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 ##Begin Log## Captain’s Log, entry #066 Stardate: In a tight race with an execution order Phew, time to bash out another log entry. Haven't had much time to catch my breath on Balmorra so far, but there's a tricky op coming up and it might be a good idea to decompress a little first. So the Miel Muwn dropped out of hyperspace near beautiful, scenic Balmorra – a planet in the core we coughed up during the last war. There's a whole long history there, if you're interested, but I've got a job to do. I call up Darmas and tell him we're on-site. Recommended for a moment of meta-commentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZjdwDWPCmk  quote:Darmas Pollaran: Senator Dodonna's eager to see how you handle your first mission.  Besides going as well as a typical Republic operation. quote:Darmas Pollaran: It was supposed to be the Republic's answer to Imperial aggression.  You'd be surprised how often this comes up. quote:Darmas Pollaran: Senator Dodonna wants you to work with the Balmorran resistance.  A pile of warships and heavy weaponry? Yeah, probably. That's not exactly gonna fit in my smuggling compartment, but I got where Darmas was going. quote:Darmas Pollaran: A smart operator might sell the prototypes back to them piece-by-piece... not that I'm the one who told you.  I hate to disappoint, which is why I'll be doing what the Senator asked and turning over the Nebula shipment. I've tried being in it for the money before, and it didn't pay off – from now on, I'll be playing things straight. Relatively. Sometimes. Besides, some of the boys on the front line would probably appreciate having this firepower back as soon as possible.  The Empire still controls most of space around Balmorra, but this isn't my first blockade.  Tougher than dodging Imperial pickets was the stink of our landing zone – a slice of paradise called “Bugtown”, overrun with mutant insects and toxic waste which happens to make it the one place on the planet the Empire didn't see fit to protect. Sounds like something old Colonel Madine would pull, taking troops into some of the worst terrain to catch the enemy by surprise.  Our resistance contact was in the Bugtown base waiting for us. Seems like some of the Balmorrans have linked arms with the latest wave of Republic liberators. Third time's the charm, right guys? Recommended for making contact with the contact https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7UyCY2N87A  quote:Sixer: My master most often refers to me as Sixer. I believe he sees it as... an affectionate nickname.  quote:Numen Brock: They're so busy hiding behind treaties, they're handing out credits like candy. I mean, folks like you and me can make a killing.  quote:Quinine: Give me all the details.  Can't say I always enjoy the spy game, or understand why it's me and some rebels doing it instead of actual SIS agents. quote:Numen Brock: We've got a payment due. In return, he says he's got a location for the Nebula shipment. I need you to make the drop-off.  A bit crude, but these are rebel tactics, not military ones. This whole situation's a bit of a turnabout for me - normally, I've been on the government's side against the rebels, whether on Ord Mantell or Duro. Being a crook is one thing, but thinking like an insurgent's... a little tricky. Also, don't think I didn't notice “payment”. Unless it's supplies he needs to keep spying, that means our double-agent's betraying the Empire for money, not his beliefs. Good to keep in mind. quote:Quinine: Should I just follow the signs for “traitorous double agent dead drop”?  Numen's a good enough guy. A few years of losing a fight for your home planet probably puts an edge on anybody.  We took a Balmorran shuttle out of Bugtown and into no man's land. On the flyover we could see chemical spills, craters, abandoned fortifications... all the signs of a long-running ground war. A nice preview before we had to get hands-on.  Once we landed at the resistance outpost, it was time to mount up and get Numen's little job done.  The fake dead drops weren't all that interesting. Leave bag of junk on rock, walk away. Don't even know if they did anything.  Some of those probe droids Numen warned us about made an appearance. They weren't a problem, except for getting caught on fire that one time. That's why you wear a flame-retardant layer under your clothes, kids!  Just gonna throw a shot of this cuddly little guy in here while we're at it. Risha was grossed out by it, but it was harmless. Kind of funny to see herds of those things wandering around the battlefield like nothing was going on.  After all that messing around, finally we got over to the Okara Droid Factory – which seemed pretty much intact, unlike just about everything else we'd seen so far. Probably shows how valuable it is if the Empire treated it with kid gloves.  It wasn't too hard to sneak through. Security was mostly just the same droids they were building at the plant, and contrary to what you might think war droids don't make great security.  The drop point was way down in the basement, looked like some kind of water processing and reclamation works. Nice and quiet, no security.  At least, that's what I thought. Recommended for a reversal of fortunes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scEi_6ktpTc  quote:Quinine: If I listen, does that mean you won't shoot me? Because that seems out of character,   Not what I expected, but a nice change of pace.  I'll skip the fight with the Imperial patrol. Akaavi did most of the work, and I spent most of it on fire. Again. Recommended for some answers (going in the wrong direction) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBfgAL1-ow0  quote:Quinine: Whose body were you looking for? Was I too subtle there? quote:Akaavi: Get me to him, and I'll pay any price you name.  quote:Akaavi: If he's working for the resistance, I want to know why. Okay, so revenge. It's always revenge, especially if it's a Mandalorian.  An interesting deal, though I'm in no position to say if Tyrak's worth the trade considering I hardly know who he is and he's our one lead on the whole Nebula shipment thing. You know me, though, always gotta test the waters. quote:Quinine: What if that's not the sort of thing I'm after? I think I'll file this one away with Todessa and R'andayn on my “too deadly to hit on” list. quote:Akaavi: My money is gone, and all I have to trade is information. Think about it and contact me later.   Neat party trick.  So, that happened. I'd done the mission just like Numen had asked, but still, I didn't know how he'd take the idea of his double-agent being the target of a revenge-hungry Mandalorian. I still don't, either, since there was news for me once I got back to Bugtown.  quote:Sixer: After you left, Master Numen went to meet with some resistance fighters, and he never made it back! Good job jinxing it, me.  Imperials and their goddamn camps. quote:Quinine: I'm guessing that's not a “let's sleep under the romantic moonlight” sort of camp?  Laugh if you want, but I've used all three of those things smuggling before. You'd be surprised where a uniform and a cheese plate can get you. quote:Sixer: Master Numen has cultivated contacts among those Camp Vigil guards with weaknesses for stims and other restricted imports.  Breaking into prisons is becoming a bit of a habit. Of course, if I'm sneaking through the Imperial-held capital, I'm probably going to need a better disguise than my old Republic officer uniform. Looks like it's time for 'Mauveine' to return to service! Now if I could only scrub the lightning burns out of the shirt. ##End Log##
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