Rebel uniform(given away by the patch on the left breast with rank insignia in the form of dots). She is standing behind a pile of junk that had the Jawas occupied when you'd first arrived and training a good sized blaster rifle on you. Another two humans appear, and a moment later three riflemen can be seen up on the rooftops(both behind and in front of you) also aiming down on you.

((We're going to go ahead and jump into Initiative order just in case you guys start blasting right away. Archimedes 9. Rannick 15. Bruck 13. Rebels 14. Puts the order at Rannick, Rebels, Bruck, then Archimedes. Map is attached, and hopefully it isn't hard to decipher. It IS to scale(1 square=2 meters). Actions?))


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## dead_radish (Mar 2, 2005)

*Sri will take the aforementioned actions.  I'm hoping he can pull of rolling off the stool as a 5' step, and then draw and fire his weapon at the one holding the gun to him.  If not, he rolls off the stool and moves to the nearest piece of cover he can find w/i reach, and readies his rifle.*


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## Lobo Lurker (Mar 2, 2005)

Archimedes, gets 70% through the motions of bringing his blaster rifle up to bear and kneeling. He checks himself suddenly, thoroughly annoyed at his own interruption to his hard-won battle techniques. _These rebels might be more useful to us alive... Hmph... I must have spent too much time with Devlin and Joric..._

He mutters into the comm, "Your orders Major Rannick?"

(OOC: Archimedes will move to F8 and Multi-fire at R3; BUT, if R2 is taken out by the grenade, he'll double-move to F4).


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## doghead (Mar 2, 2005)

*2nd Lt Devlin, ISB*

Devlin closes, figuring that staying close to the Bith is his the best defense. Knee it in the groin, nut it, whatever.

((ooc: using the stun club if his arm is free, brawling otherwise - the old rugby tackle might be the way to go if the Bith has stepped back.))


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## Veritas (Mar 3, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Rannick mutters back, hopefully loud enough for their helmet systems to pick up, but not for the rebels to hear "Try to take the leader alive." 

_ooc: he's doing a Heroic Surge and spending a Force Point this round... gotta try to even up the odds._

He then draws a grenade as a move action, tosses it to square F5 as one attack action (+5 to hit, 4d6+2 dmg), and fires at R5 with his rifle as his second attack action (+5 to hit, 3d8+1 dmg). He then takes a 2m step forwards into square E12.

_ooc: I'd use stun blasts on these guys, but they're outside the 4m effective range._


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 4, 2005)

*Sri and Devlin:*

((Sri can take those actions, so his attack against the Gunman is a 16. That hits and deals 19 vitality damage.))

Sri's blaster rifle fires and nearly takes off the man's head, but though he didn't seem to be ready for such a quick movement, he anticipated the shot and ducked just in time. At least a few of his hairs were singed, though.

((Devlin's arm is free, so his stun baton's attack is a 20. That hits and the Bith has to make a Fort save vs. DC 15. He gets a 9 and is knocked out.))

This time, Devlin's stun baton strikes the Bith across the shoulder. Its wide, black eyes blink once before closing. A second later, the Bith drops its weapon and collapses to the ground, unmoving though still breathing through his circular mouth.

((The woman gunman near the back of the bar fires her rifle at Devlin. Her attack is a 14. Hits and Devlin takes 6 vitality damage and 10 wound damage. Down to 7WP, and becomes Fatigued[-2 Str and Dex]. Also have to make a Fort save vs. DC 15 or be knocked out...Devlin gets an 18. Still conscious.

The male gunman fires his blaster pistol at Sri. His attack is an 11. Misses.))

The man in front of Sri quickly stands up, backing up slowly to find some cover behind a table or something, and fires off a quick shot at Sri in the process. The blaster bolt goes high, crashing into the ceiling and raining dust and shards of whatever the building is made of on Sri's head.

From the opposite end of the bar, the human woman takes aim and fires straight at Devlin just as the Bith hits the ground. The single shot catches Devlin in the right shoulder, scorching his skin and leaving a smell of burnt flesh and ozone, along with a thick black mark.

*Rannick, Archimedes, and Bruck:*

((Rannick's grenade throw is an 10(that's with a Force Point totalled in, as you would have missed otherwise). Hits the square, and R1, R2, and R3 make Ref saves vs. DC 15 for half damage. Only R3 fails. So, R3 takes 21 damage, while R1 and R2 take 10 damage.

The attack is a natural 1. The gun jams. You'll need to spend a full round to use Repair on it to fire with it.))

The concussion grenade hits the sand in between the three Rebels on the ground. It bounces slightly, then detonates in a bright flash and a deafening noise. Though the woman manages to duck behind the cover she had used previously, and the man right behind the grenade is able to press himself against the building next to him, the third Rebel on the ground, another human man, isn't able to find any cover and is nearly knocked off of his feet from the strength of the blast.

((The Rebels are up...R1 gets back up from her cover and fires at Rannick. Attack is a 24...a critical hit. Rannick takes 16WP damage, he becomes Fatigued(-2 Str and Dex), and has to make a Fort save vs. DC 21 or be knocked out...he gets a 17. No good. Rannick is knocked out for 2 rounds.

R2 fires his blaster at Bruck. Attack is a 7. Miss. R3 also fires at Bruck...his attack is a 10. Another miss. R4 fires on Bruck from atop the building behind you guys...his attack is a 13. Yet another miss. R5 fires straight down on Archimedes. Attack is an 11. Miss. And the last shot from R6 fires on...Bruck of course[they can't really see Archimedes]. And this attack is a 12. Yet. Another. Miss.))

As the sand falls from the grenade's explosion, blaster fire rains out from all directions. As blaster bolts send more sand into the air around both Bruck and Archimedes, a single, well aimed shot catches Rannick square in the chest. He only feels the impact for a moment before blackness overcomes him and he hits the ground.

((...waiting on Bruck.))


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## dead_radish (Mar 4, 2005)

*Sri snarls at the attackers.*  "You dumb bastards.  You could have walked away.  You should have.  Now they'll bury you."  *He drops to a kneeling position, and his fingers twitch quickly, squeezing performance from the custom rifle.  The weapon isn't typically used in such close quarters, but it's clearly up to the task....*

OOC: Rapid Shot at the man (+5/+5).  If he falls on the first shot, turn the 2nd shot on the woman (+4, or +5 if within 10 meters).


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## Veritas (Mar 4, 2005)

Ankh-Morpork Guard said:
			
		

> ((The Rebels are up...R1 gets back up from her cover and fires at Rannick. Attack is a 24...a critical hit. Rannick takes 16WP damage, he becomes Fatigued(-2 Str and Dex), and has to make a Fort save vs. DC 21 or be knocked out...he gets a 17. No good. Rannick is knocked out for 2 rounds.




((Down 16 of 17 WP, huh? well, it was nice knowing you guys. heh. I'm the dumbass who started this, so feel free to surrender if you want.))


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 4, 2005)

((Well, you're not dead yet, at least. The advantage of being knocked out by that is Rannick sure LOOKS dead though. ))


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## ImperialMilitary (Mar 4, 2005)

As a move action Bruck draws his blaster rifle and turns firing on R5. His stormtrooper training likely to get him killed as he stands his ground returning fire. Although he should be feeling blessed for so many misses. Next order of business, find cover.

OOC: Sorry about not posting yesturday, I was down with a bit of a bug. But I'm feeling better now.


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## dead_radish (Mar 4, 2005)

OOC: And Sri was going to start something if you didn't anyway, as evinced by comments like "One last try"    Don't count him out - with only 1.5 opponents left, I think he'll be okay.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 6, 2005)

*Sri and Devlin:*

((Sri's first attack is a 16. A hit, and 15 damage. Second shot is a 17, that hits and deals 17 damage to the male gunner.))

Both of the quick shots from Sri's blaster hit the man. The first catches him across the shoulder, getting a yelp of pain out of him as he falls against the barstool behind him. Just as he recovers from it, Sri's second shot hits the man square in the chest, dropping him down between two barstools with a small puff of smoke from the two blaster wounds.

((Devlin's up...))

*Rannick, Archimedes, and Bruck:*

((Bruck's shot at R5 is a 16. That hits and deals 15 damage.))

Turning and firing up, Bruck's blaster shot nearly hits the rooftop gunner square in the chest. Somehow, though, the Rebel manages to duck down out of sight just before the red bolt hits him.

((Archimedes multifires at R3. First shot is an 11. Miss. Second is a 10. Another miss. Third shot is a 21...critical hit, dealing 12 damage.))

Sidestepping out from the cover of the locked tavern building, Archimedes lays down a barrage of fire at the already injured Rebel. Though two of the shots go wide, burning black holes into the building behind him, the third shot finds it mark, catching the Rebel directly in the face and sending him sprawling to the sand at his feet.

((One more round of Rannick being unconscious...so the Rebels are up. R1 fires at Archimedes, and her attack is a 14. Miss. R2 also fires at Archimedes, and his attack is a 12, another miss.

R4 fires down on Bruck, and his attack is a 17. Hits and deals 7VP damage. Down to 20VP. R5 also fires on Bruck...attack is a 9. Miss. Finally, R6 fires across the street at Archimedes...his attack is a 15. Another miss.))

Blaster fire again rains down and around you, though most of it simply sends sand into the air. Rannick's unconscious body is not fired at, and this is probably helped by the large black mark on his chest where he had been shot. Bruck, however, takes a glancing shot from the Rebel on the rooftop behind him, the blaster bolt hitting his shoulder armor and doing nothing but causing some ache from the force of the impact.

((Actions for Bruck and Archimedes?))


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## ImperialMilitary (Mar 6, 2005)

Bruck curses from the impact of the bolt and with the same breath thanks the Emperor that the armor preformed to spec. For his attack action he fires on R5 then for his move he slides to F11 and aginst the side of the Cantina for what meager protection that it'll give him. Although he was hesitant to leave the commander's "body".


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## Lobo Lurker (Mar 7, 2005)

Archimedes fires *multiple shots* at the nearest rebel still standing.









*OOC:*


 sorry for the lack of posts and this short one. My wife and newborn are both sick with whatever I had last week. according to the doctor I spoke with, there's a flu epidemic going on. My posting should be more frequent during the week.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 7, 2005)

*Rannick, Archimedes, and Bruck:*

((Bruck's attack against R5 is an 18. Hits and deals 15 damage. Just enough to take him down.))

Firing a quick shot before using the cantina as cover, Bruck catches sight of his blaster bolt slamming into the Rebel's chest. There isn't time to see him collapse, but the grunt of pain and then thud of him hitting the roof are easily heard.

((Archimedes multifires at R2. First attack is a 4. Miss. Second is a 12. Miss. Last is a 22...no critical, but it hits and deals 22 damage. Another Rebel down.))

The three quick shots from Archimedes' blaster rifle all streak out towards the only Rebel not intelligent enough to be using cover. Though two of them strike sand and the building next to him, the third shot hits the Rebel square in the chest, sending the human sprawling to his back and hitting the sand hard...a new, large black spot on his once clean uniform.

((That's the end of the round...Rannick is now conscious again, so actions for you guys for this round?))


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## ImperialMilitary (Mar 7, 2005)

Bruck fights a smile at the meaty thump of the fallen rebel and carefully moves along the cantina wall and fires on R4 when he's got a clear line of sight.

OOC: Move action to F14 and an attack on R4


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## Veritas (Mar 8, 2005)

_ooc: Could Rannick roll under the speeder as a move action, rather than getting up and moving? I think the speeder would make good cover. Also, I'm surprised that the rules don't allow you to draw a weapon as *part* of a move action, like in the rest of the d20 games. Anyways, if he can roll under the speeder, he'll do so, and draw his blaster pistol as his other action... or if you rule that he *can* draw the pistol as part of his move action, he'll take a shot at R6 from under the speeder as his other action._


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## Lobo Lurker (Mar 8, 2005)

_Humph, these rebels never know what they're dealing with... always so -sure like good ole' Dralon_. He snorts in derision. 
(runs to F4 and tries to STUN R1)


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## dead_radish (Mar 8, 2005)

OOC: Should we NPC Devlin for a round?


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 9, 2005)

*Sri and Devlin:*

((NPCing Devlin to keep this moving. He ducks behind a nearby table and fires at the woman on the other side of the room. Attack is a 2. No good.))

Quickly moving behind the table that had been overturned in the first place, Devlin switches the stun club into his off hand and draws his blaster. Not taking much time to aim, he squeezes off a shot that goes high and puts a good black mark on the ceiling.

((The female gun'man' fires at Sri. Attack is a 24. That hits and Sri takes 21 damage. Puts him down to 1VP left.))

Ignoring Devlin, the woman kneels down and trains her blaster rifle on Sri. She fires a single shot, which grazes Sri's arm before destroying a mug that was on the bar behind him. Just after the echo from the shot fades, the woman yells, _"Drop your weapons and surrender or I will kill you, Imperial!"_


*Rannick, Archimedes, and Bruck:*

((Rannick: Going to go with the rules as written, which means you can't draw as part of a move. Remember, your (jammed) blaster rifle is on the ground where you were.

The three remaining Rebels are up next. R1 straight across at Archimedes. Her attack is an 18. Hits and deals 12 vitality damage. R4 does not attack, but tries to jump to the tavern's roof and fails. R6, though, fires on Bruck. His attack is a 25...that's a critical hit, which means Bruck takes 8 Wound Damage. Also, he becomes fatigued(-2 Str and Dex). Down to 20VP/3WP.))

As Rannick rolls under the speeder for cover, he catches sight of the Rebel on the roof south of the tavern attempt to jump across onto it. He doesn't make it, though, and with a loud thud, falls hard on his feet in between the two buildings. The other two Rebels fires their blaster rifles from behind their cover, with the lead woman's skimming off of Archimedes' side and giving his armor a blackened spot.

Bruck, though, takes a shot straight in the chest from the last Rebel on top of a building. The blaster bolt burns through one of the gaps in his armor, a strong smell of melted flesh and ozone rising up from the wound.

((Bruck is up. Because R4 has fallen from the roof and is in between the two buildings, I'll assume that you still move to fire on him[which still takes you to F14]. Note that R4 has cover, and Bruck's attack is an 11. A miss.))

Moving back towards the Rebel that had them flanked, Bruck finds the uniformed man with a large bruise on his forhead. From the look of his position between the buildings, it was probably a result of the bad jump. But Bruck's blaster shot hits the opposite building's wall, blackening the wall and sending pieces of it flying between them.

((Archimedes' attack is a 20. That hits, and R1 has to make a Fort Save vs. DC 19. She gets a 19. She's stunned for the next round, and that's the end of this one. Rannick's up again. Actions?))


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## Veritas (Mar 9, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Having drawn his blaster pistol last round, Rannick lines up R4, and fires two shots at him. (multifire)


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## ImperialMilitary (Mar 10, 2005)

Bruck whuffed under his armor from the impact, thankfully the smell was filtered by his helmet. His actions would depend on what happened before him in the round. If R4 is downed by Rannick he'll move to G16 and stand over the rebels body using the cover of the corner for himself. If the rebel remains standing he'll move to F17 and fire on him.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 12, 2005)

*Rannick, Bruck, and Archimedes:*

((Rannick's first shot is a 13. Misses. His second shot is a 23...not a critical, but it hits and deals 12 damage.))

Two red blaster bolts streak out from underneathe the speeder, one going high and off into the sky. The second, though, grazes across the Rebel's arm and burns a long mark in the uniform he wears.

((Rebels are up...R1 fires at Archimedes. Her attack is a 15. Just misses. R4 fires down at Rannick...attack is a 9. A miss. And finally, R6 fires all the way across at Bruck. Attack is a 15. A third miss.))

Straight across from Archimedes, the female Rebel kneels steps back against the building behind her and lets off a quick shot from the rifle. It flies left, though, leaving a scorch mark on the building across from her and sending pieces of it flying a short distance. 

Above her, the last Rebel up on a building's roof fires all the way across the street towards Bruck's back. The shot strikes the sand a few meters before Bruck, sending a plume of it into the air and coating his armor a little more. And just as the shot hits the sand, the cornered Rebel attempts to fire at the well concealed Rannick. The shot doesn't get anywhere close, instead impacting with the front end of the speeder.

((Bruck moves and attacks R4...his attack is a 15. Just hits and deals 12 damage. R4 is down.))

With a quick sidestep across the alley, Bruck lets off a single shot from his blaster rifle. It hits the cornered Rebel hard in the chest, throwing the uniformed man to the sand below with a hard thud. A small whisp of smoke rises from the wound, and he doesn't move after falling.

((Archimedes is up...going to give Lobo a day to jump in before NPCing him. I know he's been busy lately.))


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## dead_radish (Mar 12, 2005)

*Sri nods at the woman.*  "Certainly, I'd hate for you to kill me.  If only you had reinforcements, eh?"  *He then switches to Stun, and takes a pair of shots at her (via rapid shot).*


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## ImperialMilitary (Mar 13, 2005)

After taking a moment to make sure that the rebel he'd just downed stayed that way he moves into the alley taking postion over his fallen body. He takes a moment to wince at the pain from the blaster wound, then uses the corner for cover as he takes a shot at R6. 

OOC: Move to G16 and shot at R6.


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## Lobo Lurker (Mar 13, 2005)

_Thier pitiful rebellion is no match for our elite training._  He switches his blaster to stun and fires a trio of blue rings at the rebel on the roof in front of him. (OOC: R6) 

He mutters over the comm, "How are we doing? Anyone in need of reinforcement? Unless Major Rannik has a better idea, lets try to take them alive."


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## Veritas (Mar 13, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Rannick activates his comlink again and says to Archimedes and Bruck "My orders stand on the leader. Take her alive. The others are at your discretion..." he then switches channels to Sri and Devlin "Sri! Devlin! Report! What's happening in there?"

ooc: make sure you've completely stunned the leader, Lobo... she's still active. Also, AMG, can Rannick use a medpack on himself?


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## dead_radish (Mar 14, 2005)

In the comm: "We're exchanging fire.  Only one rebel left.  Few close hits."


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 16, 2005)

*Devlin and Sri:*

((Sri: You can only use stun within 4m of the target, so you can't Rapid Shot with it...you need to move closer. So, moving you get one attack...and the attack is a 14, That's a miss.

Again, I'm going to NPC Devlin as Doghead hasn't been around since the 3rd. He switches the stun club back into his primary hand, charges the woman and swings it at her. His attack is an 18. A hit, and the woman fails her Fort save.))

The encircling blue rings from Sri's blaster arc out towards the woman, but she ducks and takes a quick step to the left to avoid them. A moment later, though, Devlin is there bringing his stun club down on her shoulder with all of his strength. It hits hard, and a shock goes through her body before she convulses and drops unmoving.

However, just as she falls, the Bith that had been originally taken down wearily gets up to his feet. Scrambling up, the lanky Bith grabbed its dropped blaster pistol before aiming it at Devlin's back and firing off a shot.

((Attack against Devlin is an 8. Miss.))

Thanks to the still shaky hand of the recovering Bith, the blaster bolt shoots past Devlin's side and impacts a nearby table next to the body of the stunned woman.

((Sri's up...))

*Rannick, Archimedes, and Bruck:*

((I made a mistake previously. The woman, R1, could not shoot at Archimedes because she was 'stunned'. She stays up, but was forced to drop her weapon. Because of the mistake(even though she missed), I'm going to consider her stunned for THIS round.

Because R6 is on top of the building, Archimedes has to shoot up a few meters to do so. This means that Archimedes is too far away for the 4m stun range and has to move to get closer(i.e. no Rapid Shot). So, his single attack is a 23. That hits, and R6 passes his Fort save. He's stunned until next round.))

Firing upwards, the blue stun bolts encompass the Rebel on top of the building. He remains standing, though a glazed expression can be seen on his face and he drops his blaster rifle to the ground, just as the woman had done before.

((Rannick is up. Both your opponents are stunned until next round.))


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## dead_radish (Mar 16, 2005)

*Sri snarls at the Bith.  "Damn you rebels!  That's it!"  *He flips back to lethal, and aims at the Bith, taking a set of two shots again.*


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## Lobo Lurker (Mar 17, 2005)

OOC: While stunned, you can defend yourself, right?

Archimedes takes aim at the rebel leader and tries to stun her again. "Night, night, rebel skum!"
OOC: Maybe I should just stab her and then stabilize her with First Aid...


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## Veritas (Mar 17, 2005)

ooc: I'd just keep stunning her until she fails her Fort save. As long as you hit, she'll remain stunned anyways. Also, I think my question from last page was missed about the medpack. If Rannick can use one on himself (I was never perfectly clear on that), he will do so... so Treat Injury +3, with a masterwork medpack.


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## ImperialMilitary (Mar 18, 2005)

OOC: Did Bruck's shot last round miss? 
Bruck does a quick three count and then fires on R6 from his corner at G16.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 22, 2005)

((First off, I apologize for the delay. A bunch of things have had me busy, not to mention my Rebellion Era Sourcebook being out of my reach for a little while. And yes, that's getting serious use. ))

*Devlin and Sri:*

((Sri's first shot against the Bith is a 7. That's a miss. Second shot is a 24...critical hit. The Bith takes 13 Wound damage.

Still no sign of Doghead since the 3rd, so NPCing Devlin. He again switches hands with the blaster and stun club and takes a shot at the Bith. Attack is a 20. That's a second critical hit...and the Bith takes 16 more Wound damage. He's very, very dead.))

Two quick shots from Sri's blaster rifle streak out towards the large headed Bith. The first shot goes high, but the second hits the Bith in the chest hard, burning a deep hole in his flesh and adding the smell of ozone to the air of the tavern even more.

Just as the Bith stumbles back, a third red blaster bolt fires. This one from Devlin's small blaster pistol, and the shot catches the Bith right in the head, sending the alien sprawling into a table behind him before slumping down.

_"Where did everyone else go?"_ Devlin asked quietly in the silence that followed.

*Rannick, Archimedes, and Bruck:*

((Yes, Rannick can use a medpac on himself. I swear I'm losing my mind because I really thought I'd answered that. Also, Bruck's shot did miss. Again, sorry about that. Methinks my brain has gotten all fried somewhere.

So, Rannick's Treat Injury check is a 15. Just barely succeeds, and heals 3WP. Up to 4WP at the moment. And now the Rebels are up. Or, one of them is.

R1 is no longer stunned. Archimedes is right next to her, and instead of picking up her dropped weapon, she punches him. Her attack is a 21. Archimedes takes 4 damage. She uses the Heroic Surge feat to get a second attack...and that one's a 12. A miss.

The other Rebel is still stunned for this round.))

Next to Archimedes, the female Rebel came back to her senses from the daze of resisting a stun blast. Though its obvious her head is still spinning, she immediately turns to face Archimedes and lashes out with a fist. It doesn't connect, but instead glances off of his chestplate with a loud noise.

She does try a second swing, but it seems like the effects of the stun blast haven't completely worn off, as she nearly falls over halfway through the swing.

((Bruck's shot against R6 is a 22. That's a hit, and R6 takes 20 damage.))

The red blaster bolt from Burck's rifle arcs across the open plaza but doesn't actually hit the man standing there on the roof in a daze. It does look to graze over his shoulder, though, enough to get a surprised look on his already stunned and dazed face. He doesn't seem to realize he's been shot at, though.

((I'm going to assume Archimedes takes a 2m step back before firing at R1. The attack is a 19. A hit. So, she has to make another Fort save against DC 19. This time, she fails.))

Another series of blue rings extends from Archidemes' blaster rifle, engulfing the Rebel woman completely. This time, though, her eyes roll back in her head and she falls forward into the sand with a hard thud.

((Rannick is up...note that R6 will no longer be stunned on this round. If you need a new map, I can put one up, but there's not much new to see.))


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## Veritas (Mar 22, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Feeling a tiny bit better, Rannick sees that the trooper on the roof is still up... aiming his blaster pistol at the man, he'll fire a shot at him, looking to take him down.

ooc: that's R6 he's firing at, btw.


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## Lobo Lurker (Mar 23, 2005)

"Your outnumbered and outgunned. Surrender to me and I won't kill you. The others obviously won't give you that much." _As much as I'd like your head on a platter, you're no good to me dead... yet._

Archimedes will attempt to stun the rebel (again).


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## dead_radish (Mar 23, 2005)

*Sri snarls.*  "Theirs are dead or stunned.  See to them.  Ours are taking fire."  *With that, he runs to the door, opening and firing on the first available target.  First available hostile target.  Hell, first available target that isn't a Krayt.*


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## ImperialMilitary (Mar 24, 2005)

Bruck clucks disapprovingly at himself as his shot comes really close, but just short of telling blow. _Come on, focus Bruck focus._ Then with a quick exhalation he fires on his target again. 
OOC: Fires on R6.


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## doghead (Mar 24, 2005)

((ooc: just had time to skim the thread, looks like all the rebels are down.))

Devlin climbs to his feet and swings his blaster carefully over the room. 

"Right, if we all stay nice and still we'll work on the understanding that you have no interest in contributing further to the mayhem here."

Switching to comm; "Devlin here, the cantina is clear. Securing it now."

With that, and assuming that he is not needed outside, he proceeds to check that each of the rebels are disarmed and rounded up somewhere where he can watch over them. The farmers can do the gruntwork methinks. Medical attention can be given if needed - but Devlini has no skill in that area so it would have to be on of the others in the cantina.

If he has the time, Devlin continues to work on improving relations with the locals - hearts and minds an all that.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 25, 2005)

*Devlin and Sri:*

((Just so you guys no, the woman is only stunned. The other two rebels are dead.))

A few of the locals that had stayed in the main room started to peak up from hiding spots behind tables and such. None of them approached, but at the same time, none of them looked to have weapons or to be plotting an attack.

Getting to the door, Sri found it to be locked. Not only that, but the panel on the side of the door had been blown. How that happened, you aren't sure, as you didn't see any blaster fire hit it.

*Rannick, Archimedes, and Bruck:*

((Rannick's shot against R6 is a 16. Hits, and R6 takes 8 damage.))

From under the speeder, another blaster shot streaks out. This one nearly connects with the Rebel who is on top of the roof, but he ducks out of the way in time to avoid anything but getting singed.

As he pulls back up, though, he is no longer holding his weapon. Its obvious he's seen his companions shot down and the woman stunned not far below. The young man calls out raising his hands so you can see he holds nothing, _"Hold you fire! I'm not going to shoot...I surrender. Just hold your fire..."_

((Actions? Still want to stun/shoot him?))


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## Lobo Lurker (Mar 25, 2005)

"Then get down here doubletime! Collect your leader here and drag her over by the speeder." Archimedes will wait until the rebel is climbing down and stun him midway down (ooc: hoping to catch him by surprise).


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## doghead (Mar 25, 2005)

*Devlin, Imperial agent, human male.*

Devlin attends to the woman first, giving her a couple more bolts of the blue if necessary. He clears her weapons and equipment away and gets her safely bound. He props her up and blindfolds her if possible.

Devlin uses the comm to keep abreast of the action outside and keep the others informed as to the situation in the cantina.

If he has time, and feels that its safe to do so, he checks through the weapons and equipment taken from the rebels. In particular he looks for maps, code books and comm gear.


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## dead_radish (Mar 25, 2005)

*Sri growls in frustration, and looks about for a window or other door he could use to exit.  If he finds it, he'll look outside.  If not, he'll help Devlin.*  To the comm: "Are you still taking fire?  I can't get out.  The door is blasted shut."


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## Veritas (Mar 25, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, Compforce*

With the man's call of surrender, Rannick rolls out from under the speeder and gets to his feet with the help of the side of the speeder. He leans heavily on the vehicle, wincing with the pain of his wound. 

"Bruck, Archimedes, take them both into custody and report your status." he orders.

Hearing the comlink call, he responds "We've got the situation under control out here, Sri... see if you can blow that door open."


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## dead_radish (Mar 25, 2005)

"Noted.  I'll see what I can do.  Devlin's taken a few hits, but I think he's okay.  Everyone accounted for our there?"  *Assuming he gets a yes, Sri will set about seeing how to take the door down, or finding a back way out, then assist Devlin as needed.*


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## Veritas (Mar 26, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Rannick replies into the comlink "We've taken a few hits, but we'll live... and we have prisoners."


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 26, 2005)

*Devlin and Sri:*

The woman, now bound and sitting up in one of the booths, stays unconscious from the multiple stun blasts. Otherwise, the rest of the patrons slowly begins to fix the tables, going back to their drinks and acting as if nothing actually happened. Searching the Rebels, Devlin finds little beyond their weapons. They don't carry any credits on them, but the woman did have a shut off datapad.

Sri can't see any other direct exits beyond the main door, though there is a closed door behind the bar that the bartender retreated into earlier.

*Rannick, Archimedes, and Bruck:*

((Going to just assume the stun bolt hit, so the two Rebels are now both unconscious next to Archimedes.))

With the Rebels either dead or captured, there is finally a silence in the street again. None of the people that disappeared have started walking out just yet, but you can feel eyes watching from small windows and such in the various buildings. As far as you can tell, there aren't anymore Rebels hiding around.


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## Lobo Lurker (Mar 27, 2005)

Archimedes will secure the prisoners (with something out of the utility kit?) and report to Major Rannik. "The prisoners are secure sir. An interrogation might prove fruitful."

After the two rebels are secured he will strip them of all weapons, items, and thier shoes.


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## dead_radish (Mar 27, 2005)

*Sri looks around the bar, still obviously pissed.*  "I want an exit, now.  Where is it?"


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## ImperialMilitary (Mar 27, 2005)

Bruck pitched in here and there during the moving and securing of the rebels and he now stands guard over them. Eyes constantly scanning the streets and shuttered windows. He'd tend to himself when he got a chance, the ugly black blaster burn marring his borrowed white armor.


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## doghead (Mar 29, 2005)

*Devlin, human male Imperial soldier.*

Devlin, hearing that all is secure outside, leaves it to Sri to sort out they will get out of here. In the meantime, he will keep an eye on the rebel woman and the rest of the patrons.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 30, 2005)

*Devlin and Sri:*

At hearing Sri's demand, one of the people who'd set up a table on the other side of the room raised a hand, then pointed over towards the door behind the bar, "I...I...think there's a door in the back..."

*Rannick, Archimedes, and Bruck:*

The Rebels aren't carrying much equipment from what Archimedes can find. Other than their blaster rifles and a few extra power packs, the only thing that doesn't seem to be junk is a datapad on the woman, and from the look of it, its encrypted.


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## dead_radish (Mar 30, 2005)

*Sri nods at the man, and replies curtly*  "Thanks."  *He then heads to the back, rifle still in hand and set to stun, watching for the bar man, and other rebels, or an exit.*


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## Lobo Lurker (Mar 30, 2005)

*Capt. Archimedes Daxxon, Human male, Soldier 3*

Though not expected, Archimedes is fairly skilled at using a computer. He'll spend some time with the datapad, assuming nothing else is going on, trying to decrypt it. (OOC: Assuming there is no chance for failure, I'll take 20; if there is a penalty for failure then he'll simply upload it's contents to the Star Destroyer's databanks and let the techs and heavy computers up there take a shot at it... for something capable of plotting hyperspace coordinants and journeys, this encryption should be nothing).

"All they have is a datapad Major Rannik, sir."


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## Veritas (Apr 1, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

"Can you make anything out from it?" he asks, still sitting on the edge of the speeder. The painkillers from the medpac were helping, but he was far from okay. 

He reached over and flicked on the comm system to signal back to base. He enables encryption on the channel before sending to both the base and the Star Destroyer. "This is Mjr Rannick of the Krayat Dragons. We're currently in Anchorhead and have taken fire from members of the local rebel cell. We have two prisoners confirmed, possibly more, one of which I believe is their leader. I'll advise further when I have more information."


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Apr 4, 2005)

*Devlin and Sri:*

Stepping into the back room, Devlin finds it to be empty and small. Its stocked with crates of all types, some half opened and some crumbling. While there is no one else in there, or any sign of a place to hide, there is a door off to the left that looks to be of similar design(if not a little smaller) to the one at the entrance to the tavern.

*Rannick, Archimedes, and Bruck:*

The encryption on the datapad is too much to be cracked right away, and so the _Conquest_ takes the uploaded information and says that they will report back immediately once they have it decrypted.

Rannick's message is also confirmed, and after a pause, the comm chief asks, _"Do you need any reinforcements? Troops are stretched thing but a squad can be sent down to secure the area is necessary."_


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## dead_radish (Apr 4, 2005)

*Sri glances quickly at the crates, to see if anything resembling smuggled arms or illegal goods are in them, then moves to the door, and stands beside it, rifle at the ready.*  "Care to do the honors, sir?  I'll go through first, in case there's hostiles."


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## doghead (Apr 6, 2005)

*Devlin, human male Imperial 'soldier'*

Devlin confirs quietly with Sri for a moment.

"I don't like the idea of leaving the rebel woman unattended with the rest of them. Do you want to handle this, and I'll keep an eye on our friends in there."

With a tilt of the head he indicates the main area of the tavern.

If Sri agrees, Devil returns to bar area.

"Well, might as well relax and enjoy it while we can. Drinks anyone. On the Moff."

((ooc: on Devlin really, but he will get a reciept.))


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## Veritas (Apr 6, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick*

Rannick pauses to look around, then speaks into the comm again "The area is secure for the time being, but a squad should be sent here to keep it that way once we've moved on. Also, I'm entering in a request for a shuttle to pick the prisoners up once we've interrogated them, so they can be processed.""

Picking up his personal comlink, he speaks into it ""Sri... Devlin... what's your progress? Also, if you have any prisoners, bring them out here. "


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## doghead (Apr 7, 2005)

*Devlin, human male Imperial 'soldier'*



			
				Veritas said:
			
		

> "Sri... Devlin... what's your progress? Also, if you have any prisoners, bring them out here. "




"Devlin here. Sri is in the process of finding a way out of this place as the main entrance seems sealed. We have one rebel prisoner. There is also a number of locals trapped in here with us."

There is a short pause. The tone becomes slightly bemused.

"None of whom seem in any particular hurry to leave."


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## dead_radish (Apr 7, 2005)

*Sri nods, and slaps the door open, swinging up his rifle to cover his exit, and steps out.  Assuming nothing untoward, he circles around to find Rannick.*


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Apr 7, 2005)

*Sri and Devlin:*

The door slides open quickly, revealing a dusty, sunbathed back alley with the building behind the tavern just a could of meters away. There doesn't seem to  be anyone else around, and you can't see any tracks in the sand at you feet...though there is a breeze, so its possible they could be covered.


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## dead_radish (Apr 7, 2005)

*Sri opens his comm.*  "Sir, I'm behind the tavern.  It seems clear - can you send Bruck or Archimedes in from your side to meet me in the middle?"  *Aware that it's possible ther rebels are monitoring his comm, he will then step back in to the doorway, and keep his eyes peeled.*


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## doghead (Apr 8, 2005)

*Devlin, human male Imperial 'soldier'*

((ooc: AMG - Devlin is still in the tavern with the rebel prisoner and the other locals.))

Devlin serves drinks to those who want them, and waits for the rear exit to be secured before informing the other patrons that they are free to leave. Before doing so, he reminds the locals of the Empires interest in the desert. He doesn't promise anything, but indicates that he would do what he can to see any assistance returned in some way.

He monitors the comm and keeps a watch over his prisoner until Rannick tells him to do otherwise.


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## Veritas (Apr 9, 2005)

ooc: 







			
				doghead said:
			
		

> He monitors the comm and keeps a watch over his prisoner until Rannick tells him to do otherwise.



 Actually, he kinda already did. *points to last post*


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## doghead (Apr 9, 2005)

*Devlin, human male Imperial 'soldier'*

indeed he did

When the area is secure, Devlin leads or carries the prisoner out to Rannick.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Apr 11, 2005)

*Devlin and Sri:*

The 'back alley' behind the buildings seemed clear and safe enough. The sun didn't get through the cracks between the two buildings, and so it was a very nice portion of shade...a rarity on a planet with two orbiting stars.

The captured Rebel woman, while conscious, was not struggling or speaking. Instead, she seemed to be taking the position of making it as difficult as possible by doing absolutely nothing and forcing you both to work that much more to get her out to the rest of the group.

*Archimedes, Rannick, and Bruck:*

After the _Conquest_ acknowledges your message, they notify you that it will be a few minutes before a shuttle is sent down. From the looks of their charts, the storm is going to miss both Anchorhead and a good portion of the Dune Sea. Though, of course, the storm could easily change direction quickly, the encrypted data that Archimedes sent up to the orbiting Star Destroyer had been at least partially decoded.

From what the techs could tell so far, it indicated that the Rebels had, indeed, found something not too far off from Anchorhead. The shuttle heading down was supposed to have more information for you.


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## doghead (Apr 11, 2005)

*Devlin, human male Imperial 'soldier'*

"Enough of this. Sri, take my weapon."

Devlin hands it to Sri and turning on the woman, hoists her over his shoulder, arse up, head hanging down his back.

"Now feel free to do nothing as much as you want.

"Sri, I'll lead, you cover us. And keep an eye on Her Ladyship here."


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## Veritas (Apr 14, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Rannick acknowledges the Conquest's signal and pulls himself to his feet. He retrieves his blaster rifle from where it lies and goes to work clearing the jam as he makes his way over to where Archimedes is with the prisoners. "Blasted sand." he grumbles as he arrives. "Bruck, head around the back of the cantina to meet the other two, and bring them out here."

He takes an appraising look at the two rebels after this. "There is a shuttle on its way from orbit to pick you and your fellow insurgents up. You'll be processed, likely tortured for some time by ISB, Imperial Intelligence or both, and then whatever's left of you will be sent to a penal colony... probably Kessel. I hear it's nice there this time of year." he says dryly.

"However... if you tell me what you know now... and I believe you... Perhaps we can work something out."


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## dead_radish (Apr 14, 2005)

*Sri nods, and does as directed*


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Apr 15, 2005)

Sri and Devlin encounter no troubles exiting the alley and soon step out onto the street to see Rannick and the others standing around two captured Rebels.

The woman who had led them simply looks up to Rannick, giving him a sharp look but saying nothing. Her companion also stays quiet...no surprise, really, though. Distantly, you can all hear the sound of a ship coming in, and glancing up, you can see the Sentinel-class landing craft heading down towards the outskirts of Anchorhead.


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## Veritas (Apr 15, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

"Looks like your time is running out." he says to the two. He turns to see Sri and Devlin exit the alley, and he waves Bruck back. He then turns back to the rebels. "Once I hand you off to them, it's out of my hands... but then... you're not going to believe me, are you... I'm just an Imperial stooge. Well, get them on their feet." he says to Bruck and Archimedes.


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## Lobo Lurker (Apr 16, 2005)

Archimedes hauls the rebel woman to her feet, pulling her to his face plate. "Now you will know the tender mercies of the Emperor." He thrusts her at Bruck in disgust.

"Check her bindings and lets get a move on. We'll take them out into the sun... it'll probobly be the last sun they see for a long time, if ever."


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## doghead (Apr 17, 2005)

*Devlin, human male Imperial 'soldier'*

Devlin frowns at Archimedes' display of aggression. Its textbook handling of a prisoner in preparation for interogation. Abuse and intimidate. It softens them up. And gives the interrogator the option of playing the 'friend' role. The only thing is, Devlin doesn't believe the textbook is right. Too often it is used as an excuse for mindless brutality, the end result of which is only to harden the resolve of the enemy.

Devlin deposits his prisoner back on her feet, steading her with a hand if she stumbles. He collects the other prisoner and wordlessly guides then to the nearest shade. He gives them water if they want it, then takes up a postion near by, but out of reach, and waits for whatever is next.


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## dead_radish (Apr 17, 2005)

*Sri gestures Bruck and/or Archimedes over.*  "One of you want to come back in to the cantina with me, do a through check, and make sure there's nothing else going on?"  *He considers for a moment, then looks over at Rannick and Devlin.*  "Assuming that's okay with command, Sir."


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## Veritas (Apr 18, 2005)

_ooc: is the speeder big enough to fit us all in with the prisoners, or would we have to walk them out to the shuttle? Oh, also, I'm going to be heading to Indianapolis for Celebration III on Wednesday, and I'll be back the following Monday, just so you know._


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Apr 20, 2005)

((As there are now three prisoners...there wouldn't be room in the speeder for all of you. Have fun at C3. ))

The Sentinel shuttle's dorsal wing and two main folded wings can still be seen over the smaller buildings of Anchorhead. All three of the prisoners seem to have fallen into attempting to just be simply uncooperative, and though that means you don't get any information out of them, its likely that won't last too long once they're aboard the _Conquest_.

Just as the streets begin to repopulate with people quickly passing by to wherever they were going originally before the firefight started, a squad of stormtroopers marches your direction. They set up a tight perimeter around the area before an olive green uniformed young officer walked down the street to you.

He had the usual look to him of most young officers, a stern face but eyes that obviously had not seen direct combat. It didn't mean they were in any way that he wasn't a capable officer, just that he still had a lot to learn. Stepping over to all of you, he stood and saluted formally, "Lt. Commander Jalis, sirs. We left as soon as your message was recieved. Hand the prisoners over and we shall take them up to the _Conquest_ to be dealt with. Also, we have finished the decyption of the Rebel data you sent to us."

He paused a moment, motioning to one of the stormtroopers nearby who stepped over and handed him a datapad, "The Rebels have found are agent, or at least, they believe they have. We are sure, however, that they have recovered the starfighter, and it has been transported to a nearby Rebel Cell. We have no hard data on where the Cell is located, but there's been rumors for the last few months of a Cell within the Jundland Wastes. Its populated by the local Sand People so we've never been able to get a full check over of the area," he sighed and shrugged, "I wish I had more to give you, but I don't. We've got informants all over this planet but none of them are talking. I'd suggest searching the sourthern section of the Jundland Wastes, as that's nearest to the supposed crash site. We'll be staying down here in Anchorhead for the next few days and setting up a temporary garrison. If you need any supplies or anything, talk to us and not the _Conquest_, they've got their hands full enough as it is."


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## doghead (Apr 20, 2005)

*Devlin, human male Imperial 'soldier'*

Devlin stands and salutes the new arrival as appropriate. But Devlin remains silent unless spoken to. When given the word by Rannick, he gathers up the prisoners and hands them over to Stormtroopers. If they are difficult he quietly remainds them that the other option is asking the Stormtroopers to come over and collect them. Its not a threat, more just a statement of fact. 

When its done, one way or the other, Devlin steps back out of the way.


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## Veritas (Apr 28, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Rannick salutes the Lt. Commander respectfully. "Major Rannick, sir." (ooc: seems army Major and Navy Lt. Cmdr are equal with each other)

"Devlin. Transfer the prisoners to their custody." he says as he takes possession of the datapad from Jalis. "Sand People, hmm? The governor mentioned them. Perhaps we can bargain with them for their help, if we see them at all. The extra water we brought might help with that."

ooc: Given that Rannick's heavily wounded, what would be a reasonable solution to this... I mean, he has vitality left, but one shot may take him down completely now. I figure sending the squad on while he goes for bacta treatment would be the wisest thing, and that barrelling on ahead while he's this wounded wouldn't be very good at all, but then again, it's a fairly important mission. Is there some GM guidance for this issue? heh


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## doghead (Apr 28, 2005)

*Devlin, Imperial 'soldier'*

Devlin does as requested by Rannick (as per last post).

While he waits for his superiors to finish, he ponders the news they have been brought.

_Sand People. That will be interesting. I wonder if the Rebels have an agreement with the Sand People, or whether they keep them away by force of arms._


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## dead_radish (Apr 28, 2005)

*Sri salute Jails as well.*  "These sand people - are they likely to be working for the rebels?  Or could we persuade them to help us?  Are they reasonable people?"  *He looks over Rannick.*  "Sir, are you able to continue?"


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Apr 28, 2005)

The stormtroopers take the prisoners and silently drag them off.

The Lt. Commander simply glances over his shoulder a moment before turning back to the rest of you, "I wouldn't get involved with the Sand People. They're savages, and don't seem to do anything but kill any that aren't their own. They're animals, not sentient beings...but they are viscious and very dangerous, so I wouldn't suggest getting yourselves involved with them."

Hearing Sri's words, Jalis looked over Rannick and then the rest of you, "If you require it, we can provide some medical assistance before you continue on. It is still urgent that you get moving, but you won't do anyone any good if you're dead."


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## Veritas (Apr 28, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Rannick is about to respond to Sri but stops when Jalis mentions medical attention. "If you have a medic, I'd appreciate him taking a look at this wound."


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## doghead (May 1, 2005)

*Devlin, Imperial 'soldier'*

"Sir, given the nature of the Sand People, it would seem unlikely that they rebels have any agreement with the Sand People. But it is also likely that the local Sand People know where the rebel base is. I think it would be prudent to take a long a translation device if they have a language, and one is available."

As he awaits a response, he plays with the grenade in his hand behind his back.

"She loves me," he murmurs under his breath. He thumbs the grenade back to safe. "She loves me not." He thumbs the grenade to active. "She loves me." And back to safe. "She loves me not." Active. "She loves me." Safe. "She loves me not." ...

ooc: Veritas is here, so is dead_radish. Lobo lurker may be still. Is that all the love?


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## dead_radish (May 1, 2005)

*Sri shrugs.*  "Perhaps they can be reasoned with - I'm not getting the impression that these Sand People would be good for much other than wasting a few power packs supressing them.  I'm more inclined to start doing a systematic search of this Jundland Waste, and see what turns up there.  Perhaps we could get a low flying trade freighter, or the like, so as not to rouse attention...."  *He considers for a second.*  "Sir."


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## Veritas (May 1, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

"Devlin has a good point about them... they may actually know where the base is... or they may have seen the rebels towing the fighter there. So, if we find any of these Sand People, we'll use whatever negotiation tactics we can to secure their cooperation. I don't want to waste any more time than we already have here... and trying to hire a freighter captain, or even taking the time to confiscate a ship would be too much. We'll head to the Jundland Wastes and start the search, and if we run into any Sand People, we'll deal with them however is necessary." he says with an edge to his voice.

He looks to the Lt Commander "Do you have a protocol droid on the shuttle?"


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## dead_radish (May 1, 2005)

*Sri nods, and snaps a salute.*  "Yes, sir."  *He then checks all his gear one last time, and moves to stand beside the speeder, ready to move out.*


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## doghead (May 1, 2005)

*Devlin, Imperial 'soldier'*

Devlin is about to add something when he decides otherwise. The protocol droid is a good idea. The rest can wait til later. 

ooc: Sorry, can't remember if Devlin put together a file on the Sand People on the way in. If not, he will make a request for that information as well.


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## Lobo Lurker (May 1, 2005)

Archimedes nods. Not having anything worthwhile to add, he remains silent... something about the new officer just rubs him the wrong way. _...better to be silent and think before speaking up. Rashness can get you killed in the wilderness._

Finally speaking up, he addresses the officer "What kind of weapons do these sand people have? What do they use for transportation? Do you have any of thier settlement locations?"


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 2, 2005)

((Sorry for the delay...been kind of busy and somehow the thread slipped under my radar for a bit.))

As Rannick is escorted to the shuttle to be treated by one of the medics, the Lt. Commander waves his hands slightly, "The Sand People aren't anything more than animals. If you see them, you shoot them before they shoot you. They won't give you any chances, so don't be stupid enough to give them any," he then turns to Archimedes and says simply, "They use anything they can get their hands on. Slugthrowers, blasters, durasteel clubs...anything. Transportation is usually restricted to the local Bantha population, so they aren't fast at all. As for settlements...the only thing we know for sure is that old Fort Tusken to the north is overrun with them. But you won't going out that way, and if you have to... don't."

((Anymore questions, or are we ready to get moving again?))


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## doghead (May 2, 2005)

*Devlin, human Imperial 'soldier'*

Devlin thumbs the grenade back into the safe position and slips it back into the belt attachment.

_Slug throwers. I wonder what they have._

ooc: ready here.


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## dead_radish (May 2, 2005)

*Sri taps his foot impatiently at the speeder, waiting.  An objective has been given, and people are just standing about....*


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## Veritas (May 3, 2005)

(When Rannick is feeling better, I'm ready to go.)


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## doghead (May 3, 2005)

ooc: Here and ready. But friends have dropped in for a couple of days so if I am slow in responding, feel free to ghost Devlin.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 4, 2005)

((We seem to have lost ImperialMilitary...he hasn't been around since 4/11. Anyone care to double up and take over Bruck for the time being?

As for healing. Everyone's vitality is brought up to full(from time it'll take and a little medical treatment for everyone). As for Wound Points:

Rannick, he's up by another 3WP, to put him at max VP and 6WP. Bruck is up another 3 also, so he's up to 6 also. Devlin is healed of 3, and that brings him up to his max of 10(which is wrong in his stats but not on my stuff...edit that in the RG thread)))


After about ten minutes where all of you were treated for simple wounds, or worse depending, you were 'set free' as it were. Gathering back in the speeder, and checking the map again, you started towards the Jundland Wastes.

It was a twenty minute speeder trip. Not because of the distance, but because, the closer you got, the more trecherous the terrain became. From rolling sand dunes to rocky areas mixed in to mostly rock. There were simply parts you just had to go around or risk damaging the speeder. And then, finally, you arrived at what could only be the Jundland Wastes.

The rocks rose up into great canyon walls on either side of a single, winding and jagged path down the center which split off here and there. The rock walls were just as jagged and random, providing thousands of places to hide unseen.

From the looks of it, the speeder would be able to navigate the small pathway that started through the 'real' Wastes, but you would have to go very slow to avoid damaging the vehicle and its repulsorlifts.


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## Lobo Lurker (May 4, 2005)

> From the looks of it, the speeder would be able to navigate the small pathway that started through the 'real' Wastes, but you would have to go very slow to avoid damaging the vehicle and its repulsorlifts.



Archimedes looks around uneasily. "Is this our _only_ travel option sir? This place is perfect for setting an ambush. If _I_ were in charge of a rebel recon unit, I'd place some spotters up here. They'd have a good field of vision while remaining unseen." He glances around. "This canyon just makes me uneasy, is all."


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## dead_radish (May 4, 2005)

*Sri considers.*  "Still, if we're in the speeder, there should be a fair amount of protection.  And if the ship is in there...."


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## Lobo Lurker (May 4, 2005)

"Is there any way we can scan for EMI emitted by machinery and computers? They're all likely sheilded, but its worth a shot."


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## Veritas (May 4, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Rannick was quiet for a moment, letting the two troopers talk amongst themselves as he negotiated the terrain and contemplated things. "I don't think we have much choice given the terrain, but I share your reservations, Archimedes. Man the sensors and see if you can pick up anything, though." he ordered as he continued on.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 7, 2005)

The speeder continues slowly through the path that weaves through the narrow and uneven canyon floor. The sensors still show no sign of anything near, but its hard to tell how reliable they are because of the height of the rock walls and their structure. However, nothing comes into sight or attacks you for a long five minutes of travel.

After that, though, you come to a literal fork in the road. In front of you, the small canyon path splits off as the Jundland Wastes around you become tighter and more trecherous. Instead of simply one direction, there are now...three. Or at least, three that the speeder can manage. There are at least five or so others that could be climed and travelled by foot.

The three large paths all look fairly similar, though. Just one going left, one right, and another simply the continuation of the one you are on. None of them look to be carved out by any tools, and its very likely the speeder wouldn't have room to travel farther down any of them.

On the sensors, though, there is something. It is large, and due north of you, which is somewhere between the center path and the left one. If its one large object, or many smaller ones together, however, you cannot tell at this point.


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## doghead (May 8, 2005)

*Devlin, Imperial 'soldier'*

Devlin remains in his seat as the others discuss the options. He gets that distinct 'something bad is going to happen feeling' creeping up the back of his neck.

He jumps to his feet and takes a rifle from the rack* and goes through the readiness check that Archimedies showed him. Satisfied that the rifle is indeed ready, he props it between his knees and waits. 

ooc: assuming that there is a spare one in the rack. Hey AMG, is the speeder open topped like a multi passenger version of Luke Skywalker's, or enclosed like a Bradley APC? Is there a turret? With a *b i g* gun? Did we get a protocol droid or something that speaks Sand People?


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 8, 2005)

((The speeder has no external weapons and isn't exactly very spacious, either. No protocol droid for speaking with Sand People as their language makes no sense and they never stop to talk anyway. There isn't actually a weapons rack in the speeder, but there's at least a few spare weapons from the supplies you were given. Here's an image of the speeder.))


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## dead_radish (May 8, 2005)

*Sri nods approvingly at Devlin, and does like wise, checking all his assorted weaponry.*  "This seems like my kind of situation, sir.  If you want, I can break off from the group a bit before we encounter that object, and provide some long-range sniper support."


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## Veritas (May 9, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

"Well, by the looks of it, we may not be able to travel much farther down these paths with the speeder anyways, and I'd rather not completely box us in." He pulls the speeder around and parks it near the canyon wall, pointing it back towards the way they came. He then shuts down the engine.

"Sri, find some high ground and act as sniper cover as we proceed. Devlin... go with him. Stay in contact with us, and stay out of sight. Bruck... Archimedes, you're with me. Let's head out and find out what's to the north of us."

He grabs his rifle, making sure that he cleared out the jam from the fight, and then pops the door open and climbs out.


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## doghead (May 9, 2005)

*Devlin, Imperial 'soldier'*

Devlin snaps a salute, and with a nod to Sri, heads for the door. At the door he waits for Sri to join him. 

"We should take find high ground between the central and left canyon. That will allow us to cover whichever is needed.

"Mjr. Are you planning to take the center canyon, or the left one?"

Once the various routes have been agreed on, he heads out, rifle up and eyes and ears open. If the Troopers wish to exit first, Devlin steps aside and lets them. 

"The first thing we need is a way up and out of here," he says to Sri, scanning the walls of the canyon as they speak.

ooc: possibly useful crunchy bits.
* Knowlege (tactics) +6 * Rifle -4 (3d8, 30m) * Pistol +0 (3d6, 10m).


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## dead_radish (May 9, 2005)

"Shouldn't be too bad - there's got to be some paths up the cliff.  Hopefully we won't find one that's in use...."  *Sri heads up with Devlin, looking for good spots to use for cover and hiding - preferably ones that are fairly secure on their own, as well.*

 OOC Crunch: Hide +8, Spot +4, Rifle +6, 74m range increments.  He'll take up to 2 increments if he has to, but would prefer to be w/i 74m at all times.


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## Veritas (May 9, 2005)

ooc: Not that it might matter in this kind of terrain, but does Rannick see a path that goes more or less straight to the north?


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## ImperialMilitary (May 11, 2005)

((OOC: I haven't dropped off the face of the earth entirely, just most of the way. I posted a full explanation for my absence on the OOC thread. Figured that's were it belongs. I would like to resume playing Bruck. But I understand if it's too little too late.))


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## Lobo Lurker (May 11, 2005)

"Affirmative sir." Archimedes flicks off the safety of his rifle and follows the major up the trail; keeping his eyes peeled for any danger. _This is *not* a safe situation._


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## ImperialMilitary (May 11, 2005)

(( *Posts as he falls past from his plank walk* ))

Bruck also switched his safety off and followed the Major, uncomfortably eying their surroundings. _Well, guess its do or die time. By the Emperor let it be the do part._


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 12, 2005)

Getting your bearings, there does seem to be a small 'path' that goes at least mostly north. Its got enough room for you two walk two by two tightly through at the 'entrance', but it looks like it might spread out somewhat a little ways down.

Though there are many good spots to provide cover for the group from above, Sri and Devlin quickly notice that its going to take work to get to any of them. The canyon walls are a good ten meters up at the lower points, and though there are outcroppings and other sections that could be used in the same way, it would still require climbing the steep walls.


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## Veritas (May 13, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Keeping his rifle at the ready, Rannick leads the two troopers to the north. He remains prepared for a fight at any time.


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## doghead (May 13, 2005)

*Devlin, Imperial 'soldier'*

"Well, we had better hustle then if we are going to stay up with the Major."

Devlin heads towards the most promising section of the canyon wall for an assent. He slings his rifle across his back as he goes.

ooc: Climb +2.


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## ImperialMilitary (May 13, 2005)

*Bruck, Stormtrooper*

Bruck follows Rannick along the path. His body was tense and he swore he could feel someone's eyes burning a whole in the back of his armor.


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## Lobo Lurker (May 13, 2005)

"Do we have any specific goals in mind Major? Or are we just walking..." the tall stormtrooper looks around uneasily. "I'm not afraid to die in service to the Emperor but if I were running a rebel outpost in the area, I know I'd have spotted us by now."

"Unfortunately, I have no suggestions."


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## dead_radish (May 13, 2005)

*Sri sighs.*  "It certainly does.  Not what I was looking forward too."  *He'll scan the lip of the canyon, looking for something he might anchor a grappling line to to ease the climb.*


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## Veritas (May 14, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

Rannick continued to scan around as he responded "I try not to make a habit of underestimating our enemies, Archimedes, but these rebels don't have our training... as our fight back in town proved. Besides, we'd have been spotted even sooner in the speeder, and I didn't think we'd get much further in it along here anyways." 

"Regardless, we're going up here to scout out what the object to the north is. If it's nothing, we'll head back and continue on, but I'm guessing it's not going to be nothing."


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## doghead (May 14, 2005)

*Devlin, Imperial 'soldier'*

"The canyons give us concealment, the high ground gives us visibility. A rock and a hard place."

Devlin tugs his poncho into place, making sure it covers his equipment.

"So shall we do this Sri?"

ooc: I'm assuming that we know better than to have blundered into their perimeter. But can you give us an idea of the likely security and defenses? 
* Knowledge (tactics) +6, Profession (Military Officer) +3


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## dead_radish (May 14, 2005)

"Ready and willing.  Up the wall we go, eh?"


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 16, 2005)

((Possible defenses could be anything from snipers and spotters to holocams, etc...however, you've seen nothing at this point.))

Climbing up, Devlin finds a good spot with a wide view of the canyon path only a few meters up. The ledge isn't all the way up, but its protected while still giving a very good sight of the area. From the looks of it this small path in the canyon goes on straight ahead for a good distance, though it winds slightly here and there, you still have a very good view of the area. As far as you can tell...there doesn't seem to be anything there, though you do notice that from this height, the ground looks oddly well crafted into a nice, almost even path.

Sri, however, has trouble getting up. He manages to get about a meter up before he has trouble finding footholds, and slips down back to the rocky ground below. Thankfully, he lands on his feet and not on his backside.

The others on the ground move forward, finding that, while the path in the canyon seems to go on in a back and forth, winding way, there is actually an almost flat portion of lightly coloured sand at your feet that goes straight through. Whether this has been created by sentient beings, animals, or just plain coincidence, the fact still stands that it looks and feels like a dirt road of sorts. Still, though, you see nothing...but according to the sensor readings now on your datapad, the source is still there, and could just be out of sight.


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## Veritas (May 18, 2005)

*Mrj Rannick*

Rannick continues to lead them forwards, but rather than walking on the "dirt road", he will keep them closer to the canyon walls, taking a winding path, as the canyon wall winds. If there is a side that offers more shadows, he will take that side.


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## dead_radish (May 18, 2005)

*Sri curses, and moves somewhat down the path, following beneath Devlin, and looking for better routes up.*  "I'm not built for canyon work...."


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## doghead (May 18, 2005)

*Devlin, Imperial 'soldier'*

Devlin grunts in surprise as Sri slips back down the slope. He thought that it would be him on his ass in the dust. He does a scan of the area to ensure that there is no one around, then turns back around to assist Sri.

Once Sri is up, Devlin pulls his monoculars from his belt and does a more careful check of the area. This time he takes particular care to check possible site points along the way for sentry devices and other military installations.

ooc: Spot -1. Aid another if possible. Knowledge (tactics) +6.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 21, 2005)

A few meters down, Devlin finally managed to help Sri up to an outcropping in the canyon wall. There was at least some room to walk back and forth and follow the others, but it eventually cut off and you'd have to climb up to nearly the top of the canyon, itself.

As Devlin and Sri finally situated themselves, they caught sight of the same thing that Rannick and those on the ground did. A good distance down the canyon 'path', it looks to run to either a dead end, or a turn of sorts. You can't tell from this distance. However, you can see colours that are definitely not rock.

Strong greys and silvers line the wall close to the ground. From the looks of it, its a bunker of some sort. And the datapad points towards the lifesigns being that direction.


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## dead_radish (May 21, 2005)

*Sri considers the bunker.*  "So, I'm going to guess that we might consider that a possible target?"  *As he talks, he flips open the silver case he carries, and quickly assembles a rifle clearly designed to put holes in people from far away.*


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## doghead (May 22, 2005)

*Devlin, male human Imperial 'soldier'*

Devlin considers the bunker through his glasses for a moment longer, then pulls back behind cover.

"Mjr. We have some form of structure up ahead. Probably a bunker of sorts. Can you see it?"

ooc: DR: So Sri has two rifles?


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## Veritas (May 23, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick*

_ooc: I'm assuming that the canyon walls are restricting our view..._

Edit: whoops, edited... see below...


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## dead_radish (May 24, 2005)

OOC: He does indeed.  He has his general purpose Longblaster for all purpose killin' and blastin', and then he has a Sorosuub modified Sniper Rifle for long range engagement which is kept in a briefcase.

*Sri lays himself prone, propping up the rifle to give himself clear aim and a stable firing position, and looks through the sight, trying to spot defenses, people, or anything of interest.  As he does so, he concentrates on his training, finding the focus of an empty mind, where his aim and his action are one.*

OOC: Sniper Rifle has a laser sight, 74 meter range increment.  And post 500!
AMG: [sblock]Activating Enhance Ability, taking 10, for Dex[/sblock]


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 24, 2005)

Veritas said:
			
		

> *Mjr Rannick*_ooc: I'm assuming that the canyon walls are restricting our view..._




((Actually, no, you on the ground can still see it. The ground itself is fairly flat, and the 'bunker' is near the ground. Not too hard to see.))


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## Veritas (May 25, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, Compforce*

_ooc: oops, ok. It sounded like there were high canyon walls on either side of us, and that's where Devlin and Sri were... my bad._

"Affirmative, Devlin. Can you see any activity or movement from your vantage point?"


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## doghead (May 25, 2005)

*Devlin, Imperial 'soldier'*

Devlin gives the area on more scan with the monoculars before turning to Sri.

"Anything?"

Devlin passes on what they have to the Major. He aslo asks if it may not be better to find another way in, given that this canyon looks like a reasonably well prepared path.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 28, 2005)

Sri:[sblock]You can see through what looks to be a small, glasteel viewport slit across the center of the bunker. As far as you can tell, there are no security devices or weapon emplacements on the exterior, and you can't even see any kind of entrance in the immediate area.

However, you can see a hint of movement inside, though the glasteel panel prevents seeing any detail at all.[/sblock]

Devlin:[sblock]The canyon wall is as boring as the one where you stand on. The only point of interest you can find is the bunker.

You can see what looks to be a small, glasteel viewport slit across the center of the bunker. As far as you can tell, there are no security devices or weapon emplacements on the exterior, and you can't even see any kind of entrance in the immediate area.[/sblock]


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## dead_radish (May 28, 2005)

*Sri focuses through the scope, scanning slowly over the bunker.*  "Looks like a viewport, plasteel.  Too fuzzy to really see through.  No security or weapons visible.  Hell, no entrances.  Wait, wait....  Movement inside, but I can't make it out - something's in there, though."


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## doghead (May 30, 2005)

*Devlin, male human Imperial 'soldier'*

Devlin scans the canyon one last time. He is unable to see any movement, but he confirms everything else Sri reports.

Devlin switches his attention to the surrounding area, looking for any alternative approaches to the bunker appart from straight up the canyon.


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## Lobo Lurker (Jun 1, 2005)

Archimedes scans the immediate area around the bunker for likely ambush points that pose a danger to he and his group (Knowledge: Tactics).

"Shall we approach it sir?"


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## Veritas (Jun 3, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

_Hmm... No entrances..._ he thinks...

Rannick nods to Archimedes "We should scout it out to see if there's an entrance on the far side of the bunker. We may be approaching it from the rear." he looks around at the terrain. "I'm curious if there might be any other ways in though... caves or the like."


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## doghead (Jun 3, 2005)

*Devlin, male human Imperial 'soldier'*

Scouting is not really Devlin's strong point, so he assumes that Rannick doesn't intend for him to go. Nor is holding the high ground with a rifle either, come to think of it. Marching up to the front and talking his way in is more Devlin's thing. But given that they are probably rebels, the odds of charming them into extending an invitation are slight, and given the thick slab of plassteel, the odds of Intimidating them into doing so are similarly drepressing.

Devlin holds position and considers the options.

"A sweep of the area could be useful. It it shows nothing, then perhaps put two men in covering positions and move up and see what we have, sir."

ooc: of course, this is SW. Fortified bases don't have defensive parimeters and guards. You just walk up and rap politely on the door. At which point a little sentry unit will pop out of the door and interview you.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jun 4, 2005)

((So you want to scout the area? Which way do you want to head first? The canyon ends up going both left and right at where the wall ends and the bunker emplacement can be seen.))


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## Veritas (Jun 5, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

"Devlin, Sri? Spot for us. Watch for activity inside and out as we proceed."

With that, he'll lead Bruck and Archimedes to the left.

((ooc: could I trouble our benevolent GM for a map? ))


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## dead_radish (Jun 5, 2005)

*Sri nods to himself.*  "Roger, Major.  I've got you covered."  *He continues to scan the bunker through his scope.*


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jun 22, 2005)

((Map attached. Dark spot is the bunker. Also marked where Sri and Devlin are currently hanging out for reference...the lighter marking down the center is the 'path' and everything else labelled are the larger rocks.))

Heading carefully along the rocks and to the left, you find that the canyon path has ended, but that the canyon itself moves on for another thirty odd meters before cutting north again. Looking back the other direction, you can't see an end to the canyon wall there.

But you also spot something else. Near the upper corner of the turn in the rocks and only partially visible to you because of the rock outcroppings around it, you can see something that is definitely metal extending outwards. Whether its a turret, a security camera, or something else, you can't tell from this distance.


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## Veritas (Jun 29, 2005)

*Mjr Rannick, CompForce*

((ooc: just to get a straight picture in my mind, I assume this "metal extending outwards" is on the corner at the far left, on the same wall as the viewport... in the extreme upper left-hand corner of your drawing? As opposed to the bottom left corner of that part of the canyon, that is...))

"Bruck, Archimedes, do you have a good view of that placement, whatever it is?"


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## doghead (Jun 29, 2005)

*Lt Devlin, Imperial 'soldier'*

ooc: Are Devlin and Sri able to cross the top (in a north easterly direction) to the eastern arm of the canyon?


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