STAR WARS

Edge of Darkness - Shadows of Treachery

It is a time of hope for the REBEL ALLIANCE. With the destruction of the Death Star, many Rebel cells are now expanding their forces with fresh new recruits, bulking out their forces and permitting new offensives on new fronts.

However, this influx of reinforcements has led to greater conflict within the Rebellion, as Alliance High Command cannot track all those joining the Rebellion, many of whom bring their own plans for the direction of the Alliance.

On the world of Arkos II, the Rebel cell there – newly expanded and emboldened by recent victories – is joined by a new team of fresh operatives, eager to fight for a cause they believe in…

A nondescript freighter glides in over a city in the dead of night. This is Nostria, capital city of Arkos II and home to its Imperial garrison and the governor's palace. The freighter drops over the city's narrow, winding streets and lands on a hill above the sprawling city. There, six nondescript figures disembark, heading in separate directions. They are picked up by six nondescript speeders which carry them off into the city. They make their way one by one to an old tenement block on the edge of an expansive warehouse district, where they leave the speeder and enter the building. At the lift they show their ID and descend into the basement, where they are ushered through a door into a narrow passage under the street and into the warehouse opposite.

Passing through the door, each is wrestled to the ground, a hood thrown over their head, and code words exchanged in hushed tones before they are released. Picking themselves up, they survey the room.

Issan Bal'Po looks around at the bustling hive of activity. He notices one or two of his fellow liberated Twi'leks engaged in various tasks - cleaning their weapons, sleeping in the bunks pushed up against the walls, or maintaining the small fleet of military speeders that constitute the Rebels' heavy support. Crossing the room to help them he is waylaid by a harrowed looking Doctor. Geoff Hanson is not impressed by what he's seeing. The Rebel medical facilities are spartan at best. He knows that things will have to improve soon, and seeing what looks like some sort of political type - and a marginally less crooked one too - he goes to ask them about securing some painkillers more effective than a hefty shot of Corellian Brandy.

Across the room Toco Ract is relieved to be recovering his precious blaster from the crate it was shipped in. Disassembled, the weapon awaits him neatly bundled in a set of packages inside a shipping crate. Lunging in to reach this vital part of his equipment, he begins pulling out various packages including a case, which falls to the floor and bursts open, sending an ornate vibroknife skittering across the floor. Oro Logray is enraged to see his precious blade being thrown around, and storms over to the grizzled veteran just slotting his rifle together. Shoving him back, he forces Ract to the centre of the hall, where Issan and Geoff are in the midst of a heated discussion.

Meanwhile, at the nearby loading dock on the end of the room, Rax Zetrac and a burly Wookiee are carrying a crate into the room towards a workbench surrounded by a group of technicians. Righting the crate, Rax grins and begins to introduce himself to the harried technicians, who ignore his ramblings about his destiny and ambitions in order to crack open the crate containing the blue and gold astromech. Wheeling it out, they activate the droid whose systems flicker online, leading it to begin to whir and whistle as it activates. Disappointed at nobody listening to his tails of glory, Rax kicks out, striking the droid who turns angrily, shocking him with an electrical prong. Rax laughs, shoving the droid back towards the centre of the room.

The droid recoils angrily, sliding into the path of the oncoming diplomat and doctor. It whistles, and prepares to move forward just as Oro shoves the confused Toco towards it. He falls over the droid, tugging over Oro in the process. Geoff and Issan are so deep in their discussion that they entirely miss the fallen Rebels, collapsing over them in turn, and leaving Rax confused over the sprawling mass of operatives.

At this point a man in the uniform of a Rebel Colonel enters the room, calling to an aide behind him " ...and find me the new strike team I was promised! "

Welcome to Edge of Darkness. This should be good...

*Whirring and whelping in many different levels*

Toco is used to being handled like cattle.

" Bulls gotta push and prod till things get sorted out. New boss same as the old boss. " he mutters to himself.

With a wary eye on Oro, he starts to stand up.

Rax laughs. " Pileups and traffic jams? This place is starting to feel like home already. " He proffers a hand each to the Twi'lek and human on top of the chaotic pile of people and droids. "Name's Rax. Either of you seen simulators around this place?"

Toco is used to being handled like cattle.

" Bulls gotta push and prod till things get sorted out. New boss same as the old boss. " he mutters to himself.

With a wary eye on Oro, he starts to stand up.

Tear, you only post your player actions in blue FYI.

A harried aide comes running out of the corridor behind the officer. Puffing himself up he yells " Attention! "

Being still knocked over 'Cee-Tee' withdraws his third leg and puts it's self right. Or, least, as right as can be for an Astromech who is knocked over...

Issan takes the hand offered, but the mild " Thanks " he gives in return is betrayed by the look of sudden annoyance. " A lank and flailing body indeed... "

When the aide calls them to attention, Issan stiffens, but any miltary type could see that the Twi'lek was poorly adhering to the onset of strict protocol. " ...can't wait to see just what these people recognize as a head. "

Stepping well out of Oro's arms reach, Toco secures his weapon and stands at attention. His gaze fixed straight ahead, by trying to scan the Colonel.

Taking Rax's hand, Geoff also gets himself up off the rest, then help the Astromech droid up. "Blast you man, these two idiots are going to get themselves busted up," Geoff says, looking at the two soldiers that had gotten into a scuffle. "You two know it only takes a minute to bleed out from a cut femoral artery? Or that ingesting food and water tainted by a Bunkurd Sewer system would leave you pissing from your rectum and unable to move for week?"

Dusting himself, Geoff ignores the aide as he checks the medical gear . "Or that Spirogean Fever will leave you delirious for a week, as you feel like your eyes want burn and melt inside your skulls from an infected laceration. Nor should I have to tell you two idiots that treating you both before I set up a clinic and proper medbay would be a waste of time and resources."

Satisfied, Geoff turns to the Aide and Colonel and bows a bit in their direction. "My apologies, Colonel. Doctor Geoff Hanson, former surgeon of the RRM."

Whistles a Thanks to Geoff

Now that I am upright once again, I put my best stand to attention on as I have, ready for whatever the Colonel or his Aide has for us

Rax watches the Doctor's tirade with some amusement, and lessens his usual slouch somewhat as he turns to face the Colonel.

Oro grabs his vibroknife and climbs to his feet. He glares at Toco and mutters something under his breath about touching another man's equipment. After he slides the knife into a sheath hidden in the back of his belt, he snaps to attention and addresses the officer. "Sir, Oro Logray reporting for duty. My specialty is close range combat, and my past record should demonstrate my ability to get any job done, whatever the cost!" He snaps off a quick salute and awaits direction.

" Oh stars, " he groans. " You're my new strike team? " he turns to his aide. " Seval, is this a bad time for me to retire and wonder what I did to deserve this? "

" Yes, sir. "

" Well then, guess I'm stuck here. Get this lot into the briefing room in fifteen, preferably without killing themselves. " He stalks off the way he came.

Rax looks mildly offended. "I guess he's never tripped before." He turns to the Colonel's aide, Seval. "Hey, could you show me where the simulators are real fast before we get into the whole briefing thing?"

" All of that will be dealt with in due time ," he says. " For now you only need to know that I'm Lieutenant Seval, personal aide to Colonel Marson. I'll show you to your quarters where you can leave your personal effects, but we're getting ready for a major op tonight so there isn't much time. If you'd like to follow me? " he leads you through the warehouse to an area where temporary walls have been put up shielding rooms containing sets of bunks. There's enough room for all of you - and even a droid charging point - along with lockers for your kit, " We've got a few minutes for you to store your kit. Do you have any questions? "

Having followed Rax and Seval, I let out a small happy shriek. With that I immediately push past both and slot into the recharge.
"0h Leutenant, this is a grat gharche piont. But whre can oil bathes be found, want one of them s00n!"

Setting down the crate containing the rest of the unopened personal effects, Toco walks over to a locker and begins stowing his meager possessions. A change of clothes, cleaning kit for his rifle and a very worn out sheet of paper. He unfolds it and smooths it onto the inside of his locker door.

Once finished he turns and takes in the rest of the team.

"No questions here, sir," Oro says. "I'm proud to be a part of your strike team. Now just point me towards the next thing to strike."

Issan paid more attention to the large crates that had been placed by his locker, carrying his equipment that he had no hope to shoulder himself. " I guess I'll need to break these out sooner than expected. "

A nod of approval was his parting gesture to the crates before he looked into the locker proper, where he stored what few personal effects he had. He then turned to his recon remote, the closest thing to a camera his could get his hands on. " Let's hope this big assignment involves getting some good footage...I'm tired of splicing together hours of choppy flightcams. "

Rax begins stowing all his personal gear as he asks, "Yeah, got a question, what kinda craft am I gonna be flying? Not wishbones, I hope. One of those new A-wings would be pretty flash, but Xs are solid too."

" We haven't really got the resources for starfighters at the moment. We're restricted to ground operations only at this point - hence the speeders, " he pauses to check his datapad. " You're Rax Zetrac, correct? The new supply driver? "

Rax look disappointed. "Ah, speeders only? No big beef, I need some time in the sim anyways before I-" He cuts off sharply as he fully processes what the man said. "What, what?! Supply driver?! I won the Krippled Krayt underground championship three years running! Anyone can autopilot a barge from A to B!"

Putting the two ration packs, spare clothing, and non essential items away, Geoff grabs the backpack and webbing. A new mission already? must be wanting to get more operations done.

Hearing Lieutenant Seval call Rax a supply driver brought a smile to Geoff, shaking his head at Rax's outburst. "Seems like we'll be hitting the ground for a while, then." Making sure the gear was secured on his shoulders, Goeff slaps the back of the pilot. " Doesn't mean it can't be fun, can it?"

Turning back to the Lieutenant, Goff nods. "Speaking of operations, are there any other medical personnel here? I want to get a feel of who I'll be working with as well as see what other supplies we have on hand in case this operation goes south real quick."

Seval looks with confusion at Rax. " I thought you knew? You've been assigned as the new transport driver, " he looks with confusion at the blank faces of the team. "I've got your assignment orders here: Rax Zetrac, replacement supply driver; Issan Bal'Po, assigned as the new human resources officer; R2-CT-55, the new utility repair unit; Ract Toco - is that right? - you're the new designated marksman; Oro Logray is your personal protection. And Dr Hanson is here as an expert in viral pathology, correct?" he smiles. "But of course with Captain Zavvel in charge of 3 Platoon you'll all see plenty of action."

With a wince on his face, Toco say " Sir, It's Toco Ract. Not Ract Toco, Sir. "

Toco does a hard swallow. " Viral Pathology ?" he thinks while giving the Doctor a quick glance.