Having somebody making a show of unslinging their AT-4 launcher and readying it accompanied with a line like "This is our insurance" or something might be a good piece of, well, insurance. Not to mention mindgaming.

I think the line between negotiation and decompression is very thin right now. Also, they don't recognize an AT-4 as a danger to their hull.

I can still think of a few ways we could get in, but it's still gonna be damn difficult. Are there any large plastic containers, about the size of a one to two liter bottle lying around? Large aluminum cans? Canteens might work, but we'd have to poke holes in it first.

Here's my idea. We stall for Luis or Max (preferably Luis in this case, since he's got better combat skills), and in the mean time, everyone else gets healed up. Once he gets here, we send in Luis and Semo to do the job. On the outside, we wait for them to send a go-code, and when they do, Angel uses an impromptu silencer on the rifle to drop our one-man guard and everyone charges in at once. We haul ass out of the cargo bay, split up into two-man teams, and sweep the ship. I think it's doable for us, the only problem being Ngawai, but we can have her get taken back to the ship by Mellish or Max and possibly One-Ton, since I kinda want two-deep guard on her at all times. This is, of course, if we really want the ship. I think we can take it, I think it'll be useful, but it's also an additional risk and it'll make things harder with the natives. I'm beginning to lean towards showing some mercy on this one.

If you need a silencer, remember Semo's got one of the Russian pistols still.

There were 11 crew when they were out on the deck. If this guy isn't even the real shipmaster, you're looking at ten tangos at most. It's likely that there's even less, and the combat training probably isn't even equal to Leno's men.

Still, you'll end up with the cook hiding in the closest and shooting at you when you think the room's cleared, or the navigator smashing vital bridge equipment, etc. Also, Leno's vox is definitely going to be the first thing they wreck when the gunfire starts. Assume Max will have to be on hand at the Morningstar to jury-rig that hangar door.

To get Luis in, the crew might be okay with swapping people out, but if Luis walks in and just adds one more guy in the hangar, the crew is going to think the deal's off. Plus you'll have to do something to the port thugs who will probably arrive before or at the same time as Luis.

If you deal now and don't wait for Luis to make the sprint from M3, you get Leno's vox, the logs wiped (all assuming they're not going to fuck you over once you get inside), and you maybe make it out of B91 before more port guys show up.

If you rush them now, you have to kill two people inside the cargo hold access corridor. One is using the doorjam for cover and is partly visible, the other is the guy talking to you and he's back behind the first out of sight. If you don't kill them both before their action, whoever's left alive will simply shut and lock the door leading into the rest of the ship. A grenade wouldn't be a bad idea here, or grenades and bullets, or an airburst round, or all of the above. Just bullets alone will only get you the first guy on the door.

Plus at least one of the people rushing in is going to get overwatch fire unless you have them thinking you have a deal or something.

And everyone's current conditions post-frisbee:

Arketta: 4/6W 8/12S
Mellish: 4/6W 6/12S
Angel: 6/6W 9/14S
Hugh: 6/6W 6/14S
Davis: 5/6W 10/16S

I didn't think Angel or Davis have been frisbee'd yet.

I think we ought to take the deal. Once we have the vox, we can split ASAP, and that's really the goal. If we're really worried about endangering the rebel section here, they can hitch a lift with us. Is the whole go-in-shooting-in-a-blaze-of-glory really needed?

Well, I see what Punkey's thinking - he's thinking long-term. Your immediate goal might well be "leave ASAP", but in the end, if you can get this assault ship, it should reduce the trouble of getting through Imperial security later on when you're trying to get to Napai. At any other time, in any other location, the Imperials could have called for help. They could have alerted their people that they're under attack, but because this particular ship is in a shadowport they aren't going to get help. They may have said "fuck it" and sent a distress signal anyway, but there will be a significant delay and only a light response if any.

Now, to counter that line of thinking: who's going to fly the thing? If you wait for Luis to come down, you'll still have to contend with the port guys (or HE will). Once somebody with proper access is clued in that hangar B91 is fucked, they're going to reinstate the lockdown. I mean, you'd do the same if you were trying to keep some semblance of order, wouldn't you?

These proceedings are definitely on a timer.

Well, if Luis can't come down, how the hell are we gonna get back to the Morningstar?

Actually, that gives me an idea. Maybe we can propose hitching a ride and docking outside, since we're fucked if we have to go through the station. They're probably too paranoid to take off with us inside, since they'll rightly suspect we're gonna fuck 'em over. One method they might agree on is putting us into spacesuits and hooking us to an external safety line, that way we're less dangerous. (One could almost say, mostly harmless.) Then, once we're clear and close to the Morningstar for transfer, we can use an AT4 to blow a hole in their side. Best case, it sucks them out and we're already suited up to get in there and move it. Worst case, it gives us a minute or so to get in through the hole while they run damage control - then it's a hostile boarding but no matter what, we're in, suited up (so they can't vent us out) and armed. In either event, we stand a good chance of pulling that off.

Gatac

You walk out the hangar airlock into the traverse and run back to hangar M3. The trick is to do this before the port reinforcements show up.

Right now, there's nobody outside in the hallway (the traverse, I'm calling it to be awkward). The port guys no doubt have people on the way, however. If you wanted to just leave hangar B91, you could just walk out.

Is that what you're asking?

Yeah, but that's for running out now. We had the whole Ngawai thing, the negotiations now, then we still need to wipe the logs and maybe clean up our mess. I wouldn't bet my life on getting all that done without running into someone on our way back - surely the security guys can't be that slow.

Gatac

Well, they're not technically security guys. They literally have to round up a posse, so their reaction time is slow, but they undoubtedly are on their way.

Now, who's going on a ride with Davis? Arketta'd volunteer if nobody else wants to. Her common knowledge of the Imperium might be an advantage, but she's still half-broken from the fight and her actual tech skills are not up to snuff.

Man, if Max knows, then you sure as hell know the station security knows.

Damn you and your Ben-from-LOST-level Persuasion skills!

I'm lost. Things have been sprinting along so fast in the last 24 hours or so that I can't keep track. Can someone give me a quick rundown of where everyone is, what kind of agreement we made with the guys on the ship, and what our "real" plan is?

Hugh and Mellish are taking Ngawai back to the Morningstar, Semo and Angel are going to accompany the two Imperial crew members back, and Davis and Arketta are playing the part of the other half of the exchange.

The current plan is each of us take our hostages, we bug out of the station, and meet up out in the nebula. We re-exchange prisoners, and then we wipe the Imperial ship's systems.

However, we could just storm their asses, kill/capture everyone and take the ship. It's still up in the air.

Man, am I glad to not be the ones that are screwed for once.

I assume Luis is flying the Morningstar?

Where shall Ngawai be stashed, and where/what are you doing with Yero and Kemba?

Are you planning on rendevouzing with Davis, etc. as planned?

Semo will escort Yero and Kemba to the crash couches and keep them company during the ride. Once they leave the hanger and are safely on their way, he'll pull out his iPod and see if either of the pair are interested in being introduced to Earth music.

fanchergw wrote:

Once they leave the hanger and are safely on their way, he'll pull out his iPod and see if either of the pair are interested in being introduced to Earth music.

Minmei Defense!

Gatac

Gatac wrote:

fanchergw wrote:

Once they leave the hanger and are safely on their way, he'll pull out his iPod and see if either of the pair are interested in being introduced to Earth music.

Minmei Defense!

Gatac

Let's hope it's not punctuated by a barrage of eleventy-billion tiny missles.