Chapter 3: Fish in a Barrel
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Suggested Music: Star Wars Episode IV Soundtrack - Imperial Attack
5 Elona, 25 ABY - NRS Amity - Berchest System, Anthos Sector, Inner Rim
While Allanar was busy working the controls in the bridge, Renora and two NR troops disappeared into the engineering closet on the top deck of the Amity with the task of restoring the long range communications array. Akea Oahu remained stationed at the entrance to that room waiting for word from a variety of sources. The first to contact him again was the leader of Besh Team. He rattled off another report without even pausing for a breath between sentences. "They're prepping the troop shuttles as we speak, though they don't have hyperdrives they are a lot safer than escape pods if we need to evacuate. Blue Squadron (A-wings) is launching to get a readout of the area. Green squadron (B-wing/E2s) remains on standby. It appears the Imperial delegation is making their own decisions..." There was a moment of static on the comm before his voice was heard again. "Yes, their shuttle is preparing for departure. Over."
Meanwhile, Renora and two troops entered the engineering closet. It wasn't really a closet, but more like an endless maze of narrow corridors with cords, circuity, and pipes along the walls. The corridors were narrow, no more than one person could fit at a time and most people had to sidestep their way through. She looked to the troopers when they came to the T-intersection. She addressed the first trooper. "Go to the end of this hallway and find the power distribution units, make sure they are on and power levels are normal." The man looked at her with a blank stare, as if he hadn't heard what she just said. She looked to the second trooper. "You better go with him. It's big and orange, you can't miss it. Go!"
After the two scuttled down that passageway, she turned and went down the other, searching for a terminal she could use.
Kirkland 02:17, 11 August 2009 (EDT)
The light sais lifted into his hand and he tucked them away into the inside of his Jedi robes quickly to keep his other hand free and the weapons out of reach of his enemy. Allanar never cared much for computer systems, especially ones that weren’t working properly, but he understood their necessity and had learned enough about them to get by. He worked quickly on the sensor array console to pull up the information he read, his attention still split slightly on the seemingly passive Chiss warrior. He read over the information that the screen displayed on Rapsis III, committing it to his short-term memory as he glanced to the approaching blue planet. He spent a moment thinking about the odd time of creation for this jump coordinate, coming up with two possible answers. Either this was planned out very well, and the woman had some sort of inside help… or the system had somehow been tampered with; the former seemed the more likely explanation. Like his personal thoughts of Brakiss he pushed that aside for the moment, something to keep in mind but not the most pressing issue. He ensured that they were not on a collision course with the planet as the sensor alarm went off, quickly pulling up the additional screen. Allanar worked quickly now, a new found sense of urgency when he saw that the Star Destroyer had entered scanner range, he made a quick attempt to identify its signal, an attempt to identify if it was the same Star Destroyer that carried out the attack leading up to these events.
One success on Allanar's Computer Use roll to perform a sensor scan would reveal that the contact is an Imperial-class Star Destroyer with no identification tag. The Imperial Remnant, and most ships in general, typically supply basic identity information.
Kirkland 18:02, 17 August 2009 (EDT)
Allanar left the console for now, leaving up the information that he had displayed there so that it was readily accessible should he need to come back to it, or if the bridge crew should return to man the controls. He paced across the room as she spoke, ignited lightsaber still firmly in his grasp, though in an non-offensive position. He approached the Chiss woman with an intense, steady gaze as he moved past her, pausing as he was just behind her to make a quick strike towards her throat. The turned towards him qucikly, blocking his initial strike and lunging to retrieve her weapons from inside his cloak. With a wave of his lightsaber just infront of his body, she was forced to pull back her hand, he took a step into her body and rotated his lightsaber into a reverse grip. The two jostled for foot postioning while exchanging a short string of arm blows, finally she retrived one of her sais from inside his robe, but a strike to her wrist caused it to drop back to the floor as he spun around her body and raised the hilt of his lightsaber to make solid contact with the back of her head. The blow causing her to stagger forward and slowly turn back towards him before slowly falling backwards to the floor unconscious. He was silent until she fell helplessly to the ground, pausing as he looked down to her and spoke just above a whisper.
“It seems your friends have been here for some time. I’m afraid I cannot allow you to continue to be a threat aboard this ship however.”
Now that his opponent was completely neutralized pressed a button on his comlink, a small modern device attached to his wrist, ringing to Akeas comlink shortly after his communication with Besh Team ended.
“Master Akea. The opponent has been neutralized, I am alone on the bridge. The nav com has been damaged and an immediate jump back to our meeting coordinates is beyond my capabilities. I pulled up our coordinates, we are approaching the uninhabited water-world of Rapsis III. The destination seems unimportant outside its remoteness and general lack of ability to support advanced life. I will send our current coordinates to you and Besh Team, along with our original meeting coordinates so that a quick route back can be calculated.”
Allanar spoke quickly and clearly, military training set it and his report sounded quite similar in delivery to the one that Besh Team’s commander just submitted. After a brief pause he continued.
“On a more suspicious note, it seems that though the jump coordinates were just executed that they were entered into the nav computer yesterday. The most logical explanation I can think of is that there was some inside help, which may mean that there is another threat already aboard the Amity. Worse yet, the sensors have just picked up an approaching Imperial Class Star Destroyer that seems to be unidentified that just entered our passive sensor range from our rear. It is possible that it was the ship that excuted the first attack.”
Again Allanar would pause his military style report, allowing time for Akea to interject into the conversation if he desire, but short enough that it was clear Allanar would continue. Though as he continued the military report faded into a more obviously opinion based topic, and a seemingly less rigid speech tone.
“Given our inability to make an immediate jump back into hyperspace and our lack of long range communication to call for help I think an immediate evacuation of the delegates and other non-essential personnel may be advised. Ideally, they could launch in ships with hyperdrives and make the jump back to our original meeting point which would put them back into safe hands and allow them to send help to our coordinates. If I may suggest, you should accompany them master. Both sides may need your cool head and steady hand even upon their return to the fleet… and it seems only fitting that a historian such as yourself should be secured before a warrior like myself.”
He spoke the last part with an odd sort of humor, a sort of acceptance of the situation and the possible results, a total lack of fear of it though he clearly understood the magnitude of their present plight.
“I could remain with the repair and battle crews aboard the Amity, hopefully we can hold out until repairs are complete or reinforcements arrive. What is your plan?”
Allanar ended the transmission, waiting for a response from Akea either in the form of a personal response or a broadcast to all the parties involved. Meanwhile he quickly pressed a few buttons on his comlink to sent out the current and original coordinates to Akea’s group and to Besh Team.
--FyreFly 19:03, 17 August 2009 (EDT)
After receiving Allanar's transmission, Akea was faced with a tough choice. He was hesitant to leave the crew he'd brought to the communications bay, but this new information had changed his outlook on the plan. Calculating a new route would be more difficult for the Amity than it would be a smaller vessel, and time was of crucial importance. The Nebulon-B frigate was a sitting duck for now, and the safety of the Imperial and Republic delegates was top priority.
Akea was also forced to decide whether he'd accompany the delegates back to the New Republic fleet - if there were any other Sith behind the attack, Allanar might be overwhelmed, which would result in the loss of a Jedi and valuable Republic military resources. Ultimately, however, the younger Jedi Knight was correct - these negotiations were also of paramount importance to the Republic, and it was likely that part of this attack's very purpose was to disrupt these negotiations. The Republic could not afford to oblige such terrorism. Akea once again raised his comlink to a speaking position and flicked one of its many knobs.
"You do our tradition proud, Allanar. I have a small contingent of troops and a communications officer with me at the ship's central communications hub. I, along with one of the troopers, will travel to the hangar and leave with the dignitaries. We'll return to the flight line. I'll instruct Renora, the communications officer present, to continue trying to bring the ship back to full communicative and sensor functionality."
Oahu wasted no time in turning back to Renora, who was hunched busily of a cluster of glowing terminals and wires.
"Renora, there has been a minor shift in our plans. It appears that the Amity is not capable of making an immediate jump to hyperspace, and as such, we'll be evacuating the delegates on my personal freighter, the Leviathan. Its communication channel is at frequency 3465.68. We will jump back to the Fleet line. I have been assigned as a mediator for the negotiations which were to take place aboard this ship, and I travel with the delegates in the vein of carrying out my duties. Continue as I instructed - the sooner we are able to have the Amity's comm array functional, the sooner we can coordinate with the rest of the fleet. I am leaving the rest of these troops with the instructions to ensure your safety. A fellow Jedi, Allanar Onsai, is presently on the bridge. His comlink should be tuned to this ship's military channel. The Amity is now in his care - Fear not, he is far greater a warrior than I."
Akea nodded to one of the two troops he'd been standing outside the communications room with, and began to stride quickly toward the hangar bay. He looked over his shoulder at the remaining crew.
"Continue to carry out the patrol instructions I gave initially. The government leaders are leaving the ship with me, and Renora's safety is the top priority now. When the communications array is repaired, escort her and rendezvous with Allanar Onsai. He is a fellow Jedi, and is currently on the ship's bridge. As I told Renora, his comlink will be tuned to the ship's military channel."
He looked at the soldier to which he'd nodded.
"Your martial prowess would be appreciated should our situation turn foul. Would you accompany me to the hangar bay?"
Akea again resumed his stride, and as the indicated soldier took off after him, at something of a jog (Akea was, in fact, at an analogous pace for his species, though his graceful gliding across the ship's steel floors made the motion seem almost effortless).
As they traveled toward the hangar, Akea issued one final set of instructions.
"Besh Team, this is Akea Oahu. The Leviathan's entrance platform should be freely accessible. Board the ship and begin calculating a hyperspace route back to the New Republic fleetline as soon as possible. We will ferry the government leaders out my ship, and I will accompany them. I am on my way to the bridge presently. If possible, prep another ship as a decoy. A hyperspace jump isn't necessary for the decoy ship, but if we are able to split any fire directed our way, that alone will greatly improve our safety. Keep me updated pending my arrival."
With that, the serpent and the soldier accompanying him made their way toward the Amity's hangar bay as quickly as they could. Akea, in the meantime, continued his probe into the nearby Force fields, searching for any hint of treachery as they moved.
Dan 20:35, 3 September 2009 (EDT)
It didn't take Akea more than 20 seconds to reach the hangar. The leader of Besh team approached Akea as he entered. He had to yell over the loud background noise of B-wings launching, crews scrambling, and personnel flooding in for evacuations. "Master Oahu, the Leviathan is prepped and ready to go. The New Republic delegation is on-board. Minister Tal ordered an evacuation for all non-essential personnel and has rejected your request for a decoy vessel -- they'll likely all need to be used," he said, motioning to the incoming flood of personnel heading to the shuttles.
"What of the Imperial delegation," the soldier next to Akea asked.
"They were docked externally and fled to their shuttle. I'm not sure if it's launc--" he was interrupted by a loud rumble, causing most of the bipedal beings in the hangar to stumble for balance. Akea had no trouble keeping his. The lighting within the hangar flickered, but remained on. Besh leader did not feel the need to finished his sentence, he just smiled and looked to Akea. "You'd better hurry."
20 seconds passed after Akea's communication with Allanar (I don't mean to jump ahead, you can use that time however you wish), the Jedi Knight received another message on his comlink on the standard military frequency. It was a female voice that he gathered must be Renora, "I've got it, I've got it. Short-range communication system is back online. Give me a--." Her transmission was interrupted by a jolt of the ship, which had clearly taken a hit from something. Renora finished with a different thought, "--what was that?"
Two TIE fighters streaked across the front viewport, with only Allanar in the bridge to see it. The ISD was not in firing range yet, but their fighters sure were. A moment later, he saw two A-wings in pursuit.
Renora was interrupted by one of the guards she had sent down the other hallway. "There's no power sources down there!" he yelled. She responded dismissively, "Forget it, I've got short-range back. Go make yourselves useful somewhere else."
Kirkland 03:22, 5 September 2009 (EDT)
((My next post: Fri Sept. 11))
"Thank you Master Akea. May the force be with you."
Allanar's voice was calm and fluid, as he spoke he bent down over the body of the female Chiss warrior. He a small portion of robe to tie her hands, careful that the ropes were not harshly tight, and small strip of his robe was torn and tied around her eyes. Neither was so extensive as he would trust them to restrain a trained Sith warrior, but it was better than nothing and it would at least slow her down should she awake sooner than he wished.
In the time it took Akea to give his further orders and move to the hanger bay Allanar returned to the sensor console for the ship, keeping a close eye on the approaching Star Destroyer. No sooner had he looked down to his comlink as Renora spoke, than the ship shook obviously suddenly under attack. He looked to the viewport as the enemy fighters flew by, relieved to see that interceptors were already in pursuit.
"Stay calm Renora. The Star Destroyer on our tail has deployed its fighters, our own are intercepting them. We need battle personnel to man their battle stations. As an officer aboard this ship it would be best if you made the announcement. And what is the ETA on getting the bridge crew back here, the bridge is secure but I'm afraid I'm a bit unfamiliar with the control scheme." Allanar was determined to remain as neutral as possible and certainly was no officer in the Republic Navy, if possible it would be best to allow her to make the commands and the bridge crew back operating the controls.
"Now what is it you need to get us back in communication with the main fleet? Or even better get us back to there..."
As he spoke with Renora over the military frequency on his com he moved towards the navigation console on the bridge, a little unfamiliar with the controls he looked at them to gauge if he was able to accelerate the ship in its retreat from the Star Destroyer. Certainly any increase of speed to buy them more time out of combat with the Star Destroyer was critical to their survival.
(If the ship is not already at top speed Allanar would like to get it there if he can. Not sure how basic of a maneuver this would be. If the bridge crew is close to being back at their posts he could wait for them.)
--FyreFly 22:43, 7 September 2009 (EDT)
Akea closed his eyes and took a deep breath - the separate flight of the Imperial shuttle was an inconvenience he didn't wish to be dealing with. It had been enough trouble to orchestrate these negotiations, and he feared that if the talks did not continue now, starting them over might not be possible. He had hoped for the delegations to exit the ship together, that they may still reach an accord upon returning to the fleet line. Perhaps, however, Akea was being overly idealistic - if the Imperials trusted the New Republic as much as the New Republic trusted them, they were probably right to flee on their own. Nevertheless, tracking the location of the Imperial shuttle was paramount to revealing the nature of this ambush. Akea, heeding Besh Leader's advice, acted quickly.
"I need one capable gunner to accompany me and the New Republic officials back to the fleet line, if possible. Beyond that, the Republic would be best served if you were to assist Minister Tal in his orders to evacuate the ship's non-essential personnel. If a combat situation arises, I've left the ship's defense in the care of Allanar Onsai, a capable Jedi Knight. His comlink is tuned to the ship's military frequency. It is my intention to escort the delegation back to the fleet line and continue to attempt negotiations once we arrive. I don't know if the Imperial Shuttle will be rendezvousing with us there or not. With that in mind, my plans may change. Allanar will receive any changes in my status so long as I remain in range, and he would appreciate if you could tune him into your status reports."
With that, Akea and his gunner moved toward the Leviathan. Before snaking his way up the ship's entrance ramp, he turned to Besh team and gave a low bow.
"Your duties do not go unappreciated by the Jedi Order. You have my thanks."
Akea and the soldier boarded the Leviathan. As the entrance ramp retracted with a cold hiss, he spoke into his comlink to Allanar.
"Allanar, I am departing with the New Republic leaders. My primary objective is their safe return to the fleet line. If negotiations remain possible afterwards, I intend to begin them immediately - I hope that you are not offended by my willingness to initiate such proceedings in your absence, and it is with great hesitance that I do so. I feel time is of critical importance, however - If these two parties remain united, I don't think they should be sitting around in the same room with nothing to do," during his last statement, a hint of humor could almost be detected in the oft-serious Jedi Master's voice. He continued, "This may be a moot point, however - they departed in their own shuttle just before I arrived, and although it is my hope that they'll return to the fleet to continue talks, I don't know that they will. I'll hopefully be exiting the system soon, but if you or Renora are able to figure where that shuttle goes, its destination may be of paramount importance when investigating this disturbance. Give me an update as soon as we are again in range of each other; I'll do the same. Until then, may the Force be with you."
With that, Akea made his way to the ship's cockpit and punched in the commands which executed its takeoff algorithm. He announced through the ship's comm system,
"We're taking off, and our destination is the fleet line. There are Imperial TIE fighters in firing range of the ship, and it is my hope that our own capable pilots will hold their attention. If they do not, know the Leviathan is armed and well-armored - I anticipate that we should be able to jump to the fleet line in a short time. May the Force be with us."
As the ship began to exit the Amity's docking bay, Akea quickly set about cooperating with the ship's navicomputer to calculate a microjump back to the New Republic fleet line. While waiting for a computation to finish, he glanced to his lightsaber, hung neatly from a loop on the cockpit controls, with a slight frown. Knowing he couldn't lose focus, he closed his eyes and cleared his head of all other concerns, exerting the extent of his intellectual capability to think of shortcuts that would aid in the successful computation of a microjump route.
Intelligence 4 + Astrogation 1: 10, 3, 5, 9, 7 + willpower - 5 successes
((Basically, it's my intention to just fly out and jump as quickly as possible. If we're attacked by TIE fighters and nowhere near being ready to jump, then I'll abort calculations and take evasive/counter-manuvers. Sorry for not posting during the week - shit got crazy. ^_^; ))
Dan 15:54, 12 September 2009 (EDT)
Renora responded to Allanar over the comm, "Acknowledged,"
Only a second later, Allanar and the rest of the ship heard her ship-wide announcement. "Amity bridge is secure. All primary and reserve bridge personnel return to your stations. Repeat, all primary and reserve bridge personnel return to your stations. All weapons stations should be manned and and ordered to open fire at all hostile targets. Over."
She left the communications console she was working on and looked to the other guards that were in the hallway. "Let's go back to the bridge," she said, and they made their way there. It didn't occur to her immediately but she realized that most of the high-ranking officers aboard the Amity had been killed or evacuated. She wondered for a moment who was supposed to be in charge of the ship. She wasn't sure who all was left from the bridge crew, and realized it could very well be her that is the unexpecting commanding officer. She decided to take it upon herself until told otherwise.
Meanwhile, Allanar browsed the controls, looking for something to get the Nebulon-B frigate at least moving forward to buy them some time against the oncoming star destroyer. He flipped a few levers, but none of them sent the ship moving in any way.
Soon officers began to come back into the bridge, and Renora was not far behind them. They all took their post, including Renora at communications. Allanar listened as the Navy officers stated their system status checks and assessed the situation quite professionally given the circumstances.
"Thrusters full forward, head for Rapsis III's thermosphere. Begin calculations for an emergency microjump to the nearest empty pocket of space," Renora ordered. Allanar watched the officer hit several different levers, none were the ones that he tried himself. They should be better labeled, he thought to himself. Arrays of blinking lights and unlabeled buttons were all to common in the universe.
Renora, still manning her communications post, contacted the hangar. Allanar didn't hear what was said in her headset, only her responses. "And the status of the Imperial delegation?" Allanar noted that she didn't like the response she got, as she slammed her fist on the console. She looked up to him. "The delegations left in separate shuttles. Sensors, track that Lambda-class shuttle."
Renora turned to Allanar. "They're beginning evacuations. I didn't stop them. If we can't get jump coordinates in time, we're toast." Renora kept eyeing the chair containing the Sith warrior with caution. "If I might ask, Allanar, what do you plan to do with her?"
Time continued to pass as Allanar answered the question. The star destroyer was gaining ground but ever slower as the Amity picked up speed. They had another minute, if that, before the star destroyer was in firing range. An incoming message chimed for Renora. She looked up to Allanar once again, "It's the star destroyer," she said, opening the communications channel for the bridge to hear.
A deep, menacing voice filled the bridge. "Don't leave so soon, I haven't had a chance to extend my congratulations. The Imperial Remnant is dead!"
The Leviathan burst out of the hangar and into the fray. Laser fire from starfighter dogfights filled the screen. To their starboard side, the star destroyer in pursuit was visible. Two A-wings formed up on the Leviathan's wing. The gunner Akea brought aboard was a good idea, as he did manage to pick off two approaching TIE fighters before they could pose a real threat.
As the Leviathan distanced itself from the fray, Akea caught a glance at the Lambda-class shuttle carrying the Imperial delegation. He caught the sight just as two TIE fighters swooped in and fired on the shuttle, one scoring a direct hit on the top fin of the shuttle and sending a good chunk of it into space. The shuttle's cockpit began to spin uncontrollably. As Akea took further action, the Leviathan left the battle unopposed and held a comfortable distance between it and any hostiles in the area.
((Your astrogation roll was successful and you can make your microjump at will, after issuing any last statements you may have. You will arrive with the New Republic fleet in the position you planned, and would be able to establish an immediate line of communication with the Imperial and NR fleets at Berchest, which haven't left their original formations in the tense standoff. Include the appropriate performance/social roll if you intend to do any persuading of either side.))
((My next post: Wed. Sept. 23))
Kirkland 00:14, 14 September 2009 (EDT)
Allanar was thankful for the return of the crew to the bridge, no doubt they were far more qualified than he to operate the vessel. They were moving, but it was only delaying the inevitable unless they could calculate a jump back to the fleet line. Not an impossible task even in the short time, the nav-computer wasn't damaged and they had the coordinates where to go.
He looked to Renora as she made her report about the departing Lambada Class Shuttle. What was the Imperial Delegation doing? Maybe it was a decoy... he started to reach out with the force to sense for the life forms aboard the ship and specifically the force user who traveled with them. (Sense + Divination = 7, 5, 1 - 1 Success. )
He looked back to Renora as she spoke again, nodding slightly at her statement on their status, "Let them evacuate, we need to get back to the fleet line as quickly as possible, that is our best chance to save them anyway." He paused for a moment and looked over to the Chiss warrior. "That depends on the success of our escape. Should we successfully return to the fleet line I've no intention to cause her any further harm. I will hand her over to the Jedi Order, and let the counsel decide her fate. If we do not make it back...." Allanar paused again and looked calmly back to Renora, "I do not intend to allow her to be apart of any more of this plot."
He looked to Renora with a bit of surprise as she announced that the Star Destroyer was hailing them, looking up as he heard the menacing voice through the bridge, shaking his head slightly at the words he heard. Allanar stepped forward slowly, his mind racing as this situation just turned potentially more disastrous. Allanar needed to be two places at once, suddenly he was slightly regretful that Akea was with the Republic Delegation and leaving. He resolved himself to reply to the the captain of the vessel before dealing with the rest, hopefully he could get some help with that.
"If what you say is true, no congratulations are in order. The Imperial Delegation represents an ally to the Republic and was a part of non-hostile negations aboard this ship. We wished them no harm." He paused only briefly in his reply looking to Renora with a slight nod before he continued. "My name is Allanar Onsai of the Jedi Order, we are a neutral party here to oversee these negotiations. You quite apparently have played a part in disrupting these negotiations and have attacked both Republic and Imperial vessels without provocation. I would ask that you cease hostilities and identify yourself as well as your purpose."
--FyreFly 12:43, 20 September 2009 (EDT)
Akea took note of the Imperial fighters' assault on the Imperial Shuttle. Their demise would be a disaster, and though he had no qualms risking his own life for the sanctity of the negotiations, he couldn't endanger the New Republic leadership on a probability - after all, Akea, though more inclined than before to trust Pallaeon's denial of involvement, wasn't completely convinced the admiral's inner circle didn't have something to do with this.
Akea resolved that he must continue his flight - this situation was larger than Allanar or himself, and to attempt to address its every facet now would result in failure. His duty was the safe escort of the New Republic leaders to their fleet line, and that would be his focus. Still, the matter of the Imperial Shuttle bore direct relevance to the negotiations he'd been made an arbiter of, and if the Imperials had no knowledge of the attack, they were as much victims as his passengers. The issue bore addressing - Akea was faced with a tough decision; any suggestions to divert resources to the rescue of the Imperial shuttle would further endanger the Amity. It was fortunate that Jedi spent much time meditating on matters moral and practical; Akea wasted no time in issuing his decision, realizing the criticality of haste in the matter.
He tuned the comlink aboard the Leviathan to the local New Republic naval channel, setting the secondary dial to echo the Amity military channel, to which Allanar was tuned in.
"This is Akea Oahu - I am a representative of the Jedi Order. The Lambda-class Imperial Shuttle exiting the Amity houses Imperial officials vital to the successful resolution of today's discussion of the Bastion Accords. If they are lost in this attack, it will deal a crushing blow to galactic peace - it is my suggestion that nearby fighters turn their attention to its defense. The Amity is in capable hands, and only individuals vital to its safe return remain aboard."
((I can supplement this with a Negotiation roll at Brian's discretion if the pilots have reservations about doing this. If a military officer (e.g. higher rank than a pilot - captain or above) countermands Akea, he'll offer no retort - he doesn't mean to undermine the command structure of the navy.))
Akea could do nothing more here without infringing upon his own duties - with the issuance of his command, he jumped into hyperspace, back to the fleet line.
Upon the arrival of the Leviathan back to the New Republic fleet line, Akea was quick to hail the fleet commanders. He switched the ship's comlink to the most secure comlink channel he was aware of.
"This is Akea Oahu, representative of the Jedi Order and arbiter of the negotiations that were scheduled to take place. The Amity was attacked by an as-yet unidentified third party with whom Remnant forces claimed to have no affiliation. Our ship was temporarily hijacked and microjumped into an ambush. My counterpart, another member of the Jedi Order, neutralized the hijacker, but the Amity remains in danger. The New Republic leadership has been evacuated successfully and are aboard my ship. Details will follow upon my arrival - I am requesting permission to dock."
Without waiting for a reply, Akea quickly hailed a representative Imperial channel. Even as he waited for the hail to be accepted, he inhaled deeply and began to concentrate, knowing that this may be their only shot at negotiations.
"Greetings. My name is Akea Oahu; I am a member of the Jedi Order sent to arbitrate today's negotiations. I do not know if you have established contact with your leadership yet. Our vessel was attacked by an unknown third party, temporarily hijacked, and microjumped into an ambush. Grand Admiral Pallaeon and his retinue fled aboard their shuttle. When you establish contact with him, I would implore you to request their return to the fleet line - I cannot stress enough the importance of these negotiations to galactic peace. If these talks do not transpire today, the tension introduced by today's interruption may grow into a far greater schism if silence between the Republic and Remnant continues - this is likely the intent of our attackers. Regardless of their final decision, I would greatly appreciate a report of Grand Admiral Pallaeon's answer to this request."
Charisma + Negotiation + Concentration (1): 3 3 7 10 2 2 10 6 - 5 successes
Dan 02:41, 21 September 2009 (EDT)
Allanar felt that the force-sensitive Imperial aide was indeed on the damaged Lambda-class shuttle. It was no decoy.
There was a short laugh from whoever was at the other end of the open communication with the star destroyer. "Ah, the Jedi Order. I should have known your 'neutral organization' still meddles in galactic politics. As for you, Allanar, you live up to your reputation. It seems you had little trouble with my operatives. Don't worry, the hostilities will be over shortly." The transmission ended. (hidden roll)
The plural use of the the word "operatives" sent a chill down Allanar's spine.
Renora gave another order, "Put a timer on the main display and set it to 3 minutes." That was approximately how long it would be before reinforcements arrived, she estimated. She glanced back at the sensor screen nervously. "Can't we go any faster?" Renora asked aloud to the crew. The Star Destroyer was gaining on them faster than it should have been. The human male working the subspace engine controls responded, "One of the primary engines took a hit during the initial attack. This is as fast as we're going to get."
"Star Destroyer in firing range," the sensor officer called out, increasing the already high tension on the bridge. Agonizing seconds ticked by, but there was still no report of incoming fire. Suddenly, the silence was broken. "The TIE fighters are disengaging. The Imperial delegation's shuttle is being towed in by the star destroyer," someone called out.
"How we doing on those coordinates?" she asked the navicomputer operator.
"Almost there," came an instant response as he worked through the difficulty of not having the specialized interfaces.
"Hold the evacuation shuttles," Renora called out. If the star destroyer was going to let them get away, it would be better to have the shuttles on-board. She looked up at Allanar with an expression of uncertainty on her face.
As Renora gave that order, Allanar's danger sense flared. The crew of the Amity was again in peril, and holding the evacuation shuttles would likely result in many lives lost.
Akea finished addressing the Imperial fleet. There was a quick response, "Acknowledged, Leviathan, stand by." The was a light knock on the door to the Levianthan's bridge, and Akea opened it. It was Minister of State Shira Tal, the female Togruta. "I've requested a portion of the fleet be sent to assist the Amity. I want..." she was interrupted by an incoming transmission from the Imperial fleet.
"Jedi Oahu, this is Fleet Admiral Vikus. We received a short transmission of distress from Grand Admiral Pellaeon aboard his shuttle, but the transmission cutoff unexpectedly. We are sending a small taskforce to investigate the alleged ambush. Our position here will remain on standby pending confirmation of this event."
Both Akea and Shira were relieved that there were no knee-jerk responses from either side after the Amity left. The MC100c command ship gave Akea clearance to land. As the ship proceeded on autopilot, Shira resumed her sentence. "I wanted to thank you, you and Allanar both for your heroic efforts. The entire Republic will be indebtted to you if we have indeed thrwarted a terrorist's attempt to rekindle the war."
((You can take your next post all the way up to entering hyperspace if you choose to go back to the ambush site.))
Kirkland 00:52, 28 September 2009 (EDT)
Akea did not interrupt the Minister of State, but held up a hand and bowed his head slightly soon after she finished her thanks.
"The Jedi Order seeks no gratitude - it is our sworn duty to protect galactic peace. And, at that, this situation is not yet resolved. The Imperial delegation remains in peril, and if any misfortune were to befall the Grand Admiral and his retinue, this ambush may prove to be the undoing of the Bastion Accords. Assuming this guerrilla strike is not of their design, they are also victims of this treachery. If you would be so accommodating as to abide my absence, I must return to the Amity's location - I will ensure the safe return of the Amity, its crew, and our Imperial partners in these negotiations. I'll report my status as soon as I am able."
With that, the Minister and the serpentine Jedi Master bade farewell for the moment. As the Leviathan docked and the New Republic leaders were escorted off the ship, Akea coiled himself near the bridge in his species' characteristic meditative posture and contemplated the situation at hand. What forces were behind this attack? Could this be another Imperial fragment? If so, to truly have a Sith affiliation would make them a dire threat...
After a few minutes, the delegates had been safely transplanted to the fleet ship, it was time to head back to the Amity's zone - Akea stood with a slight sigh, looking to his lightsaber. He lifted it from the loop at the side of the pilot's console and opened a compartment in one of his wrist bracelets; he slid the lightsaber in and closed the compartment, prepared now to face a threat of the darkest nature. With that, he executed the ship's dock-exit algorithm and flicked a few controls on the navicomputer, launching the ship into hyperspace from whence it came.
Dan 12:26, 1 October 2009 (EDT)
Allanar did not like many things about the last transmission from the Star Destroyer. In the forefront of his mind was the same fact that sent a chill down his spine. What had crossed his mind, but he hoped was untrue. There was a decent possibility at least one more member of this plot was aboard the ship, though just maybe it was decoy. They had to air on the side of cation. He glanced at the timer as he moved a bit closer to Renora, speaking in a firm yet reserved tone to her.
"We may have to consider that further sabotage is possible, any security personnel that can be sparred should be dispatched to search." Allanar paused as he Star Destroyer entered firing range, though he looked less tense then most of the bridge crew. He allowed for a moment of silence during the tension, dwelling for just a moment on the man's words of his reputation... Had he put them all in further danger somehow?
Again there was no time for it, he gave another look to the timer before looking back to Renora. He closed his eyes a moment as his danger sense flared during her order. He took a deep breath to allow his mind to cool, he could not afford to misread the situation.
"Renora, I ask you to trust me... we may not have time for explanation until later... Continue with the evacuation, the Star Destroyer appears no longer interested in attacking us, but the evacuation would put them in no greater danger. This much I feel is imperative to our survival." He paused very briefly, enough for her to object if she wanted but he continued quickly. "Continue calculating necessary coordinates and charging the hyper-drive to jump back to the fleet line, but hold off as long as possible to execute the jump. If we are no longer directly under attack we should stay until reinforcements arrive. I realize combat with the Star Destroyer now would be suicide; continue to keep as much distance between us as possible. There may still an opportunity to save the Imperial Shuttle, until then we should at least remain an observer. Furthermore we should attempt to establish some sort of communication with that Lamboda Shuttle and the Delegation on board..."
He stepped back a bit as he finished his requests, they should at least continue to observe to protect against another trap and to see what comes of the Imperial Shuttle. And it would be nice to hear what was going on aboard that shuttle... The ships crew could handle that. He grew increasingly concerned about further operative aboard the ship, the hyperspace coordinates that were pre-entered, and the possibility of an inside job...
Concentration - 18 seconds. 3 die bonus to sense roll.
Concentration + Sense + Divination = 3 + 2 + 1 = 6 Dice (1 Willpower for Automatic Success.)
10, 8, 7, 5, 3, 2. - 5 Successes with Willpower Point. (Assuming 10's count as 2 successes... they do right?)
5 successes on a sense roll to search the ship and its personnel for anything that will cause further harm to those aboard the ship or the Bastion Accords as a whole. He is specifically looking for any person that might be the inside man he suspects is still aboard the ship, he also is attempting to take note of anything that might be a trap set on the ship.
--FyreFly 12:41, 1 October 2009 (EDT)
((Yes, 10's count as 2 successess. In addition, it looks like the 10 was the wild die, which would be rolled once more and any additional successes would count toward the final total. Another ten would be another reroll, adding 2 successes, etc.))
((I just realized you may have just put them in order, instead of putting the wild die first. Let me know what the wild die was (if you forgot it, you can determine one randomly)))
Kirkland 19:29, 1 October 2009 (EDT)
((It was not the wild die, I forget which one was but I marked it when I rolled them. I put them in order)) --FyreFly 12:42, 2 October 2009 (EDT)
Akea's humbling response to Minister Tal highlights Akea's thoughts, actions, and intentions that are true to his core virtue (Humility). Thus, all willpower points have been restored.
Renora raised an immediate objection to Allanar's request to launch the evacuations shuttles. "He won't fire on this ship with her onboard," she said, motioning to the Chiss woman in the center of the room. Allanar reiterated his request, and she hesitantly complied. "Order the evacuations," she said with unease.
Allanar closed his eyes and concentrated on the flow of the force surrounding him, blocking out the distractions of the chaotic bridge. Deep in concentration, he scoured the ship for any type of threat, be it a person, device, or something else. Frustration began to build as the only danger he sensed aboard the Amity was that of the unconscious Chiss warrior. There was a curious sense of confusion aboard the bridge, but no threat aboard the rest of the ship, he was sure of it.
"Hyperspace coordinates set," came the call from the navicomputer officer.
"The Lambda isn't receiving our transmissions," another officer said, referring to the Imperial delegation's shuttle.
"Affirmative, standby," Renora replied quickly. Outside the viewport, Renora saw the TIE fighters continue to retreat toward the star destroyer. Three evacuation shuttles were seen heading toward the planet with A-wing escorts, as ordered. Sensors indicated the star destroyer was still in firing range, but had not fired a shot. The Nebulon-B continued to flee to the upper troposphere of Rapsis III to give the evacuation shuttles additional cover. The ISD would have a harder time pursuing the shuttles in the atmosphere. The star destroyer actually began to slow, giving up some of the distance it had gained.
Allanar began to lose concentration as alarming images of the future flashed before him. Images of the Amity breaking up and nearly disintegrating as it made contact with water.
He opened his eyes, "Hyperspace, make the jump," he ordered with authority and urgency. The navicomputer officer turned in his chair but before he could hit any buttons, Renora shouted, "No!" The navicomputer officer paused and looked to the acting CO, Renora, unsure what to do.
There was only enough time for Allanar and Renora to make eye contact. Allanar had a look of suspicion, while Renora's was a true look of fear. The bridge was rocked violently. Sparks flew from several consoles within the bridge. Simultaneously, lighting ceased and the artificial gravity ceased. Some bridge crew were thrown from the seats, hitting the walls, ceiling, or bridge consoles. Renora was thrown to the ceiling, and remained floating there for a moment before she even realized what had happened.
Allanar was thrown off his feet but remained composed, floating in the middle of the room. He quickly realized that a volley of ion fire had neutralized the ship. The countdown showed just over a minute before all systems went offline.
Kirkland 00:18, 3 October 2009 (EDT)
((This is just a little cutscene, nothing the PCs can reply to from this post.))
When the Minister of State and the rest of the New Republic delegation entered the bridge MC100c cruiser, a holoconference had aleady been set up with Coruscant. The newly-elected president, Galnor Wynova, and Supreme Commander Micks Motobo, the Oortolan in charge of the NR military, were already present. The tone of the meeting changed when Shira Tal stepped up to the holorecorder and joined the meeting. They were certainly glad to see her alive and safely back with the fleet.
She updated them on the situation, but it was nothing the group wasn't already aware of. They had been briefed by the MC100c's captain prior to the Leviathan docking.
This was only Wynova's first month of office and he was already facing the event that could very well define his presidency. He had run on a platform of economic growth with promises to move money away from an unnecessarily large military in these times of peace. Perhaps the guard was being let down too soon. Politically, he was going to be in a sticky situation.
Borsk Fey'lya, the senator from Bothawui, was the spokesperson in the senate for the growing group of war hawks, those senators that wished to use the New Republic's overwhelming military might to crush the Imperial Remnant once and for all. The group started a small wing of the senate but grew after the signing of the Bastion Accords. Wynova was not affiliated with these senators, and tensions between the two wings reached new heights when Wynova narrowly defeated Fey'lya for the NR presidency. His opponents at the time forewarned that Wynova's pacifist attitude and his "war of attrition" strategy was going to weaken the New Republic and give the Empire a chance to regroup.
Galnor reasoned with himself. This was not the time to be thinking about the political rammifications of his actions. He was the Chief of State of the New Republic and he was determined to do what must be done to protect the Republic, and his reputation.
Wynova spoke up, addressing one of his aides, a Sullustan. "Nevil, draft a senate resolution declaring war on the Remnant but do so in secrecy. Draft a second document condemning today's attack and the group responsible. We will then present one of these to the Senate when it is clear who is responsible for the attack."
He turned his head, looking at the Oortolan. "Commander, put the military on high alert. I want all available attack fleets, 3rd, 5th, and 7th fleets to be in position to attack the planets of highest military value to the Remnant, save Bastion." Bastion was their capital, and heavily fortified, in all of their battle plans it was always assumed that Bastion would be the last to fall in almost any scenario. He continued, "Draft your plans for an all out assault and occupation. Have SpecForces and the Army lined up and ready."
Shira Tal's expression said more than any words could, and Wynova spoke to her concerns before she could say anything at all. "This is all precautionary, but if it turns out the Remnant is responsible for these attacks I want to waste no time putting an end to this once and for all. Remember, the Senate will have to approve any act of war, retaliatory or otherwise. Right now we are all giving Admiral Pellaeon the benefit of the doubt, because this simply isn't his style."
The politicians would need more information from the two Jedi handling the Amity situation before any decisions would be made. Decisions that could shape the future of the galaxy, for better or worse.
Kirkland 01:34, 6 October 2009 (EDT)
Allanar recovered his balance from the shock of the ion blasts quickly, floating in the bridge of the Amity he spun his body to look towards Renora. He could not help but look to her with a certain suspicion after her choice to delay the hyperspace jump, now it seemed they might be doomed to plummet to the water. He didn't have time to pry deeply into her mind, he would have to trust his last check of the ship. As he regained his bearings the emergency systems of the ship started to click on one by one, illuminating the bridge with the dim glow of the emergency lights. He looked calmly to the countdown that now ticked under one minute, he released a long breath as he remained calm and started speaking.
"If we do not sustain another volley, how long until we regain control of the essential systems?" He spoke firmly, still looking to Renora but intentionally speaking loud enough for most of the bridge to hear so that the best equiped person would respond. "The atmosphere of that planet is approaching quickly, we should not assume that the reinforcements will have the time or ability to rescue us as long as that Star Destroyer is present. Send out a distress signal, if we can't get or engines back before we reach the atmosphere a full evacuation will be necessary."
"We have maybe five minutes before we complete our belly flop into Rapsis 3, half that time at best before we're too far in to save the ship..." Allanar spoke as he righted himself, a little push from the force sent him gliding slowly in the air towards the Chiss warrior. " We have now less than a minute before reinforcements arrive and less than 2 minutes to get our engines back. If that can't be done, then I suggest we make for the escape pods... Unless anyone else has a bright idea..."
Allanar reached the Chiss warrior who had floated up until colliding with the ceiling of the bridge, he gathered her carefully before pushing off and shoving them back to the ground. He righted himself once again, though there was still no gravity on the ship and looked about the bridge as the crew gathered themselves and scrambled back to their stations. He glanced to the timer, keeping in mind that they had about a minute longer before they needed to recover engine systems to save the Amity, waiting for a response from the crew and suddenly a bit more willing to override Renora's command if it was needed to save the ship.
--FyreFly 21:59, 15 October 2009 (EDT)
Renora kicked off from the ceiling and floated back to the communications post. More and more controls began lighting up, and after a few seconds even the lights kicked back on, illuminating the chaotic bridge. Personnel floated about, some getting back to their posts, others lifeless victims of the initial ambush. Renora, perhaps more quickly than Allanar expected, called out, "We're evacuating."
Allanar hesitated, treating every word of Renora's with suspicion. He allowed her to continue ordering the evacuation. The Imperial Star Destroyer could still be pursuing them, and if it fired even one more time, the ship could be torn to shreds. He stood motionless, concentrating on her thoughts as she worked at her console trying to restore the systems. In less than 10 seconds, the warning klaxon began, a siren familiar to all the ship's personnel as a call for full evacuation. Allanar continued concentrating and began to probe Renora's mind for her intentions. He was debating leaving the Sith with her, as his X-wing did not have any extra space for a passenger.
As crew began to scramble for the escape pods, Renora climbed over the comm console and began to float toward Allanar. She said to Allanar with urgency, "Come on, we have to get out of here!" but Allanar hardly heard her as his telepathy attempt bombarded him with her thoughts.
Best not to leave the Sith with her. She had a clear affection for the Sith warrior, and desperately wanted to make sure no harm came to her. They were definitely acquainted, perhaps more so. Renora had no intent of malice toward the crew or Allanar, and the only hint of darkness was a great amount of fear he felt within her. It didn't strike him until now, but they even looked a little bit alike.
It was a combination he would not have expected from a Sith's accomplice. It was all very puzzling, but there was little time to analyze it further as the ship continued to drop from orbit.
The starlines faded from the cockpit of the Leviathan revealing the familiar sight of Rapsis III. The area where the ambush occurred was empty, save for the scattered debris from a few starfighters that lingered in that area. There was no sign of the star destroyer that terrorized the Amity, and at first glance, no sign of the Amity either. Akea feared the worst, but just for a brief moment. Sensors picked up the Amity in the Rapsis III upper atmosphere, and plummeting.
Times are now synched up, you can establish communication.
Kirkland 16:00, 20 October 2009 (EDT)
Akea emerged from hyperspace, and after absorbing the situation, surveyed the Amity's descent sadly. If indeed the ship was lost, he'd already broken one promise to the prime minister. He was determined not to break any others.
Immediately, he set the Leviathan's autopilot to the Amity's present coordinates. Following a quick order to his ride-along gunner to keep an eye open for any TIE fighters, he narrowed his focus on the Amity.
Akea preferred not to cheat destiny, but he was willing to accommodate it. Knowing that the next few moments were critical, he hailed the Amity on all frequencies and paged Allanar's comlink with the same message, as he was unsure at this point what channels still worked and what channels had failed. The Dur Sabon's voice was unmistakable, and needed no introduction. Cognizant of the fact that others may be listening, he kept his status report intentionally vague. He spoke quickly - each second counted.
"Allanar, my passengers are safe. If the Amity is beyond salvation and you must carry out an evacuation, I can receive at least five passengers. The attackers seem to have withdrawn. The Imperial Fleet remains in their prior position, and the shuttle carrying our guests remains unaccounted for. What is your status?"
While Allanar issued his report, Akea looked to the Force for guidance - their actions in the coming seconds would be definitive in the outcome of today's events.
Akea uses the Force Power Prophecy, attempting to look into the future of the Amity and its passengers, with a particular focus on Allanar, his Sith opponent, and Renora. Realizing the gravity ((hehehe ^_^)) of the situation, he spends a willpower point. ((Unfortunately, I'm assuming there isn't time to use concentration. Akea certainly wouldn't risk it if there was any question.))
Sense + Divination: 1 10 1 4 8 8 6 4 + willpower point = 5 - 1 (wild die) = 4 successes"
Dan 02:09, 26 October 2009 (EDT)
((Is the first die listed the wild die? If so, it's only 4 successes.))
Kirkland 10:37, 26 October 2009 (EDT)
Allanar nodded in a sagely manner at Renora’s urgent words, calmly analyzing the situation. The seeming heightened danger of Renora’s thoughts and affections seeming to make him more deliberate and patient. Though her ordering of the evacuation was quick, it was probably called for, arguing would be pointless. The haste of the order provided him more time to work out the logistics of their evacuation and escape.
“Be calm Renora, we will all make it out of here alive.” He spoke as he adjusted the Chiss warrior in his arms, he had her comfortably resting over one shoulder and one arm held her in place. He glanced back to the timer on screen as he started a brisk walk behind Renora. As they exited the bridge the familiar voice of the Dur Sabon chimed n from his comlink…. Just in time.
“It is good to hear your voice my friend.” Allanar replied back directly to Akea’s private comlink. “The Amity is too far into descent to be saved, the remaining skeleton crew is evacuating now. The Imperial Star Destroyer captured our guest’s shuttle with a tractor beam; a volley of ion fire disabled The Amity.”
Allanar continued to walk briskly alongside Renora towards the escape pods, the Chiss intruder resting on his shoulder. He turned away from his com for a moment to speak softly, but firmly to Renora. “Renora, could you please ask the most senior remaining member of your security staff to join us aboard our escape pod. We’ll be joining Akea aboard his ship shortly after launch.”
He paused briefly as he watched her reaction, raising his com back towards his lips before speaking. “Master Akea; Renora, The Intruder, a member of security, and myself will be evacuating the ship via escape pod at the starboard-aft of the ship. If you would be so kind as to pick us up immediately after departure, we’d all be rather in debt to you.” Allanar paused again briefly, looking over to Renora to be sure all was going according to plan. “Evacuation should be without difficulty, I would expect no additional casualties as a result of the crash; The Republic Fleet will need to arrive to gather up the other survivors, but all should be well equipped to make it till then. We’ve arrived at our escape vessel, we’ll see you shortly.”
Allanar didn’t hide his suspicious thoughts of Renora incase Akea was attempting to pick them up. Though he didn’t broadcast them either, he did not want to split his concentration nor did he completely distrust her yet. He felt that something else was amiss. Allanar paused at the open entrance of the pod; letting Renora and the security officer who had joined them enter first. Allanar entered next and secured the Chiss with safety harnesses, before he took his own seat, securing himself just before the pod launched.
He spoke quietly into his comlink as they launched from The Amity, "R2 launch from the hanger bay and stay clear of Rapsis III as well as The Amity. Increase power to the sensor array and keep me informed of our surrondings."
--FyreFly 19:40, 28 October 2009 (EDT)
The hangar of the Amity was empty, save one fighter. Allanar's StealthX fighter sat motionless in a hangar that was eerily quiet. Upon the orders from his master, the R2 unit within the fighter started the engines and pre-flight checks. Shortly, the StealthX fighter had taken off and headed into space.
Aboard the bridge, the final preparations were being made to evacuate. Many of the other pods had already launched. Allanar strapped the Chiss warrior securely into one of the seats before securing himself in the seat next to her. This pod seated 8, and it was going to be at full capacity. A naval trooper joined the group as Allanar requested, along with some other bridge personnel. Renora was the last to board. She stood at the foot of the pod as the others strapped themselves in. She took one last look at the bridge of the Amity, checking to make sure that everyone else had abandoned ship and taking one final hesitating moment. She pulled down the lever and the pod door hissed shut.
She took a seat across from Allanar and strapped in. This seat had a console in front of it, where the others did not. Her fingers glided across the keyboard as she keyed in the launch commands. "Here we go," she said, and only seconds later the pod lurched away from the Amity. The G-force on the launch was more than most of the crew was used to, and there was an audible unease from some of the crew. The view was breathtaking to those that could appreciate it. The Amity drifted further and further away, with the greyish blue cloud cover of Rapsis III as the backdrop behind it.
Renora felt, and looked, as if she was going to be sick. The human male bridge officer sitting across from the Chiss warrior was looking at the wounds on her leg. "She's going to need medical attention," he said aloud. Renora looked to Allanar and responded, "Does the Leviathan have the appropriate medical facilities? She might be better off on the command ship."
Meanwhile, as Akea Oahu closed the distance between his ship and the escape pods, other ships began to exit hyperspace. A small line from both the New Republic and Empire emerged near the same vector Akea had entered, as expected. There was lots of comm chatter between the escape pods, evacuation shuttles, and the New Republic fleet line as they began to coordinate the rescue effort.
Akea's prophetic vision was somewhat comforting, given all that had happened. The crew escaped mostly unharmed as the evacuation went without a hitch. The Sith warrior remained unconscious aboard the escape pod, which Allanar had under control. As for Renora, he sensed that there was more to her than met the eye, but he couldn't put his finn on what it was exactly that made her stand out from the others.
Akea began to approach the escape pod and prepared for it to dock.
Chapter 3 Concluded. Experience Awarded: 5.
Your next responses will begin Chapter 4: Measured Success.