The Rock

[DM Nerdred]

The stench of a hundred alien species living in tight quarters fills the dilapidated spaceport. Life here is tough, every day someone is killed or injured, whether by accident or on purpose is hard to tell.  From a few old locals you’ve learned that the Rock was settled long ago, maybe by the Duros who first discovered hyperspace, or maybe by some long lost species.  Ever since then someone has called this place home, but it seems these days that the scum of the galaxy prefer this shit-hole.  The Rock was used during the Clone Wars briefly but later abandoned, only the rats remained.

You remember your starship was attacked by pirates and forced to flee into the Minefield, ion cannons disabled the engines leaving the starship adrift in the astroid field.  You managed to board an escape-pod before witnessing the destruction of the star shuttle by an asteroid collision.  Later, you and several other survivors were taken back to the Rock.  A well dressed Kel-Dor named Holon Veil welcomed you and the survivors.  You were given a brief tour of the facility and shown to communal quarters for the time being.

The Rock is roughly 16 kilometers long by 8 kilometers wide.  Most of the spaceport rings the inner perimeter of a massive crater 1 kilometer in diameter.  Various starships and materials were used to create living quarters and other sections needed to operate the spaceport.  The Rock may have been a nice place once but now more resembles a junkyard hobbled together.  Within the center of the crater is the main control tower and docking port, where starships can safely enter a large landing bay protected by an energy shield.  Below ground, a sprawling tunnel network connects the control tower to the rest of the spaceport that rings the crater.

There are a few daily routines that happen here.  The spaceport operates a small fleet of tugs to push away incoming asteroids.  A few tugs and space-worthy ships will leave on extended trips to scavenge the myriad of wreckages within the Minefield.  Laborers will seek employment in the mines to carve out more sections of the Rock and mine for minerals.  Thugs collect fees from small businesses for protection.  The cantina operates around the clock and offers a wide array of entertainments, including illegal but profitable death fights.  The main landing bay is always busy repairing or modifying starships and processing the days collection of useful parts from the tug ships.

[MK-L1G "Long"]

Long plays his master's hologram again, and gives a low Binary groan. This is horrible.. worse than horrible. He is literally stuck between a Rock and empty space. He has this final command to carry out and no way to do it. He decides that maybe he can go eavesdrop in the Cantina.. they've always failed to notice him there in the past... silently he begins to roll down the passageway for the Cantina... looking like any other droid on an errand.

[DM Nerdred]

Long takes the most direct route through the underground tunnels beneath the space-dock to get to the cantina.  He strolls along carelessly past the junkies shooting up 'stardust' in the dark corners, oblivious to a group of Holon Veil's security forces violently extracting rent from a Zabrak, completely uninterested in a couple of Humans engaging in semi-intercourse next to crates of cromium6.  He passes an XS-800 in terrible need of repair on the space-dock, and barely registers an archaic super battle droid unloading dead lifeforms from the ship as he goes to access a computer terminal.  He asks the computer if Dez Synn is working at the cantina right now......"Yes: 1200-2000 hours"..... With this information he knows his odds of not getting kicked out of the cantina have risen considerably.  Flik, his former master, had paid Dez a total of 575 credits for biological companionship on 15 separate occasions within a 30 day period.  This, Long surmised, meant Flik 'had a thing' for Dez and she was as close to a friend that his master had, excluding Long.  His thought process was momentarily distracted by a Basilisk yelling at one of the docking authorities...

"Here take your lousy credits but if you touch my ship I'll blow off yer hands!"

[MK-L1G "Long"]

Disconnecting from the access port, Long takes advantage of the momentary distraction of the Basilisk yelling at the authorities to capture a quick holo-image of the battle droid.

I need credits to carry out my instructions. Even without Flik to negotiate a better price, perhaps I could find one of his buyers, who doesn't know of the accident yet. Those old battle droids can be in high demand here in the Outer Rim. Process that later, it registers as high risk, only a last ditch contingency. I am not yet that desperate. For now I just needed information, and to avoid other Rock-ites realizing Flik is gone. If they realize I am 'master-less'. Best to keep a low profile, or be seen as a rolling pile of spare parts. Long lets out a Binary whimper.

Wait, XS-800, those were hyperdrive capable. Long turns back to the computer terminal and attempts to pull up any manifest or repair log for the ship.

[OoC first a Use Computer - Improve Access check [1d20+11] = 9+11 = 20 followed by a Use Computer -Access information check [1d20+11] = 3+11 = 14]

[DM Nerdred]

The computer is friendly to you and it takes about a minute for the computer to pull up the requested information. This is what it gives you.

........Ship Manifest.......

Ship: XS-800 - 30.2m, 115mt cargo, crew2+8, Hyperdrive x3, Double laser cannons
Call sign: "Wild Card"
Purpose: Repairs (unspecified)
Cargo: Parts and goods
Owner: Captain Sunt, Ubi
Crew/Passengers: Unknown
Arrival: 1313
Docking fees: Processing

.......End........

It seems the ship has just arrived 15 minutes ago. While you were accessing the information you could hear the Captain order the super battle droid, "Rusty," to guard the ship. He leaves the docking port in a bit of a hurry.

Ooc - I misspelled his species its "Besalisk"

[MK-L1G "Long"]

Now knowing that the ship is indeed hyper-drive capable, at least on the manifest, and knowing the captain's name, Long determines that it might be a good idea to find out more of their business on the Rock. He disconnects from the computer terminal and follows this Ubi Stunt, trailing at a discreet distance. As he trails Ubi he will stop and routinely connect to various access ports in the colony system, not to do any actual activity, but just so that if Ubi ever looks over his shoulder, there is just another maintenance droid doing what drouids do.

[OoC Stealth [1d20+15] = 11+15 = 26 and if needed Perception [1d20+9] = 4+9 = 13]

[DM Nerdred]

Long thinks the Captain fails to notice him. Before the Captain passes through the double sliding doors of the cantina Long notices three thugs follow him in, a Talz, Gand, and Rodian. It seems you're not the only one to take interest in this Captain.

[MK-L1G "Long"]

Long knew where this was heading, a wealthy (comparatively, he owned a ship afterall) captain was a tempting target for the baser elements of the Rock. His behavioural modifications compelled him, afterall neither the captain nor the thugs were likely to interfere with his own plans much, so he could not allow the sentient beings to harm each other. He did not know the skill or resources of the captain, but these ruffians would make sure their act was short and brutal. Maybe he could prevent all four from coming to harm, and still turn the situation to his advantage.

Already beginning to process a plan, he quietly rolls into the cantina.

[DM Nerdred]

The tall Talz and short Gand are male, the Rodian is Female. It's obvious everyone is carrying blasters. Ubi Sunt is carrying four, one for each hand.

Dez ia working the bar, with her sexy cybernetic arm, serving drinks as everyone enters the cantina. It's a typical cantina with central bar, dance stage that fits three comfortably, and several tables circling around the bar. The relative North end has windows viewing the space-dock and control tower, the South end has a door leading to the kitchen and store room, and the East and West ends are the entrances to the cantina. The main sabaac table is located next to the Northern windows. It's crowded here and two scantly dressed dancers are on stage earning their credits, females Twi'lek and Human. There's no band, just a jukebox playing a funky tune that gets the customers excited watching the two dancers move.

Holon Viel, the Kel-Dor, is here with two body guards. He's talking to Dez. The Captain heads straight to the bar and leans against it, his head facing the the Eastern door where he, the thugs, and Long just entered.

[MK-L1G "Long"]

Long quietly rolls up to the bar, raising his head to its full 1.3m height as he does so.

Before Dez has a chance to speak he uses his vocabulator to speak to her, hoping she will play along with his subterfuge.

~"Good evening Dez Synn, reporting for service as requested. Sorry I am late. I was required to dispose of some biological waste material that remained in master Flik's quarters. I will assume my duties with your permission."~

As he says this he reaches over the bar with his telescopic claw arm to grasp and lift an empty tray off the stack. In order to do so he leans his head a little further than needed, so only Dez can see his visual sensors and briefly turns his left sensor off, then on again.  Flik called that a wink, to be used when binocular beings wish to communicate non-verbally about a conspiracy or plot. I wonder if I used it right? The odds of success were impossible to calculate, so he should just continue with his plan.

Unfolding an extra arm, the one that ended in a blunt rod, he rests one end of the tray on it, while gripping the tray in his left 'hand'.  As he does so he begins to roll among tables, using his telescopic claw to collect drink vessels and dishes that the patrons had pushed aside after intaking the liquid or food contents.