Memories and Musings

[Kendall Ginn]

Kendall's drink swished and spilled slightly at the slap on the back, Kendall glared a bit at the back of the man for a moment. He didn't seem like the open and friendly type a moment ago, clearly as defensive toward the suit as Kendall was. Meaning he was either confused or putting on a face for the people present, Kendall will have to watch for that. But he looks back to the main event. It was strange that Kendall was kept inside for this, as the rest of the patrons were ushered out. He'd guess that its due to his, well, being a Weequay. Kendall's species is fairly well known to be agreeable towards jobs in the not so legal domain. Kendall, however was never very familiar with his cultural background, growing up around all kinds of different species in Chandaar, Kendall never learned his native language, and is as unfamiliar toward his culture as anyone else here. Admittedly, he thought, he is open to dangerous and unlawful jobs, may as well play the cards you're dealt.

 

[Dr. Cage Freeland III]

[SIZE=12pt]Cage had never been good at identifying other people’s anxiousness, if he had been, he would have sensed, like a normal person, the unease coming from most of the others. At least realizing that this was the kind of situation that would seem to make others uneasy, he said, “relax” as he walked over to the bar – as if that would make anything better.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Normally he wouldn’t think of creating a team this way, but this wasn’t normally, and he knew time was of the essence. So, hopefully this ragtag group of cantina patrons would be good enough. He admitted that things were more exciting this way, so there was that. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Standing behind the bar, Cage pulls a holocube from his suit jacket and places it on the bar. From the other side of the suit, he pulls a data-chip and inserts it. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“This is what I’ve been able to unencrypt myself. It’s a video recording from a vessel of rather some interest. As you will see…” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Cage plays the recording and a holographic image appears above the cube in blueish light.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]It reveals a significant portion of the front end of a star ship transport, as if the camera were placed far back along the stern. The camera angle reveals the identifier COC-5673 written in black lettering along the top. A blueish-white planet looms on the left side. Grey skinned and completely average in design the transport unexpectedly and acutely shifts its path, aiming its self towards the planet. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]It hugs close to one of the planet’s three moons. A single log summary appears for a moment as it nears the planet; the log of an unknown message to an un-seen nearby ship was sent. But the contents of that log are encrypted. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]When the transport emerges from the moon’s wake and out of its shadow the left side is again open to the reaches of space, a black warship comes into view like a predatory fish, also moving from behind the pockmarked moon but from the opposite side. The cruiser accelerates and soon easily matches the speed of the transport, moving into position alongside the ship but not firing; almost as if it were escorting the transport safely to the planet's surface. The transport makes no moves to escape, no fleeting evasive maneuvers, as if caught within the grip of a tractor beam that it was not. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The blue and white sphere grows larger. The planet's gravity now has a firm hold of the ship, almost as if sensing this very fact, the cruiser suddenly and violently opens fire. Powerful red bolts lance from the turbo laser batteries along its broadside, the bolts contact precisely on target, the transport's three large drive engines are instantly disabled and the transport itself begins to plummet towards the surface. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The video goes fuzzy.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The next visible image is of an endless frozen tundra. Drifts and flecks of snow already beginning the process of claiming the planet’s new prize and dragging it beneath its endless white ocean. A herd of undiscernible, confused, and frightened creatures timidly look on in the periphery of the camera, before fleeing, with barely audible squawks against the roaring wind. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]When the video finishes, Cage says, “That transport left Corellia for Nar Shadaa a week ago, it went dark two days after and its movements were erased from the archives. It was an average transport carrying people, food, basic technologies, and credits. That’s not important, though, what is important is that one of my retainers, for my medical services, a wealthy man in the Corellian government, was on that ship, and he may still be alive.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]It was of course also clear there was more to that transport than just carrying a retainer, based on the video, but Cage was too focused on the thrill, and danger, of trying to save the man's life. If he was still alive, that is. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“What I need from you three, is to get me to that ship and get me back. You” he said pointing to Eladia, “Can you unencrypt this data chip and find out the coordinates of that ship? And you”, he pointed to Keanu, “From your jewelry, I take it you’re a pilot with combat experience, can you get us to that ship and back? And you”, he pointed to Kendall, “Do you know how to point a blaster and shoot? If so, can you help keep us alive?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“This isn’t going to be a nice moonlit walk in the countryside, so if any of you don’t feel that you can fulfill your duties, say so now. But for those who can, you can keep anything you find on that transport, and, I am prepared to pay each of you 100,000 credits for your efforts – after the successful completion of this job.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt][member="Eladia Alken"] [member="Kendall Ginn"] [member="Keanu Shan"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt](OOC: Should we make this thread private if the characters agree to the mission?) [/SIZE]

 

[Keanu Shan]

OOC: (I'm assuming you meant Keanu when you were talking about piloting).

IC:
"50 grand now and 50 grand later and you've got yourself a pilot, fill up the tank on my freighter and you've got yourself a ship". Keanu's mind started turning, reverting to his old combat training, filing and categorizing for threat assessment. "Got a few questions first, the ship in the vid, the cruiser, any ideas about affiliation? Knowing who they are would go a long way towards knowing what we're diving into. Also we will need to find out what type of ship and its capabilities (I'll work that angle). Who, what and where of the attack; we're gonna need to fill the blanks on as many as possible of these. The Who? We don't know right now. The What? Was it simple piracy? Was the cruiser a military vessel and the transport stepped into the wrong area, or were they there to stop something or someone from reaching the destination? For instance, in what capacity was your friend traveling and do you have any reason to believe he was being targeted (after all, you did say he was a government official). Moving on...... The Where, hopefully Eladia can help us with this one, if not we can brute force calculate using the nav computer and maybe a time stamp from the holo to find possible locations along the route based on the ship's hyperdrive speed. Doctor maybe you could lend Kendall here some money to select some cold weather gear and whatever survival gear and weapons we might need while you and I research threats and possible motives. Eladia can try to crack that transmission. In any case it looks uncomfortable on that planet so time is going to be crucial". A pause for breath "any ideas?" Keanu remembered why his old fighter call sign had been "Chatter" when he got started talking he kept going. Keanu just called it brainstorming.

[member="Eladia Alken"], [member="Dr. Cage Freeland III"], [member="Kendall Ginn"]

 

[Kendall Ginn]

Kendall chuckles near the end of Keanu's spiel. "Enthusiastic pilot man?" He'd ask for their names later as the suit referred to each of them as 'you'. While he didn't like being concurrently picked out as errand boy it was clear he had the least evident skill in the group and so he'd accept the part. "Good to have that, I'd agree with this one" Gesturing to Keanu, "we want some good preparation to make this a quick snatch. I like the idea of the winter gear, I do better with the heat than the cold. In addition i say we get a ground plan of the ship, that way when we find it we're in and out, hopefully with your pally in tow. I'm good to go shopping if that is what is needed for now. And yes, i'm good at pointing, and shooting is a bit of a hobby for me. in other words, im in."

[member="Keanu Shan"],[member="Dr. Cage Freeland III"],Eladia Alken

 

[Eladia Alken]

Eladia smiled as she looked around to her new associates. "I am in to." She took the data chip from the doctor and inspected it. Eladia had seen data chips similar to this one in the past, but this one was more advanced. It didn't intimidate her though, she enjoyed a challenge, and this mission was certainly a challenge.

She pulled a pair of strange looking spectacles from her satchel that magnified the data chip and continued to examine the it as the others spoke. Keanu started listing tasks and Eladia noted which ones she was assigned to. It was a miracle the four of them stumbled upon each other, they all seemed to work together like a well oiled machine. She was confident that this mission would prove to be a successful one, maybe things were starting to look up for Eladia.

[member="Kendall Ginn"] [member="Keanu Shan"] [member="Dr. Cage Freeland III"]

 

[Dr. Cage Freeland III]

Frak, Cage thought, he knew at least one of them would try to bargain for a 50/50 payment split. It was, after all, the smarter thing to do. No matter, he didn’t have time to haggle all day, and the money wasn’t a pressing concern so he responded to the pilot, “Fine 50/50. You’ll all get your money once we’re in space. I’ll pay to fuel the ship, for supplies, and for any critical maintenance the ship needs that can be completed ASAP,” he looked at the rough pilot, “I don’t want whatever hunk of junk you happen to be flying around in falling apart before we even get to the planet.”

“As for all your fine questions, some of which I can answer and some I can’t, we’ll have a meeting in the ship to discuss and find out as much as we can before we get there. I don’t want to walk in blind either, though, it does make it more exciting.”

Cage watched as the woman took the data chip and began to inspect it with odd spectacles. Well, they might have all been a bunch of low-born nobodies, but at least they all seemed focused on doing their jobs, he thought. He made a mental note to find out their names at the ship.

Addressing the weequay, he said, “You’re in charge of supplies: food, water, special clothing, gear, and any military grade weaponry you deem necessary.” This seemed to him to be a suitable task for the weequay, his species tended to be… resilient people, who also tended to be bounty hunters and pirates. And if he was telling the truth about his little hobby, Cage thought, he expected he had enough experience to go shopping for the right supplies.

Cage pulled out a bank card from his vest and slid it across the bar to the weequay, “Use this. Don’t worry about how much you spend, as long as it’s for the mission, and in case you are stupid enough, don’t try taking off with it, because I will put a bounty on your head so large people will think it’s a small moon,” Cage flashed a smile, “and of course, I’ll come after you myself.”

“Pilot, let’s go, show the girl and me to your ship, and let the weequay know where to find us. I’ll have my medical supplies transferred from my yacht once we get there.” He moved out from around the bar and started heading for the door.

[member="Keanu Shan"] [member="Kendall Ginn"] [member="Eladia Alken"]

 

[Kendall Ginn]

Kendall rested his hand on the card and locked eyes with the doctor until he finished his threat. He grins as he finishes. "Doing the job sounds like more fun than being wanted, suit. I'll be going shopping then, i know some places around here. Where will I meet you all then? He slowly walks for the door and would leave as Keanu gave the directions.