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GM

Inside the Sunstrider, the hull judders slightly as you break atmo and there is the constant thrum of the engines and air-cooler.

Mhar-li can take over piloting. It is her ship and it's easy enough to rejoin the sparse transorbital traffic above Jakku.

The rest of you have a chance to catch your breath but you are still on-mission.

J.B.'s pack contains the comms scrambler that allows the team to contact Lieutenant Bek on the Bargon Flit. Without your modified cargo container you'll need to dock directly with the other ship.

2BB-2 has the Ghidrah data, also backed up on the Quadjumper's shift log of all places. Easily accessible, yes, but perhaps too accessible. Does Fira Bon's crew really 'need to know' the location of the nearest Ghidrah node anyway? Are Fira Bon and the others still alive? You left them fending off the Strus, although with your initial support they had stalled the attack. Your comms scrambler can contact Fira Bon too.

Of course, there is a danger every time you use the comms scrambler that the First Order might detect the scrambled signal. If they record it, they might eventually decrypt it and either way they'll know someone on Jakku is using a military-grade scrambler.

The nearest Ghidrah node is situated on a planetoid in the Unknown Regions, designated GH-531 in the data. The data only contains its astrogation co-ordinates, so you have no idea what to expect and will have to plot your own course through hyperspace.

Although the Sunstrider had a hyperdrive module at some point in its life, it doesn't now. Now it's stripped out for increased cargo capacity. Fortunately the Bargon Flit is a fast YT-1250 model with a hydrive tuned by the boffins of the famed Colossus space station. It will get you there, no problem, but time is of the essence.

The clock is ticking. The launch of the Sith Eternal's planet-killing fleet and the Resistance assault on Exegol loom ever closer. You must rendezvous with Bek.

Sirra

"Excuse me. for a moment."

She starts to stand, then sits back down heavily.

"No. No, actually, I think I'll keep sitting for now, really."

[Gypsy, Jix now has time to heal Critical Injuries using her Medicine skill. The effects of Sirra's #102/PPP Critical Injury will come into effect now that the encounter is over. It is a permanent after-effect even when the Critical Injury is healed. Another Nullicaine application could be used to regain the cyber-eye's use during the next encounter. We would describe this as the drug reducing swelling and restoring limited function, for example.]

2BB-2

With his copy of the data safe, the emergency backup is now a liability. 2BB-2 saw to removing it thoroughly, whilst using his holoprojector to indicate the scale of what they had retrieved, the location of the node and potential paths to it.

Winta

"2BB-2 how long will it take us to get there?" she asked the droid. "That'll give Jix some idea of recovery time for the many patients."


She looked at the others.
"I know that many of us would want to rejoin the fight down planet side. But 'A' - we are a bit chewed up at the moment, and 'B' any success we have here on Jakku won't matter a jot if we don't stop the First Order first."

Sirra

“I think we at least gave the Strus one hell of a black eye. “

2BB-2

Aurebesh annotations and numeral displays appeared beside each path, as well as a list of potential modifying variables.

Preach

He was glad to be up in space again. The planet side trip had been emotionally draining and tough on him physically. He was getting old. He smirked who was he kidding, he was old. It felt good to take down the big guy in powered armor and do some serious damage to the gang. Even if they couldn't return to the planet immediately, they had made a difference for a bit. Hopefully it was a long lasting change for the poor villagers.

He nodded in support with the idea of continuing on, that was the most important action they could take. The bigger threat and all of that.

Inside he was concerned about the injuries that had been taken. That wasn't anything he could help, but it did bother him. He hated to see good people harmed.

Amos

He carefully tries to peel off his long coat and get a look at the arm that he hasn't felt since the firefight.

Meanwhile, she hadn’t heard Preach, of course, but of Sirra had she would have snorted at a description that included her as ‘good people’. She was too busy muttering to herself and giving herself a self critical dressing down for all the flaws or mistakes in the last endeavor.

Of course outwardly she was laying back in the copilots chair, a bit pale, and just slightly moving her lips.

Jix

Leaving the gun and collecting her medical kit, she chooses a clear area and starts to set out her tools.

"Clinic is open. Let's see those wounds. Sirra, you are first. Everyone else line up."

She locks eyes with Sirra and waits, foot tapping.

Sirra drags herself from the chair and hobbles over, cursing mildly under her breath.

Winta

She shifted into the co-pilot's chair. "All good?" she asked Mhar-li.

Jelly Bean

Her time in the chair was over. Mhr-li was back in her proper seat. Winta settled into the seat that Sirra had just vacated under Jix's orders. Probably for the best too. She didn't look so good, all pale. But then again, she was human and a lot of them looked way to pale as it was. The older Jedi, Preach, was moving slowly, tiredly. The amount of exertion and the heat had taken a toll on most of them in some way, but it was clearly evident that Preach was exhausted and dehyrdrated. He was not a young man either. Her eyes glanced over at Amos, who was almost injured and she moved behind him to help him with his longcoat.

"Easy... let me do it," she said in a soft purr, as if she were practiced enough at getting what she wanted with that voice. In this instance she wanted Amos to relax and not fight the coat, and especially not make his injuries any worse. "Jix will be with you soon- and then we'll be back on the Bargon Flit. Just relax, if you can."

And finally, once Amos was settled to wait on Jix's tender mercies, she sought out BaBay. The poor little droid needed to be cleaned up and inspected for any damage. The only real injury she suffered was molten metal splash across her cheek. It would heal, and leave a thin scar. Not the first time she had been cut or slashed or burnt while 'working'. But this time, she had made the choice herself and took the risks. No one forced her to do it. And the choice to get the scar nulled would be hers as well. That was a thought for another time though.

Amos

He grunted a bit as she helped him slip the coat off, resting back against the bulk head after they were done.

"Thank ya darlin. That was damn fine flying by the by." he said, closing his eyes as he waited for their medic to have time to see to whatever he had done to his arm.

Sirra

‘Don’t we make a fine pair?’

She says to Amos.

“ Between us we have a full set of limbs.”

Amos

"I ain't helping you get to the bathroom darlin. That is a bit too much comraderie." he said with a tired smile on his weathered face.

2BB-2

After a thorough examination, it is clear to the Ryllian that the astromech droid is undamaged. The reason this would require a thorough examination rather than a cursory glance is the thick coating of stagnant, likely toxic fuel residue that was the door prize for declogging the atomizer. That the little sphere's manipulator is clean enough to plug in to erase the backup took no small amount of effort, likewise the holoprojector lens currently used in outlining their potential next steps.

[OOC Please make medicine rolls for Jix, ta! ]

GM

Mhar-li takes the controls, thanking J.B. and settling stiffly into the seat that's still sopping wet with her blood.

After she's satisfied all systems are nominal, she sets auto-pilot and turns in her seat to watch the team work.

"Girl, that was some Boonta Eve Classic flying!" She says to the Twi'lek, "Where'd you learn? Corellia, Sullust?"

She looks for 2BB-2.

"And as for you little guy. You unblocked my fuel atomizer! I seriously gotta get a BB-unit."

With the cold air pumping out of the vents, the smell of blood and burnt flesh is subdued but still an unpleasant tang.

The grimy floor of the Quadjumper, covered in a layer of dust and oil, isn't very santitary but Jix can lay out the antishock blanket and treat one casualty at a time.

Although J.B. and 2BB-2 had played a vital role in getting to orbit, the rest of the team had also been crucial in holding off the Strus Clan.

'Holding off' seems more like a euphamism for 'decimating'. The Resistance team personally eliminated some 30 Strus including a gang boss, Dokar Venas, and numerous swoop bikes and a skiff. The aid they gave the scavengers at the Starlight Wanderer---repairing the turbolaser turret and convincing the defenders to engage at longer range with their blasters---resulted in even more losses for the Strus, including an up-gunned sand skimmer.

Reprisals against the scavengers aren't likely to come soon after such a devastating defeat. And besides, as far as the Strus know, it was the Sunstrider's crew that smuggled a container down from orbit, the Sunstrider's crew who interferred with the Strus shake-down and their revenge attack. The Sunstrider's crew who killed Dokar.

And to the Strus, the Sunstrider's crew are Fira Bon, Mhar-li, Tiras and Bormo. They know nothing of a Resistance covert ops team.

There is something unusual about the team. Mhar-li has certainly noticed it.

As Amos lay having his bicep treated by Jix, she asks him and Sirra a question.

"Hey, man, when you shot out the droid brain, how did you know Sirra was gonna catch the skiff with the tractor beam? It's a bit spooky, you know."

It's like the team use the Force or something.

Assisted by J.B., Jix applies a stimpack to Amos then packs the wound with a 'seal 'n heal' trauma compound before dressing with an Athakam bandage. After a sharp stab of pain, the sensation and function quickly return to Amos's arm.

For Sirra, the nullicaine is still wearing off so when Jix reseats her knee it isn't too bad. As with any dislocation, the joint might be weakened for some time. As for her cyber-eye, it soon loses function entirely. Spray skin and some deep-cooling proactives sort out the facial tear, then an eye patch to keep the area protected until a cyberneticist can look at it.

Finally, Jix herself has taken some blaster fire. It hit her in her back, in the pack. Her Verpine ultra-mesh prevented serious wounds but a stimpack will massively accelerate healing and revitalise, so she takes one. If the medic goes down, the team's injuries can only cascade.

Winta discusses the journey time to GH-531 with 2BB-2. The Bargon Flit has a .45 Class Hyperdrive, making it the fastest ship in the Resistance, maybe even fastest than the Millennium Falcon. But the route through hyperspace determines how much distance in realspace is covered, so astronavigation will be key. 2BB-2 can start crunching numbers, though the route will take them into the Unknown Regions. Very little hyperspace data on record; a lot of educated guesswork will be needed. Lieutenant Bek is the experienced star-hopper of the team.

Preach

To one who didn't know him, they might think he was sleeping with his eyes closed and relaxed posture. Those that did, knew he was merely meditating biding his time thinking about the Force.

GM

Quietly, Preach senses the living beings in the ship with him. He can even sense 2BB-2 by the way other living beings regard the droid as another living being. It creates a notable gap, like seven creatures holding hands with a missing eighth.

But he also senses something he hadn't before. The Resistance are at war with the First Order. The First Order have allied with the Sith Eternal, and the rest of Galaxy has been kept in the dark by Ghidrah. It's natural to feel uneasy, afraid for the future, but this new sensation is something in the Force.

A vibration confused with emotion before but now a tremor; the rumbling of an approaching storm or an avalanche.

Preach was alive when Palpatine declared an end to the Clone Wars and founding of the Galactic Empire. This time, what approaches is not the rise of an empire but the ending of all things.

[OOC How many stimpaks left?]

Amos

He was flexing his arm, working out the stiffness and seeing how functional it was as Mhar-Li asked him her question.

"Hell, I figured it was a one way trip when I jumped over there. My job to keep them alive. That means I go down with the ship than that is the way that it goes down." he said, shrugging. "I had no idea that Sirra was going to grab us up."

He grinned over at Sirra.

"Thanks darlin."

Sirra

"Well, had to make myself useful for something here other than taking ion blasters to the face."

She snorts.