LogDeniable Asset-Jason-10

Game log for the 2025/01/12 session of Star Wars - Deniable Asset, as taken by Jason

The Black Sun Skipray blastboat that just came out of hyper can tell that the freighter pulling away from the garrison moon was stolen from the Black Suns. They order us to heave to and prepare to be boarded. TL-DR baffles them with talk about how this is a legitimate Black Suns mission and he can't believe they weren't told. Just then, a new Firespray, without markings, jumps into the area. In short order, it opens fire on the Skipray. The Black Suns open fire on both their foes, putting an ion blast across the freighter's bow. Con adjusts and also boosts the freighter's shields, but that isn't enough to keep their ion blaster fire from inflicting electrical havoc on the freighter, disabling the navicomputer. The unknown Firespray's fire takes a toll on the Skipray, but not enough to hearten them. They seem eager to depart. Phex's fire with the freighter's turret misses, but Myyla's salvo with the Deniable Asset / Wandering Bantha's turret knocks out one of the blastboat's engines, reducing their maximum speed, though the sudden plasma flare distracts Colonel Keln. Con, meanwhile, runs an extremely hasty bypass and gets the navicomputer back online. Keln's fire, despite his distraction, also gets through the Skipray's shields. An objective observer might think the Black Suns were losing this fight, though they are doing a good job of convincing the Firespray that it should seek life elsewhere. TL-DR dispenses wisdom to the gunners.

Gar, now equipped with a working navicomputer and having gotten farther from the moon's mass shadow, calculates a jump to hyperspace, and sends the parameters to the Deniable Asset. Phex continues hammering away at the Blastboat. Igli copies Gar's parameters into his system, while Con does damage control. Myyla hits the blastboat with more fire, but their return ion fire deals significant amounts of strain to the freighter's systems. The freighter is taking the punishment... so far. The Black Suns escalate the affair by firing a concussion missile at the Asset, though they get a bad launch and it doesn't immediately head right for the ship. Colonel Keln's return fire is enough for the Black Suns to decide that this fight is not a winning one, and they break off, leaving their concussion missile behind as their emissary. It reacquires the asset and hits, which certainly leaves a mark. Myyla, apparently having had enough of that, fires off a volley that penetrates the Skipray's hull and also disables their navicomputer.

Underway, TL-DR compliments Myyla on her shooting. Phex goes searching the ship for a tracking device, with Con helping out, and he's able to spot it, wired into the hyperdrive system. Con's able to disable it, eventually, though it's a major pain in the ass. We make a quick detour to another system to dump the tracking device, and then on to Tios. Colonel Keln warns the team that they need to be very careful now, because the planetary authority would go to enormous lengths to keep the cargo out of the hands of insurgents. TL-DR contacts Iros, who gives him landing coordinates, where the freighter will meet customs authorities who understand what to look at and what not to look at.

Both ships land at the designated location. As the team depart the freighter, the customs officials nod at them, but TL-DR can tell that they seem very nervous, and one keeps looking off to the cargo handling truck off to one side. A service truck drives to the Bantha, and Gar suggests to Myyla that she should wave them off. Gar gets ready for dust-off. Phex realizes that there's no smell of fuel, and tells Gar as much. Gar lifts off, with Myyla still on the ramp, hanging on for dear life. Igli, Keln, and TL-DR see what's happening just as four armed men in planetary defense force uniform come out of the truck and order them to hit the ground. Igli hurls himself into the driver's seat of the customs official's speeder, TL-DR hot on his heels, and Keln bringing up the rear. The customs agent can do no more than say "hey...." as the trio make off with his ride, but the PDF soldiers open fire on the speeder. They only lightly damage it, and shoot up the customs guy in the process. Igli punches it as Myyla swings herself back aboard, and Con hits the button to close the ramp. Gar calls TL-DR on the comms to get a situation update, and they agree that we can't just leave it like this. Gar makes a pass over the PDF troops with the ship on its side, allowing both turrets to bear. Neither one manages to get a direct hit, but they scatter the guards, and give them a new set of priorities. Igli follows the ship in and drives the skimmer right up the freighter's boarding ramp. Myyla sees one of the troopers lean out from cover with an anti-ship launcher, and she's not able to hit him. He fires a concussion missile at the Deniable Asset, which tears the ship up. Just a little too late, Phex manages to plant a shipboard laser shot on the missileer, which puts paid to his agenda.

Igli lifts the freighter off the ground, and since the PDF troops have no other antiship weapons, that's effectively the end of the fight. TL-DR pulls his holdout pistol on Keln and asks if he planned this. Keln denies having any role in the double-cross, and while TL-DR doesn't entirely believe him, he doesn't disbelieve him enough to pull the trigger. They plot a jump and head for clear space while Con jams the PDF troops communications. TL-DR suggests to Iros that he needs to double-check Keln's bona fides, since it's just possible he was the link.

Days later, the Asset / Bantha docks up in Garmin's Hope, with the freighter tucked away in deep space. It will take two weeks to fully repair the ship, so we leave Igli and Gar to keep watch on the freighter, while the rest of the team goes to the settlement. Con's able to help with repairs, which is nice, because Garmin's Hope is underpopulated and short on manpower. Con comes up with some cutouts so that Iros can receive our supply requests and send us money. We're able to find a Sienar Fleet Systems SFS-220 and install it to upgrade the Asset's drive. Keln approaches Myyla and tells her he's worried that TL-DR doesn't trust him. Myyla doesn't seem concerned, but reminds him that the team will be keeping an eye on him. When repairs are done, Iros says that we're going to meet up again at station 5 in Elnoor.

When time allows, Keln seeks Igli out, and tells him he's worried that the rest of the team distrust ex-Imperials, and he's hoping Igli will warn him, one ex-Impy to another, if things are about to develop in his disinterest. Igli sounds friendly but non-committal.

At Elnoor, Iros asks if the team can falsify a cargo manifest and land for refueling. Con and Gar can fake a manifest like it was going out of style, and that done, landing on Elnoor and walking away poses no difficulties whatsoever. Iros meets them at the cantina, with a couple people in his entourage. With the deal closed, Iros summons Colonel Keln to return with him. Keln gives Igli a grateful look as he departs, and we get our $75k.