Well, this should be interesting. I'm not really interested in the money like Jeez would've been, but I think this crew should be pretty good, Ryshana thought to herself. Turning around, Ryshana headed up the ladder behind Nic.
Jack heard beeping from the computer consel, he leaned foward and started working. The echo pulled outside of hyperspace right infront of Aldrenaan, the engines fired up and the ship speeded toward the planet below.
Inside the ship, Jack shouted out,for the slow "We've arrived at Aldrenaan!"
Nic felt the ship drop out of hyperspace as he got off the ladder. This was probably due to the fact that Cloud had to replace the grav dampaners, he asked for them but Nic just kept saying 'tell me when it's broke." He heard Steven shout and then the Alarm went off.
Nic ran straight to the Bridge and looked the sensors "Oh <twi'lek Curse>,we've got a fleet of Imps just out of there sensor range." Nic said confidant that Clouds modifications made their sensors vastly superior.
((o.k Steven i know Wild has something planned, so don't land or cause the ship get into trouble with the imps unless Wild says otherwise.))
"We've arrived at Alderaan!" Jack’s voice came over the comm.
“Finally,” Beryl said out loud. Having drunk her coffee, and with her head now beginning to clear, Beryl left the common room and headed down the corridor to Engineering section. True, she knew the principals of repairing engines and electronics, but Cloud knew the techniques. She hoped that he would still want to help her repair the Headhunter’s nose cone after being so abrupt with him earlier.
He was struggling to keep the faulty grav dampners on line.
"Need some help?" she offered, and stepped in to lend him a hand. After a moment of frantic adjustments from both of them, she said, "You know, I’m sorry that I snapped at you earlier. I was cranky because I haven’t had much sleep. I really could use your help in repairing the Headhunter. And scrounging up some replacement parts in port. You’ve got some contacts here in Alderaan, right?”
Jana went up to the cockpit and looked out at the planet. Then, she frowned. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, one of the screens started displaying a list of ships, all in orbit between them and the planet. Jana glanced over the screen and paled.
"Imperials," she breathed. She turned and yelled, "Nic!"
Nic looked at Jana "I know." Nic said already aware of the situation. "I think we need a change of plans? We don't stand a chance of geeting through all those ships unnoticed."
Jana nodded. "Right... we go somewhere else. Sell them to someone else who's got a somewhat less 'interesting' crew. We don't know they're here for us, but we don't want to take chances."
The ship rocked slightly as Riebe's fighter detached from it. She hailed them and Jana flicked the switch, staring in astonishment as the little fighter dove straight for the Imperial fleet.
"They are here for you," Riebe said. "You might want to leave before they see you."
((Here, we might have some kind of malfunction that delays our departure for a minute or so.))
"First, appology ascepted." Cloud told Beryl. "Second, I would like to appologize for barging into your room like that." Cloud may have loved Aerith more than life, but in the back of his mind, he had a crush on Beryl. He always thought she was the type that liked rich guys, not mechanics. He never pryed into the issue. "Third, I do have contacts on Aldeeran. I have a starport full of them. They could scrounge some parts."
Beryl smiled at Cloud. "Thanks," she said. "And I'm not upset about you coming into my room. Just as much my fault for not locking the door, I expect."
The ship rocked slightly as Riebe's fighter detached from it.
Beryl raised an eyebrow. "We must be close. That was SithHunter detaching from the...." Staring over Cloud's shoulder, she frowned suddenly. "Erm...Cloud? When that second red light on the left on the stabliser control panel is flashing rapidly, doesn't that mean that...?"
The ship suddenly lurched sideways. Beryl and Cloud were both knocked off their feet, and then they heard the sublight engines shut down.
"Aw, for the love of...." Beryl being the one on top, she stretched her arm over Cloud to the panel behind him and pressed the override button to restart the engines. "I hate those automatic safety protocols," she said to Cloud, as she struggled to her feet. She smiled. "Don't you?"
Jana gripped the back of the copilot chair as the ship rocked slightly. A sudden thought struck her and she stared after Riebe's departing fighter. "Did she..." she began. Then, she reached for the intercom. "Cloud, is everything alright down there?"
"Yeah, I do." Cloud said to Beryl. He herad Jana ask if evrything was alright. "Yeah, everything's fine." Cloud said over the intercomm. "Just a few more ajustments."
Ryshana looked up as she approached the cockpit. Something was very, very wrong, and Ryshana could feel it coming towards them. "Its too late; they're already on the way," Ryshana stated.
Jana barely heard Ryshana's words as she watched Riebe's fighter flying straight toward the Imperial fleet, undaunted. "What's she doing?" she murmured. Then, she saw the movement in the Imperial fleet that Ryshana had mentioned. She hit the intercom again. "Those adjustments better be fast."
She swore under her breath. "Here we were, just letting her hitch a ride," she fumed. "And this is how she repays us? Alert the fleet and cause us to malfunction so they can get us?"
She pounded a fist against the nearest wall in frustration as Riebe's ship vanished untouched into the Imperial fleet. Through the intercom, she yelled, "Get done... five minutes ago!"
It was highly unusual for Jana to become so flustered she actually yelled at the crew.
Still in Engineering, Beryl hit the comm button on the wall to respond to Jana, as Cloud was busy making the adjustments on the tempermental and touchy engines in prep for restart. Safety protocol restarts always took a minimum of three minutes. They were designed that way on purpose, to allow time to examine for other problems and avoid engine blowout if there were.
"We had a 'safety' restart," she said in response to Jana. "It'll be at least three minutes. There's nothing Cloud can do about it."
She then took pause, and frowned. Sure the proximity alarms had sounded, but Beryl had basically ignorned them as it was a fairly standard occurrance when approaching any Imperial controlled planet. But Jana had yelled. Actually yelled. Something wasn't right. Jana's style was normally more subtle than that.
"Jana, what's going on out there anyway?" Beryl asked into the comm.
Nic continued looking over the sensors. As the sublight Engines had malfunctioned they were only moving slightly due to moment and that was in completely the wrong direction, they were heading towards the Imperial fleet. He moved over to the intercom and almost pushed Jana out of the way. "We're going up <sullutian Curse> creek without a Paddle." Nic said knowing the analogy was almost literal. " We need more powers to the thrusters so we can atleast turn around."
Nic turned back to Jack. "The second we can move, plot a cource for Corellia, It's Not to far, an hours flight at most."
((@Wild- if you want me to edit the post so we don't go to corellia let me know.))
Ryshana heard the words from the crew, but she didn't understand a word of them. Instead, she was concentrating on a presence that was slowly coming closer. Looking at the viewer, she noticed one of the ships in the Imperial fleet stood out almost as if the others weren't even there. Someone is on that ship. Someone very powerful in the Force...
"Captain, this may be a good time to start preparing for a welcoming party. If we get boarded, there's a good chance that they'll know who I am. And if that happens, I wouldn't count on the mercy of an Imperial Captain as your saving grace," Ryshana stated.
Ryshana wasn't afraid, but she wasn't really ready for a fight. And that was what made her a bit nervous.
"No offence my force-sensitive friend, but if we don't get into hyperspace A-Sap we'll proberly be dead before the days out." Nic said without turning around to busy ensuring the Sensor Jammer was on full power, so the Imperial ships couldn't get a positive ID. "And no amount of armed blasters pointing out the air-lock will help. Stormtroopers have a tendancy to shoot first and not to even bother asking questions."
((Corellia's fine... maybe we'll stop by to see Jana's parents :) ))
Forcing herself to calm down, Jana took a deep breath. "Three minutes?" she said, shaking her head slowly. She pointed to the oncoming Imperial ship. "They'll be on us sooner than that."
She took over the intercom again and said, "If you can cut down on that time, it would be a very very good and happy thing. Our hitchhiker seems to have betrayed us."
Turning to Ryshana, she said, "I wish I'd listened to you about her," she said. "How she betrayed the Jedi... she must have sensed you or she'd have no reason to strand us here where they can pick us up."
She stared out toward the fleet again. "And now she's in there, alive and unharmed."
Swearing under her breath, she moved to leave the cockpit.
"We're going up <sullutian Curse> creek without a Paddle!" Nic said. "We need more powers to the thrusters so we can at least turn around."
Beryl frowned and turned to Cloud. “Cloud, I know it’s a bit risky, but see if you can reroute the auxiliary power through to the thrusters. It sounds like we’re in trouble.”
"If you can cut down on that time, it would be a very very good and happy thing. Our hitchhiker seems to have betrayed us,” said Jana.
Beryl’s forehead wrinkled in disbelief. Tarla Vel? Super-instructor of the TCTA? A betrayer? No way!
“Sorry. No way to hurry the restart timer,” Beryl said in to the comm. She looked at the restart timer as it counted down. “Two minutes, twenty six seconds.” She paused. “And you’re wrong, Jana. No way would Tarla betray us! She helped us with those Imps before. She wouldn’t just bail on us now.”
"Nobody said that we had to fight. Take me out of the picture, and they don't have a reason to do anything to us, right?"
"Think about Ryshana, If they board us and don't find you, knowing you were here thanks to our Hitchhiking friend overthere." Nic points to the Imperial fleet "what do you think they will do with us, Let us go on our merry way?" He said sarcasticly
"Have you ever conducted an investigation?? You don't impound somebody based off of a witness. You impound somebody based on evidence. Even then, you can appeal to the local governors if they do impound you without evidence. Once that happens, you certainly stand a fair chance, especially since you would be impounded on Alderaan."
Nic turns and looks at Ryshana. "Are we Living in the same Galaxy ,When it comes to Jedi, The Empire will do anything to get them, to get you. I don't feel like being tortured, i was tortured once before, didn't care much for it." Nic turns back to his console "besides how do you intend to leave the ship and escape, Go for a Swim in the Black perhaps?"
Ryshana thought for a second and remembered how she hitched a ride on an Imperial Lander during the very bold escape that she, the Commandos, and Jeez had come up with after Order 66 was issued. Getting in a spacesuit, she quietly latched onto an Imperial Lander and later snuck on board to steal her fighter from the Star Destroyer in orbit.
"You have spacesuits, right? It wouldn't be hard for me to wedge myself in a little nook outside. Besides, I have other abilities that can come into play as well," Ryshana stated.
Suddenly Oliver arrives to Nic, with a rather unpleased face. "What is going on! I have work to do, and all people are shouting all the time! Can you tell me, sir?". Oliver lokked rather dizzy, but not drunk. Rather sick, actually.
((@stringerhs- I'm pretty sure Wildjedi intends for us to escape this, just so you know that your character outside proberly isn't a good idea.))
"O.k you can try and prep your spacesuit but be careful." Nic said just before XoRRox stormed in.
"What is going on! I have work to do, and all people are shouting all the time! Can you tell me, sir?"
Nic Turned his head back to Oliver "What's going on?.. What's going on?.." Nic Points out the front viewing window towards the Imperial Fleet and the ship thats heading towards them. "That's 'what's going on.'"
Nic goes back to the intercom "Beryl, Cloud would you two very much mind, getting you asses into top GEAR!!!" He said calmly with the exception of the last word which he shouted.
((i figured. still, i'm just trying to stay in character as that is what a Jedi would probably do.))
Ryshana nodded quickly and headed back towards the cargo hold. Grabbing a suit near the airlock, Ryshana started to put it on when she remembered that it might be a good idea to have her lightsaber outside of her suit. Good thing this is a flexible model. Its nice when you don't have a set of big, clunky armour getting in the way, Ryshana thought for a moment.
Placing her lightsaber in one of the pockets, she finished putting on the suit. Waiting for situation analysis from Nic, she paused before she put on the helmet.
“Cloud, I know it’s a bit risky, but see if you can reroute the auxiliary power through to the thrusters. It sounds like we’re in trouble.”
"That might work." Cloud said.
"Beryl, Cloud would you two very much mind, getting you asses into top GEAR!!!"
"I'M WORKING ON IT! WE'RE ALL UNDER PRESSURE HERE CAPTAIN, SO SHUT UP AND LET ME WORK!" Cloud cooled off and said "Sorry about that, captain."
"She betrayed the Jedi, Beryl," Jana answered icily. "As Riebe Sothe, she betrayed them. Joined the Empire. Don't think for a second that she's incapable of turning on us now."
Beryl shook her head. She still disagreed with Jana, but now probably wasn't the best time to argue about it. It didn't matter to her what name a person went by. Since the Clone Wars, a lot of people had changed names. But changing a name was easy. Changing the person inside was not. And the person she knew as Instuctor Tarla Vel, would never cave in to serving the Empire. Never. And it would take more than a word from Jana to convince her otherwise.
Beryl glanced at the timer again. "One minute, eight seconds," she said through the comm.
Turning to Cloud, she asked, "How's it goin'?" referring to his progress on the thrusters. "Anything I can do to help?" He was working in a very small area under a panel. Not much room to manuoever, but she offered her assistance anyway, just by way of some moral support.
"That's 'what's going on.'"
Oliver looked on the big impertial ships, and tried to take a deep breath, but it wasen't a succes. He did shaking. "Well...anyone who knows, where Beryl...is...?"
"she's in enginneering." Nic answered to oliver as he continued looking at the sensors, "they'll be in weapons range 30 seconds, we need those thrusters now!" Nic shouted into the intercom.
"Yeah, Beryl. You can help." Cloud said. "Toggle that switch over there." As Beryl toggled the switch, Cloud snipped a couple of wires and put them together in another order. "That should do it. Try it Nic."
"Let's hope this buys us the time we need," Beryl whispered under her breath. "Thrusters go, Jack!" she hollered to the bridge on the comm. "Sublights back on line in thirty five seconds!"
She gave Cloud a hopeful grin, although she was beginning to get nervous now. If they got boarded.... Her grin faded. Best not even to think about it.
"Spin us around Jack, then move us forward as fast as you can with the thrusters." Nic Ordered as he transfered the shields power to the rear.
Beryl felt the ship change directions. She smiled at Cloud. "We're moving! Good work!"
The restart timer was counting down. Ten, nine, eight....
As Cloud was still underneath the panels, Beryl flipped the switches for restart...
Five, four, three, two....
...saving the last switch for...
One.
She flipped the last switch, and the sublight engines started to whine.
"Sublight engines on!" she screamed into the comm. "Hit it!"
The Echo quickly Began to fly forward as the Imperial vessek began to fire on the Echos rear shields. It moved forward for less than 10 seconds before the hyperspace engines powered up and shot the ship into Hyperspace.
Nic sat back into his chair and relaxed "Nice one crew." He said pressing the intercom button. "We should make it to corellia within the hour."
Corellia? Beryl exhaled a sigh of relief. She could do with a visit home.
"I don't know about you, Cloud, but I sure could use a drink about now." She thought about Oliver's boxes of 'Jawa Brew' hidden under her bed, then shuddered. No, not something quite that strong. Although...
"Hey, I've got a bottle of Corellian Ale hidden behind the flour canister in the galley?" she said conspiratorially to Cloud. "Finish up here and come join me. You deserve a treat."
Ryshana sighed to herself all over again. It was a bit curious, though, since she still felt that same pressing darkness. If Riebe is gone, and we're in the clear, then why... Ryshana started to think. As she finished taking off the suit, Ryshana remembered that her lightsaber was still in the pocket of the spacesuit. Pulling it out, she paused for a moment.
Slowly, Ryshana began to clear her mind. Focusing inwards on herself, she finally calmed herself down. Taking off the outer cloak of her robes, Ryshana breathed in deeply. Now in just modest coverings, Ryshana felt more at ease with herself. Igniting her lightsaber, Ryshana began to go through an exercise program. In her mind, Ryshana could envision enemies attacking from all directions as she performed the exercise. To any bystander, it would appear that she was doing a particularly dangerous dance with her lightsaber. However, to anyone trained in the martial arts, they would recognize exactly what she was doing.
"Alright." Cloud said to Beryl in a proud voice. As Beryl walked away, he knew he had done good for the crew and deserved a good treat. He finished up and headed to the galley.
In the galley, Beryl reached into one of the food storage units and fumbled about until her hand felt the bottle she had hidden there. "Got it," she said, pulling out the bottle and setting it on the table.
She set out two glasses, and poured each of them a drink, then set the open bottle on the table. She figured that the fragrance would entice Nic and the others to come out to join them at some point. Corellian ale had a distinctive nutty type of smell, but it had a smooth taste and felt silky on the way down. A far cry from Juma Juice. Or any type of Jawa concoction. All in all, it was extremely tasty.
"To a job well done," she said to Cloud by way of a toast. "And to Corellia. Home port of traders, shipbuilders, and the best trained soldiers in the Galaxy."
She had wanted to go home for a while, but never pressed the issue with Nic, figuring that he would eventually make it there one day. All traders did. Traders like her brother, Rayne.
Hmm...Rayne.... Rayne might be able to unload that Jawa brew. He owns his own transport company. Surely he could find a buyer for Oliver. And, I might even be able to convince him to take the swoop bike cargo to Alderaan for us. When Nic shows up, I'll mention that to him. After I apologise to him for lying about the Headhunter, that is.
"Coreilla? Sounds nice to me" he mumbled, while he walked back to his room. He took a big gulp of one of his drinks from Dantooine, and began to sleep. All outside could hear, that he had "one of these nightmares" again.
"A toast," Cloud started. "To the Rebel Alliance for doing the right thing and standing up for freedom, justice, and other things. Also, another toast Corellia." He drank from his glass. Then, something in the back of his mind told him that Sephiroth was near. Suprised, he started to choke on his ale.
Nic walked in as he heard Cloud make his toast, he laughed quickly and continued over to the Water tap. He never knew why people made a big deal about the rebel alliance, they were small and completly fractured. The word 'Alliance' was virtually useless when talking about these rebels, they were so busy arguing amongst themselves the empire barely considered them nusance let alone a serious threat.
"Alliance is a relative term," Jana said, coming in from the other side of the room. "Until they find a leader... if they can't find a leader, they will never truly be allied. And if they're never truly allied, they've no hope of survival. The Empire is allied... all who serve do so under a common fear."
She shrugged. "I'll be in my room if anyone needs me."
She headed off that way.
As Jana marched off down the corridor, Beryl raised a solitary eyebrow.
Well...Jana sounded rather... 'snippy' just then. Hmmm? Suppose it has anything to do with Tarla or Riebe or whatever she wants to call herself these days?
She shrugged. She'd talk to Jana later.
"Erm...Nic?" Beryl started. "I owe you an apology. For lying to you earlier about the Headhunter. I know you already know that's it's damaged. But I didn't lie to you just cover up my mistake. I did it because I didn't think you needed the added worry, with all that's happened lately. I'm sorry." She paused. "I'll fix it, no cost to you, don't worry. Oh," she added brightening a bit. "And my brother Rayne runs a transport company in the Corellian system. I'm sure he could help us deliver those swoops to Alderaan. I'll contact him if you want me to."
Nic heard Beryl out and smiled at her after she finished "Firstly, ou don't need to apolgise, I'd be more worried if you never took damage, that would mean you're not doing your job." Nic paused for a second while he took a sip of his drink. "Secondly, We can use your brrother as a last resort, we may be able to get good money for the bikes on Corellia by cutting out the middle man."
Nic placed his drink on the table "I'm going to talk to Jana... But see if your brother can sought us out a discreet landing area." Nic then walked off towards Jana's room and knocked on her Door.
"Don't want to talk," Jana's muffled voice came through her door. "Go away."
"C'mon Jana, this ain't the first time someone stabbed us in the back. Remember that Rodian Coruscant, he got what was comin' to him and so will this Reibe." Nic said through the door. "Wait this is about reibe ain't it and not about us going to Corellia? 'cos if it is we ain't got much choice, we're low on fuel and whare else are we going to get some."
"It's not what happened," Jana said, her voice barely audible through the door. "It's who did it."