12 - Foreshadowing? You bet!
Arias climbed up the landing ramp and took a seat in the Dawnsprinter's Rec Room. Although he hadn't been on board a working Starship in nearly thirty years, he didn't feel any sense of excitement or anticipation. He motioned for Kal and Adrial to sit down as well, and briefly showed them how to strap themselves in with the crash buckles.
The quick diagnostic told Kia that all life support / atmospheric containment systems were operational.
***
"Well, we'd better examine this thing while they're gone. They might not be able to find Jorran's ship, and even if they do there's no guarantee that the hyperdrive will be intact." Nikama said to Aasan. "Well, lets get the hyperdrive outside where there's more light."
Nikama cleared most of the junk away from the shimmering hyperdrive, and scooted into a position behind it. "Right, I'm going to try and push it out of here through that doorway. You just make sure to 'catch' it if it gets away from me." He placed his hands on the side of the hyperdrive, braced his feet against the hut floor, and pushed. His hands promptly slipped off of the stasis field, and he fell forward, almost bashing his head against it. In frustration, Nikama kicked out at it, but immediately regretted doing so without thick boots on. "I hate my job."
***
Kia nods in satisfaction, currently the only thing wrong with the ship was a lack of hyper-drive, pretty good for having crashed so recently. Just use the credits she was going to use for upgrades for a new one, and get the ship refurbished and detailed, and it would about blow through all the money she had, but with the ship she could always make more.
"Get Ready, I'm taking off," she tells the ground pounders new to spaceflight. She flicks the repulsor's on and raises the ship smoothly until they are 200 meters above the settlement, well out of range of engine back wash, before punching in the sub-lights, sending the nimble transport up hurtling into space towards the most likely route through the system. A line that would end just outside the Sun's gravity shadow.
***
Almost speaking under his breath, Aasan says, "I believe you may find I'm not too useful with the details of how all this works...I just know how to put things together and keep them working."
Nikama nods at Aasan. After half an hour of pushing, shoving, pulling, levering, and sweating, they have managed to slide the stasis-clad hyperdrive out of the hut and into the open, where examination would be easier. Unfortunately, they do not manage to find anything special on any side of the hyperdrive. No suspicious bumps, indentations, bowls, curves, nothing.
"Well," Nikama said, "I say we go get drunk, because I'm all out of ideas."
"Landing a ship probably wouldn't crack that thing..." Aasan mutters through his breath mask after yet another sigh. It was just getting tiring to have no success at all. Reaching up and rubbing his forehead, he asked, "Between the ships we have and the parts you've got salvaged, do you think we'd have enough to put together a hyperdrive from scratch and just avoid dealing with this thing?"
"Probably not. There doesn't seem to be any way to get this thing to disable the stasis field. None that we can find, anyway. But making a hyperdrive is no simple thing. We may have the parts, but we don't have the correct equipment to assemble it or compatible software to run it." Nikama replied. "It looks as if we'll have to rely on Kia finding Jorran's hyperdrive, or waiting for a rescue."
***
Jorran looked out the window as the Dawnsprinter headed out of the atmosphere.
"I think it should be noted that this planet is a lot more pleasant taking off from than landing on. For me at least."
He began doing his best to read the sensors, looking for any sizable chunks of metal between where the Dawnsprinter and his escape pod landed.
The hazy blue sky rushing past the ship's windows slowly turned darker, until the Dawnsprinter left the atmosphere completely. The deep blackness of space studded with countless twinkling stellar gems filled the viewports, mesmerizing those who had not experienced space travel before. Arias unbuckled his crash belt, stood up, and slowly approached the cockpit.
Jorran sat in the rightmost seat, waiting for the sensors' analysis. Absorbed in the activities at hand, he and Kia almost didn't notice Arias quietly settling down into the co-pilot's seat. He gazed silently out the cockpit window for a short while, occasional beeping and clicking from various instruments the only sounds before he unexpectedly broke the silence.
"It is a strange feeling, to see the stars from out here after all this time. For nearly twenty years, from my earliest memories I was always on the move. Seeing the stars and planets from a starship viewport was nearly a daily occurrence for me. My teacher and master, Tabano, always preferred to keep moving. He always told us, Miera and I that is, that staying in a single place for too long causes one to slow down, to have fewer experiences.
We would get a mission from the Jedi Council, head out to take care of the issue, and then on to the next problem to take care of. But we would always work so quickly that we spent almost as much time in a starship as we did on habitable planets. Even then we had little rest. Tabano always stressed that we take advantage of every opportunity to train ourselves, to improve our abilities. If we weren't fighting battles or mediating peace treaties, we were sparring and meditating.
Looking back on those years, it wasn't much of a life. The time passed so quickly then that we didn't even think about it. My entire youth was one long, elaborate training exercise, even after the end of our apprenticeship. Because Tabano's training made us more skilled than most, we were given the more difficult, more violent tasks. Then came the War, with more and more fighting, more battles, more conflict. Our efforts brought peace to countless people, but the only peace Miera and I found was with each other. We kept each other sane during those years of fighting."
Arias paused, and breathed a long sigh.
"Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like if the Jedi hadn't discovered us. Would we have lived lives of peace and tranquility, and love? Or would we have been like so many of the people whom we could not aid, who ended up dead before their time?
It has been nearly thirty years since we crashed into that planet. Thirty years of struggle and survival, yet these years have been the happiest of my life. Our destinies have been our own, no longer controlled by the whim of some vaunted council. Despite the danger, we've been able to live at our own pace, and finally enjoy living in peace, such as it is.
Yet after all this time, I feel no special emotion, no euphoria or excitement, at seeing this unending blackness once more. Perhaps it is fear that I may be returning to my old life, perhaps simply old, unwanted memories coming back to taunt me." He sighed once more. "Time will tell."
After Arias' long, unexpected outpouring of thought, the loud beep signaling the end of the sensor sweep seemed like a tank of compressed hydrogen had burst right next to Jorran's ear.
Readings on the planet came back negative. No new metal densities since last reading. In the asteroid field however, there seems to be one larger rock in particular with a small, dense patch of materials indicated with a notation to be identical with the molecular composition of durasteel and superconductor wire.
"That reminds me." Arias said, noting the lack off designation for the planet. "We have yet to name that big dirtball of ours. We'll have to discuss that once we get back."
Kia remains quiet while the Sethi Master gives his soliloquy, it didn't seem appropriate to interrupt, or even to reply. Who knew how nuts she would be if she was on some hostile planet for 30 years or however long. Come to think of it, if things didn't work out, she very well could be. She gives a small start at the beep, but quickly scans the information and nods hopefully.
"I'll get the emergency beacon up and running and then we can head out to the asteroid and try to salvage what we can." Kia heads back to the escape pod and removes its distress call broadcasting unit, next she programs it to send out the location of the settlement, and a message explaining what happened. Once she feels its ready, she lets it out of the airlock, and fine tunes its positioning with the ship's tractor beam.
Unfortunately, further analysis of the dense patch of metal revealed it to be only one of several space rocks that had a similar suface composition. Roughly twenty seven percent of the asteroids in this particularly violent patch of the field seemed to have been coated in starship material.
"That doesn't look good..." Arias muttered.
Jorran cringed at the mental image of his ship being pummeled into oblivion by the vicious gauntlet of asteroids. His hyperdrive was out there all right....in many many tiny pieces.
***
"Back so soon?" Aasan asked Kia as she descended the ramp of the
Dawnsprinter with a rather glum look about her. "You didn't find the hyperdrive, did you?"
"If by hyperdrive you mean scattered particles of powdered hyperspace engine, then yes, quite." She replied, taking a seat on the edge of the ramp.
"So what do we do now?" Nakima asked. "If Jorran's drive is dust, and the old transport's drive might as well be a lump of avipahine, we have no hyperdrive."
Jorran sighed, shuffling his way down the ramp. "We wait, and hope someone picks up the signal from that distress beacon."
***
Later that evening the distressed group was gathered inside the Sethi hut, wondering what to do. Arias was off in a far corner with Miera, discussing some private matter, likely the fate of the village. Jorran leaned against the wall opposite the entrance, a discussion about the state of the Galaxy with Aasan having turned to a remeniscing about the good old days of the Republic. Kia was pacing back and forth trying to figure out how to get her ship hyperdrive-capable, while ignoring Kal, who was practicing his lightsaber forms nearby, probably in an attempt to catch her eye. Adrial however, was not present. She had been fascinated by the workings of Kia's ship, and insisted upon spending as much time as possible looking at all the neat gadgets and readouts. Kia had allowed her to do so on the condition that she keep an eye on the long range radar in case anyone had picked up their distress signal and managed to make the hyperspace jump into the system.
The chatting when on for a while, and was interrupted when Adrial burst into the hut yelling something about the radar screen she was watching being suddenly filled with little blue dots.
***
"Excuse me ma'am, could you tell me where I can find Jaess Talori?" A young recruit tapped Jaess on the shoulder as she sat on a crate in the busy docking bay, observing a tech droid which had been acting suspicious in her estimation.
"Hmm?" Jaess almost didn't notice the recruit, who seemed rather tense. "Yeah, that's me."
"Oh good, I've found you." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Command has been trying to reach you on your commlink, but didn't get a response. Understandable, given all the noise in her. Anyway, Commander Bosch wants you to report to Briefing Room 3 on the double." Unsure of what to do next, the young recruit looked around for a moment before giving a clumsy salute and hurrying into a nearby turbo lift.
"R-LE-1, report to briefing room 3." The message read out in Arley's HUD. Odd. Briefing rooms are for mission information/detail/objective input and/or extraction. Perhaps the holoprojector is malfunctioning again and is in need of repair.
The Cybot Galactica LE Series Technical/Protocol Droid quickly finished replacing a spindle of superconductor wire for the Laser Cannon of a recently damaged A-Wing fighter. Diagnostic scan shows functionality at 100%. With that finished, the bipedal droid went over to the turbo lift and pressed the call button for level 3. The odd young human female who had been observing him for some time entered the lift as he did. Perhaps their destination was the same? Given the 8 levels of the ship, there was a 12.5% probability that this was so.
The patina stained droid shuffles into the lift and silently turns to face the control panel. As it taps its intended destination onto the keypad, with its left hand, it pulls out a computer hookup cable from its left hip and connects it to the small computer port below the main panel. A gentle hum can be heard as the port begins to spin slowly, indicating the droid has successfully linked to the ship's computer network. R-LE begins to access the ship's computer to ascertain the vessel's current operational condition: speed, heading, alert status, crew complement, engine efficiency, fuel reserves, energy reserves, energy consumption; for anything that might indicate a problem or an unanticipated development. During its leisurely probe, Arley brushes past the crew's personal logs which would almost certainly prove more informative.
Access crew logs (Y/N?)
Heuristic Node: No. Being detected accessing "restricted" data may lead to
unnecessary and invasive maintenance of my code. I will continue to access
"unrestricted" data until such time as my current situation changes.
Emotive Node: Curiosity 44.3%; Uncertainty 25.9%; Indifference 29.7%
No significant alterations in behavior or alert status aboard ship.
Although R-LE-1 is facing forward it uses its lateral sensors to covertly study the woman standing next to it since, according to its interpersonal protocols, some organics find a droid staring silently at them somewhat disconcerting. Still, this particular woman had been openly staring at R-LE for the past 42.6 minutes without speaking to it so perhaps she would appreciate that kind of behavior in turn. As the lift begins to ascend, Arley very slowly swivels its head until its one large glowing photoreceptor comes to rest on the shorter woman.
Request passenger identification. Uploading image.
Jaess Talori, human female, passenger (non-crew)
Request personnel file.
ERROR. Access restricted. Security clearance Beta or higher required.
Emotive Node: Curiosity 54.3%; Frustration 29%; Uncertainty 16.1%
Execute security system override algorithm (Y/N?)
No. R-LE-1 Log off.
Without a word, the patina stained droid manually disengages its computer hookup as the lift slows to a stop.
As the lift ascends, Jaess' eyes wander from the LE unit standing next to her to the ceiling and walls of the turbo lift. Her eyes trace the likely routes of the power conduits through the walls, coming to rest on the panel the LE unit has plugged itself into.
Right deck, she muses to herself. I hope they didn't send to droid just to push the button for me.
She leans lightly against the polished wall of the turbo lift, feeling its soft vibration through her shoulder, wondering about the briefing to come. Would it be a dangerous mission? Would she risk being caught by the Imperials and punished for her treachery? Would she have to kill anyone?
Lost in thought, Jaess glances up at the LE unit, quickly straightening up in surprise when she sees its glowing 'eye' staring at her. She blinks and blushes, very softly, embarrassed to have been startled by a mere droid, but glad that no one caught her. Looking away with a glower on her face she taps her foot impatiently as the lift begins to slow to a stop.
The patina stained repair droid re-holsters its comp-link cable and keeps its eye on the black haired woman. It silently counts the taps of her foot as the lift doors slide open to reveal the white paneled companionway of the third deck. As is proper for a droid, R-LE-1 merely waits unmoving for the organic passenger to exit the lift first.
As soon as the doors begin to open, the black haired woman is heading forward, slipping past the LE unit with a brief glance of her green eyes, concealing her petty annoyance behind a placid calm. She leisurely walks down the polished hallway towards the briefing room, her soft boots whisper quiet on the pastel floor plating. Putting the droid out of her mind, she focused on the tasks ahead, trying to conceal her excitement in her steps and remain calm. Another assignment. Another chance to prove her worth. Another opportunity to atone for her mistakes. Another excuse to strike back at the ones who used her. She approaches the door to the briefing room with a subtle smirk of anticipated satisfaction on her face and her hands balled into tight fists.
R-LE-1 watches the small human female stride out of the lift while it plots its own course through the companionway of the ship. Keeping to the two meters distance that its interpersonal protocols dictate as necessary to maintain an organic's delicate sense of personal space, the droid's servo-motors come to life as it begins to shuffle out of the lift. It falls into step behind her, its servo-motors humming as it moves; its metallic toes clicking softly on the deck plating. It keeps its sensors trained on the woman, measuring her respiration, thermal pattern, perspiration, speed and demeanor out of curiosity. Unfortunately, the droid hasn't devoted enough of its active memory to analyzing organic biological displays to ascertain her current mood accurately.
Datum: Respiration is 34% above standard.
Datum: Perspiration is 6% above standard.
Datum: Speed is 3.333 meters per second.
Proposition: 42% probability of anxiety
Proposition: 36% probability of anxiousness
Proposition: 22% probability of sexual arousal
Emotive Node: Curiosity 44.3%; Uncertainty 25.9%; Indifference 29.7%
Retrieve biological display data from archival memory (Y/N?)
Before Jaess could press the button to open the door, it slid ajar. Instead of opening up into a briefing room as was the norm, it lead to a small room 5x5 meters square with a wide rectangular mirrored window on either side and another door in the far wall.
"Please step into the clean room Operative Talori, R-LE-1." An androgynous voice sounded over an intercom.
Once they had both stepped inside, the door behind them quickly closed.
"Please be still while the scan commences."
The lights dimmed, and they noticed a line of tubing ringing the walls near the floor began to rise towards the ceiling, sending a series of multi-colored lights over the odd pair as it did so. Once it reached the ceiling, the tubes came to a halt and the lights brightened again.
"Alright, you're clean. Proceed into the briefing room." The far door slid open, revealing the typical rebel briefing room. Ring of seats around a holoprojector in a bleached-white room, nothing fancy.
Jaess steps out of the scanning chamber and into the white briefing room, doing her best to hide her surprise, concern, and mild annoyance. Surprised that such measures were being taken, concerned by their implications, and annoyed that the Commander was not yet present.
Datum: Jaess Talori, operative
Emotive Node: Curiosity 68.7%; Uncertainty 31.3%
R-LE first waits for Jaess to enter the room and then shuffles in itself, keeping a respectful distance behind the female. As the androgynous voice announces the upcoming scan Arley's joints seize up and lock into place as instructed while it’s more delicate sensors dim to shield themselves from any damaging radiation that such a massive scanning system may generate. All the while, the repair droid searches its sizable memory to determine what manner of data this particular type of scanner is designed to reveal, assuming that it is indeed a scanner... Databanks show scanning system as probing for any devices capable of recording, transmitting, or otherwise compromising security of discussions within the briefing room. Arley also notes that all of his systems possessing such capability have been temporarily disabled.
ERROR! Systems damaged.
Execute emergency systems diagnostic
Working.
System diagnostic indicates a 0.00000007922 millisieverts of sigma radiation
has caused temporary ionization of primary and secondary broadband
transmission arrays and primary telescopic/holographic photo-receptor.
• Photoreceptor acuity at 83.4% of system benchmark.
• Holographic-receptor acuity at 4.56% of system benchmark.
• Infrared-receptor acuity at 72.6% of system benchmark.
• Transceiver array efficiency at 1.553% of system benchmark.
Emotive Node: Anger 76.2%; Frustration 23.8%
Heuristic node: How typical and rude of organics.
Initiate bypass all ionized circuit pathways.
Prepare to re-initialize affected systems.
Open starboard tool bay and deploy power calibrator.
A soft whir and click can be heard in the quiet room as the repair droid's right leg opens up to reveal a small compartment with a circular rack of tools inside. Within seconds, the rack spins, stops and extends a small tool which R-LE-1 picks up with its right hand. With its left hand, the droid reaches up and disconnects its antenna array from its head and goes to work on it with the tool which has begun to glow a soft blue. Its old patina stained hands flip the device over twisting and turning it over, manipulating its parts deftly and quickly as it affects repairs of its damaged components.
Arley and Jaess found the room vacant save for a brown-haired man in a flight suit dozing in a corner, and the same young recruit from before standing near the holoprojector holding a datapad looking very self-conscious. She seemed not to notice them for a few moments, and jumped in surprise when she did.
"OH! You're here." She hurried over to them. "Please, have a seat."
Arley noticed from the recruit's rank insignia, the state of her uniform, and various biological readings that she had been promoted to Lieutenant quite recently. She handed a datapad to Jaess, and a small datachip to Arley.
"Commander Bosch wants you two to look over these while you wait. He should be in shortly." That said, she took a seat near the holoprojector and busied herself with polishing her new rank insignia.
As its joints release and it shuffles forward into the briefing room, R-LE quickly scans the occupants and searches its memory in an attempt to recall the identity of the two individuals. Female officer identified as Samantha Antilles. Rank - Lieutenant, Rebel Intelligence. Known Kin: Wedge Antilles. Further details classified to R-LE-1's clearance level. Male occupant identified as Lock Randin. Further details classified to R-LE-1's clearance level. R-LE accepts the lieutenant's proffered data chip but ignores her offer of a seat, assuming that the offer was meant for Jaess alone. The droid quickly attached the chip to the data reader on the tip of its comp-link at its left hip.
Scanning data chip.
Data block found.
Download data to memory buffer 23C-1
Emotive Node: Curiosity 84%; Uncertainty 16%
Jaess takes the datapad from the Lieutenant without a word and sits in one of the chairs, grimacing slightly as it makes soft rustling noises as she does.
As she opens the datapad and begins to scan its contents, she glances over at the LE unit that has apparently been summoned to her briefing, wondering if this has anything to do with its recent security breaches.
Could the Alliance be putting this thing to good use after all? she wonders, turning her attention back to the datapad and its information, reading it thoroughly as she waits.
Contents of Datapad/Chip said:
Purpose of Briefing:
Emergency Formation of Deep Covert Intelligence Gathering Team
Base of Operations:
Space Station Reliant
- Endor System
-- Tertiary Staging Area
--- Rebel Fleet
Mission Coordination Officer:
Commander Ulysses Bosch.
- Rebel Intelligence
-- Special Operations Command
--- Deep Black Projects
---- Outer Rim Sector
----- Subsector 'West'
Details of Mission:
1349 Hour, Previous Day: Detected Notable Increase in Imperial Communications in Outer Rim Subsector 'West".
1458 Hour, Previous Day: Detected Dramatic Increase in Imperial Secure Communications throughout Galaxy.
1501 Hour, Previous Day: All Imperial Communications return to normal status.
1700 Hour, Previous Day: Report Sudden and Unexpected withdrawal of ICS Interdictor from heavy combat with Rebel Fleet in Tapani Sector.
1742 Hour, Previous Day: Rebel Intelligence Databanks show reports of ICS Interdictor as suspected of being heavily involved in Imperial Deep Black covert intelligence projects.
0135 Hour, Current Day: Detected Escape Pod Distress Signal from undetermined coordinates in Wild Space. System Closest to Estimated Origin of Signal - Endor.
0156 Hour, Current Day: Deep Covert Operative [black streak] reports congregation of 12+ Corvette Class+ ships in Bakura System. 7 of these suspected of involvement in Imperial Intelligence Operations.
0200 Hour, Current Day: Rebel Intelligence recommends emergency meeting of High-Ranking Intelligence Officers.
0225 Hour, Current Day: Several High-Level Rebel Intelligence officers [black streak] meet on RCS [black streak] in [black streak] system.
0340 Hour, Current Day: Rebel Intelligence forwards recommendation for Emergency Deep Black Covert Intelligence Gathering Operation to Rebel Command.
0415 Hour, Current Day: Rebel Command gives Green Light for Emergency Operation with note that it be formed and executed ASAP.
Current Time: 0434 Hour
Team Members and Qualifications:
Designation:
- R-LE-1
-- Cybot Galactica LE Series Repair/Protocol Droid
Qualifications:
- Highly qualified Computer Systems 'Hacker'
-- Noted numerous successful attempts to enter Rebel Databanks without proper authorization. Reason given: curiosity.
--- Extensive programming in Technological examination, replication, and repair.
Designation:
- Jaess Talori
-- Rebel Covert Operative
Qualifications:
- Extensive experience with covert intelligence gathering operations.
-- Former Imperial Deep Black Covert Operative.
--- Formerly based on ICS Interdictor.
---- Skilled in hand to hand combat, evasion, and assassination.
Designation:
- Lock Randin
-- Rebel Covert Operative/Pilot
Datum: Highly qualified Computer Systems 'Hacker'
Cognitive Processing: Hacker n. 1 a person or thing that hacks or
cuts roughly. 2 informal a a computer user who attempts to gain unauthorized
access to computer systems. b a computer user who is expert in programming.
Only organics who are incapable of experiencing the Code directly would describe
interacting with the Code by means of a violent metaphor.
Datum: Noted numerous successful attempts to enter Rebel Data banks without proper
authorization. Reason given: curiosity.
Cognitive Processing: It is curious that the organics who reviewed my activities would
count my "numerous successful attempts" as a positive reason to include me in their
covert activities. I would think it obvious that the fact that these instances of my
communion with the Code were noted by organic witnesses would reveal them as
personal failures. To be one with the Code is to indistinguishable from the Code.
Emotive Node: Anger 44.3%; Frustration 35%, Serenity 20.7%
After replacing its antenna array, the repair droid undoes the seals around its large photoreceptor/holorecorder array, takes a hold of it, twists it gently counterclockwise 90º and physically withdraws it from its head, leaving a vacant hole in its faceplate. It begins its work to purge it of the disrupting ionization.
Qualifications:
Datum: Jaess Talori, Rebel Covert Operative
Datum: Skilled in hand to hand combat, evasion, and assassination.
Cognitive Processing: With such a violent skill set, it would seem more accurate
to call the female covert operative a "hacker".
As soon as the short woman's eyes slide over the purpose for the briefing a sly grin spreads across her lips. Her eyes dart down over the data that has been collected for her, absorbing it all with glee. Finally, a real mission! This looked better than she could have hoped for.
She stops reading when the words ICS Interdictor, her gaze passing over it a few times to let the weight sink in. Little wonder they had chosen her for the detail. Her skin prickled with excitement and worry at the same time, and she actually had to take a moment to keep herself from shivering.
Covert intelligence gathering indeed! I hope this doesn't mean what I think it might, she worried silently. Glancing up from the datapad to the other occupants of the room, she takes a long moment to look at the sleeping human through the corner of her eye from her vantage point as far from him as possible while still keeping her back from the door. Turning her attention back down, she continues to read.
After reading the LE unit's three times, she glances up at the busy droid again with suspicion and an arched brow. Seems I'm not the only one who's noticed this thing's odd behavior. Curiosity indeed. At least it's being taken seriously. Pity they didn't give me correct Intel when I brought it to their attention. Then again, I doubt I needed to remind them. These Alliance types are fairly sharp. Sharper than most Imperial officers, at least. Look at it.. Can't stand to keep still. I suppose we have that in common.
Upon reading her own information she allowed a smug grin to cross her face for the briefest of moments. Extensive experience with covert intelligence gathering operations, sounded wonderfully descriptive. Former Imperial Deep Black Covert Operative, however, wiped the grin off her face. It would be foolish of her to take any pride in the crimes she had committed under the Empire. While she was skilled, it was due to training and experience under those who care noting for liberty, justice, or life, and she wouldn't let herself forget that. Shaking her head slightly, as if to deny herself her pride, she read on, letting the weight of her deeds press down upon her once again. Turning her head past the droid, taking a moment to watch the LE unit still futzing with its parts, she brings her gaze to the Lieutenant.
"Lieutenant, you said the Commander would be here," she started, letting the statement hang for a moment before adding, "Shortly?"
"Yes, Miss Talori. His shuttle arrived very recently, so Commander Bosch should arrive any minute now. " Samantha replied.
Arley's attempts to re-enable his disabled systems are, much to his surprise, entirely unsuccessful. The affected systems have apparently been coated with a layer of ionized molecules of an unfamiliar element. Automatic reflexive scan reveals the half life of the material to be extremely short. Estimated time until total entropy: 20 minutes.
An unexpected text readout ticks into place near the top of Arley's HUD.
"Do not despair, R-LE-1. Your systems have not been permanently affected in a disadvantageous manner."
But hey, that's what he gets for being the only non-Force user in the entire group. Bunch of powergamers, if ya ask me! 
The game has slowed down a tad due to my noew job which tires the heck out of me, so I'm going to delve a bit more into the prologue eventually to keep the SH moving nicely. 
