Tobuk Chal Lanna

Posted on Sat Oct 30th, 2021 @ 6:37pm by Flight Officer Tawshiikkyrr & Flight Officer Onyesonwu Zyd

Mission: Scoundrels, Cuttthroats and Rogues
Location: Nar Shaddaa
Timeline: Day 2 at Even

Haro was covered in soot, oil and something that stank worse than both that he'd finally extricated from one of the external vents. That damn thing had been bugging him for weeks, flapping about in the deeper sections of tubing, but they'd needed time on a long enough stopover for him to strip back and get right in there. He rubbed dirty hands on a dirtier shirt and grinned.

Sure, they were pushed for time. Getting that rattling menace cleared out would give them an edge that he figured was worth it though, once they got off-world. Never knew when that extra boost of good, clear thruster power might come in handy.

He poked his head out of the internal maze and shouted for Onye. There were working their mutual way through the to-do list of 'most important things to get fixed' on the highly modifed Corellian XS Light Freighter and Haro needed an update.

"Checking off number 5 on the list!" Haro yelled. "You done with 4 yet?" Split, odds and even, had seemed the easiest way to keep track.

Onye lay sprawled on the floor next to the power core, 'scope in one hand, laser-alignment tool in the other, calibrating the power outlay differentiator she'd just installed. Half the components of the 'Chal were never designed to work together on the same spacecraft. Any engineering hack could force disparate parts together and make them work, but melding them as to operate at peak efficiency took finesse, and not a little bit of mechanical art. Another tweak with the tool, and the waveforms aligned on the 'scope. Done.

She slid out from under a console and had just replaced the calibration tools in the case, when she heard Haro's call. She'd sprinted most of the distance to his location, heart racing, before his words registered, and she slowed down. She'd spent her childhood communicating in a silent language - yelling signaled an emergency. Even after two years, Onye couldn't help but react to casual shouting, especially when it was a member of her family.

The stink hit her before she saw Haro. She signed with undisguised irritation, Must you shout?, then in standard, "Four is done. I don't want to know what number five involved cleaning." She wrinkled her nose and teased in sign, The water recycling unit may need maintenance after you use the refresher.

"You were working next to the core," Haro reminded her, and he tapped the headphones that currently hung about his neck. "All that shielding. Makes for some really great soundproofing." And signing wouldn't work long distance, he added in his own mind. "But you know I'd use a code in an emergency, Onye. Right?" He was serious, checking that their recently agreed plan had sunken in. "What word did we agree to use?" He asked her, partly to check and partly because she'd picked it.

"Pineapple." Onye said and signed melancholy-apple. She chose that word for a strangely named fruit, although she'd never seen or tasted one. She ducked her head apologetically. "You're right. I know you would use the code." My heart leaps with fear before my brain can stop it, she signed.

That's right! signed Haro, just proving he thought along those lines too when necessary. He had no idea why his friend had chosen that word, but it didn't really matter. It was something they could both remember and share simply enough. It's okay. I forgive you. He added, without telling Onye there was no need to be afraid. Right now, there truly was cause, but it was best not to focus on such.

With a wry grin, Haro looked down at his own filthiness and emphatically sighed. He was disgusting. "If we get time," the young man noted. "I'll grab a shower off-ship." He shrugged. "I just dunno how much time we have," Haro added and affectionately pattend the bulkhead. "She'll fly, but I really wanted to test the inertial dampeners again. She rolled us like a pregnant pig after Tawshii made us install that arc compensator."

Onye mimicked Haro's wry smile. "Right. We can worry about the way you smell later. If I'm going to black out, I'd rather it was from your smell rather than uncompensated g-forces when we lift off." They could lift off, but failure of the inertial dampeners could kill them if high-g maneuvers were needed for their escape. "Let's test them next."

Onye turned and headed for engineering, thinking of their little family's furry paternal figure and how they'd left him in the junkyard covering her and Haro's retreat whilst protecting Arco. She signed, I'm worried for Tawshii.

"Don't be," Haro told her, as he wrapped a strong arm lazily about Onye's shoulder and pulled her in close against his side for a fraternal hug. "The big furry guy is more than capable of looking after himself. He'll be crushing skulls and kicking butt, and he'll be here before we know it. So we better hussle..." His arm dropped back down to his side. "C'mon, we gotta get to work," Haro stated as he picked up the pace, boots making the metallic flooring clang musically.

He hooked the floor panel up with a flat-head screwdriver and stared into the organised mess of wiring.

"I've been thinking about the problem. Installing the arc compensator wasn't necessarily bad, but it might be generating a feedback loop." Onye knew Haro could fit into the space among the wiring, but her small frame meant it was easier for her. She slid down, leaving the console controls to Haro. "Let's try adjusting the compensation threshold, unless you have another idea."

Haro considered this for a moment, frowned and then nodded. It was worth a try. If she was wrong, they'd have wasted valuable time, but that went for both of them guesstimating which tactic would resolve the issue. Ship would run either way if they had to break off mid-fix.

"Call it Plan A," he agreed. He wanted to be in the wires, hands-on, but there was no time to argue about who did what and Onye was already half-invested. Ten minutes later though, they'd not located anything that indicated a resolution and Haro kicked the console in frustration. "I don't think it's the AC," he considered. "I think we knocked the back-up refresher valve off-line when we were in the wiring net." Haro tapped the screen, trying to make sense of muddy information. "Try section Delta-5? Valve's glitching out just a tiny bit. Might be wobbling off kilter when we're in motion?"

Onye signed an affirmative and began investigating section Delta-5. Remembering Haro couldn't see her, she said, "You may be right, looks like the valve slipped." She started to tighten the adjustment, but it spun in her fingertips, the threads stripped. "Better add a valve-release to our parts-needed list. I'll clamp it down for now." Not an ideal or even long-term solution. "How's that?"

"Better," Haro confirmed, the gratitude bleeding into his tone. "Much better. Only way to be absolutely sure is to actively test her though, obviously. He noted the part on his electronic 'wish-list' and nodded, despite the fact Onye couldn't see that physical expression. "It'll do," he added, quietly. "C'mon out here, what else can we tweak," he checked their list, looking for something they could work on without preventing an immediate exit once Tawshii arrived.

Onye stowed her tools in one of her many pockets, then hauled herself up to the deck, careful not to disturb the nest of wiring below. "The valve isn't the only active test on the list. The power converter has been running hot, and burning extra fuel can generate thermals that impact the 'Chal's infrared signature. And I think we should actively test that new stabilizing coil."

She gave Haro a conspiratorial smile, along with a complicated gesture - unauthorized fun. "We'll just have to power her up and take the Tobuk Chal Lanna off the ground. For testing purposes, obviously."

He considered this, weighing up the time element in testing versus the benefit to potentially fixing the converter. It was worth a try, so Haro nodded. He was just about to speak when Onye signed and followed up with a verbal confirmation of her cunning plan. Flying the ship? Haro screwed up his face in concern of such a venture.

"Tawshii won't like it," he said, loyalty to the wookiee coming first over the fun aspect. "And we don't want to risk giving our position away." Then the youth mulled the predicament a second time and shrugged. "Maybe if I switch off the transponder first, then we just power her up on the ground," he suggested, still not entirely comfy with this. "I don't think we can risk drawing more attention to ourselves than that," Haro noted, gaze a stern warning.

Onyesonwu froze – for her, the equivalent of a speechless gasp – and imagined Tawshii angry with her. Or worse, disappointed. She took a deep breath and let it out, three times. "Point taken. Tawshii may not like it, but we also don't want to be testing in the middle of a get-away if he returns with bucketheads on his tail. So, yes. Let's power her up on the ground first, and complete whatever tests we can." Onye wanted to fly the 'Chal, but Haro was right. And grounded tests might lead to airborne tests. Another thought occurred to her. "I'm not so sure we should switch off the transponder. Nothing says up to something to imps like a transport ship in an unauthorized location that doesn't transmit an identifying signal."

Haro waited for Onye to catch up, appreciating the nuances of her communication and, currently, content to let her consider their options. He did scowl at the word 'bucketheads', but didn't bother to make a bigger point than that. Not every Imp was bad to the bone, they were people just like the Rebs. Haro didn't get into that debate every time, despite the fact that - every time - his internal dialogue with himself addressed said issue.

"It's Nar Shaddaa," Haro returned eventually. "Just being in an unauthorised location would be enough, but we've got the Hutts on our side for the moment." Well, Tawshii did. At least on side enough that no one wanted him in a Imperial cell, or deceased. "I'm switching it off," he said, expression firm as his tone. "And we're not taking her off the ground unless we get a call."

Understood, she signed. Onye had seen his reaction like a shout when she'd used the word buckethead, and knew she'd transgressed. She still disagreed with Haro about both the transponder and testing on the ground, but Haro was Tawshii's second in command, and Onye was just... so very afraid that something bad would happen to either of them and she'd be left alone again. "The Hutts are on no one's side but their own. We'd be foolish to think otherwise."

"We take advantage where we can," Haro noted in response, not exactly disagreeing.

Onye was already working a solution in her head for how to make the most of the inefficient condition for testing. "I'll get started on the power converter," she said. "Can we monitor imp communications on the intercom whilst we're working, just in case?"

Haro nodded. "Thanks. I'll be at the main console, I'll patch in directly and monitor the flux." Her next question raised his eyebrow again, but he was grateful for its asking nonetheless. "Yup," he added, expression brightening. "That's a great idea, Onye."

Onye hurried down the main corridor, glanced down the access passage to the heavy laser turret as she passed it, and gestured to herself hope we won't need that today. Aft and adjacent to the sublight engines, she started testing the power converter using a feedback loop, simulating – inefficiently she signed to herself with a huff – in-flight conditions.

She wasn't happy, and Haro knew it. Pulling rank in order to keep them safe and Tawshii's ship intact was something he was absolutely prepared to do however, whether Onye liked it or not. It wasn't personal, it was simple survival. With a slightly heavy heart despite the logic of all that rationale, Haro flipped the switches to initiate comms and channel the inbound tranmissions to the TCL's internal speakers. He tapped in a couple of codes, and his own personal password and pulled up the pre-rigged channels in order to directly monitor key 'secure' Imperial communications and then set up a keyword warning system.

If anything came through about a wookiee in trouble, they'd hear it in real time.

Onye monitored the power converter modulation, keeping her eyes on the waveform displayed on the 'scope. There. An anomaly in the fifth harmonic. She increased the 'scope's resolution and made a series of fine adjustments. Whilst she worked, static crackled on the 'Chal's speakers, stuttering as it skimmed from channel to channel. Onye completed the power converter tests, which had gone better than she was likely to admit to Haro, and put her tools away just as the comms hack Haro had setup started picking up Imp activity.

She recognized a muddle of code words Imps used when conducting a raid. A young voice mentioned rebels before it was cut out. Oh, no. No, no, no. More static, then something about visuals on Kosta the traitor. That unfortunate imp Keskis and that Twilek were interrogating earlier? Onye hurried to Haro's location, listening hard and dreading what she might hear next.

It didn't take too long before the jury-rigged comm started gifting them both gold, and Haro tensed in reaction to each new piece of information spewing from the TCL's speakers.

'Blue Sector - Code Yellow - 12-99 at Jankin's Tavern.'

A burst of quiet.... then...

'.... stolen speeder headed into Hurdle's Treatment Plant...'

Haro inventively cursed and flipped a few switches to activate the Chal's drive ready. Onye had been right, they needed to move. If he'd needed any more confirmation that this particular speeder was their friends it didn't long in coming.

'Full response. Repeat Full response! Code 16-22. Confirm Subject Zero sighted.'

"Onye!!" Haro yelled as he occupied the pilot's chair and checked all the readings.

Onye rushed into the cockpit right on cue, and glared at Haro in the pilot's chair. Only, now it wasn't about taking the 'Chal up for fun - Tawshii was in trouble and needed their help right bloody now. "You should let me fly her," she grumbled, sliding into the copilot's chair. She verified Haro's preflight checks. "Why are we still on the ground?"

"You weren't here," Haro grumbled back at her, his attention mostly on setting everything up for a safe take-off. Pre-checks done, ship surroundings clear, comms good, nav-system kicking in and shields good to-go when needed. Drive online and ready to rock. "I'm working on it," he said without turning to look at Onye, and the Chal rose up tentatively at first. "I got this," Haro noted, more for himself than anyone else.

Up, turn and drift, settle into the available space, orientate and gone. Drifting out and up into the smoky mess that was normal down this deep into Nar Shaddaa's lower levels. Clunky and with a little less finesse than either Tawshii or Onye would have instilled, but Haro had them up and running now.

"Get me a fix on them," Haro demanded. "They're coming towards us, right?"

"Yes. Imps are chasing that speeder right down the drainage ditch," confirmed Onye, checking the scans. "Watch your stabilizers," she groused out of habit. Haro's lift-off was slower than hers would have been, though truth was, Haro was doing just fine at the pilot controls.

Abruptly, the speeder disappeared from her sensors. "Lost them. Tawshii must have taken the speeder into the pipes." Onye wrinkled her nose. Even after cleaning the vents, Haro was going to smell good by comparison with Tawshii and his guests. "Looks like we meet them at the other end?"

Haro didn't react to Onye's grumpy critique, but channeled his focus into flying. He wasn't a natural or any kind of ace, but when he concentrated he got the job done well enough. Steady and reliable, no finesse or peacocking needed.

A loud bleep accompanied Onye's admission that she'd lost them. Whether that was her fault or not didn't matter, all that did right now was finding them in time. "This is gonna be a real short rescue if we can't find them," Haro muttered with a wry smile, and he canted the ship hard to port. "I'll take us to the first junction, should be able to pick them up there," he suggested, already moving in that direction and only mildly scraping the hull against the edges.

The maze of pipework was somewhere he'd visited enough to know the main routes along with a few shortcuts. Red, yellow, blue and green tags for the water company were helpful, but Haro had put in the boring time to learn his way around while he'd practised the tight lines needed to manoeuvre.

"We'll find him, Onye," he promised, faithfully. "Just keep a look out - might be all we get is a visual."

Onye flinched at the mild scraping but nodded an affirmative. She was monitoring sensors and visuals; they were in position – as much as possible – to scoop up that speeder. Onye signed something complicated that had no simple translation she'd ever conveyed to Haro. But he would catch the gist - she had unswerving faith in their ability to work as a team and succeed. Verbally she said, "Let's not fuck this up."

Yeah, let's not... Confirmed Haro in the privacy of his own mind. This was on him now, win or lose, live or die and he had zero intention of losing any friends today.

As the Chal emerged from the pipes at the scum levels on the far side of the treatment plant, they could both see the serious problem below them. A line of armoured and brightly lit Imp vehicles hung poised to spring on an inbound and lonely speeder with three blurry figures inside. Even in the grim filth of the dense and disgustingly tangible air down here, the outline of wookiee in the passenger seat was unmistakable.

"Hold on tight, Onye," said Haro through gritted teeth. "This is gonna be a real fast drop-and-pick-up!"

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