Keshani: Infrastructure

[GM Craig]

Danny is already on another conversation. She turns and says, "Just the water. Send me progress reports every 12 hours."

Kind of abrupt, one might suppose, but she was clearly busy.

Holler isn't immediately visible in the construction zone, so you swing by the com shack to get your comlink updated. They get your personal one, as well as the one in your helmet. a fancy new crypto module. still short range, but with a booster maybe, or a comm drone, you can get live communications back to the base.

You ask around and find Hollar in the barracks. He's racked out when you walk in, propped up on pillows with a datapad on his lap. He glances up as you approach, shuts down the datapad and swings his stocking feet to the floor.

"Snaps! You've been scarce. I heard you had a trip to a settlement. How you been?"

[Keshani]

She hesitated at seeing Holler racked out in bed. It felt a little...awkward...to talk to the soldier in such an informal state.

But before she could move away without him noticing he had set down his data pad and swung his feet around to face her.

Too late.. she thought to herself.

"Yeah...I went to go get materials for the water filtration and pumping stuff we need to have enough water here on base."

She still hesitated. She thought he had known about the trading post assignment that Danny had given her and was still nervous that he was upset with her for ducking out without asking him and his team along for protection.

She looked for an empty rack near Hollers to sit down on, deciding it would be less awkward than standing in front of him talking to him.

"What have you and your team been up to uh back here? Is Kicker doing better?"

[GM Craig]

"Yeah, Kicker is out of the med now, though still on light duties. We've been doing patrols and guard duty. Pretty boring, actually. Not what I signed on to the specs for, but I just go where the tell me. I expect we'll be re-posted shortly after the infantry land next week."

[Keshani]

"Yeah what's going on with that?", she asked. "Why the sudden rush with everything all of the sudden?"

[GM Craig]

He shrugs. "I'm just a Corporal. That's well above my pay grade. But it's been a big change, that's for sure. I don't know what moved up the timetable, but you don't move two companies of infantry and a squadron of fighters around on a whim."

[Keshani]

She nodded. "Um. Speaking of that, I'm supposed to take a team out to set up the water pipes and purifier. You interested in tagging along as the muscle?"

[GM Craig]

"Security detail? Sure. When you leaving? I'd need half an hour to round up the squad."

[Keshani]

She winced slightly, feeling guilty about dragging them all out of bed. But they were soldiers so she supposed they were used to it...

"That'd --" she paused for a second. "That'd be great." She said. She chewed her lip for a second, trying to read anything in the Sgt's expression, body language...anything that would give her a sign if he even knew that she had gone off on her own, but she couldn't find anything.

Letting out a slow breath she stood up. She supposed, for now, she would leave it alone. It seemed weird to bring it up and mention it if he wasn't going to say anything.

What he didn't know....

"Um. One more question. I'm pretty beat right now. I just got back a bit ago. Would you or one of your guys mind maybe driving so I could catch a quick nap on the way out? It's gonna be some pretty long days, and nights to meet the deadline that Danny gave me..."

[GM Craig]

"Sure. Meet at the vehicle bay in 15?"

[Keshani]

She nodded, again hesitating. But she nodded.

"Sure. Thanks Holler!"

With that she headed back to Sgt Creel to see about the rest of the things she would need and the tech crew. She would take the truck as it was, foregoing the time it would take to unload the other raw materials. She wanted to get out to the site and start working as soon as they could.

[GM Craig]

You get your techs from a grumbling Sgt Creel, along with some technical support droids, a binary load lifter, and various tool kits.

The two techs report to you looking pretty tired. You're a little chagrined to learn that are 3/4 of the way through a 16-hour shift. They're not going to have much time to sleep on the way out to the site, so that may have to adjust plans.

The excavator is loaded on a second transport vehicle, but they will need the vehicle back so you are assigned a driver to deliver the excavator for you. Hollar and his squad are ready, already packed for a field mission. Supplies, rations, and shelters are added to your still-loaded truck, along with communications gear and various security implements, and a comm drone. An armoured personnel carrier joins the other two vehicles, and your group sets out to the construction site.

You are asleep almost before they cross the gate. You briefly wonder what it would have felt like to have a shower before starting the next big project, then fall into a dreamless sleep.

You are shaken awake far too soon, and you see Peepers opening the door of the truck cab. "We're here, Snaps."

You rub your eyes to try and clear them. It is dark out, but the lights from the vehicles illuminate the area. Holler is already briefing his troopers, and your techs are unloading the excavator so the vehicle can return. First order of business is probably getting the camp set up, and your techs are probably as tired as you are, but that deadline is looming. You're at least going to need some kavvy before getting started.

[Actions?]

[Keshani]

She opened her eyes groggily and looked around, her brain taking a minute to catch up with her body.

"Somebody find the kavvy..." she groaned.

Waking up a bit more she stood and stepped out of the transport and walked over to help the two techs with the excavator.

"Hey guys, I know this isn't going to be ideal for anyone here, but the Lieutenant needs this all done within the next 10 days so we're gonna have to bust our butts a bit here."

She moved her arms to encompass the area around them.

"Let's set up camp and see where we are. I'd like to get started working as soon as possible, but I also have an idea to get more help for us. It would leave the two of you working by yourself for a few hours though."

[GM Craig]

They don't say anything, but the look on their faces says a lot. They are tired. And the prospect of spending the next ten days or more in the field is not very motivating.

Your two techs, according to the tasking message that assigned them to you, as a human female named Mena Ardross, and a human male name Sab Tucker. Both are privates in support services. No specialties, but general technical proficiency certifications. They also have basic combat quals - you're not sure what those are, or if you even qualify for that.

Still, they are professional. One of them, a human named Mena Ardross according to the tasking message that assigned her to you, says, "More help would be good. What do you need to make that happen?"

The other tech, a human named Sab Tucker, looks just as tired, but he nods. "Whatever you need, Specialist. We'll do what we can. Camp first. Or, maybe we we can leave that to the troopers, and get started sooner? That'd save us a good hour or work time, and you don't need techs to set up a camp."

[Keshani]

She looked over at the Specs, still meeting with Holler and watched them for a second.

"Yeah, I'll bet I can get them to do that for me.", she answered. "You two can get started with the excavator, you're right."

"There's an old manufacturing plant not far from here. I, uh, kinda stumbled upon it during an earlier assignments. There's all sorts of old droids there. I'm gonna go over there and rig up as many of them as I can to come back and help. It'll still be hard work on our part - they can't be unsupervised, but hopefully they can help with some of the manual labor and stuff. We could get done a lot faster then. When I get back I'll take a shift and you guys can sleep."

She waited to see if the techs had any other thoughts or questions. If they didn't she headed off to talk to Holler.

Waiting until he was finished talking to his Specs she offered him a smile.

"Thanks for coming with us," she said. "I have a couple of questions/favors for you."

After Holler responded she gave a bit of an apologetic smile.

"First, you think a couple of the guys would mind getting camp set up so the that Ardross and Tucker can start working on the pipeline? We have a really short deadline here that we're pushing to make."

[GM Craig]

[insert]

The techs look at each other, and a silent groan seems to pass between them.

Ardross nods. "Sure, Specialist. We'll get started. But we're on about hour 14 today. You need us to work until you get back, or can we knock off for some sleep in a few hours?"