Atrivis Sector

[Nim Naja]

"I don't know," she replied to the very long rebuttal with a dejected shoulder shrug. "I don't have answers. I am hoping HC will have something of value to add. All I know is we were to go to Mantooine anyway. We would just be early."

[GM Craig]

[Taking a couple of liberties.]

She bares the teeth on the left side of her mouth - an objectively scary image, but the Zabrak equivalent of a shrug.

"It's your mission. I'm just here to keep you alive, and help how I can."

The tech at Nim's side gentle clears her throat.

"Orders, Agent Naja?"

About this time, Trax comes up the boarding ramp, and finds Nim, Maris, and one of the support staff in the Comms room.

[Nim Naja]

The tech's words were still odd to her ears. But at least that answer was known. "Roll out and install the shield." Nim ever so slightly nodded to Trax to acknowledge his presence. It needn't be anything more formal, especially for a Lorrdian to express. "And I guess we wait for the call to connect. How much longer do you think?"

[GM Craig]

"Just a couple of minutes, ma'am."

[Trax]

Trax glanced only briefly at Maris, feeling oddly relieved she was on board, before he looked at Nim.

“What’s up with the hasty departure?”

[Nim Naja]

Nim relayed the new information as she had to Maris, knowing she'd have to do so again for a fourth time in a few minutes.

[GM Craig]

[OOC: Trax can take as IC knowledge the information Nim told to Maris, from here: http://karvis.altarka.org/index.php?topic=372.msg11741#msg11741 and http://karvis.altarka.org/index.php?topic=372.msg11753#msg11753 ]

[Trax]

Trax thought about the information Nim and just relayed to him.  An unconfirmed Imperial source...it could be a trap of some kind but surely the Imperials still had locals that were loyal to them.  If they wanted them dead they could attack them on the ground, or just wait until the assault begins.  Even with a shield to take cover from an orbital bombardment, the were going to be a hell of a lot of imperial troops on the ground and if Nim was their target they'd be in for a very difficult fight for survival.  And getting out of the system wouldn't be any easier at that point.

"A sound decision," he said agreeing with Nim's decision to leave for Mantooine.  "If the target is Fest, we risk getting pinned down here for possibly weeks.  And if the target is Mantooine, they need to at least be made aware of the possibility.  The intel matches Alliance intel, that a response to the successful liberation in this sector is on the way, it's just a lot sooner than anticipated.  That has to lend some credibility to the warning.

I just might have asked for a fighter escort.  Not that I doubt the skills of our pilot but better safe than dead."

[GM Craig]

Maris looks at Trax with a exasperated expression, and throws her hands up.

Before anyone can respond, your tech interrupts.

"General Vernan on the comm."

Nim moves to the console.

"Agent Naga. I understand there has been a complication?"

[Nim Naja]

Nim nearly raised an eyebrow at the General's mispronunciation of her name but put it aside for the moment. She actually stiffened a little bit, almost at attention at the ‘presence’ of the superior officer even though it was just an audio of him. Old habits? she mused.

"Sir, that is.. one way to put it." The woman took a deep breath before launching into the explanation, describing the hidden, mysterious message and the entire call she had with the tipster.

"I did relay this information to the lead Fest faction as unverified and, albeit reluctantly, they agreed to sign on regardless. I believe they would have eventually, but they were worried about a sudden invasion.. as are we. I couldn’t trace the call but there is only one facility in the entire system capable of supplying the battlegroup, and it is the orbital station above our heads.”

[GM Craig]

There is quiet on the line a moment, and you hear some background noise like a shuffling of datapads.

"We're spread thin, Agent. We don't have enough naval assets close enough to drive off a battlegroup - it would take us a week to put that together, and every ship we have over six sectors, assuming leadership would even approve it. No ground reinforcements either - the earliest I could put any boots on the ground in that sector is a week. But I can probably have three or four more shields to Fest in 24 hours. We have a couple of blockade runners not far from you. If you can confirm this source, or get more information, we might be able to delay this attack through other means."

[Nim Naja]

"I think by the time any of us were to sneak aboard the station and glean anything useful it'll be too late and not worth the risk." Nim looked to her companions as she spoke, her hand gesture encouraging them to speak if they had any thoughts. "I realize this isn't a foolproof connection but is there anything you can tell us on how you'd delay them? How much time would you need for it? We haven't been to Mantooine yet, they likely don't even know the original info. The fleet will gather here but we don't know where they will strike first. They could bypass Fest entirely."

[GM Craig]

"If they're resupplying at Fest, that's unlikely to be their target. If we have details, corroborating information, we might be able to tie up the mission in the senate, or hamper them in other ways politically."

Maris has nothing to add, she's just leaning back against the console with her arms crossed watching.

[Nim Naja]

OOC: Ken I don't know if you want to add or ask anything, but she gestured in case you did. I'm at a loss so anything you've got is welcome

[Trax]

OOC: We should ask what qualifies as corroborating information.

Nim's 'source' has corroborated as much information as the Alliance already had, we knew a strike was coming, we didn't know exactly when (we have a smaller window now thanks to the source), and we still don't know where they're going to strike, however given they'll most likely be resupplying at Fest, and based on what Vernan thinks, that makes Fest an unlikely target.

I'm guessing they need to know for certain what the target is before they can try to tie it up politically?