Wearing one of the new necklaces and a matching ring, Jileeza heads to a dataport for a little snooping. It takes a little while, but she comes upon one interesting entry. Seems the Empire isn't doing as well on Salust as they would like everyone to think.
Say, doesn't Wayde have some personal interest in Salust?...
'Za retreats to a cafe, where she relaxes with a bite and a beverage. When Wayde's announcement comes over the commlink, she snorts in amusement, spewing a mouthful of her beverage across the table. Several other patrons give her odd looks, but she ignores them.
Taking note that Wayde is headed back to the ship, 'Za decides to head that way as well. As she walks, she toys with ideas for games she can play with the stormtroopers...
Arnae picks up his own comm and adjusts the frequency. "It's Arnae, and I read you loud and clear. Thanks for the heads-up, Wayde."
With a sigh, Arnae stands up from the tiny desk in his cramped cabin, leaving his castle of sabbac cards in-progress at three levels high. He tromps out into the lounge and keys the intercom.
"Okay, guys. We need to do a quick top-to-bottom of this ship. If it's contraband, illegal, or strongly frowned upon, then pick it up, walk off the ship, and chuck it off the platform. Reyes, I need you to rig a chemical sniffer and make sure we're clear of that particular substance we had that encounter with. Can you do it?"
Wayde jumps in the closest turbolift, making his way toward the Chance. As he descends down to the docking level, he elaborates on what just transpired in the Urbani's office,
"...and I'd advise that you be ready for anything. Odds are Lt. Briggs is monitoriing the security channels. He may just drop in and throw a hydrospanner in the works. The ship should be ready to jump out of here if the need calls for it."
A few holovids of Gran porn. A carton of indeterminate brown glop in the galley. Some of 'Za's perfume that Reyes' sniffer wasn't too sure about. All are lost to the whirling winds of Bespin just before the docking platform blast doors cycle open, admitting two squads (16 stormtroopers) with a elongated blue crate floating behind them (presumably the scanning equipment). Four troopers split off in perfect time, two guarding either side of the blast doors. The remaining 12 walk double-file down the platform, where the orange-shouldered sergeant calls out, "Who's the captain of this ship? I have orders to scan her for contraband. Please advise your crew to exit the vessel and place their hands on their heads. This is for their own protection."
Following the Imperials onto the landing platform is Erit, the anti-grav'ed plants still obediently following him. he looks over the the contingent of stormtroopers, then walks over to their commander.
"Pardon me, good Sir, but may I inquire as to what you are looking for?"
A few moments later, the docking bay doors hiss open once again to admit the Rodian member of the crew. "Mmm... Look at all these 'troopers. I so love a man in uniform."
The two stormtroopers guarding the inside doors to the platform look at each other, with as bemused an expression as you can get inside a white plastic suit.
"Thank you, ma'am, but noone goes out to this platform right now. Just move about your business."
---
Inside, the sergeant addresses Erit. "Are you the captain of this ship, sentient?"
(note: he says sentient like an Alabama cop might say "is this your car, boy?")
Erit straightens a bit upon hearing the term "sentient"; no sense in getting angry at something as pitiable as a bigot.
"No, Sir. I am merely Radow Erit, a member of the crew. I believe you are looking for Captain Arnae Maddock, the current commanding officer of the Second Chance."
It occurs to 'Za that it might be valuable to have someone on the outside. Perhaps taking her time out here will pay off.
Jileeza pouts. "And I had heard the view from here was spectacular. Oh well, I don't have any big, strong man to share it with," she says with a touch of sadness.
Turning, she wanders off back down the hallway. She will try to find something innocuous to do within sight of the docking bay doors.
Something innocuous presents itself shortly in the form of Lt. Briggs, flanked by four more stormtroopers, with yet another long blue crate floating behind them, walking with a purpose towards the doors to the Chance's platform.
The two door guards move to block the blast doors as Briggs and his men get to about 15-20 feet from it.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?! Move right now or you'll be cleaning out Ugnaught tunnels for the rest of your miserable lives!" Briggs screams at them.
---
Outside, the sergeant just stops noticing Erit and walks up to Arnae. "Captain, we have authorization to scan your ship for contraband. Any complaints should be taken up with Imperial Customs." Then, to two troopers minding the blue crate, "OK, let's get a move on. Squad 1, watch the crew. You two, with me. Move it!" The sarge, the two troopers with the crate, and two more start walking up the ramp into the ship. The remaining 8 on the platform just stand where they were, watching the group.
The turbolift doors hiss, Wayde stepping out before they fully open and making an expeditious advance towards the Chance's docking bay. He unfastens the safety strap on his blaster, knowing that the question is not if, rather when he has to use it.
Upon seeing the Stormtroopers at the bay's outer entrance, he puts on his Sergeant's game face and walks towards them in a military manner...completely ignoring them as he goes for the door.
"I'm sorry, sir-" one of the beleaguered troopers tries to say -
"Trooper!" Briggs screams at the guy. "This man is part of that ships' crew. He has a right to be present when his ship is scanned!" Briggs looks at Wayde and ... did he wink?
Oh. So -that's- how you're doing this? Well, two can play this game.
Wayde gives Briggs a Sabbac-faced look as he walks by the Lieutenant and towards the ship.
"Damn right, thank you Lieutenant."
Getting about halfway between the Chance and the station door, Wayde does an about face and looking at Briggs with some feigned apprehension and uneasyness at the scans about to be done.
"Lieutenant. Is this going to take very long? We have drydock time scheduled on Sluis Van and you know those snakes don't like to be kept waiting..."
Wayde throws back to Briggs the Wink-Wink-Nudge-Nudge-Know-what-I-mean innuendo.
Seeing Wayde's arrival, Jileeza glides in right behind him as though she were there the whole time he approaches the door. She will follow him inside and keep going when he stops to turn around - if she gets that far.
"Hey-" the stormtroopers on the other side of the door begin to say as Wayde (and 'Za) stride past them, followed by Briggs and his men. Briggs stops to dismiss the four door guards, physically shoving the last one out the door and cycling it shut. "We're under orders from-"
"Tell it to the seat of my pants, shellhead," Briggs sneers as he hits the lock code for the blast door.
"Look, guy," Briggs replies to Wayde's "concerns". "I don't care where you're headed. I'm here to clear up this misunderstanding before people get arrested." The way he says that, Jileeza thinks he might be referring to himself rather than the Chance's crew...
In the main leisure area of the ship, the troopers have unloaded various scanning machinery from the blue crate and are hooking them up. On the platform, the eight stormtroopers watching the group have had their attention split between "watch the crew" and "who the hell are these new guys?"
Quote: from admiralducksauce on 4:18 pm on Mar. 12, 2004
"Look, guy," Briggs replies to Wayde's "concerns". "I don't care where you're headed. I'm here to clear up this misunderstanding before people get arrested
(Taking Briggs aside in a bit of a huddle)
"No, you look...buddy. I know that your friend Urbani knows that you're lining your pockets with Spice but he has no hard evidence to prove it. As far as I'm concerned, that's between you and him and I really don't care. Corruption was rampant when I was in the Service and I knew many a lowly lieutenant who retired very rich generals..."
Wayde eases up on Briggs, lightening his tone and demeanor.
"...That being said, the shipment you were eagerly awaiting is currently being divided up amongst the Spice dealers of Tatooine right about now. I suggest you let the shellheads do their scan and then we all walk away from this with the understanding that we're a bit indebted to eachother...your retirement fund remaining a secret and my crewmates not doing 15-20 in an Imperial detention facility. Oh...and lastly, our visit to station never happened. Right?"
Lt. Briggs takes the news pretty well, considering the mountain of spice he was going to retire on just vanished forever.
"Ta... Tat... Tatooine? Why is it on Tatooine? Why would it be there? The Gran said he was bringing it here straight from Rodia. Where's he? Do you people even work for him? Oh, no..." Briggs is nearly panting, and his forehead's beading with cold sweat. "Oh, no... no, you don't understand... that... that sp.. spice has to go to people."
He starts pacing now, a few steps up the platform, a few down, lost in frantic thought.
---
In the cockpit of the Chance, the holo blinks to life with the "incoming message" signal.
--- Imperial Customs
"Sir, I have a status report from the investigation of that ship on platform 34."
"Yes, yes, out with it, commander."
"Sir, the force I sent down there says that Lt. Briggs and a second scanning crew are on the scene with several of the ships' crew. They've locked the blast doors."
"This is ridiculous. I don't care what it takes, I want those doors open. I want that ship quarantined. I want Briggs in binders. And you better have it done before I get down there."
*gulp* "Yes, sir... er... what about the ship's crew?"
"Don't be so bloody stupid. They're obviously pirates. Shoot them in the head and throw the bodies off the docking platform."
Jileeza does her best to follow the conversation, without appearing too interested. It seems this Lieutenant is in WAY over his head. At least they now know where that spice shipment they sold was headed, she thinks. Too bad for Briggs.
It occurs to 'Za that things could get ugly soon. After all, if Briggs gets mad enough, he may try to kill or capture them. She begins to surrepticiously look about for some cover to dive behind.
Quote: from admiralducksauce on 5:08 pm on Mar. 12, 2004
Lt. Briggs takes the news pretty well, considering the mountain of spice he was going to retire on just vanished forever.
"Ta... Tat... Tatooine? Why is it on Tatooine? Why would it be there? The Gran said he was bringing it here straight from Rodia. Where's he? Do you people even work for him? Oh, no..." Briggs is nearly panting, and his forehead's beading with cold sweat. "Oh, no... no, you don't understand... that... that sp.. spice has to go to people."
He starts pacing now, a few steps up the platform, a few down, lost in frantic thought.
Wayde grabs Briggs' arm.
"Keep it together, LT. We can help eachother out..."
Think, Wayde...think.
He looks around at his options, perking up at the sight of Briggs' squad of Stormtroopers.
"Ok, those troopers are with you, right? Odds are your little seal the blast doors trick is going to raise suspicion up in the control tower. Either way, it looks as if none of us are getting out of here easy."
Wayde sizes up the situation.
"Alright, I think I've got a plan. You (thrusting a finger into Briggs' uniform) are coming with us. Order your troopers to hold the line as we get aboard the ship. They are to fire at any Imperial entering the docking platform..."
(gesturing for Briggs to walk with him towards the Chance)
"...While their figuring out what the hell's going on in those cloned brains of their's, we'll be taking out the boarding party."
(Palming his comm-link)
"Ladies and gents, we'll be leaving now...and I guarantee it's going to get ugly..."
fanchergw
