Open Too quiet

[Ceris Odrosess]

Spoiler: Note

Open to ISC and Sector Rangers

It was a time of peace for the New Republic. That is, for everyone except Ceris. Ever since the Killik invasions on Thyferra and Corellia, she's had her fleets patrol the nearby areas in case the Killiks made their way to the Republic. The Chancellor had an open door policy when it came to the borders, so Ceris couldn't do much to keep anything out. It seemed like the Government was doing everything in their power to make her job more difficult. Her days consisted of administrative work, lots of it. "Who knew a Navy that hasn't fought a battle in nearly a decade continues to be filled with a shitload of problems."

Ceris decided to take a visit to the bridge of the large procurator-class battleship. She wanted to check up on a fresh, but not new, subordinate of hers. "Get Tarkin up here." she demanded to a nearby junior officer. Ceris personally delegated him to be the officer in charge of the maintenance division. It was the worst group to be a part of due to their responsibilities which included: cleaning toilets, burning trash, fixing AC units, and working in the gross dark belly of the ship. She knew Wilhelm wanted to prove himself, so what better way than to give him the hardest path.

As she stood around and waited, she noticed chatter amongst some of the personnel in the communications bay. "Something funny over there?" Ceris asked. The group immediately jolted, and were at a loss of words for a second before gathering the courage to spew something out. "We've picked up a signal ma'am. It's near Thyferra in the open zone: the gap between Republic and ISC space. Appears to be a distress." Ceris scratched her chin for a moment. If it was near Thyferra, then there was a possibility of it being a ship belonging to the ISC. She didn't have any qualms with the consortium unlike many others. Giving them a helping hand didn't seem to be too much of a bother. "Send the order out to the rest of the fleet. We'll make a jump to see what happened. It may not be important, but we'll play it safe just in case."

To Thyferra they went, well, far outside near the planet Foless. Upon exiting hyperspace a large vessel wandered through space. It appeared to be some sort of large transport vessel; if Ceris had to guess, it could have been a ship used to evacuate citizens during the battle of Thyferra. "No sign of power Ma'am" one of the men pointed out "and we can't seem to make contact." The battle didn't occur too long ago, and with a ship of that size there was surely enough supplies to keep anyone on board alive. "I want a scan of that whole ship.

The fleet worked quickly to scan the large vessel before delivering a report to Ceris. "There appears to be signs of life on board." "Tsk. Patch me through." Ceris stepped down towards the large comm center computer and spoke "This is Fleet Admiral Odrosess of the New Republic Navy. We picked up a distress signal coming from your ship. We know you are there. If you do not give us an answer we will.." she paused. There wasn't much she could really do. They were in neutral space, and there was a good possibility that the ship belonged to the consortium. However, there was also a good chance that the ship had been taken over by Killiks."we will send a squadron to board your ship to ensure you're safety." A response never came back. Ceris scrunched her face in annoyance before stepping away "Tarkin!" she barked, hoping he made it to the bridge already. "You're leading a team to go down there!"

Tags: @LouJoVi

 

[Wilhelm Tarkin]

Wilhelm groaned while throwing some trash bags inside the incinerator. When he was designed to work under Admiral Odrosses, the Eriaduan never thought that he was going to be in the maintenance division. Of course, he was the supervisor and was responsible for commanding the entire division inside this ship, but he still needed to work with the others.

And what was his job if not a clarified version of a servant? Wilhelm never thought that he would spend several years at the Naval Academy to end this way. He thought that when Odrosses offered a position for him on this ship, it would be to work in the bridge, not in this dark pit.

Whoever made the procurator-class battleship, thought that the people working in the maintenance would be bats. He never saw a place as dark as this one before, Wilhelm doubted that even the Sith had dungeons lacking so much illumination like this place. As soon as they returned to Coruscant, the Eriaduan would file a complaint about working conditions. Someone needed to put more lights down there.

Someone could say that it wouldn't help his attempt to prove himself, but Wilhelm would only roll his eyes. He wanted to show that he was a good learner, but at the same time avoiding possible accidents due to not being able to see things. He wanted retain all his member when finally becoming a captain.

When he threw the last trash bag, one of the junior officers arrived with orders that Ceris was calling for him. Wilhelm only nodded, while thinking how the guy had a idiotic face. From the rumors that the Eriaduan heard, the officer wasn’t the most efficient either. Maybe he should throw him in the garbage too, no one would miss that guy.

He had barely arrived at the bridge and Ceris already ordered him to lead a group. The Eriaduan turned to look at the screen and saw a ship. Wilhelm felt happy, finally he was going to do something exciting rather than playing as a garbageman. “Yes, ma’am. Any information that I should know before going here?”

@Altaria

 

[Thalin]

A distress beacon sounded a repeating ping that woke Thalin mid snort from his sleep inside his ship. He quickly got into his cockpit and traced the signal back to it's origin. However, Thalin was surprised to see that a Republic ship had also arrived, probably for the same reason the Ranger had come. It had been a while since he had seen some action, and though this was probably just going to be another rescue operation, he was glad to be busy with something.

"This is Ranger Thalin, piloting the King's Fall. I am here to investigate the vessel." Thalin stated flatly. He then tried to contact the vessel, but there was no reply. Only static. Strange... No response meant this could've been a trap. It was a real clever way most kidnappers got their victims. Lay dormant, raise suspicion, trigger the trap. Sometimes, large enough transports could lie in the same spot for days, continuing to pick off more and more would-be do-gooders until they had a ship full of potential ransom income.

"Proceeding to board..." Thalin muttered, taking his ship to lock into one of the docking tubes. After the familiar sound of his ship successfully making contact with the other, Thalin readied himself with his gear. The blast door opened, and soon Thalin would find himself inside the transport, blaster rifle ready. "I'll hold this docking bay until I know I have backup." Thalin assumed the Republic wouldn't leave him hanging. Any time now... This place is damn well a trap. Oh, should I mention that? Nah, the Republic is capable enough, right?

@Altaria @LouJoVi

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

Ceris stepped towards Wilhelm, but maintained her distance since he smelled like filth. "We assume it's a large evacuation vessel from the battle of Thyferra. Proceed with caution; we don't want to step on the toes of the ISC. Make sure we have a positive I.D. on everyone so we can confirm if they are a threat or not. Be equipped as you see fit. Also.." she paused "expect the worst." She didn't want to mention Killiks out loud, but she hope Wilhelm caught on to what she was trying to say.

After sending Tarkin off to board the vessel, Ceris brought her attention back towards the display. "Admiral! one of her men called out "We're detecting a small ship exiting hyperspace nearby."

"This is Ranger Thalin, piloting the King's Fall. I am here to investigate the vessel.

Ceris ordered her men to scan the ship and warn the Sector Ranger to stay away, but he was already beginning to board. "Dammit." she let out a groan while rubbing her forehead "I can't do anything to stop him either. Inform Tarkin that there is a ranger on board." Ceris snapped towards someone else "Fetch me the ranger file we have on this 'Thalin'.

"All ships," Ceris spoke through the integrated commlink on the bridge which worked on a secured line within her fleet "Begin energizing weapon systems and stand by." Ceris didn't like anything that was going on, and she watched carefully in case anything presented itself as a threat.

Tags: @LouJoVi @Charles

 

[Wilhelm Tarkin]

Wilhelm remained in silence, while absorbing the information that Ceris was giving to him. If there was the risk of stumbling with dealings of the ISC, the Cadet would need to be careful. With how those people acted like a bunch of babies, seeking to find even the smallest reason to complain about the NR and the FWA, anything that he did out here could be used against the Republic.

“I understand, ma’am.” he said, before turning to gather the men that he was bringing on this team. Something that he learned by working under Odrosses was to be very detalist when choosing the people that he wanted to work with. If he wasn’t careful, Wilhelm could bring a group of imbeciles to this mission.

Besides being careful with who was going with him, the Cadet also spent some time deciding the equipment that would be useful out here. Alongside with blasters, Wilhelm also ordered his team to pick masks. If the Killiks were really behind this ship, then they would need to find a way of protecting against the possibility of becoming joiners.

He and his team had barely left the ship, when he received the message that now they were going to deal with a Ranger. Wonderful! he thought, while rolling his eyes. Now he was going to deal with one of these idiots that like to play as security forces. Perhaps he should have refused to go investigate.

If Wilhelm knew that he was going to deal with trash, he would have preferred to continue working with the one that couldn’t speak!

@Altaria @Charles

 

[Thalin]

Thalin was surprised to see someone so young escorting such a big boarding party. Maybe this kid was a big deal in the Republic. Or soon would be as the Ranger hadn't ever seen him anywhere before. Nevertheless, he was happy to have some backup with this ordeal. The ship was oddly, yet not surprisingly, quiet. Occasionally, one would here the settling of the vessel's gears and systems but not much else. It was eerie, yet Thalin was calm and ready for whatever lie ahead.

"Nice to meet y'all. I'm Thalin. Sector Ranger from Annwfyn." Thalin tipped his hat to the Cadet and the others he led, giving them all a friendly smile. "Now, this is either some creepy-ass kidnapping gig, or it's another Killik trap. Kinda the same thing, if I'm gonna be honest." The Ranger turned on the recording device on his hat and activated the flashlight attachment on the bottom of the barrel to his rifle.

"I don't think we should split up. Strength in numbers, right?"

@LouJoVi @Altaria

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

The innards of the ship were pitch black, occasionally being lit up by the occasional spark of torn wires. However the group decided to investigate the ship, they would find no sign of life. Occasionally a few rooms were filled with lifeless bodies. No visible signs of death, but some seemed recent. It seems as if they were malnourished.

In some areas of the ships, a robotic voice would speak over an intercom

"Warning, Warning. O2 levels depleting. Warning, Warning. O2 levels depleting."​

Many rooms were unaccessible due to the power outage. A few could possibly be pried open but it would take a great effort to do so. A sense of being watched or followed would settle in on the group. Noises that sounded like footsteps or heavy breathing would turn out to be water hitting the floor or a ruptured steam pipe.

"What's the status down there?" Ceris asked through the commlink between her and Wilhelm. "Have you found anyone yet? Our bio scans are still picking up stuff besides you, your team, and the Ranger. Maybe finding a way to bring power back could help you."

Tags: @LouJoVi @Charles

 

[Wilhelm Tarkin]

When they arrived inside the ship, the Sector Ranger was already there. Wilhelm took a deep breath, he had hoped that they would have more time to work before the idiot appeared to pester them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ranger Thalin. I’m Wilhelm. Admiral Odrosses had sent us to investigate.” he said, while giving the man the most fake smile that he could muster.

Since they were going to stay here together, the best that he could do was to fake being nice with Thalin. As far as he knew, the Ranger could complain with Odrosses about him and he could end up receiving some type of punishment because of it. The best thing that he could do was to control his patience.

The ship reminded Wilhelm of a horror movie. The place was covered by darkness, torn wires and even the feeling of being watched. It had everything! With Halloween being close, he even wondered if Odrosses had settled this mission as some type of prank. Although he doubted that the woman had the sense of humor and creativity to do such a thing.

“Of course, we need to stay together.” he said to Thalin and the members of his team. At least the Ranger was clever enough to understand that it would be stupid if they decided to separate. If they were dealing with Killiks, these creatures could ambush each of them. Together they had more chances of defending themselves.

Thinking better about it, if the Ranger decided to go alone at some point, he wasn’t going to stop him. At least it would mean less one of these overglorified cops running around as if they were part of the military.

Before he could say anything, the Cadet received a message from Odrosses. “The ship seems to be mostly abandoned, but I have the strange feeling of being watched.” then he turned to his team and the Ranger. “We need to restore the energy. When it’s back, we can see if there is any recording of what happened here.”

@Altaria @Charles

 

[Thalin]

"Glad to hear it." Thalin said after Wilhelm agreed with him. But, now it was time to begin the investigation and find out what really happened hear. Though, the Ranger suspected everyone present had a pretty good idea of who had done all this. It had to be bugs. The problem with Killiks were the Joiners. Thalin never enjoyed killing those who were swayed under their control. Sometimes... Sometimes it was children.

"We'll take this nice and easy, slow and steady." After locking and loading his weapons he awaited further instruction from the Cadet. "Look for signs of sabotage along the way. If someone cut the lights, we're gonna have to use our flashlights. Otherwise, we can head to the bridge and boot everything up." It would also give a few hints as to who was responsible for this. There was no need to rush things, especially in a situation like this. Whether it be bugs or bandits, a trap could still prove to be the downfall of this entire investigation.

@LouJoVi @Altaria

 

[Wilhelm Tarkin]

Like the Ranger, Wilhelm also loaded his weapon. He had taken a typical military blaster, the same that the rest of his team was also using. In the past, the Cadet would have used his lightsaber, but none of the people that was around him could know that he had been trained in the Sith Order.

The Cadet wanted to roll his eyes with what Thalin was saying. He already knew the protocol of such operations, with the Ranger’s comments being totally unnecessary. Beside being obvious that if there wasn’t any light, they would need to use the flashlights. The Eriaduan wondered if the other man was stupid enough to believe that he would not know something so obvious.

“We should go to the bridge, but we look around the place while doing it.” he said, while picking his flashlight. His team did the same. “Also, everyone should put on their masks. The Admiral said that our sensors detected something alive in this place. It can be Killiks or Joiners, so the masks will protect you against the contamination.”

After saying that, he threw a mask at Thalin. While he disliked the Rangers, the Cadet didn’t want to deal with one that became a Joiner. It would cause too much trouble for this mission and they would lose an ally that could be useful when fighting the possible Killiks that were hiding inside this ship.

“If everyone is already prepared, let’s go. This ship is big and we had much to do.” he said, before turning to walk deep inside the place. “With your flashlights at your hands, look around in search of possible signs of sabotage or clues about what happened here. And remember, stay together.”

@Altaria @Charles

 

[Thalin]

After the Cadet mentioned heading straight to the bridge, Thalin agreed with a nod of his head. As they made their way deeper into the stranded space vessel, the Ranger noticed that a few panels were removed but not in a vicious manner. Whoever wanted to get into the electrical circuits took great care not to disturb anything else. Upon further investigation, however, Thalin found that nothing had been tampered with.

"The panels on the floor... Don't step on them." Thalin noted to the others before laying flat on the ground to examine one of the carefully laid panels. The Ranger found pressured mines below each and every slab of metal that laid atop of one. "Explosives. Watch where you step." Thalin said, dusting himself off as he got back to his feet. "This ain't a kidnapping. Might be bugs. These mines only go down one corridor, which probably leads to the hostages- or Joiners, never can be too careful these days..." This could've easily been a trap laid for some sort of high ranking member of either the Republic or the ISC.

But what would these guys try to blow up any intruders right off the bat? To force another set of reinforcements to get inside the vessel? To force someone important, maybe. Perhaps after controlling a trusted officer, such as this Cadet, the bugs could lure Ceris inside and find a way into her head, too. What would the Killiks be able to do with such a prominent person of power under their control? Probably really really bad things.

OOC Note- Sorry for not posting! Wasn't sure if I was supposed to or not.

@Altaria @LouJoVi