Episode V - Assault on Repair Station M13 (Part I)
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| Nowhere |
As usual, the team convene in the Command Centre on Nowhere where Lens and Mikka Reekene await with their advisor Santhou. Also in attendance are Captain Ixsthmus and Sienne Symm, as well as General Reekeene’s droid C4-S0 and a pilot most of the team don’t recognise.
Mikka Reekene: Thank you for retrieving the supplies, and our droid, C4-S0. It seems that the pirate, Vangar, is running a major operation in our sector. The supplies they stole from us were headed for Wessiri Palace on Caamas - in the Core Worlds. It suggests that Vangar’s operation is part of a larger criminal organisation. We believe that the Imperials may be turning a blind eye to Vangar's operations because they know his business is interfering with ours. Vangar is a concern for another time, however.
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| Mikka Reekeene |
Lens Reekeene: That's right. First on our agenda is that your team will be receiving some replacements for fallen comrades. Tarrik’s old droid R3-FU has already been repaired and returned to you. To add to that, my droid C4-S0 will be joining you, as will a former member of Jaden Jericho’s crew, Corr Alden.
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| Lens Reekeene |
C4-S0: Oh my! These Vipers are a terrible bunch of rogues! Did I do something to displease you, General?
Lens: Uh...No, not at all C4! I just think your, err, expertise could be better utilised with this crew!
JiBa: Ah, Corr! It is an honour to have you on board!
Corr: Hey, how are you my old friend? So you're Captain JiBa now, eh?
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| Corr Alden |
JiBa: Aw yeah, about time they put me in charge! And first rule is no blasters! The sword is the weapon of a true warrior!
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| JiBa |
Kira: I don't think so JiBa! I'm keeping mine!
After some further arguing, the rest of the team refuse to give up their blasters, much to JiBa's disgust. Sensing their General's displeasure, he relents and allows Lens to continue with the briefing.
Lens: You will no longer be assigned to The Long Shot-
Captain Ixsthmus: What a relief! These Vipers have been nothing but trouble, and with that maniac JiBa in charge, they'll be a calamity!
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| Captain Ixsthmus |
Lens: Thank you Captain, your comments are noted. You are dismissed!
Captain Ixsthmus grunts and Siene Symm wishes the Vipers well before they leave.
Lens: As you’re off the Long Shot, you’ll need a new ship. Jaden Jerichos’ vessel, the Centurion is available for your use. It seems a good fit since both JiBa and Corr are familiar with it. You may treat it as your own and feel free to make any modifications you wish in your own time between missions. I trust this is to your satisfaction?
JiBa: Uh, yeah, but I want to rename the ship! Can I do that?
Lens: Like I said, it's yours.
JiBa: Right! From now on it's called the Yindao.
Lens: Fine. If that's settled then...? Thanks to my overly loquacious droid, C4-S0, you may already be aware of Operation Retribution which is due to take place in nine days' time. The plan is to hit a spread of Imperial operations across the sector. Once the operation is underway, we expect the Empire to divert their resources to respond to our attacks. Though your skills in diplomacy are questionable, your aptitude for destruction is not. That’s why I’m assigning you to a mission on Mycroft. Santhou will explain the details…
Santhou: Thank you General. In orbit around Mycroft is a space station which will be targeted by Bronze squadron; but on the surface of the planet there is a refuelling depot. Our intelligence suggests that the outpost is staffed by approximately fifty workers. However, we expect that most of these are civilians who are neither trained soldiers, nor likely to wish to become embroiled in any firefight. Beneath the outpost, a small hangar bay is built into the side of the cliff where space craft can be refuelled. Intelligence indicates that it houses three TIE fighters which we expect to be scrambled to respond to our attack on the space station. If at all possible, we want you to disable those TIEs before they have the chance to launch, but it is not mission priority; our boys should be able to handle such puny opposition. Keep in mind that if an alert is raised before our attack, significant air support could be deployed from the space station to end your incursion - and could be damaging to ours as the Empire will call for reinforcements. I do not need to stress how deadly strafing TIE fire may be should you be caught out in the open. Once the Bronze squadron’s attack is underway, the Empire won't be able to send reinforcements to the planet and the refuelling station for a further three days…
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| Santhou |
Lens: ...Giving you Green Vipers plenty of time to complete your mission. We want you to harass the outpost, capture prisoners for interrogation, steal supplies and weapons, and, if possible, destroy the entire outpost. Hit hard, maximise damage at minimum risk, and make sure you get out of there after two days. JiBa - try to bring everyone home alive! May the force be with you.
The briefing over, the team report to the store master Captain Hark'r who, as usual, begs them to get him off of Nowhere. JiBa tells Hark'r if he can get him four thermal detonators, he will help the Noehon Merchant. Hark'r only has two, but promises to try to get them for JiBa next time he is back on base.
The Vipers troop on to the Yindao, their new home now that they are no longer on the Long Shot. Corr is appalled that the ship he grew up on has been tampered with by Rebel engineers, but takes his place in the cockpit and blasts off.
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| The Yindao |
Deadline on Mycroft:
Midway through their journey the hyperdrive malfunctions and the Yindao crashes out of hyperspace. R3-FU and C4-S0 investigate and discover that their new pilot made a mess of the astrogation calculations. FU rights the error and the ship continues with its journey, arriving at Mycroft a day and a half before Operation Retribution is due to begin (but half a day later than scheduled). Corr carries out a sensors sweep and picks up the space station that Bronze Squadron are due to attack. He also locates the outpost and a small nearby town and takes the ship down to Mycroft.
Music Cue: The Princess Appears
Landing on an open clearing next to the town, the Vipers talk to the Sheriff who explains that they need some new power generators. It becomes apparent that although most of the townsfolk work on the Repair Station, the Empire does not particularly care for their living conditions. The team make their way to the local cantina just as a large ground transport - locally referred to as "the bus" - drives down from the outpost to drop off workers at the end of their shift.
Corr talks to one of the locals about how the Empire have behaved badly towards the town in not properly treating their workers, but the man seems distressed by the stranger's open condemnations of the Empire's evil deeds - and quickly leaves the bar. Two Stormtroopers enter shortly after and arrest Corr. As they exit, the Vipers attack the Stormtroopers, seriously injuring both in the process. They drag the Stormtroopers on to the transport bus. Kaleban tries unsuccessfully to save the life of one Stormtrooper who is close to death - but does succeed in reviving the other. JiBa intimidates the trooper to provide them with information on the outpost and to supply them with passes and clearance codes.
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| Kaleban |
Kira and JiBa put on the Stormtrooper uniforms and the surviving trooper is tied up on the Yindao. Corr, Skye and both droids decide to stay on the ship while JiBa, Kaleban and Kira infiltrate the base. The following morning - 24 hours before the assault - the team pick up the workers and drive them up the mountain to the outpost. Their story works successfully - but they discover the 25 workers who have just finished their shift have to be taken back to the town! They drive them down before concocting a story to return to the repair station, stating that the transport needs maintenance. 18 hours before the Rebel assault, they return to the outpost...
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| Bus Transport |
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| Map with key |
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| Map with Personnel Starting Positions |
A Stormtrooper is in the tower (omitted from the above starting positions map accidentally). The gunner demands to know why JiBa is here as he was not expecting to be relieved from duty. JiBa draws his sword and runs it through the man! He orders Kaleban to take control of the turbolaser while he and Kira return to the bus. They drive it across the courtyard to the Vehicle Pool (7). As a Stormtrooper approaches the bus, JiBa tells Corr to fire up the Yindao's engines and get ready to attack the base!
The Attack:
Music Cue: Rescue of the Princess
As the Yindao swoops across the base, the alarm sounds and suddenly the whole base comes to life! While the Stormtrooper is distracted by the sudden alert, JiBa leaps from the cabin and slashes with his sword. A close range blaster shot from Kira finishes off the guard and she rushes forward as the shutters open on the Vehicle Pool! She guns down another Stormtrooper, but one has got into a speeder and opens fire with the repeating blaster! The volley misses Kira by a fraction as she takes cover behind the wall! JiBa mounts the speeder and runs his sword through the Stormtrooper - while Kira shoots down another arriving in the Vehicle Pool! As she takes control of another speeder, she drives out into the compound, as it fills with technicians fleeing the Command Centre (5). She tells them to take cover inside the bus - an invitation they gratefully accept! Unfortunately, in the chaos and confusion, Kira fails to notice that the base's commander has snuck into the technicians' midst and is ready to make his escape!
On board the Yindao, C4-S0 and R3-FU angle the deflector shields and pick up an emergency transmission emitting from the Command Tower! C4 interprets the message!
C4-S0: Oh no! They've sounded the alert and TIE fighters are scrambling from the base - and there's twelve, not three as intelligence suggested! And to make matters worse, another eight are being sent from the space station in orbit! I told you no good would come from putting that blithering idiot JiBa in charge! We're doomed!
Corr: Make yourself useful! Get into the other gunnery and help Skye against those TIEs!
C4-S0: I'm afraid that's against my programming, it wouldn't be proper!
Corr: Proper?
C4-S0: Yes! I'm programmed for etiquette, not destruction!
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| C4-S0 |
Back on the outpost, two Stormtroopers (guards from the entrance 1) pursue JiBa through the Conference Rooms (6) and then into the Command Centre (5). Confused by his Stormtrooper disguise, the only guard in the evacuated Command Centre is maimed by JiBa. With the other two Stormtroopers bearing down on him fast, JiBa throws one of his fragmentation grenades, finishing off the one he'd run his sword through - and wounding the others!
Three TIEs emerge from the Hangar Bay below and Skye blasts at them from the Yindao - backed up by Kaleban from the Turbolaser Battery. The TIEs are so fast that they evade much of their fire - but Corr is no slouch in the Yindao's cockpit, sending the YT-1300 into a series of spins that causes C4-S0 to wail uncontrollably!
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| Skye |
Kira drives the speeder back into the garage (4) and, leaping out of the vehicle, heads downstairs...
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| Map with Key |
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| Map with Personnel Starting Positions |
...as she bursts through the door (11) still in disguise, she emerges into the base canteen (15) where there are several workers and Stormtroopers!
Kira: What are you doing down here? The base is under attack! Quick, get up there - and you workers, get out of here in the bus!
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| Kira |
Kira's deception works perfectly as the staff rush upstairs - but, hearing that Kira has sent more enemies his way, JiBa curses her! Kira rushes down the corridor and hears shouts...she passes crew quarters (16) and spots the hangar bay (19). There she sees pilots rushing to their ships. The first six have already flown outside, but the second rack of six has been deployed from a recess in the wall. If she doesn't stop some of them, it could spell doom for their friends in the Yindao...
To be continued...
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