Rebellions Are Built On Hope

Posted on Sat Oct 22nd, 2022 @ 1:59am by Lieutenant Kor' de'leia & Flight Officer Tawshiikkyrr & Flight Officer Onyesonwu Zyd

Mission: Scoundrels, Cuttthroats and Rogues
Location: Tobuk Chal Lanna
Timeline: Day 5 at 1000

As Haro hurried out of the Chal's cockpit, Onye initiated a broadband jamming signal. She was dealing with a sentient opponent, so subtle infiltration was useless since she didn't need to worry about triggering an automated response. Problem was, broad coverage was thin.

Onye noted the barriers her counterpart had instantiated to interfere with her access to the station's systems. They were good, but not too much for her to handle. The main problem - there were a lot of them. She took each one down one at a time, whilst incorporating the feints and parries of each dodge code into a program that would weave through similar blocks next time.

She had three barriers left when Onye caught the incoming comms transmission. She tried to focus the jamming signal, but the other slicer quickly nulled the effect. Onye relayed the conversation to the comms system speakers in the docking bay, so everyone there heard it. She kept working while they listened to the two imps – apparently cadets – talk to the commander of an Imperial Star Destroyer.

OOC: This conversation is at the end of post "The Power of Command"

Onye engaged her headset and spoke to Haro, Tawshii, Kor, and Melvyn. "You heard that, right? We have less than three hours to get out of here. And... the station has an infestation of stone spiders, whatever that is."

She slipped through the last barrier and signed Yes! to herself. Into her headset, Onye said, "I've got access to the station computer again, but not shutting down comms. Damage is done and no advantage to letting the Destroyer know we're in."

To her surprise, a ping came through from the other slicer, [Hello do you read me?]

"Oh yes, I read you," muttered Onye. This must be one of the Imperial Cadets that called for help and probably sent the drone robots.

Onye keyed a reply. [We aren't pirates, Imp. Rebellions are built on hope and we are the HOPE the Empire can never destroy. Stay out of our way and we won't harm you.] Well, probably not… if Melvyn caught them, he might attempt to convince the others. [Where are you now?]

[I am inside of the station control room.]

"Right where that slicer can still cause plenty of mischief. What can I say to convince them to leave?" [You should find somewhere safe. Hide in an escape pod until your commanding officer gets here.]

[No I'm not alone, I am in here with another Cadet from one of the Imp academies, the ruined shuttle is ours.]

Onye looked up to find Haro looking at the screen over her shoulder. "Is Tawshii all right?"

All caught up on the text conversation, Haro exhaled slowly as he let his emotions run roughshod over the traded words. Something deep within bristled at the use of those words - Imp. Rebellion. - but he kept that thought internal. There were good and bad on both sides and he had insufficient power or influence to change the universe.

"Yeah," Haro finally answered Onye. "He's angry, but he'll be okay. I've patched him up and he wants to get us the hell outta here. How we looking on dropping the defences so we can get the Chal free?"

Hacking remotely, opposed by another slicer working from the station control room would take her more time than they had. She'd have to ask that other slicer for help. Onye chewed her lower lip. They were acquiring new and possibly unreliable allies so fast.

Over the Chal's comms Onye said, "One of those Imperial Cadets, the slicer, has opened a line of communication. I think she wants to avoid that Imperial Cruiser as much as we do. But if we want her help, I'll need to at least offer to take her with us off the station."

"Onye," Haro stated, aware that his adoptive sister was multi-tasking, but still a little tetchy at her lack of response to him specifically. "We can't trust anyone here. They're more likely to delay us than help us. Can't you slice the controls without them? It's a blast door..." Emergency override should be a factor, Haro considered. This was basically a breakers yard but safety margins still existed. Right?

Onye replied to the other slicer. [You would be welcome to escape with us, but our ship is trapped. I will need to open the blast doors, either with your help or without your interference.]

Recalling how the other cadet had done most of the talking in that transmission with the Imperial Cruiser, Onye added another text. [Are you safe? Do you need help?]

Still being blanked by Onye, Haro initiated a search into the systems via his own terminal, working alongside Onye's own investigations but specifically seeking out the emergency protocols, escape routes, vectors and shutdown procedures.

Over comms in the Chal's cockpit, they heard Kor. "Onye. Can we tap into the Imperial server and see if they have any fit ships they are planning to recycle?"

The other slicer hadn't instantiated any new firewalls, that was a good sign. Over comms, she replied, "On it." Onye called up the station's inventory of work orders, listing specifications and cataloging disposal justification for each incoming ship scheduled for recycling, on both her workstation and Haro's, along with station schematics. It appeared the station's incoming backlog was located in the same general area. "There are several potential ships. We can guide you to the location. Are you able to get to the next level down from your current location?"

A heavy exhale and Haro sent Tawshii a private message via their commlinks. The wookiee responded immediatley (outside Tawshii was pacing moodily back and forth) and Haro rolled his eyes. He had a bad feeling about this, and nowhere else to go, so he put on a set of headphones and began to type.

Onye got another text message from the person she hoped was a rebel ally. [I'll see what I can do about the blast doors give me a few moments to undo my work, give me a couple of minutes. Yes we are fine for now.] After a few moments, she continued. [Blast doors should begin to open soon, it'll appear like there's been a cascade system failure to my associate.]

Over comms Onye said, "Update on the blast doors. That slicer says she's working on opening them. Also, even though the slicer seems to be an Imperial defector, it sounds like the other cadet is loyal to the Empire." Onye chewed her bottom lip. If this was a trick, or the other cadet stopped the slicer, she was going to need to scramble hard to hack into the system and open the blast doors herself.

"I'm not leaving it all to the unknown 'defector'," Haro stated for the record, the marks about that last word audible in his snarky tone. Fingers danced across keys, going the long way round, through standard Imp OP. "If they don't do what they say they're doing, I'll get those doors open," he promised. Wouldn't be the first time he'd played games with an emergency override and this was relatively low level. It would take him longer than Onye could hack the system, but sometimes slow, steady and legit was a good option too.

Onye's gaze met Haro's, but before she could reply, Kor's voice came over coms. "Acknowledged. Do what you can."

Onye focused on her adopted brother and took a mental step back. "I hear you, Haro, You're right. I, uh…" At a loss for words, she signed, I want to believe that strangers can be allies, I really do. But what if this is all just a stupid, suicidal, and risky? We need ships, but not at the cost of our lives. Trusting these random people – this slicer - just because they say they're against the Empire? I don't want you or Tawshii to get hurt. She looked at the monitor, at Tawshii who was already hurt.

Kor's voice resumed over comms, "Does the Hacker have a plan to join us, if we can find a way to get off this rock?"

"Is she serious?!" Haro asked Onye, privately.

The blast doors started to open. Just as the slicer in the control room had promised, the system barriers they'd implemented were down. Onye initiated her own lockdown, putting the 'Chal's computer in control of the blast doors.

Onye replied to Kor's question via comms, "I don't know how the slicer plans to join us. We have control of the blast doors now, so we have a way off the station. This hacker's help could still be some kind of trap. I suggest they meet you at the target ships' location, unless you have another idea." Onye swallowed, she had started to make friends with Kor and Melvyn, but barely knew them, and this endeavor was already a disaster. She held Haro's gaze as she continued over comms. "Tawshii, maybe we should consider aborting? Cut our losses and get out now, before anyone else is hurt, or killed, or captured."

The return roar was thunderous, impatient wookiee displeasure wrapped about the shyriiwook words to leave Onye (and Haro beside her) in no doubt of Tawshii's current vibe.

"We're not the boss of him," Haro helpfully translated, leaving out the cussing and colourful additions to that expressed sentiment. "And, yeah, we're leaving. Kor - we'll hang around and keep watch, cover your ass, but leave it too late and we're leaving." There was a loaded pause. "Don't be too late, k?" Haro pleaded kindly, his question backed by the stomping of wookiee feet on the Chal's metal ramp. "Onye, clear the route. Let's get outta here..."

Onye initiated pre-flight verifications, smiling at Haro's tactful translation of Tawshii's shyriiwook. She fully expected that Tawshii would want to pilot them out of the station himself, unless his injury was worse than he'd let on.

Guilt prickled along her spine. That Imperial cadet had helped get the blast doors open, and even though Haro was right, they could have done it themselves eventually… Onye still felt she owned that slicer something.

Onye sent another message to the cadet in the control room. [Thanks for your help. I'm sending you the location of ships queued for recycling on the station. Check the schematics, some are still in good condition. Choose one and get off the station.]

Tawshii took up his position in the pilot's chair, allowing Haro to remain where he was as co-pilot. The big wookiee growled affectionately at Onye, then offloaded a bunch of muttered curses and a pained yowl. Kor, in his opinion, was taking on unnecessary risks with these untested and clearly dangerous new individuals, but Tawshii also couldn't help but be a little impressed with the Shistavanen. He flipped the relevant switches, checked the systems and - confirming that Onye's pre-flight had been solid, then had the Chal sitting on a dime ready to go in seconds.

Over comms they heard Kor say, "Onye, do you still have access to the station inventory? I need the three best ships that can fly. Guide us to them."

Onye had already been looking at the inventory. She replied, "There are several potential ships. Looks like two strike fighters, a shuttle, two couriers, a light freighter, and a gunboat. All in the same general area, scheduled for recycling but flown in under their own power." She transmitted a map guide. "You should have access to the station schematics on your wrist portable. Your path is marked on the map by green dots. But, be careful, if there are obstacles or if there've been structural changes since the last schematic update, your path might not be clear."

Kor replied via coms. "Good job Onye. We will see what we can bring home."

"I'll review the decommission reports and try to determine the condition of the available ships. You wouldn't want to steal a ship that isn't space-worthy," said Onye into comms.

To Haro and Tawshii, Onye signed, Pre-flight checks are done. I'm ready to get out of this trap.

Tawshii grumbled something that neither Haro or Onye could translate, and then pushed the two levels forwards, flipped the ship gently upwards from the decking and into a lazy turn that fired them into a slow curving roll back out into space. All three of them kept their eyes and ears peeled for trouble, while Onye and Haro's senses were focused back on any data leaving or occuring within the repair station behind them.

To Kor, Tawshii grizzled a (mostly) supportive confirmation that he was out here, he was watching and he'd hold anyone inbound off until their own safety stood any chance of being compromised. He was willing to help, but not to jeopardise the Chal's reputation. Kor was one rebel amongst many that the wookiee needed to keep afloat if they were to stand any chance of damaging the Empire.