Embers of a Republic [IC]

[Caewil]

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Almost a thousand years of war have worn the once grand Republic to a shadow of it's former strength.

Thousands of frontier Republic worlds are partitioned between fractious Sith Warlords. The Senate passes ever more desperate measures, bartering away ancient liberties in a bid to gain ground against the Sith.

Billions of refugees are impressed, producing ships, armor, weapons and thousands of bodies in uniform to feed the titanic war effort.

The Jedi, onetime keepers of the peace, are now at the height of power in war and reviled by the common people they once served...

As the stars wheel away, the darkness reveals a small speck of light glowing between worlds. An asteroid? No, a ship, it's fusion drive alight. Greyish, ungainly and awkward, it is a chimera of different styles of construction. It carries several thousand souls through the darkness of space. It is a refugee ship, unwillingly bringing beings fleeing the scourge of war to camps and training centers where they will be conscripted. Stamped on the ship's side in white and red paint is it's name, "The Bastille", in honour of some long dead Jedi hero.

Aboard, the spaces where the conscripts live are cramped and claustrophobic. This was once a cargo ship, and the hangars and sections have been partitioned to create quarters for the conscripts with little more than cloth and frames of plasteel. Brightly colored cloths are hung to create doorways, scraps and remnants of a once prosperous life now used to restore a bit of life to their drab quarters.

Above them, the servicemen on the ship sleep in proper quarters. But even they are cramped for space, with four men to a room, they sleep and work in shifts. Here and there, small nooks and corners have been converted into clandestine gaming rooms. They play sabbac and tell jokes, lit by the glow of fusion lamps, the main lights turned off to conserve power. After a brawl with some conscripts, the ship's only bar has been closed early and tempers are frayed...

I'm having trouble finding the maps... So I'm going to describe the ship a bit.

There were about five levels in the original ship, but the massive hangars have been re-designed and separated to create extra floors. They're stable enough to live on, but aren't build into the superstructure. Basically a lattice of struts and scaffolding covered with plates of plasteel and metal.

The original floors of the ship are in better condition, being stronger and having built-in emergency lights leading to the escape pods in case of emergency. There aren't enough escape pods for all of the refugees, but there are safety vehicles stored at the lowest hangar of the ship.

These can be gotten to only by a series of cramped passages. When they are ready to launch, the ship's hull is programmed to detach completely to release the shuttles and hopefully providing a temporary shield against enemy fire.

[SuperCracker]

Kal Orta

Kal Orta is present on this gloomy ship. The Council distrusts him for speaking out against the tactics of the Republic-- tactics the Jedi endorse. They lead cold, emotionless lives, cloistered away from the very people they claim to protect. Kal has refused to do so. He set out to find a way to win this war without resorting to the same tactics the Sith use. In return for his compassion, he is called dangerous.

It was around then that he started having the dreams. He fights together with a Sith against a Jedi Master. Each wield red lightsabers. The Master falls. Kal feels a sense of accomplishment.

At first, he was terrified that he was truly dangerous... and that he was destined to turn to the dark side. However, now, Kal isn't assuming anything. Perhaps there is a reason why he is going to do this. Maybe he won't do it at all. Only time will tell. If he continues to do what he believes is right, then there will be a purpose.

So, for now, Kal is out to stop the Captain and discover who aboard this ship carries the taint of the dark side.

Generally, Kal is trying to be as kind as possible to the refugees, and earn their trust. (I'll make persuasion checks if necessary).

He is also currently trying to find a way to communicate with the Jedi Council, to tell them what the Captain is doing and strip him of his command.

As for the dark siders, he will go for them when clues present themselves.

[Caewil]

Spoil any OOC comments and dice rolls when you make them please.

Now, where do you want to go? There are several floors for the refugees and the Captain is either in his quarters or on the bridge. To locate the presence of Force Sensitives will require Use the Force checks opposed by them. You can also try to gather information from some of the servicemen.

[Drolyt]

Auron has been uneasy ever since the confrontation between the conscripts and the servicemen, and not only because of the injustices. He has begun to suspect that something is wrong on the ship, though he can't quite put his finger on it. He decides to see if he can't gather some information from the crew.
[roll0]

[SuperCracker]

Well, I'm not looking for the Captain himself. I'm looking for some form of holonet communication. So, first, I'll Use The Force to try and sense the other ones. Then I'll attempt to persuade a soldier to tell me where I can get communications.

Use The Force- Sense other Force users: [roll0]
And Use The Force as Persuasion [roll1]

[sdeligar]

Daka Ray wasn't to happy when he learned the Captain was cutting back on the refugee rations. It wasn't like the fat bastard couldn't afford to lose a little weight and certain members of the crew weren't exactly malnourished. In fact Daka Ray had decided to do his part in helping the good caption with his weight problem and was well on his way to the storage compartment that safeguarded the captains personal stock of food.

Quietly moving down to the end of the corridor. Reaching for the force he checks for any other signs of life before continuing to storage.


Stealth [roll0]
Force: [roll1]

[Anansi33]

With the bar closed and nothing else to do, Jaryn Vox, an experienced soldier and troubleshooter, wanders the halls of the ship, absentmindedly thinking about how good it would be to have a drink right now. Leaving those conscripts out to dry with no medical help just didn't sit right with him and he needs a stiff drink to help get his mind off it. Going where his feet take him, Jaryn finally notices himself standing on a hanger-deck turned impromptu living quarters for the refugees. Heading to the closest refugee, he asks, "Hey friend, know a place where I can find a drink on this rust bucket?"

[Caewil]

Kaylith and Daka will need to make Use the Force checks to oppose Kal's attempt to sense them. Kaylith's holocron grants her a +5 bonus to prevent him from directly pinpointing her location.


If Kal Orta's attempt succeeds, he will detect Daka as he nears the storage compartment. Since any further actions will likely depend on that success or failure, I won't post until it has been determined.

During this era, the holonet sytem is in a state of disrepair, so it is unknown whether the ship is within range of a working beacon. As a Jedi, Kal has the security codes to pass his messages as high-priority and already knows where the holonet room is, so the persuasion check is unnecessary. (remember, he already sent one message to the council)

Auron wanders the ship, but fails to find anyone willing to tell him anything of note.

Jaryn, make a persuasion or intimidate check. The refugee is currently unfriendly. The refugees don't have access to alcohol except at the currently closed bar; at least legally.

[Rane126]

Sven

Sven wandered the corridors of the ship to give himself a chance to cool off. The young ensign had thought he was being funny in front of his crewmen when he uttered the unwise words in a loud, arrogant tone. "Infantry are only good for two things; lying and dying." He was wrong. Not only did the words silence his crewmens' chuckles but it sent Sven over the edge. He'd reacted badly, instantly in the snotty little boy's face, his armoured bulk forcing the ensign to retreat a step off balance. He'd managed to stop short of driving his balled up fist through the kid's head. Striking an officer would never do. But overall, he'd snapped and that was bad. The lack of sleep, the nightmares were taking their toll.

The words bounced around in his head over and over. They were just words, they shouldn't matter, the ensign shouldn't matter. But it had been a long trip since his locator beacon had resulted in being picked up by the Bastille. It was barely even a military ship, more of a refugee hulk. The captain had probably been looking for some leverage with the Republic, preferred contracts or something, bolstered by picking up some army boys. How his face had fallen when the rickety old shuttle doors had opened to reveal a lone survivor, not even an officer, a lowly grunt. All that fuel and time spent on the detour to no gain.

Sven had been treated alright though. Even with the captain's disappointment. He'd been set up in his own room, a luxury on the overstuffed ex-freighter. In return he'd started drilling the conscripts, pushing thoughts of the last batch he'd trained from his mind. These boys, and girls, would do better, they'd have the skills to survive ingrained deep, if if took the hate of the whole lot of them, they'd survive.

Sven found himself aimlessly walking towards the crew quarters' canteen. He decided to get some chow. The crew ate adequately, not like the conscripts who were now reduced to half rations for some obscure reason. That was not Sven's concern though. It would toughen them up, prepare them for their lives in the armed forces. It would do them good in the long run.

He sat down on a bench, away from a small group of navy ratings and unhooked his helmet from it's resting place on his belt. He placed on the table beside him and lent his shortened rifle against the bench. He pushed the food around the plate, not really hungry. Usually he ate with the gusto of the common soldier, with efficient movements, shovelling bite after bite into his mouth. You learned to take advantage of food when it was there, you never knew when it would be gone and the next meal an age away. Not today, the words echoed in his thoughts as they turned to the nightmares and the last mission for which the intel was so horribly wrong.

[SuperCracker]

Kal Orta

He heads to the holonet room, checks to make sure no one is eavesdropping on him, then attempts to contact the Council through his high-priority channel.

[sdeligar]

Force check [roll0]

[Caewil]

I'm going to write the holonet room scene shortly. Kal Orta doesn't sense Daka until after he gets there, for the sake of making things more interesting.

I want to know where Kaylith is first though.

[Anansi33]

Persuasion
[roll0]

[Caewil]

Jaryn Vox

"Bar's closed," the man replies drily "an' we're on half rations. There isn't anyplace to drink, not for us."

He continues angrily, "Why are you asking anyway? Hoping to find someone with a stash? Give them another reason to crack down on us? Two of my friends are bleedin' in their tents... No? Then just leave. Maybe you'll have better luck with the crew."

Persuasion successful. The refugee is now indifferent.

[Akisa]

Kaylith has mostly confided herself to her room cleaning her rifle or reading a novel whenever she is not on duty and seldom talking to anyone. Ever since she had joined the crew she had to exhibit outward exterior of an "ice queen" and quite frankly she was already sick with it. To make matters worse the cramp living style has prevented her from practicing in using the force for fear of her roommates from walking in on her and blow her cover. Though she does have a strange sensation that another force user is on board and begins to wonder if there are any around her.

UTF to avoid being sense [roll0]
UTF to sense other force users [roll1]

[Anansi33]

"Hey now, I was just looking for a place to get a drink." Jaryn says, temper rising, "No need to get testy. I'm sure we don't want a repeat incident." With that, he starts to turn away, when a thought hits him. "Waaait, you said your friends are hurt? I have some first-aid knowledge, maybe I can help... for a drink.

Persuasion
[roll0]
Here's hoping for another good roll.

[SuperCracker]

UTF to remain undetected: [roll0]

[sdeligar]

Now to avoid Kaylith [roll0]

[Caewil]

Jaryn Vox

"I don't have any drinks, and we don't need your help," the refugee replies brusquely.

As he walks off, Jaryn sees some of the other refugees passing unfriendly glances in his direction. A few others appear merely curious, but he is suddenly conscious that walking around here with all of his gear may have been unwise. Before he can leave, he hears a loud groan of pain from one of the tents.

A middle-aged woman emerges from the tent. She looks harried with exhaustion. Jaryn recognizes her as one of the ship's medical staff, although it's unlikely she's here under the Captain's orders.

Kal Orta

Kal enters his passcode into the console, but the comm remains non-functional. The words "Error 503" flash on the screen before the comm refreshes. Frustratingly, it then refreshes the signal again before displaying the error message.

Make a Use computer check. The Republic does not make it's software user-friendly.

Daka Ray

As Daka easily avoids a guard on his way to the storage room but is immediately put on guard by what he sees on the door. A second plasteel panel, white and fresh looking, sits to the right of the door's access switch. The security had been minimal the last time round, a simple key-combination. The new panel glints menacingly, it won't be so easy this time around.

Knowledge (Technology) or Mechanics will tell you how it works. (DC 10 knowledge, DC 15 mechanics) If you pass the check, Daka knows that it requires a specific code cylinder, though he won't know who carries it. The check will also tell him that there are no alarms attached to the panel, it simply locks the room. You may make a Use the Force check to ask whether a course of action is a good or bad idea in the short term.

[Anansi33]

Damn, I'm never coming down here again. No beer or nothing. Glaring at the refugees that give him dirty looks, Jaryn nonchalantly walks up to the woman and half-mutters, half-blurts, "I think we should get out of here, the refugees don't like 'our kind', I guess, even after I offered to help."

[Rane126]

Sven

Sven pushes the finished plate away from him. As little appetite as he'd had, it would be a crime to waste food on the Bastille. He checks his chrono and decides that it might not be a bad idea to pass through the conscripts' quarters to see that the atmosphere has cooled off somewhat.

He gets up, slings his rifle and hooks his helmet back on his belt. Dropping his plate off at the kitchen he heads down a few levels to the refugee's area.

[sdeligar]

Muttering under his breath he leans forward looking closely at the new lock. He had never much liked or trusted tech and this was one of the reasons why. It only seemed to protect the people that didn't deserve it.

He considered the device careful and tries to remember if he had ever learned about something like this at the Jedi Temple. If he remembers he will search his feelings to decide if it would be best to open the door. If he fails then he will search his feelings to decide if he should just cut the door open with his lightsaber.


Knowledge [roll0]
Force Check [roll1]

[Caewil]

Jaryn Vox

The woman gives Jaryn a bemused look. "Our kind? Pardon, but I'm a doctor not a mercenary. I didn't ask them to pay me with alcohol either. Lon told me," she snorts. "I'm Dr Marie Isidore, by the way."

"You have some medical expertise? I've run out of painkillers and frankly, the man needs a Kolto injection. I could 'repurpose' some from the medbay but... You said you wanted to help? If you can get me those, I'll get you your drink."

sdeligar: Both rolls fail. Daka has no idea how it works or whether cutting down the door is a good idea.

Akisa: Kaylith is unable to sense any other force users.

Rane: Sven arrives in the same area as Jaryn Vox by plot-conincidence after this conversation passes.

[Drolyt]

Convinced that something is amiss on the ship, Auron decides to check on the refugees to make sure everything is ok and that they aren't being treated too badly.

[sdeligar]

I'm going to use a force point and apply the roll to that force check
[roll0]

[Rane126]

Sven

Sven turns the corner to see the security force leader talking to the ship's doctor. They stop talking as he approaches along the corridor. "Doctor, Captain," he acknowledges them as he approaches. "Is everything alright?"

[Anansi33]

"Jaryn Vox." Jaryn says to Marie after she finishes introducing herself.

Jaryn recognizes Sven as the new arrival they picked up when he enters the conversation, and replies, "Yeah, everything's fine here, but the refugees don't like us very much." Scratching the back of his head, he quietly adds, "Even when you try to help them."

To Marie, he states, "I have a medpac with me, would that have enough kolto and painkillers for him? I don't exactly want to raid the medbay for people being ungrateful..."

[Caewil]

The doctor replies to Jaryn, "Yes, the medpack should cover it. But did you really expect them to be grateful? Some of them were seriously injured by men working for your employer. Everyone's heard what happened next, they were taken to the medbay and these men were left... Some of them remember you being there. Secondly, asking for a drink from people who barely have enough food does not constitute 'help'. Maybe you don't realize it up there, but even before the latest cuts, there wasn't enough to go around."

The dice are not with you, sdeligar. Drolyt, Auron arrives about now.

[Drolyt]

Auron walks slowly around the corner and notices Sven and Jaryn. He speaks with a blunt, matter of fact tone. "Well, what have we here? The head of security and a soldier down here with the refugees? How unusual." He turns to the refugees. Doing his best to sound concerned he asks "Is everything alright here?"

[Caewil]

You do recall that Jaryn is your commanding officer, right?

[Drolyt]

Yeah... I mean, I would have to if I knew he was head of security, since you wrote it in the same place. What part are you objecting to? If you think I'm being rude, well yeah, I'm a Mandalorian, I'm not super polite, although I am loyal and honorable. If it's more the fact that I don't defer to him, instead referring to him like I don't even know him, Auron doesn't really respect Republic authority. He works with Jaryn and might even respect him on some level, but he doesn't really recognize him as a superior. He just needs to make ends meet.

[Rane126]

Sven

"Doctor, do you know how many refugees are on board the ship? Are they all the conscripts or are there families here as well? I have seen a number of the recruits, but I have little concept of how many beings are here. Perhaps I can look at what would be considered adequate and minimal for the number of beings and take that assessment to the Captain. Availability of food is a top deriver of unrest. He'd do well to seriously consider his cuts to provisions and the effect it will have on repeated events of disorder. Maybe he'll be open to some advice."

[sdeligar]

He couldn't make heads or tails of this stupid device and the force didn't seem very talkative today so he was left on his own. In the end he decided that those refuges needed the supplies to much for some chunk of metal to stop him.

Checking to make sure he is still the only one in the area he quickly pulls his lightsaber from it's hiding place and cuts through the locks then returns it to it's hiding place.

[Anansi33]

"We're just talking to the nice doctor," Jaryn says toneless to Auron, motioning to Marie with one hand, while fishing the medpac out from the small of his back with his other and hands it to her. "Here you go, hopefully they won't think the Republic is all bad."

[Akisa]

Kaylith sighed as she was feeling too bored staying in her room and has decided to gather her equipment to show up for her post early. Kaylith prior to leaving her room took a deep breath so she could put on her cold exterior front. Kaylith wasn't thrill to 'spy' on the refugees but job is a job and although when she rounded the corner she was shock to find her boss was there though she attempted not to look it.

"Sir, I believe I was assigned to patrol this area..." asked Kaylith wondering what's he doing here.

[SuperCracker]

Sorry, been busy lately. Rolling use computer. Prepare for epic failure.

[roll0]

[Caewil]

Marie shrugs, "I wouldn't bother trying to convince the Captain. I've already severely damaged my promotion prospects by objecting. The total number of refugees? I can't give an exact number, we're constantly picking new groups and dropping them off. Twenty thousand would be my estimate. The life support systems can reliably support up to thirty thousand. There are whole families here but the ration cuts don't apply to noncombatants."

She accepts the medkit and begins extracting it's contents with practiced efficiency. "Thank you, this should be enough for now. Maybe we'll see about that drink later..."

Daka Ray's lightsaber slashes through the device and the locks surrounding the door. Suddenly, it throws up sparks and there is the smell of burning electronics. Within seconds an automated alarm blares and the corridor sprinklers begin spraying the area with water.

[Rane126]

Sven

"The ration limitation is only for the troops? How long has it been in effect? A short time will do them some good, prepare them for the future. But too long will make them ineffective. Not that they can be considered effective right now. There are a few promising talents ther though."

[Drolyt]

"Don't joke. A real warrior knows how to survive on low supplies, but those aren't warriors. They're just lambs for the slaughter in your Republic's endless wars."

[sdeligar]

Daka Ray

Cursing he pushes the door open and hurries inside. Making sure his cloak is still in place he quickly looks around the room hoping to find any useful supplies he can grab quickly and run. Food, med kits, blankets, anything that would help the refugees.


[roll0]

[Rane126]

Sven

"I wasn't trying to be funny son. And it's my job to make sure those lambs turn into wolves. Don't think I take that job lightly. But discipline is paramount, a short sharp lesson about the consequences of rioting might be in order, but as we said, too long and it becomes detrimental."

[Drolyt]

Auron laughs. "Good luck with that. But you at least have some guts, to argue with a Mandalorian. Still, discipline won't help if they aren't strong."

[Anansi33]

"Looking forward to it," Jaryn says to Marie with an uneasy smile, wondering if he ever will see that drink.

"Okay, enough of that," Jaryn says assertively, turning to Sven and Auron. "Everybody has a different opinion on the refugees and I don't want you arguing about it down here where they can hear you."

[Drolyt]

"Fair enough. Since I'm here, is there anything I can do to help?"

[Anansi33]

"I don't think so, they want food or med supplies, and I don't think you'd want to give it to them out of pocket. We'd better just get back up top... Unless you have any ideas?"

[Caewil]

As Daka hurriedly pulls aside a crate of supplies he finds a treasure-trove of luxury goods stored for the Captain's personal pleasure. Premium caf, dried fruit and meat and bottles of spices.

[Rane126]

Sven

Sven accepts Jaryn's point with a nod. "I'm going to head down and do a round, I'll wish you all a quiet evening."

He leaves the small group and walks the corridors deeper into the old cargo hold, checking in on the refugees, hoping that the sight of him will calm any frayed nerves.

[sdeligar]

Daka Ray

With a triumphant smile he quickly grabs as much of the meat and fruit he can carry then heads for teh door hoping he can get far enough away to hide before anyone shows up.

[Caewil]

As Daka exits the room, he hears footsteps running toward him.

Stealth check vs [roll0].

[sdeligar]

Daka Ray

Hearing the footsteps he quickly tries to shift his loot into a more comfortable position as he looks around for a place to hide

[roll0]

[Caewil]

Two republic servicemen barrel down the corridor, one of them carrying a fire extinguisher. Both stare at the recently-cut hole. Despite his attempts to hide and the poor lighting, one of them makes out Daka's figure.

"Freeze!"

I'm adding partial concealment from the sprinklers and poor lighting, but that's not enough, unfortunately. (you need partial or full concealment to use stealth anyway) They can't see your face properly, so if you get away they will have some trouble identifying you. Aside from the fact that you're disguised. I will treat the disguise as having taken 10.

[sdeligar]

Turning to look at the two he doesn't hesitate as he quickly points down one of the corridors speaking frantically.

"You have to hurry! When I came to check the alarm a man dropped this and ran down the corridor! You have to hurry and catch him before the captain finds out! I'll stay here and clean this up."


Miind Trick [roll0]
If I need to I'll spend a force point to get them to believe me.

[Caewil]

"Yeah, we have to find him, you stay here and clean up," the soldier replies.

"Jon, what am I supposed to do if we find him? Spray him with my fire extinguisher?" says the other soldier.

"Uh.. Right. You stay here and clean up then."

Mind trick only works on a single target so I got rid of the soldier who was armed.

[Rane126]

Sven

Sven does a turn around the refugees' area before pointing himself towards the crew decks once again. As he makes his way up he runs in to Kaylith. "Hello again. Kaylith isn't it?" he says as he approaches her.

[sdeligar]

Daka Ray

His smile falters slightly as only the one leaves. He needed to think of a way to get rid of the other now. He really didn't want to cause more problems by getting into another fight. He was just glad none of the conscripts had heard the alarm.

"I'll start putting these back maybe you should go and get something we can use to clean up all this water before it ends up doing more damage."


Spending a force point to regain Mind Trick and using it on the last guy.
[roll0]

[Caewil]

"Right, I'll just go get a... Thing."

Success, he goes away to do as you suggested. The alarms have also stopped by now.

[sdeligar]

Darrin

Letting out a slight sigh of relief he quickly heads for the refugee's already considering how he should get this items to everybody.

[sdeligar]

((Alright I'm assuming nobody else is getting in my way so I''ll past again to try and get things moving again.))

Daka Ray

He breaths a sigh of relief as he reaches the the converted cargo bay. Though confident there wouldn't be any guards patrolling the area he still keeps a close watch as he makes his way to the wounded refugee's and their families.


perception for any anybody paying to much attention to him(hint hint)[roll0]

[Rane126]

Sven

Kaylith is obviously busy and Sven move son through the refugee area towards the crew quarters. He stops as a breathless young man rushes towards him. "Slow down there, what's the rush?" he says.

[sdeligar]

Daka Ray

He mentally kicks himself as the merc notices him. Was the whole ship trying to get in his way or something?

Doing his best to look like the overeager teenager just trying to give a helping hand he looks up at the man. "Sorry..I was asked to deliver some stuff to the guys who got injured. But I think I kinda got lost..Think you could point me in the right direction?" He puts on a lopsided grin while kicking himself about making such a mess.


Persuasion check if needed [roll0]

[Rane126]

Sven

((OOC: Mercenary? Who's a Mercenary?))

Seeing through the hurried attempt at bluffing him Sven holds out an armoured hand. "Alright young man, stop. What exactly are you doing? And no made up story this time."

[sdeligar]

Daka Ray

((Sorry couldn't remember who is working as what and to lazy to check.))

He wasn't to surprised the lie hadn't worked he never was very good at this stuff. "The truth isn't all that different Gunny. I'm getting these items to the injured refugees then I'm going to go and try to pretend I'm just another regular teen running around on this ship. Why don't we leave it at that so you can go back to your job and I'll do mine. You aren't Navy this won't have any affect on you."

[Rane126]

Sven

Sven gives the young man a long stare, finally he pulls his arm out of the way. "Where did you say you got those supplies from again young man?"

[sdeligar]

Daka Ray

He returns the stare as best he can before he smiles slightly. "It was donated by some concerned crewman. Unfortunately they might have a bad memory and forget their moment of generosity." Trying to move past him he continues towards the nearest injured refugee.

[Rane126]

Sven

Sven doesn't move to block the young man from heading down the passage way. "If I were you, I'd go that way," he points down another corridor. "There's the security team lead the way you are heading."