Open Intelligence Acquisition

[Alderaan]

Bathed in the synthetic luminescence of Anaxes Belderone's perennial twilight, Resistance Agent Alderaan, a gallant envoy of clandestine whispers and silent acts of defiance, found himself stationed at the Empire-controlled shipyard deepdock. He was a human paradox, by turns charismatic and enigmatic, whose tenacious spirit danced through the cosmos with an inescapable allure. This shipyard deepdock, a hive of imperial ambition, was the source of his current predicament. His task was formidable yet straightforward: discern the extent of the Empire's shipyard deepdock production capabilities and, if the stars favored him, pilfer valuable schematics.

Disguised as a ship engineer, Alderaan bore the impersonation of a common laborer clad in the nondescript uniform of overalls and a dust-streaked helmet. But beneath this workaday façade throbbed a heart burning with purpose, and a mind teeming with knowledge beyond his assumed occupation. To infiltrate the guarded nucleus of the shipyard deepdock, he needed to secure an access card, an item that currently eluded his possession. But Alderaan, with a resolution tempered in the furnaces of adversity, was nothing if not resourceful.

In anticipation of this operation, he had ensconced himself in the arcane intricacies of spaceship engineering, learning the mechanical sinews and cybernetic arteries that gave life to vessels like the nimble Aquilae-class Assault Starfighter, the formidable Raider III-class Corvette, and the titanic Excalibur-class Super Star Destroyer. Every starship was a labyrinthine marvel of technology, their designs encrypted in schematics he yearned to decipher.

This clandestine endeavor was one he undertook alone. The burden of secrecy weighed on his spirit, casting a long, lonely shadow that stretched across the vast expanse of the galaxy. Save for the remote echelons of the Resistance command, none were privy to his perilous gambit. It was a necessary sacrifice, a truth he accepted with a stolid sense of duty. The revelation of his covert actions could wreak havoc on the delicate fabric of their insurrection, a risk he wouldn't entertain.

The shipyard deepdock lay before him, a monolithic testament to the Empire's relentless expansionism. The scent of scorched metal and super-heated plasma hung heavily in the air, a constant sensory reminder of the urgent necessity of his mission. And there, amidst the pulsating symphony of clanging steel and whirring machinery, Alderaan steeled himself for the challenges that lay ahead. Every hum, every flicker of light was a harbinger of danger and opportunity, a note in the serenade of his impending ballet of espionage.

 

[Zeep Repo]

Zeep's Y-wing had been impounded by the local government because he had quote "crushed the flowers with his landing gear" As one gardner had put it. The Amaran huffed and rolled his eyes at what he viewed as an over reaction still as he made his way towards the Imperial controlled shipyards.

The young vulpine freelancer had a few ideas. The first was to possibly just steal his ship back. His ship would cost him an arm and a leg to get out of the impound lot by honest means but it was robbery how much they would charge him. The petite individual could get in and out of places relatively easy and if need be, could put up a decent fight in any situation. But the second thought was for Zeep to get a whole new ship entirely. "I could just do both." He finally decided since there were a few personal items on his ship that he still wanted to get back. But that could happen days from any potential "acquisition" of assets.

The Empire was monumental and thus, prone to complacency and oversight. Zeep hoped that security would be lax enough for him to take advantage of. If not, then at least he would get an idea of what kind of toys the Empire was using still and if anything new was in service. The last the freelancer had heard, they had top of the line hyperdrives in many of their ships and their starfighters were some of the fastest to date.

If the foxlike freelancer had a gang with him, he might have even attempted a theft of a corvette but a single personal starighter seemed like the wisest choice for the Amaran if he did not want to get shot down. The primary focus Zeep needed to keep in mind was stealth. Ideally nobody would know he had taken a ship until it was too late. Even then, they might still have a chance at shooting him down before he could escape.

Zeep did not want to get ahead of himself though and took his time taking side streets, rooftops and back alleys to get to his destination. Disciplined use of his jetboots helped the nimble figure make his way across the city without attracting attention. He slowed his approach and climbed the ladder to the roof of the last building on the block. Ahead was the Imperial shipyard that seemed like its own unique biome on the planet's surface. The black nose tip twitched as it smelled the familiar scent of industry. He quietly crept towards the edge of the roof and looked out over the area head of him momentarily before producing a set of macrobinoculars and looking through them from behind his AT-specs.

The first thing the Amaran spotted made him smile and it was the folded up wings of a shuttle. It felt like he was window shopping because he saw an even more combat focused ship that was would probably benefit from a secondary crew member to man the turret. The other starfighter that caught Zeep's eye stood out because of its sleek design. The freelancer did not know their make or model off the top of his head but they looked fast and top of the line, much more than his aging Y-wing anyways.

@Aberforth

 

[Alderaan]

Perched on the periphery of the bustling shipyard, Alderaan scrutinized his surroundings with an analytic gaze, his eyes flicking through the chiaroscuro labyrinth of the Empire’s bastion. His senses were keen, attuned to the minutiae of the sprawling, mechanized landscape. The discordant symphony of clattering metal, hissing steam, and the occasional seismic hum of a starship powering up filled the air, blending into a cacophonous backdrop against which Alderaan plotted his strategy.

Eying the swarm of workers and officers, Alderaan’s attention honed in on a high-ranking officer strutting through the labyrinthine shipyard. This officer was a colossus among subordinates, his silver-adorned uniform reflecting a daunting authority and, more importantly, a coveted access card nestled against his chest. It was a gamble, but fortune had always been a fickle companion in Alderaan's line of work.

Graceful as an interstellar comet, Alderaan moved with an unerring precision. His heart beat out a rhythm of tense anticipation as he slipped through the throng towards his unsuspecting mark. Swift as a solar gust, he deftly procured the access card, his hand weaving a silent ballet in the narrow space between them. His luck held and, as if bestowed a favor by the cosmic order itself, he also found a data chip concealed in the officer’s pocket, promising additional, unexpected intel.

However, no subterfuge could go entirely unchallenged. His path was intercepted by a security guard, a wiry figure with inquisitive eyes that bored into him.

No sooner had he secured his prize when a security guard, a wiry figure with inquisitive eyes, intercepted his path. The guard’s gaze bored into him. "What's your purpose here, engineer?" he asked, a touch of suspicion creeping into his voice. His query was routine, yet fraught with peril, one wrong word could unravel the illusion.

Alderaan, an artful dodger of suspicion, replied with a weary sigh, "Another day, another faulty hyperdrive. The higher-ups don’t know a power coupling from a proton torpedo." His feigned frustration proving a convincing facade.

The guard gave a knowing nod. "Ain't that the truth," he said, waving Alderaan through with a smirk.

Navigating past this unforeseen checkpoint, he crossed the threshold of the shipyard's entrance, stepping into the cavernous belly of the Empire's mechanical leviathan. The sprawling hangar stretched out before him, a cathedral of industrious ambition filled with colossal edifices of steel and thrumming power. It was a testament to Imperial might, the scent of lubricants and cold metal permeating the air, and the sight of the fleet’s skeletal forms looming in the artificial twilight.

@Darasuum

//Moved the thread from Anaxes to Belderone. I wasn't aware the Empire's activities on Anaxes are not publicly known. Also, I rolled a nat 20 for "nicking an access card from an officer to enter the shipyard's hangar" hence to bonus data chip.

 

[Zeep Repo]

There were many ways to get into a secure location but few would be fast enough for Zeep. The young Amaran watched a few passings of visitors before deftly descending from the roof tops as a hoverbus trundled along the street below. With light feet and fox-like dexterity he dropped onto the vehicles roof.

The cargo vehicle was carrying only drinks and snacks for resupplying vending machines. They would not have access to the more restricted parts of the base. But Zeep just needed to get past any perimeter surveillance and worry about the rest once he was inside.

The vehicle made its stop at the gate before being allowed through. The freelancer on top would drop off of the back of the hover bus and rapidly move to the shadows of one side before anyone saw him. Once the coast was clear he darted from cover to cover until he arrived at an astromech turbo-lift. The Amaran was small enough to fit inside it and triggered the controls to have him safely taken up a few levels until he was on the same level as control room.

"Bzzz wwoooOOOOooo" One of the astromechs exclaimed and startled Zeep. "Shush. I'm...the lift repair guy. I was just testing it out. See? All fixed. Go back to charging." He thought of reaching for his hold out blaster but firing even a stun blast this close to the control room would probably cause someone to call security.

@Aberforth