RPlog:Preparation of the Jedi

NRCV Audacity -- Bridge The bridge of this vessel is a model of combat efficiency and functionality. Large transparisteel viewports provide a commanding view of the surrounding space with the captain's chair and crew stations positioned strategically around the small oval-shaped room. In the front are the dual pilot's stations, to the starboard of them navigation, and then sensors, to the port the tactical stations, shields and then weapons. More or less to the aft on the port side is a communications station, and on the starboard a generic operations station that can be used to duplicate any console needed. In the center of the room is a raised platform from which the captain can oversee all bridge functions. A large black leather chair is positioned in the center of the platform with display terminals on either side. From this position, the captain is able to oversee and monitor all of the crew stations and give any orders needed for efficient combat.

Luke A slim, evenly built man with pleasantly youthful, unassuming features. He's a bit shorter than two meters in height, and his fair, sun-blond hair is parted down the left and swept to either side, hanging just low enough to touch his ears. A faint scar is noticeable in the crease between his nose and his mouth. Though he is still young, on his face there are signs of burdens too heavy for his years. To those who know him, these characteristics are only physical reminders of the knowledge and power the years have brought him. But his blue eyes are bright, with faint laugh lines at the edges, and his smile is usually infectious to those around him. Dressed for war, the Jedi Master wears lightweight armor plating over a brown bodysuit. The plates of armor are colored a light tan, jointed to allow for a full range of movement. Over this he wears a black hooded cloak, knit with a thick fabric. The cloak falls to mid-calf, where tall, jet-black military style boots encase his feet. A lightsaber is clipped to the armor's utility belt, along with a minimal collection of field equipment.

The Refrain of Anshalar is now in system, parked at the very edge of the interdictor's gravity well. Host to Falcon Squadron, the A-wings have been utilizing their speed and sensor capabilities to conduct long-range reconnaissance sweeps, hoping to stay hidden from the eyes of the opposing forces. Reports come in steadily, and traffic between the Audacity's bridge and her Ready Room is at a nearly record high. Reports come in from the comm officer and the crew belowdecks, only to be disseminated into a strategic display inside the ready room where the commanders discuss the impending attack over secured channels. Luke Skywalker comes walking briskly out of the ready room, his astromech droid in tow. "I'm not sure, Artoo," he's saying. "I doubt Rook and Spanner will be leaving the bridge at all, as much as you might like to see him in combat again." He smirks just slightly at the droid's beeping response.

As Skywalker arrives, Enb'Zik isn't with him but is catching up quickly, half-jogging and half-shuffling down the ship's main corridor as traffic allows. There's no droid of his own following, but Zik's astromech doesn't tend to hang around much. As a matter of fact, the one he'd used for years before and after his internment on Kessel has been around even less than usual of late. "Luke," Zik calls just before the bridge door closes. It reopens a second later, and the Sullustan steps through it. He catches a breath, "Sorry. I saw you heading this way and thought I'd catch up." He holds a data card up, "Bringing information from Vigilance's sensor suite for Audacity's tactical crew."

Hearing his name called out, Luke turns and starts walking toward the bridge door, flicking his hand toward R2-D2 to shut him up. When Zik steps through, he perks his eyes attentively, then nods his head and turns around. "N'arkes," he calls out, summoning a near human naval tactical officer over. He turns back toward Zik and motions so that the two of them can get business taken care of. Luke waits patiently, then steps in and motions for Enb'Zik to follow him, as if they might want to clear away from the busy area. "The excitement of the crew is almost thick enough to smell," he notes with as quiet a voice as he can manage. "Along with the trepidation."

Zik nods toward the same human and extends the card in his direction. "Thank you, Lieutenant," he offers the man, "Vigilance is docked on the ship's main arm, but I figured I could get this down here faster than the techs could get her linked up. That way you guys can look at the preliminaries before the full report is available." The man nods and thanks Zik before returning to his console, then Zik turns to Skywalker. Ikihsa dips his head thoughtfully as he follows, glancing at the crew and reaching out with the Force to test Luke's observation. "We're outside of New Republic space," he observes as quietly, "Military brass couldn't justify sending a full fleet to this operation. This isn't typical at all."

"Especially with Colonel Delede's offer." The information surrounding the CSA Commander's request to team up against Damion's ship was still kept under strict confidentiality - Luke had informed Ikihsa of it not long after he himself had found out. "I still don't sense a trap... at least not one regarding Colonel Delede." The two of them are just about to exit the bridge, when a voice from behind calls out. "Master Skywalker!" Luke turns to find one of the ship's intel liaisons rushing toward him with a small datadisk in hand. "Sir, you need to take a look at this." The intelligence officer glances toward Enb'Zik, then back to Luke. "I've marked it eyes only at your discretion."

Enb'Zik pauses just inside the door as the voice calls out. The Sullustan had been trying to use the Force to understand the situation as it was, but he finds it often foggy and difficult to penetrate aside from vague feelings, leadings, and instincts. He likely wouldn't be able to sense a trap unless it was in the process of closing on him, and even then it might be questionable. The Sullustan gives Luke a curious look after glancing at the intelligence officer. "Something of interest?" he asks the obvious. He gathers from the man's expression that it hadn't necessarily been intended for himself, but he doesn't doubt he's about to see it.

Many people will never understand the way the Jedi Order works, so Luke spares the intelligence liaison a good ribbing. He simply nods his head and accepts the datadisk, with a quiet, "Thank you." He turns toward Enb'Zik, the look in his eye telling of his mild frustration at the liaison's approach to Enb'Zik, but with the twinkle of Skywalker mirth that clearly tells he doesn't intend to appease the liaison's unspoken caution in any way. "The Vigilance is a quiet place, wouldn't you say?" he asks, while carefully tucking the datadisk away in one of his belt pouches.

Ikihsa's mild expression indicates that he doesn't mind the officer's treatment of him. The man is doing his job, and Zik realizes that. Without doubt if the intelligence man knew Zik's clearance level and military rank, things would be much different. The fact is that the quieter role Ikihsa has taken since leaving the Senate simply means he isn't as easily recognized any more, and that can be a good thing. "Much quieter," he responds to Luke. "If not a little more crowded. Why don't we head that way?"

"Lead the way," Luke says, allowing for his subtle humor to maintain a lightness to the situation. After all, it isn't like either of them haven't come to know this corvette backwards and forwards!

Cockpit - Vigilance The cockpit is set up for a three-man crew, with a turret gunner. Under ideal situations, there would be a pilot sitting on the left, with a co-pilot sitting to his right. Both consoles have complete access to all the systems including navigation, communications, shields and the weapons, save the turret, which they only have a limited ability to control. Behind them on the left is a tactical station where an additional crewman can take over some of the weapons and if needed shield functions to relieve the pilots of the workload. To the right a redundant seat with easy access to the dorsal turret is provided for the turret gunner's long-term comfort. It also has a console, redundant to the main tactical console of the main weapons officer. Each seat is a comfortable leather 'captain's chair', designed with comfort on long hyperspace patrols in mind. Hideaway trays are attached to the sides, to make many normal non-combat tasks more comfortable. Each of the consoles bears greater resemblance to a capital ship workstation than a fighter or even the normal starship. This hybrid quality gives them the functionality needed to control the details of such a complicated and powerful vessel - even if it might prove slightly awkward to non-military personnel.

Luke follows Ikihsa into the Audacity's main hangar, where they climb aboard the Vigilance by way of the main docking arm's airlock. Looking around, Luke smiles at the way the ship is designed. "She's nice, huh?" he asks, once they've made their way into the cockpit. Luke decidedly takes a seat at the co-pilot's chair, and swivels it around toward the ship's console as R2-D2 rolls in. "Okay, let's see what this thing's got to say." He inserts the disk into the console and watches as a text message pops up on the holographic display.

Dropping into the pilot's seat without really even thinking about it, Ikihsa swivels the chair around to face Luke rather than immediately moving the ship anywhere. She's still linked up to the Audacity and transferring information. "A little tight sometimes," he answers, "but all in all, not bad. The cabin's certainly comfortable. Joh gave her to me, you know." Zik glances at Artoo and smiles, then nods, "Sure. What's it say?" He directs his eyes to the holo and reads silently.

This message is Encoded and Classified Commander Cen, We have people on the planet from what I understand, and we have yet to hear from them. As soon as possible, you are to organize a join venture to get a shuttle to the planet, to find Junior Intelligence Officer Lon, and anyone with him. We seem to be missing Ona Rai as well, and it is believed she may be AWOL and on Nar Shaddaa. Your orders are to assemble a team and find those two on the surface. Once found, I want Lon brought to the base on Ord Mantell for debriefing by Intelligence. This mission is vital, and must be successful. You have operational command for this mission. VADM Doril Farnsworth, 2nd Fleet.

Hearing that the ship was a gift from Johanna, Luke's smile grows warm. "Did she?" he asks, being reminded of the woman's undying camaraderie. However, with his attention now turned to the message, he reads it as well, eventually leaning back into the chair and giving the text a thoughtful look. "Rasi's gonna have a tough time trying to take on a Star Destroyer and inserting a team to the ground... and no matter what Korbel decides about Delede's offer, this means we're gonna have to get our hands dirty."

As the Aurebesh characters reflect in blue from Enb'Zik's eyes, he hmms. "We are?" he asks, turning more fully away from the console and regarding the man, "Think they'll need us to help accomplish their objectives, hmm?" Zik had been studying the forces over the Smuggler's Moon for a good week already. It was rare that an independent force managed to put together a blockade so effective it could repulse the combined response of the Hutts and the CSA while simultaneously keeping out a Republic Strike group. Then again, there was a Sith involved. And by extension, the Empire. "Do you think we could get through?" he asks.

It takes Luke a long moment to formulate a response, prefaced by a long inhalation through his nose. "We could," he says. "The Force can lead us and even keep the destruction in our wake to a minimum, but it would be much easier to pull off if we had some sort of diversion." He stomach tries to turn at the thought of what a diversion would really mean, but his mastering of emotions puts down the negative feelings before they can take true form. His gut will thank him later. "It's like I said," he says after another moment of silence, turning to face Ikihsa directly. "Someone's gonna have to get their hands dirty. If Rasi’s given the green light on partnering with Delede's forces, then there will be the inevitable engagement. We could use that as a cloak." He tips his head out the viewport and says, "Why don't we meet over on the Refrain of Anshalar and discuss this further in the meditation chambers?"

Zik nods slowly. There are a number of questions in his mind, such as how the Force could help keep destruction minimal. And just exactly what the CSA expects to get out of a union with the New Republic; there is a sense of distrust about the Sullustan where the Corporate Sector Authority is concerned. He glances over at the upload, which shows itself complete. "Lemme coordinate with flight, and I'll get us underway."

Luke is silent until the Vigilance is under way, headed away from the Smuggler's Moon and toward the distant Refrain of Anshalar. "I can understand your distrust," he says, turning to look toward Enb'Zik with empathetic eyes. "However we must trust in the guidance of the Force." His expression begins to turn into that of a teacher, combining his endearing compassion for the Sullustan's youth in the Force with the expectation of respect and an attentive heart. "I sensed no dishonesty in Delede or his fiancée. What I did sense was anger. They've been betrayed, and while their willingness to fight may serve to meet our same goals, we must be mindful of their anger and where it can lead." Aboard the bridge of the Refrain of Anshalar, Seth Senesca has been sitting and observing one of the stations, doing double duty as a sensor and comm officer. His eyes perk for a moment, and he turns to face the commander's chair. "Looks like we got ourselves incomin'." His accent is slow and with the definitive Orphelican backwater drawl, remarkably similar to his older brother Kyle, but dialed down to a more subdued and relaxed manner. "Skipray blastboat marked down as Vigilance, she's a friendly."

"How do you know when your mistrust isn't an instinct?" Zik asks quietly. "Corporate types don't generally do things out of the goodness of their own hearts. There's usually profit involved. Or power. And either one frequently leads to the oppression of someone somewhere." He'd seen what corporations had done to Sullust. And he'd seen what the CSA specifically had done to the Kilinari system and Mutanda. "What if mistrust is the Force's guidance?" He listens to the explanation about the lack of dishonesty and the presence of anger, then nods slowly. "I just wonder is all." Zik reaches for the console and transmits the ship's landing codes and passenger manifest. "Refrain, this is Vigilance with Ikihsa Enb'Zik as Captain," he speaks into the comm, "Requesting permission to land in the main bay at your earliest discretion."

The commander smiles faintly at the familiar accent, and the report. She's already seen the ship coming. "Maintain vigilance, but don't raise shields. Yet. “Her eyes are rather distant, and her hair wafts gently in a breeze unfelt anywhere on the bridge. Major Rook Barnsdale has never felt quite so uncomfortable, yet quite so at home: commanding a ship that actually has a crew that consists of more than a gunner in the back is chafing her nerves every day, but the feel of commanding this ancient and magnificent Jedi vessel is like nothing she's ever felt away from it. Mostly because the Refrain accepts mental commands, at least from herself. The golden panels beneath her palms, resting gently just above what would normally be touch-screen panels, are her contact points with the vessel, a pleasant alternative to standing at the navigation console. She still has someone there, though, and a crew on the bridge that she relies on just in case this strange link should fail.          Another smile graces her lips as she hears the voice in question. "They're friendly, all right... I'd know that voice anywhere. Seth, contact is yours. They're welcome to the forward hangar bay, just watch the A-Wings." With a little difficulty, Rook extracts herself from the command link and stands. "Kyra, the bridge is yours... I'll need to talk to our guests personally," she says. The informal command style is a good one with this crew, but gives her instant obedience if she's forced to crack the whip, something that has come in handy once or twice. "I've got my comlink, so get me if anything happens," she adds, and steps through the door.

"I do understand," replies Luke. There isn't a shred of judgment or egotism in his demeanor either. "Only I warn you not to allow prior experiences to cloud your judgment in the here and now. They do you credit in that they offer wisdom and experience, but never allow them to interfere with the moment. Turn them into vigilance, not hesitation." He goes silent as contact with the Refrain is made. Back on board the Jedi cruiser, Seth Senesca nods his head and turns back to his console. "Copy that, Vig'lance," he drawls. "Gimme three sec's an' a couple nano's here t' beam you an approach vector." Of course, while he fills the secure channel with chatter, his hands are working expertly on his own console to coordinate the landing. "Transmission commencin'." With a final command, the vectors are beamed to the Vigilance and an order is dispatched to the hangar crew to prepare for incoming.

The moment. Zik looks from the console to the Jedi Master as that concept is reiterated to him, not for the first time. Taking a brief span to absorb it properly, Ikihsa nods at Luke. It's good advice, even from the perspective of someone who couldn't touch the Force. "Alright," he acknowledges. As the approach flashes onto the screens, Zik turns to look at them. "Hmm," he comments, "Bit of a tight landing with all the A-wings in there. I'll have to make sure I don't scuff some pilot's ride." A smile pierces his former pensiveness, for he knows how attached pilots can get to their fighters. He's flown more than one of those A-wings himself. "Thank you, Refrain of Anshalar," he comments over the comm, "Beginning approach now. We'll be on deck in ten minutes." Ikihsa banks the gunship toward the cruiser and pushes the thrusters gently forward. It won't take more than five minutes to land. The rest, of course, will be the shut down checklist.

Rook smiles to herself, hearing Seth responding to the Skipray's transmission. He'll make someone a fine comm officer someday. If the Coreworlders can understand what he's saying, anyway... she has no trouble after her time with Kyle, and the bridge crew have gotten used to him. The teasing in the mess after hours has turned affectionate rather than mildly malicious. A few minutes' walk finds her in the primary (only, really) hangar, standing at parade rest, watching the approach of the Skipray through the magnetic field. Looks like Zik's flying... he still has that slight wobble on a lateral course correction. A medic once told her it had something to do with Sullustan balance mechanisms in their heads: small changes were felt readily and uncomfortably, while larger ones were easily corrected. It tended to make them very precise fliers at high speeds, but low speed approaches tended to sandpaper the nerves of any landing signal officer assigned to the deck.

"Copy that." Seth leans back after closing the communication, and triggers a holo display of the hangar bay to come up before him so he can watch the approach with his laid back, watchful eye. It's with a comfortable confidence he performs his work, and knows that all that jeering will some day come back into their faces if he ever has a chance to get any of them on a swoop track. Instead of lecturing Enb'Zik on any of his flying, however, Luke simply smirks at the comment about potentially scratching up one of Falcon's fighters. "Use your instincts," is all he says, and relaxes into the co-pilot's chair.

Ikihsa laughs quietly. He really isn't worried a bit about the A-wings. There are a lot of them packed into a relatively small space, but there's plenty of clearance for the Skipray as Ikihsa shifts the blastboat into landing configuration so that the upper and lower cannon towers rotate around the ship into positions as wings and landing struts. As for Sullustans looking shaky on landings, the doctor's explanation could be right. Or the Sullustans might just be showing off in their own strange way. In any case, the ship is down soon, and some five minutes after that, the ramp lowers to reveal the Sullustan and Skywalker ready to disembark.

Hangar Bay - Refrain of Anshalar An eye-pleasing weave of colored and porous stone panels cover the main deck, which is large enough to support and act as a maintenance area for quite a few smaller starships. The vaulted ceiling is supported by angular arches, creating a series of ribs and alcoves to the side, which partition off space for ships and cargo. Most of the room is simply open space. A small control station to the side allows for the operation of the main hangar doors, which may be opened and closed manually but are backed up by a magnetic locking field as well. An elevated walkway lifts slowly from the edge of the room, curling into an inordinately long set of stairs which lead fore.

Rook watches, seemingly impassively, as the Skipray sets down with the delicacy only Enb'Zik himself could manage. She watches as the ramp lowers, and Luke and Zik are visible in the hatchway. And she watches yet, ice-colored eyes casually serious, pale face relaxed, but with that hint of sternness she can't help but show if she's in any mood but a good one. It makes her a good commanding officer for the PR publications.

Luke steps out of the blastboat in tandem with Enb'Zik, R2-D2 trailing behind. Seeing Rook, he angles toward her, stopping at a casual distance and bowing his head. The hangar is a bustling place, with the next group of Falcon pilots preparing their A-wings to relieve the pilots who are currently out on recon. As such, Luke spares the friendly greetings in favor of a more professional stance, to maintain order and balance amongst the para-military operation. "Rook, thank you for being here. I couldn't spare any of the Jedi from their duties at Ord Mantell. I trust you're handling the bridge well?" He pauses to observe her response, but moves along soon enough without feeding too many pleasantries. "Zik and I have just received intelligence that there may be some people on the Smuggler's Moon that will need a rescue; an NRI agent and a Naval NavChief." There's a pause, as he considers exactly why Siren ended up on Nar Shaddaa... either NRI is playing a risky game or she'd gone AWOL. It brings a frown to his face, for some reason.

As he descends the ramp with Luke, Enb'Zik isn't quite as thoughtful about his demeanor in front of the military. Instead, he gazes out over the ships while he still has a decent view of them, remembering his time spent flying them into hard and fast combat with good comrades alongside. People who were more interested in getting the mission done and adding TIE emblems to their fuselage than in what their mental states were as they did it. Pilots only had to worry about their emotions getting themselves or their squadron mates killed. Rarely would anyone else suffer from a bout of anger or a moment of fear. As he and Luke descend beneath the level where the A-wings are easily seen, Ikihsa trains his attention on Rook with a warm smile but lets Luke do the talking. He arches a brow at the idea of Rook piloting the Refrain at all, glancing toward Luke for a moment upon hearing the revelation, curious.

Rook's respectful nod and reply is as professional as any commander or Jedi could want. "Commander Skywalker... it's an honor to have you aboard, sir. The old ship is handling well, and despite some snags with logistics and the technicians we're ready to fly or strike anytime." She looks to Zik then, with the same professional nod. "Senator... welcome aboard. I trust your trip was comfortable?" she asks. Beneath the demeanor of the serious commanding officer, faint glints of humor lurk in those blue eyes, and a certain friendly warmth for the two beings in front of her. She hides it well, here, but it's possible at least one of them is going to get a hug once they're out of sight.

Knowing how persistent Rook can be when it comes to logistics and mechanical details played a major role in why Luke trusted her to handle this temporary assignment. Paired with the mystical connection the living ship had decided to make with Rook, making her one of the few Force-insensitive pilots able to command her, Luke had come to trust her implicitly. His eye quirks and sparkles for a moment as he senses the subdued humor in her. "Come with us to the meditation chambers, Rook," he offers. "We have an important decision to make."

Enb'Zik will have to ask Luke sometime later about that unusual connection. But the Refrain of Anshalar wasn't the only entity that the Force had given Rook a strange link with. As Luke invites her to the meditation room, Zik smiles and speaks quietly when they're ready to walk, "It was a short trip, just from the Audacity to here. But there's no need to refer to me as Senator now. I'm surprised you didn't hear. I resigned some months ago." Had it been that long since he'd seen the woman? He tries to recall, but some aspects of life had kept him so busy over those intervening weeks. He might well /not/ have seen her.

"Oh!" Rook's pale face takes on a pinkish tinge. "Sorry, Zik... I guess I've been busy. Have to spend some catch-up time, if we can... and I've heard the asteroid field out there is used to train pilots for the Hutts." The words are spoken with a little more excitement: an invitation for later. But for now, the meditation chambers. "This way, please," she says, leading the two to the turbolift to the upper deck.

Meditation Chambers - Refrain of Anshalar A spartan room, shaped in a perfect circle and decorated in neutral colors, intended for moments of quiet contemplation, conversation or private meditation. Stone panels, each a square meter, cover the floor, set so close to each other their seams are almost invisible. The stone is polished, dark gray, inset with tiny white points that dot most of the room. It's the galaxy, familiar constellations and systems sprayed across the floor in perfect representation. In the center of the 'galaxy', a heavy dais of featureless black rests, disc-shaped with a beveled edge. It could serve as a large table but may have been designed for some other purpose. Several well-placed, wide, tall windows reach from floor to ceiling. Horizontally slatted blinds can be pulled down or up, for less distraction or to allow for a view out into the starscape beyond. Several low, cushioned seats, also round, backless and lacking armrests, are placed around the room.

Once the group is above decks and into the meditation chamber, Luke takes a seat on one of the chairs and turns to face the others, his expression softening into a sober look. "We have quite the situation here. Let me make sure we're all on the same page. The Audacity came with Zik and I to investigate the developments here at the Smuggler's Moon when we caught Tyler's involvement over the news feeds. I was contacted by Colonel Delede aboard the CSAV Authority. The Colonel claims to have been betrayed by Tyler, and wishes to team up with our strike group in an attack on Tyler's star destroyer, the Predator." He tips his hand toward Rook. "You're here hosting Falcon Squadron on their pre-strike recon operations, and we're waiting on a green light from Admiral Farnsworth on the attack." He turns then to face Enb'Zik, settling his wrists on his knees and leaning forward. "Not long ago, intelligence handed me an order that the strike group will need to orchestrate a ground based rescue. Zik and I have agreed that we should handle it, since the strike group will need to remain here and handle the attack... I think we've also agreed that a diversion would be beneficial, or else we'll end up having to carve our way through not only Tyler's forces, but those of the Hutts and Vichten's combined." He's not implying that they couldn't do it... but he is implying that the collateral damage could be terrible. It would be a move dangerously close to tainting both Luke and Enb'Zik as Jedi.

As the group makes their way up, Enb'Zik takes time to dismiss Rook's apology with a gentle wave of his hand, explaining that it was his choice to resign from the government. It simply wasn't appropriate, he felt, to remain a Senator with his new abilities. He still serves occasionally as an ambassador, he explains, but that things now require him to spend more time learning and studying than making decisions for others. "I'm still not entirely sure the New Republic belongs here," Ikihsa voices quietly after Luke has detailed the goings on among the Authority, the Predator and the Audacity. "If we didn't have Intel and Navy personnel down there who needed rescuing, I'm still not sure how we could justify our presence here at all."

"So the Falcons are going to be handling the sneak-peek flying for a more powerful force coming later... I'll definitely want to see the Op plan soon so we can coordinate the flights," Rook says after a moment of deliberation. "Have the Imperials finalized some kind of alliance with the Hutts? Beyond the usual, I mean... the Hutts couldn't maintain their crime syndicate without the Empire turning a blind eye at least once in a while, and we simply don't have the resources to deal with them as they've earned."

Skywalker sits straight up again and tilts his head toward Rook. "Lieutenant Commander Rasi Praddhan Cen, XO of the Audacity, is the Navy's strike group commander for the Op. He and his people are putting together an Op plan based on the continuing recon the Falcon's are bringing in. As for the Imperials?" He pauses, his expression twisting and curdling somewhat. "We aren't even really dealing with the Empire, even though it looks like that from the outside. Gren Delede has told me that the Predator is under the control of Darth Malign, and that the goals of the Sith no longer align with the goals of the Imperial Military." He speaks as if it's not a big surprise, either... as if he'd almost been expecting that the Sith, under Vadim, have a goal above and beyond the scope of the Galactic Empire. "This isn't an alliance between the Empire and the Hutts. Tyler is assisting in the destruction of the Hutt powerbase on the moon. I can only surmise that he intends to replace it with a criminal powerbase that is loyal to him... and to the Sith." He looks back toward Enb'Zik and notes, "However, this information is all classified still, so the presence of an Imperial vessel in the system warrants the presence of the New Republic. Rules of engagement become the question now, and I'm sure Admiral Farnsworth is up to his neck in those matters, which is why we still haven't heard anything from him."

He takes time to listen to Luke and Rook discuss the military aspect of the operation, but Ikihsa still isn't completely sure he thinks that a simple Imperial presence here warrants Republic military action in a system that's not part of the Republic. It's complex to him. That's not to say that Enb'Zik doesn't think something needs to be done here. This is simply his diplomatic side wondering if the New Republic isn't risking a dangerous lot by throwing its military weight around in a place where many people don't see them in any better light than they do the Empire. "I'd feel better if we could keep the operation smaller," he finally says, boiling his concerns down to that simple statement. "But with the blockade Tyler has put into place, this is about as small as we can get it."

"So we want to take him out before he gets his network set up... good plan," Rook says, quietly approving. "The blockade is the complicating factor, but it has weaknesses. And if there's one thing we've learned to do, it's exploit holes in other people's planning." She indicates the holosystem built into the wall, tapping a few keys to call up a holodisplay. "The weak links are the support vessels, if we end up in a fight with the forces here. If we have to punch a hole to get out afterwards, we go for one of them. At least, that's my suggestion. If the distraction works... hopefully we have a free run out of the system."

Luke motions toward R2-D2. "We've discovered a series of exit vectors." He pauses, and while his eyes linger on the droid, he sends a secret impression through the Force into the mind of his Sullustan counterpart and apprentice. R2-D2 beeps a few times happily before Luke continues. "They will come in handy when it comes time to pull back. If the New Republic is to attack, and if they are to join with Delede's assets, our target will be the Predator. Hopefully the vectors will keep us from having to do that, Rook."

You sent through the Force to Enb'Zik... ''Do not tell her where the vectors came from... I don't want her put at risk.''

Rook studies them. "All good... we still have to worry about that Interdictor, though. If we have to, I'd suggest putting together a contingency plan to deal with that ship. If it gets into place and deployed, we're going nowhere at all. It may never get involved, but I'd like to be prepared just in case it does," she says, her tone concerned.

As that impression reaches him through the Force, Enb'Zik blinks mildly. He doesn't look directly at Luke or give any immediate indication that he'd heard or noticed anything, but the message is much more clearly heard than it has ever been before. More changes for him to adjust to. The truth is, at this point Enb'Zik isn't saying too much of anything right now. Having spoken his piece about wishing for fewer ships present, he's now pondering the words going back and forth between the two and pondering various other questions on his mind about this entire matter.

Rook looks to Enb'Zik, guessing at a cause for his concern. "Don't worry, Zik, I don't mean destroy the Interdictor. It's not military. But disabling its engines or the gravity well projectors would do the job just fine. Ideally, that's what we want: a ship unable to do its assigned job." "Might not be a half-bad distraction, either. Something that big needs help, a lot of people will respond," Rook adds, thinking purely militarily.

"At the same time," Luke says, "Those exit vectors should help, and I have a feeling that when the poodoo hits the converters, we won't be the ones worried about disabling an interdictor. If there's to be an engagement, we should keep our eyes focused on Tyler's destroyer." He looks toward Zik as he says this, his expression suggesting an agreement that the NR's involvement should remain minimal. Then, he looks toward Rook and adds, "Even if that means we have to hope not to rely on a contingency plan, you're right, one should exist." Here Luke demonstrates the Jedi's role as a mediator.

"That's only part of it," Enb'Zik says in response to Rook's guess. "The Independents dislike the Empire and the Republic more or less equally. It leaves one to wonder why they're helping Tyler with this blockade. You can only guess that these particular independents stand to benefit after Tyler has driven the Hutts from Nar Shaddaa. The implication is that the ones running the blockade are the ones he'll be putting into power once he leaves." Zik glances at the other two, just to see if he's way off course in his line of thinking, or if they'd come to more or less the same conclusion. "If so, then I'm not as concerned with the battle. At the same time, though, we have to wonder how much success Tyler has had dismantling the Hutts already." He shakes his head, "There's just a lot to this. I should probably focus on just the battle for now and worry about the rest later."

"That might be the best thing we all can do," Rook says quietly. "I don't like to think about the possibility of the Sith in command of a criminal organization. That's two bases of power for the greatest evil in the universe... and one they can discard if it gets to inconvenient. The Imperial military doesn't necessarily traffic in sentient suffering, but the Hutts do. And so will the Sith, if Tyler pulls this off."

Luke nods his head in agreement with Enb'Zik's assessment. "Delede told me it was already too late to stop the turn of the tide," he says. "Even though I could sense anger at Tyler's betrayal... I also mourn for he and his fiancée." He pauses, shakes his head, and glances down toward the deck... it was a difficult task, carrying the burden of knowledge that many would only have a glimpse of. He truly felt for Gren and Twila, even though he won't allow it to cloud his judgment. "We will have two strong enemies if our suspicions are true," he says, looking up to Rook. "But I agree. What we're facing here is ultimately inevitable. We must all clear our minds and prepare to focus on the task ahead of us."

The Sullustan dips his head in response to Luke and Rook both. "Right," he states. "Well, then, in that case our goals are to break the blockade, get our people off the planet, and get Tyler out of here. Of course, if we break the blockade, there's nothing to stop them from reforming it once we're gone." He takes a breath and glances at both of you in turn, "If regional stability is the goal, our best bet might be to do enough damage to this nescient criminal organization to put them back on equal footing with the Hutts they're driving out. The bad part is, that puts us fighting on the Hutts' behalf, but at least Hutt control of this region is a known quantity."

"Better the evil we know than the one we don't, I suppose," Rook opines. "But that sounds right: break the blockade and get our people back, then get Tyler out of the area. And possibly whatever we can do to get this crime ring out of here as well."

Luke chuckles slightly at Rook's first words. "Snarl told me the same thing not long ago," he says, looking toward Rook with a grin of irony. He sits up a bit straighter and looks between them both. "Let's make sure this information gets into Rasi's hands. Otherwise..." He looks toward Zik. "I think we should prepare for our mission."