Ask Handle With Care

[The Storyteller]

[fancybox2]

Spoiler: Mood Music? OOC

Unknown Location
Space

The galaxy holds many secrets, some are good and others are bad – but each person took a secret with them and views a secret as one or other, what is good to one isn’t necessary good for all.

The Rangers were busy across the galaxy, on planets or in space patrolling it was part of their job to root out secrets, but not in the way a Jedi or Sith would look for a secret, no instead they look for what lies beneath and happens everyday around someone. They look into the secrets of the darker side of a sentient being and the secrets a sentient hold are far more complicated and deeper than one actually realizes. They look for the secrets on the surface – is that bartender you met actually interested in your day? Is that cantina exactly that, a cantina? Are the people on the corner laughing and joking old time friends? These secrets are so mundane that they escape everyone’s attention unless you’re a ranger and trained as such.

The mundane secrets are the hardest to crack, despite what a Jedi or Sith say. The entire galaxy forgets the secret world that is the criminal networks, the criminal mind. Those secrets don’t just grip a planet’s surface, they extend beyond the stars.

A lone freighter flies beyond the asteroids, dipping, bobbing and weaving to avoid detection using the natural obstructions of the galaxy to mask and maintain their own secrets, a secret about to be discovered and dealt with accordingly very soon.

“Attention Sector Rangers near grids M-7 and N-7. Sector Rangers are engaged in an active investigation on Taanab and Onderon. Information has been discovered requiring your attention. Be on the look out for a freighter near your coordinates, intercept it and seize the ship, its crew and its cargo. Be advised, cargo is live cargo.” The formal voice speaks through the communication systems, a signature linked to Sector Ranger Headquarters.

“Be advised, crew is suspected to be hostile. Engage with caution. Please transmit confirmation of receipt of this communication. HQ standing by.”

Although the communication was not geared to anyone specific, but their records indicated that Ranger Corran Velt and Kaz Tran were closest, although they were not alone, a soon-to-be Ranger named Rylee Asuchi accompanied them.

Details were limited but they did know they’d be in for quite the chase off the registered trade lanes…

[/fancybox2]

@Sreeya @Bex @TerranSteel

Spoiler: OOC Thread Information

The canvas is blank. Bring the paint and have some fun. There is no predetermined outcome, anything can happen and I'm excited to see it evolve.

There will be no further interjections from me and this shall be my only Storyteller post!
Have fun!
-Zigara-

 

[Corran Velt]

Training was often devalued as unnecessary or a waste of time by many within the mid-ranks of the Sector Rangers. Many enlistees into the organization had years of experience in similar or more hazardous fields. Lieutenant Velt believed training was like a whetstone to a vibroblade. Dulled edges could be honed to back efficiency. Lethargy just wouldn't do when missions could be decided on such slim margins with fatal consequences. That's why he had brought some rookies all the way out into essentially empty space. Out here, they could make mistakes or try inventive maneuvers without causing havoc for orbital traffic. Nothing but floating rocks and the silent vacuum of space.

To act as their central hub for these particular exercises, Corran had rented a YT-2400 Light Freighter. They were rugged ships, spacious, and had crew quarters for a group twice their size. His own Crimson Venture would have been just as good (and free) but no way in hell was going to risk all his belongings and mobile dwelling for drills. The lieutenant sat in the pilot's chair and looked noticeably at ease. Well, about as 'at ease' as the professional and rigid Ranger got. His harness was secured and posture upright. By this point in his life, there wasn't a light freighter he didn't feel comfortable flying. And this one gliding through the void in his hands.

A comm dispatch interrupted the practically meditative dance through the debris field. Corran dented his eyebrows and leaned over to turn up the volume to hear the full details. A smuggler's transport passing through their present sector. Hauling live cargo. Did that mean slaves? Ruled out shooting the ship down, at least. A hostile crew was a given in most cases. All told, the details were sparser than the Dune Sea was of life. Duty called.

Lieutenant Velt pulled a headset on and pressed a button on the nearby comm-suite, "Confirmed, Headquarters. Lt. Corran Velt and Rangers Asuchi and Tran will investigate. Over and out." They were locked in now. A few clicks on a knob apart of the same console changed the frequency to just the local secured comm-connection. Corran cleared his throat, using a stoic but authoritative voice, "Rangers, we have received orders to locate a transport in our vicinity. Smuggling live cargo. Equip for boarding action. If we find them, we'll be getting up close and personnel."

Sky-blue eyes scanned through the transparisteel glass. Visual searching only got so far, but often proved critical among asteroid fields like this. Sensor sweeps could ping off ghost signals or be blocked by thick rock. Still - it'd help if someone took care of the technical sensor array while he was piloting the ship. As many eyes as possible, organic and artificial, would be critical in finding their quarry and its illegal cargo.

@Bex @Sreeya

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

On hearing the intercom message from Lieutenant Velt, Rylee walked into the cockpit of the YT-2400 Light Freighter and sat down in the co-pilot's chair. For the former Pantoran military pilot it was highly irregular for her not to be at the helm of the ship, especially since it was her main skill and had a passion for flying that went beyond her work. The newly recruited Sector Ranger donned her new outfit for working in the field; a form-fitting jumpsuit, equipment belt and knee-high boots over the top of which she wore a light brown jacket. The new Ranger had not needed to be asked to equip for a boarding situation. Being ex-military she had tooled up for their travel before they had even set off. Rylee had her K-16 Bryar pistol strapped to her leg and on parking herself in the co-pilot's seat had seated her A280C blaster rifle on the floor next to her.

"So is this how it works in the Rangers?" she asked, "Only the ones with the fancy titles get to fly? Or is it because you're prejudice against women drivers? C'mon out with it Velt - oops - I mean, Lieutenant Velt, sir~"

The Pantoran gave him a quick glance and a smirk. Her tone had been insincere and was clearly joking. She had also intentionally not addressed him by his proper title or with appropriate formality to see if it got a rise out of him. Corran and Rylee had met a few times before she had become a Sector Ranger and by now she considered the man a friend. It was in fact, the blonde haired human that had recruited her to the organisation start with. They had met on one of her old military patrols. Evidently the lieutenant had seen something he believed the former-Squadron Leader could bring to the Rangers as he had subsequently invited her to Outpost Blue and extended an offer to her during the visit. Rylee had chosen to take time over her decision, not wanting to throw away the life she knew and the ties with her close-knit squadron on a whim, but eventually had been swayed.

She had told Lt. Velt of her intention to enlist following a mission in the Velcar sector during which she acted as armed protection for the Ranger as he investigated trade ships that had been raided by what, at the time they thought were pirates. Rylee, with the help of brave Petty Officer Oro, had essentially saved his life that day but never given him the complete picture of exactly why she had chosen to join the Rangers. As always with Rylee, her intentions were truly good, but there were some things that perhaps were best left alone. A task such as this; boarding and halting the transport of cargo, was one she was very familiar with but the extent to which Corran and any of the Rangers that conducted her background check were aware, Rylee did not know.

Turning her attention to the technical sensor array, Rylee's golden eyes monitored the screen trying to keep an eye out for any freighters. As she did so, the Pantoran raised her voice and called into the back of the ship, "Hey Kaz - you finished getting ready back there?"

@Sreeya @TerranSteel

 

[Kaz Tran]

Kaz had never felt so out of place. He was a newbie that still had a newbie Ranger roommate. He ate ramen at least twice a day and he most certainly didn’t have his priorities in order. Ever since embarrassing himself in front of Lt. Velt that one time, he was determined to turn things around.

Being low on the totem pole meant he didn’t have a say in which assignment he received. As a result, he was suddenly put on a mission with the man himself, along with another newbie Ranger. While the idea that there was another newb initially comforted him, it was clear the two had a camaraderie about them from working together before. This meant that Kaz was once again the odd, scrubby new guy in the group.

He kept mostly to himself, triple checking that he had everything. The mission brief wasn’t as thorough as he liked - there wasn’t information on the type of cargo or the type of smugglers. This could either be simple or absolutely awful.

Kaz looked up when Asuchi called out to him, grimacing a little, “Uhhh yeah..almost…” Truth was that for all his checking everything, for the life of him, he couldn’t find his blaster. Panic began to silently set in as he frantically looked around for it. He had no intention of going into this armed only with a Ranger baton...

@Bex @TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Some habits just wouldn't be broken it seemed. Upon entering the cockpit, Rylee unleashed one of her signature slurry of jests. Her former military squadron was no different. It got dished out both ways. She just wanted to get a rise out of the usually reserved lieutenant. This one nearly got him. Corran's eyes rose upward in a weak eyeroll as he fluttered his eyelids closed to contain the obvious display of repression. Blue eyes opened with a small glint of mischief of their own. "Nothing like that. I don't recall you having years of experience flying a bulky light freighter, Ranger Asuchi," He said calmly, keeping his eyes forward. Rylee would recognize that compared to the starfighter he flew alongside her previously, the blond Ranger was quite adept at maneuvering this larger craft through the asteroid field. Almost like an extension of himself. "Do you even have your D-37 license?" That one was a test. If the Pantoran had been reading her assigned law and jurisdiction homework, she would know what that was.

Lieutenant Velt glanced over at Rylee to hopefully catch a satisfying glimpse of her reaction but instead caught eye of the blaster on her thigh. His gaze darted between the weapon and her face. "Does that sidearm have a stun setting? You're on probation after your last stunt." She wasn't technically. They had been pretty lucky when she used lethal fire with hostages in the way and none of them died. But the former soldier needed to learn that capture was preferable over kill if it could be helped.

Turning back to looking out into the brown and black void of space, Corran shifted the craft at a slight angle to avoid brushing their underbelly against a particularly large rock. The cockpit shifted downward and to the right. It was this slightly different view of the massive debris field that the lieutenant noticed something that stuck out among the color palette of space. Grey. He blinked a few times in disbelief. "No way..." Sometimes the needle in the haystack found you. 45 degrees down and forward of their own freighter was another one. Considering that there were no other ships in the area, this was likely their target. What incredible luck.

"They haven't spotted us," Corran declared, "See their engines? Practically coasting." Years of serving on the trade lanes had given the him keen insight on all things bulk transports. Lieutenant Velt looked over his shoulder down the hallway that led away from the cockpit. "Ranger Tran, you're going to want to see this." The new recruits were going to learn something today. Once all were present, Corran's gloved hand would gesture through the transparisteel glass to visually display their plan of attack. "The asteroids are likely blocking their sensors or else they would be boosting out of here at max speed. We'll approach using the asteroid shadows to remain undetected." His finger glided from one rock to the next in a clear path of descent. "Once we're on top of 'em, we'll engage the maglocks and wham!" Corran clenched his fist instantly. "We board and take down the suspects."

The lieutenant would glance at both the other rangers to see any confusion on their faces or take any questions. Then they would start the operation.

@Bex @Sreeya

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

"I think you'll find that I can fly anything, lieutenant" said Rylee in response to Velt's comment, "I could strap a rocket to your ass and fly you if I wanted." The Pantoran took her golden eyes off the technical sensor array, now having been drawn in by the lead officer's challenge regarding freighter licenses. "D-37 license? Puh-lease! I've got licenses D-1 all the way up to 100" she joked, choosing not to take the bait. No doubt Corran, being as process-driven as he was, would not appreciate her disregard for her homework but as the Pantoran had said back when the lieutenant had originally extended an invitation to join the rangers, she expected him to be her personal tutor. Anything there was to learn, Rylee would have him explain.

The purple haired woman noticed Velt eyeing up the blaster strapped to her thigh. He had asked if there was a stun setting on it before suddenly announcing she was on probation.

"I'm on WHAT?! The last stunt I pulled was sacrificing myself to save your life! I wasn't even enlisted at the time!" she shouted, spinning the co-pilot's chair to look at Corran, "And for your information, no, my lethal firearm designed for eliminating enemies does not have 'stun'." The Pantoran said the word 'stun' with air quotes and mimicked the blonde ranger's voice for emphasis - or at least, as well as she could do with her female Pantoran accent.

As she was continuing her tirade, Lt. Velt actually spotted something out the front windshield. It was the freighter they had been searching for but somehow had managed to get itself mingled in amongst a cluster of asteroids preventing it from making a quick escape. "I've seen a ship fly in neutral before lieutenant" she said, squinting at Corran and pouting. Velt then continued his explanation and outlined a basic plan.

"So, before we go in; it's a definite 'no' on the pistol?" she asked. If she had her way, the Pantoran would have taken her usual loadout with her but since she could no longer pull rank on Corran and was for all intensive purposes, his student, she felt obliged to check.

@Sreeya @TerranSteel

 

[Kaz Tran]

By some miracle, Kaz found his blaster, exhaling a huge sigh of relief. He made his way over right as Asuchi made cracks at Velt. He couldn’t help but cough a few times to cover up a laugh. It was refreshing to be around some Rangers that weren’t completely stuffy. He reminded himself to work with her more often before she became a Darmus.

Kaz took a look at the ship, eyes widening, “Sitting duck. Almost suspicious,” He muttered, rubbing his chin in thought, “Hopefully not a trap,” He was a bit more paranoid by nature. After several high ranking Rangers either got their brains turned to mush by Sith or killed, he was more wary than usual.

He stepped up next to Asuchi and looked from her to Velt, to her, and then back to Velt, “If I may, boss sir lieutenant sir..” He verbally vomited out, mentally counting how many times he said sir in the same sentence, “She’ll probably be a lot more help if she has a blaster,” Not that his opinion mattered in the least. But he preferred having more coverage.

Kaz said nothing more, already probably overstepping boundaries. He checked over his armor and blaster, the Rangers approaching the target ship. Even then the other ship didn’t notice, allowing them to move in close enough to engage the maglocks.

The young Ranger popped his helmet on, “All right, ready when you are, boss!”

@TerranSteel @Bex

 

[Corran Velt]

Rylee's onslaught of a reply forced a few amused huffs from the Lieutenant's nostrils. If it was anyone else, such a tirade might have been considered insubordinate at worst, ill-advised at best. Rylee, however, was a hot-shot pilot from a squadron with a crude sense of humor. Corran knew what he was getting into when he extended the offer to bring her aboard. Reading between her quips offered some actual kernels of truth. She didn't have a D-37 license and probably didn't know the rules and regulations about it. He mentally noted to increased her study time on the books. The part about her lethal-only blaster pistol seemed genuinely affronted too.

When Kaz spoke from the pilot's seat, Lieutenant Velt turned his head to look at the novice ranger to acknowledge him before speaking. "Could be a trap. Looks that way," he said with some agreement. Corran's head bobbed back and forth as if it was bouncing between two scales weighing the possibility. It stopped with a head craned to the left. "On the other hand, it can only be a trap if they were expecting us. Why would smugglers looking to rush their cargo to the drop-off point take the time to ambush some Rangers they didn't know would be here?"

Bringing his head back to its natural position, Corran turned in his chair at the waist to look back at Kaz directly. "That's good thinking though, Ranger Tran. Always question about what you're looking at." He turned back to concentrate on piloting the large craft through the asteroid shadows. "If there's a trap, the best option is to... spring the trap," Corran offered with a quick rise and fall of his eyebrows and a subtly unsure look. That probably wasn't good advice, but overcoming through ambushes or clever ruses had kept him alive this long.

The matter of Ranger Asuchi's blaster came up again. No matter what anyone said about him, Kaz seemed to have good instincts. Lieutenant Velt's gaze darted between Rylee and the view ahead. Having a sidearm with stun was standard operation procedure in the manual. Keeping one hand on the ship's controls, Corran unholstered one of his blasters, twirled it so the grip faced towards the Pantoran and extended it to her, "Just make sure to give it back to me in one piece. No dings or scratches. Or I'll do the same to your starfighter." A mischievous smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, indicting some humor lacing the seriousness. He had another blaster on his left hip; always carrying two since the pyre of Sector Ranger HQ. Facing down Sith will do that.

Weaving between asteroids large and small, the smuggler's ship grew larger and clearer in view. It wasn't a long ship so much as a tall one. Anyone who knew space freighters would recognize it as a Itinerant-class. Slow, lightly armed, but could carry up to two dozen organics along with tons of cargo. Common enough to also be ignored by most authorities. It's command bridge also had the unfortunate design flaw to be visually blind to anything not in front or beneath it. With asteroids providing sensor cover, it would allow the trio of Rangers one and only one attempt. Corran's fingers drummed on the controls to mentally ready himself, "Here we go."

The YT-2400 descended closer and closer to the freighter as it struggled to clear the debris field, 'skipping' around rocks as it went. Once within a certain range, Lieutenant Velt reached up and began flipped switches. Lights flickered off all throughout the ship. Only the soft glow from the controls and reflected from space provided any visual. Sensors would have a harder time detecting them as they neared. Corran took a noticeably deep breath, his arms extended to turn the ship downward. For a moment it looked like they were going to space pancake against an asteroid until turning carefully to the right. Space rock suddenly turned into the upper hull of the smuggler's ship. Corran smashed a button with his thumb to extend attaching gear from the underbelly of the YT-2400 and jerked back on the controls to bring them in for a precise landing.

That was the plan anyway. Coming in a smidgen too hot, everyone in the cockpit would feel the kinetic inertia of landing atop another ship at matching speeds. Anyone not wearing a harness would probably lose their footing. Those in seats would certainly jostle. Ignoring the crude touchdown, the Lieutenant's hands flew off the controls and began dancing across various consoles. "Aaaannd... we are locked on 'em. If I know my transports, our umbilical hatch should be directly connected to their roof maintenance hatch," He tilted his head and nibbled on his lip in a brief moment of uncertainty, "Give or take."

Unbuckling himself from the pilot's seat, Corran would help anyone get back to their feet and advance to the common area. There he would sling a pack over his shoulders, secure his rifle, and pull a helmet over his head. Breaching time.

@Bex @Sreeya

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

At least Kaz had her back on the subject of blasters. Her fellow new recruit had challenged Corran on preventing Rylee from wielding it as they breached their target. In response, the blonde haired human had un-holstered one of his own blasters, did a fancy little twirl with it before handing out the butt of the gun for her to take. Rylee knew from experience that the lieutenant followed the rules and always looked to incapacitate targets and prevent loss of life. She had seen him in action aboard the Guidance when they investigated those raids on transport ships in the Velcar Sector. What the lieutenant had failed to observe was that Ranger Asuchi did not only carry one weapon.

"Thanks but no thanks" she said, reaching down beside the co-pilot's seat and lifting up her A280C blaster rifle and switching it to it's stun setting in front of him to prove a point "I think I've got the 'stun' thing covered, but if you threaten to scratch my X-Wing again you might get a few scratches of your own."

As Corran piloted the freighter into position, he flipped the lights and everything went dark. Rylee's golden eyes reflected what little remaining light there was inside the cabin, but their approach would be stealthy. The Pantoran had to admit that Velt's ability to fly a freighter was a vast improvement on his skill at flying a starfighter, but then that came with a background in working on trade ships. The blonde ranger did well, to a point, but he failed to manage his speed as well as he needed to. Rylee lurched forward in her seat and had to put her hand on the dashboard to steady herself.

"Watch it Velt, you sure you've got your D-37 license?" quipped Rylee, looking back towards Kaz and grinning. The Pantoran got out of her seat after Kaz and the lieutenant had left for the common area. She placed a leg up on a chair and unstrapped the Bryar pistol from her thigh before putting it aside. Rylee then picked up her fusion cutter and strapped it to her leg in place of the blaster. "Can't be forgetting this... came in handy last time" she said, raising an eyebrow at Corran before joining him and Ranger Tran to breach the transport ship.

@Sreeya @TerranSteel

 

[Kaz Tran]

Kaz barely kept the contents of his stomach down as the ship lurched in to lock onto the freighter. He put a hand over his mouth, his face turning a bit green as he attempted to keep some semblance of professionalism. He barely listened to the back and forth banter, looking as if he were about to hurl on them both. He kept his mouth firmly shut as they made their way over to cut into the freighter.

The getting in part was quite uneventful thankfully, and he let Velt or Asuchi do the honors. He didn’t have any experience doing this, but he certainly watched to pick up for the next time he had to be involved in a similar op.

The hatch was opened and they dropped in one by one, Kaz the last one in.

They were dropped into an empty chamber.

Or it was empty for a grand total of five seconds. The doors hissed open just as two crew members just happened to walk in at the same time. They came to a halt as their eyes widened in surprise at the intrusion. One of them immediately began to scramble towards the opposite direction and bring up a comlink to start sounding an alarm.

@TerranSteel @Bex

 

[Corran Velt]

Sky-blue eyes, barely visible in the darkened cockpit, gave Rylee a side-eye of scolding. It took a bold one to accuse Corran Velt of not having proper paperwork and registration completed. He led it slide on account of her rookie status. Corran locked the controls in place to make sure their freighter would go drifting off while they were gone. When the Pantoran joined the men in the common area, it was obvious she was without something. No hulking blaster hung from her holster but instead a a combat fusion-cutter. So she does listen after all. The lieutenant didn't let any emotion dawn on his face, but he felt a small amount of appreciation.

Luck and skill intertwined to provide the best results the trio could hope for. Corran knelt beside the umbilical hatch that extended from the bottom of the YT-2400. A green light on the control panel shone solid. "Green light means we are connected. No air leaking out or gaps into space," he said with a lazy point to the light. Rylee would receive a brief, brotherly sneer in her direction. The hotshot might be an ace pilot for starfighters but he'd like to see her try to pull off this feat. Pressing two buttons opened the first hatch seal. The second would've been trickier if the other ship was on higher alert and locked all entrances. Due to their stealth (or something like it) they were able to pull the external hatch release and it opened with a hiss.

Lieutenant Velt was the first to drop in, releasing his grip from the lowest rung. His boots thudded against the metal grating of the floor. The room was what one might expect of something connected to a maintenance hatch of a bulk hauler. Crude, practical, and weathered. Pipes darkened with age danced with cables of every color, dulled with dust and grime. If this room was used for anything other than preparing for outer hull repair, Corran would've been shocked. He was scanning the area for any cameras or unconventional exits while the other rangers descended.

All efforts of stealth were immediately threatened by the nonchalant entrance crewmembers. One about-faced and bolted at the sight of the trio. Years of experience made the lieutenant react faster than instinct. His blaster pistol shucked from its holster and burped a blue stun bolt. It sailed true and slammed into the fleeing crew member's back before they could activate their comm.

The second crewmate, outnumbered three to one, finally overcame their shock and turned to make for the commlink of their fallen comrade or just flee to warn their friends vocally. "After them!" Corran ordered, either to chase down the fleeing target or stun them.

@Bex @Sreeya

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

As he worked on opening the hatch for their entry to the freighter, Corran had given the Pantoran a sneer which caused Rylee to roll her eyes. Little did the lieutenant know that the former-Squadron Leader had breached her fair share of ships in the past; the reasons for which remained an even more tightly kept secret, despite the good intentions behind them. She would let Lt. Velt think he had one over on her this time, but she would be sure to steal his thunder next time.

Rylee dropped in second, after Corran but before Kaz. The room was empty - or so they thought - within seconds of touching down on the inside of the freighter they were discovered. Velt struck one of the fleeing crew members in the back with a stun blast. The speed and accuracy of the shot was impressive. On their last mission together, Rylee did not peg the lieutenant for much of a gunslinger, but she would quickly need to reassess that assumption having seen him in action. The second crewmate abandoned any attempt of grabbing her comrade's commlink and tried to make a run for it. In the time it took for Corran to instruct Kaz and Rylee to pursue their target, the Pantoran had swung her A280C rifle into her grip and fired a shot. The blue stun bolt lit up the room as it flew before striking its intended target square in the back, causing the woman to drop to the floor.

"How did I do, boss?" mocked Rylee as she returned Corran's sneer from moments earlier, "Sorry Kaz, I'll let you take the next one. Had to get that out of my system."

Striding over to the crewmate that Corran had downed, she bent over and collected the commlink that he had dropped after being stunned.

"Think we could use this? Listen in on any radio chatter from the rest of the ship?" she said, turning back to Kaz and the lieutenant.

Spoiler: Dice Rolls

Rylee shoots at 2nd crewmate

@Sreeya @TerranSteel

 

[Kaz Tran]

Kaz barely dropped down before the two crewmen popped in. He leveled his blaster, but the situation was already under control. He exhaled in relief, though it was obvious that it was a close call. He had to ponder on the dynamic between the other two Rangers. This mission felt less like a Lieutenant and two subordinates and more as if he were tagging along as a third wheel.

The rookie Ranger stared down at the blaster in his hand, saying nothing at the almost playful apology from Asuchi who treated shooting others as a game. All of this was very far removed from his academy days and the subsequent parking ticket writing. He blinked at the commlink, nodding in response, “Might reveal a bit more about the cargo.”

Kaz glanced over at Velt, “What’s the plan?” Their briefing had said to ‘seize the ship’, “Do we go straight to the bridge or split up and coordinate?” There were several different ways to go about this, but he had a nagging feeling about that cargo, "One of us can breach the main terminal room to have visual everywhere."

@Bex @TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Rylee's reaction shot was accurate and dead on target. All those talents as a soldier hadn't atrophied at all since joining the Rangers. Her attitude could still use some work though. An effort like that would be using a plastic spork against durasteel bars. Corran's eyebrow ticked up in mild displeasure at her nonchalance, "You used stun this time, at least. She can learn." The lieutenant holstered his sidearm and went past the Pantoran to pick up the target she knocked out. He was listening all the while as he hoisted the dead-weighted crewmember into his arms and marched back to the maintenance room to set her down on the far end. Leaving evidence of intruders wasn't a good way to maintain their stealth.

Both recruits had good ideas. The captured commlink allowed them to keep abreast of crew chatter and their reactions. Corran wasn't one to split up normally, firepower and coordination at the fire-team level was critical, but Kaz's thought on a security room was too good to pass up. Lieutenant Velt hoisted the first man he stunned over his shoulder with a grunt, "We don't know the amount of contacts aboard or the cargo their hauling. With so little intel, we're blind." The unconscious body joined the other one, sitting against an old pipe. He turned around to face the other two. "We'll split up to tackle both objectives to maintain the initiative," the blond ranger pointed to Rylee first, "Ranger Asuchi, you'll take the comm and find their terminal room. Likely have cameras and possibly records of hauling cargo." The finger then pointed to Kaz. "Ranger Tran, you're with me. We need to keep clearing the ship before they catch wind of us and get organized."

Between the two rookies, Rylee going solo was the safer bet. Kaz could probably handle himself, but she was a soldier with a near decade of experience under her belt. Corran pressed on his own commlink to emphasis his next orders, "Keep in touch and let each other know their condition status. If you see anything on the screens or need our help, Ranger Asuchi, just call. We'll do the same." He drew one of his pistols, gripping it with both hands and pointing it down to the floor. "Let's move out." A nod signaled for Kaz to follow as the blond ranger advanced down the hallway and turned right, heading deeper into the freighter.

@Bex @Sreeya

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

Clearly the lieutenant wasn't impressed with her bravado but she paid it no mind. Velt was clearly concerned with ensuring that, now she was a ranger herself, she followed their rules and respected the badge. Rylee had the distinct impression he was keen to avoid any repeats of their last mission. She did not blame him for that, but she did resent the implication she had no idea what she was doing. On the contrary, she very much did. Perhaps that was the problem.

When the lieutenant finished moving the stunned crew members back inside the maintenance room, he issued his orders. "Understood" she replied, acknowledging the instructions to head to the terminal room. Turning to Ranger Tran she said "Look after the lieutenant, Kaz, last time he tried this he almost got himself killed. Let's try not to do that again, shall we?" The Pantoran then gave the pair a mischievous grin before turning to leave.

Rylee did not know the layout of this particular ship, but she knew enough about freighters generally to know where the terminal room could be found. This freighter was designed to hold a number of kilotons of cargo. Traders would be invested in ensuring the cargo they were shipping made it to their destination, meaning they would have as many eyes - computerised or not - fixed on the cargo bay. That was the direction the Pantoran chose to head as it was likely the main terminal room would be situated not far from it, possibly even overlooking it.

Ranger Asuchi held her A280C at the ready as she walked. The commlink she had looted from the downed crewman in the maintenance room was hitched to the lapel of her ranger's coat to allow her to hear what was happening hands free. It was not long before something buzzed through on the frequency.

"Anyone 'eard from the two that went to the maintenance room? Dez ain't responding to his comm an' we ain't heard nuffink from Phess neither" came a gruff voice over the commlink.

"Nah, all quiet over here. Too quiet if you ask me. Someone check it out..." came a second, more lethargic sounding voice.

"You're a lazy son of a mudscuffer Jivric, you know that? Fine, I'll go check it out. If I find out those two moof-milkers forgot to take their comms with them again I'll make sure their percentage takes a big hit" were the words of a third, irritated woman on the other side.

Rylee, who had not made too much progress from her starting point as yet, relayed a message back to Kaz and Corran on her own commlink. "Hope you two are on the move, you're about to have company. Unsure how many but there's a pretty angry lady on the line with a foul mouth on her heading your way" she said before ending the message.

@Sreeya @TerranSteel

 

[Kaz Tran]

Kaz’s eyes widened as Velt suggested that he come with him, “M-Me s-sir?” He coughed a few times, feeling as if he were suddenly in trouble. Great. Now he had to make sure he didn’t make a fool of himself like last time. He barely heard Asuchi’s lighthearted commentary, trying to focus on everything he had learned so far. He had been expecting to be the one to wander into the terminal room since he figured they’d find him too useless for anything else.

The young Ranger had his stun blaster ready as he walked with Velt, glancing around for anyone coming their way. He heard Asuchi’s message come through and he nodded, glancing around for any spots to duck into in order to get the jump on her.

Following Asuchi’s instructions, Kaz stepped out of the way into an alcove. As the woman grumpily stomped towards the maintenance room, Kaz abruptly came out and swept her with his leg. A precision strike to the side of her head knocked her out at once. He quickly grabbed her keycard, realizing it allowed for higher clearance entries.

Kaz looked up at Velt, blinking wide under the helmet. He had acted almost entirely on instinct. Silently, he picked the woman up and slid her over where they had been hiding.

“This should get us access to the bridge,” He told Velt before contacting Asuchi through the comms, “How bad does the bridge look?”

OOC: Dice roll 5/20 on woman's toughness

@TerranSteel @Bex

 

[Corran Velt]

Rylee following orders with a minimal amount of sass was a welcome change of pace. Corran only provided a nod as she set off on her solo-expedition to give the trio an edge against whatever assortment of goons lumbered the ship. He had to admit though, her confidence was infectious. Compared to the usual Rangers who were hard-drinking gunslingers who kept mostly to themselves, the Pantoran was practically peppy. Come to think of it, the three of them were an odd group to begin with.

Lieutenant Velt silently motioned for Caz to follow and the two of them made their way through the rustic halls of the trade ship. Along the way, the two men had ended up nearly side-by-side, with Corran only a step or two ahead. While experienced in freighter fleet life, he didn't know the layout of every type of ship and class. This particular walkway had a few alcoves, likely for additional storage or hauling capacity. He stopped to examine one for any side passage or slim doorway which allowed Kaz to get ahead. Rylee's alert gave the blond ranger just enough time to press his back against the wall and stay out of sight. He gripped his blaster prepping to engage when the sound of a meaty thud and the squeal of a stun round made him peak out with urgency.

On the metal grated floor was an unconscious woman in coveralls with Kaz pulling a keycard from her belt. Pride beamed from Corran's face. "Parking tickets were wasted on you, Ranger Tran," he said with an assuring grin. Right after the rookie ranger inquired about the status of the bridge, the senior one pressed on his commlink as well, "We could also use some directions when you get a chance."

Rylee wasn't yet at the terminals unless she could organically hyperjump through walls. She was fast, but not that fast. For now, they had to rely on educated guesses. Being at the rear of the vessel, most everything was pipes, repairs, general storage, and old crates. The duo reached something that looked like a dead-end as the hallway came to a T. Both directions were covered in stacked boxes with some cylinders containing who knew what. Only at second glance did Corran see the dark-colored door to their left; obscured by everything. Another silent motion suggested Kaz to stick right behind as the lieutenant turned sideways to squeezed through the obstructed path. Getting closer one step at a time.

OOC: Dice roll 51/100 on sense of direction

@Bex @Sreeya

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

Rylee's journey to the terminal room was successful for two reasons. The first being that her hunch had been correct; it was located overlooking the cargo bay. The second, and perhaps more important reason, being that she had somehow managed to get there undetected. Though a former soldier, she was not exactly a covert assassin, but she had tried to keep low and stay quiet as she navigated her way through the ship. The commlink had helped greatly. The Pantoran had very much expected to hear radio chatter from the crew about having seen intruders on the closed-circuit cameras or at least noticing two or more of their colleagues incapacitated in parts of the ship, but as it happened, there was nothing. This was either a very good thing or a very bad thing and Rylee was not completely sure which.

"Working on it now Kaz, bare with me a moment. I'll get you those directions too lieutenant. I'm approaching the door to the room now..." she said in hushed tones before cutting off contact to the other rangers. Lowering her A280C rifle for a moment, she stood up fully and assessed how she would get past the door. "They haven't noticed we're here yet and most of the radio chatter has been bickering... They've also lost track of some crew members... maybe I can just knock. If I try forcing entry it'll give us away..." muttered the Pantoran to herself. At this point she had no idea how many people were stationed on this freighter, she was lucky to get this far without being noticed, but if there were people in this room, perhaps the element of surprise would work in her favour.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Rylee knocked hard on the door with the butt of her blaster rifle, knowing it would grab the attention of anyone inside more than simply knocking with her own hand. Once the sound of metal on metal ceased resonating, the Pantoran took a stance, aiming her iron sights on the doorway, waiting and anticipating. After a couple of seconds, the door finally wooshed open, sliding sideways into the wall. A large Lasat male stood in the doorway. He looked cranky, like he had been disturbed by a neighbour.

"Dez I flippin' told you to take yer commlink wiv ya, ya kriffin' dolt! Huh? You're not Dez!"

The Lasat's expression turned to surprise and then outrage when he realised that "Dez" had somehow transformed into a 5'4" Pantoran woman with a gun pointed right at him. Rylee simply gave the man a smile before pulling the trigger. A shock of blue light erupted from the end, stunning it's target almost instantly due to the close range nature of the shot. The former soldier did not lower her weapon however. The Lasat's exclamation would likely have spooked anybody else in the room.

Climbing over the downed foe, Rylee scanned the room through the sights on her weapon. To her surprise, she saw nobody. She checked the room again, fearing she must be mistaken, but she was not. All she could see were a bank of security monitors and feeds in front of glass paneling which enabled whomever was on surveillance duty to overlook the cargo bay on the other side. Rylee approached the workstation. Her intention was to first check outside the window before looking at the security feeds, but when she got to the desk she suddenly realised why the rangers had remained undetected. Next to an open, half empty can of soda was a datapad with a story depicting two Twi'lek women embracing in an act of carnal desire. The Pantoran tilted her head, raised her eyebrows, but did not dare touch it for fear of contamination. The dirty Lasat must have been bored and reading it to pass the time, but his perversions would be the downfall of his crew's operation.

Standing on her tip toes to see down into the cargo bay through the observation windows, Rylee saw exactly what it was the ship was transporting. Down in the hold were numerous cages stacked upon each other, each containing a Kath Hound inside. So that was what HQ had meant by live cargo. Turning her attention to the monitors, Rylee reopened communications with her ranger colleagues.

"Sorry for the delay, I'm in the terminal room now. The room overlooks the cargo hold. They're smuggling Kath Hounds" she explained, starting to look around the screens to find the bridge, "The idiot they put in charge of surveillance was too busy ogling smut to notice we'd boarded. So long as you've dealt with the angry woman you should have a good run at the bridge. To answer your earlier question Kaz, you've got four people stationed on the bridge. Lieutenant, you'll need to continue the length of the ship, opposite direction to where we boarded. You'll find the bridge at the end. I'll spot targets for you on approach."

Spoiler: Dice Rolls

Does Rylee go unnoticed?
How many people on the bridge?

@Sreeya @TerranSteel

 

[Kaz Tran]

OOC: So, so sorry for the delay. Should be back to normal posting now.

Kaz smiled brightly at the Lieutenant’s words, standing up a bit straighter, “Thanks, Lieutenant,” He said, his voice betraying how ecstatic he was to have such feedback from Velt. The man’s words carried tremendous weight and Kaz was already feeling more determined to keep the trajectory going.

He heard Asuchi’s voice come in, grimacing at the thought of Kath Hounds as the cargo. Kaz said nothing in response, arriving at the T junction and looking over to the door on their left. He stepped forward to squeeze himself in between the wall and the crates. They had to go one at a time to get to the door on the other side.

“Lieutenant, I don’t know if this is a good idea..” Kaz muttered quietly. Did they even have space to draw their weapons? He looked thoroughly worried under his helmet.

Before they made it all the way through, the door hissed open.

Flipped coin: Path to bridge difficult.

@TerranSteel @Bex

 

[Corran Velt]

Squeezing between stacked crates, bins, and containers was tougher than it looked. One of those situations where focusing on endurance and strength training really didn't help, what with the bulk and all. Why were all these things in the hallway anyway? It was a fire code violation at the least. Corran was nearly through the tunnel of cargo when Rylee's update gave him pause. "Kath hounds?" he asked incredulously over the comm, "Are you sure you don't mean people?" Setting aside the story of catching a man looking over unmentionable content (which could have been one of Rylee's usual jokes), she supplied good intel about what to expect ahead. Four crew on the bridge and the two Rangers were heading in the right direction. "Thank you, Ranger Asuchi, keep us posted."

The final space leading up the door was the most cramped. Almost anything that could be stacked up to the ceiling was. Lieutenant Velt had to hold his breath and even then his armor made it difficult to nudge through. Kaz shared some reasonable doubts but this way was the only way. "It's alright, Tran," the blond ranger reassured the rookie, his voice tight as he held his breath, "We haven't ran into any-"

Just as Corran cleared the ad-hoc wall of containers, the door suddenly hissed open without any input from them. A light from the other room outlined a large, robotic entity. A B2 battle droid with a grease-covered poncho over its chassis blocked their way. It's single, visible red eye unblinkingly stared them down. The lieutenant finished his sentence, "...trouble."

A metallic gauntlet shot forth with lightning speed and clenched Corran's shoulder and immediately hurled him through the doorway it guarded. He soared through the air and slammed into a pile of medium-sized containers. Rigidly and with clattering joints, the battle droid turned away from Kaz and begun clattering toward its victim. Corran fumbled to rise out of the junkheap before the thing could pummel him to oblivion. This unexpected ambush was already proving to be a dangerous fight.

@Bex @Sreeya