2 - Distress on Xorrn

"While a star destroyer is a prime target it is not a one man job, not because I'm not that good by the way", Kellin side glances at Venzo, "but because I'm not that great of a pilot. However if I can get to their landing area or behind it I can cause some serious damage alone with out to much trouble, if I have some explosives." Kellin winks at Shos.

"Excuse me for a moment, Coorsa." Venzo cocked any eyebrow toward Kellin, with the attached meaning of Are you serious? He stepped closer, lowered his voice, and spoke privately with Kellin.

Venzo turned his attention to Coorsa. "So, what's this all about? You and Hardin seem to have some real issues to resolve."

Kellin leans in "fine I'll follow your lead BOSS." After watching Venzo's attitude after his sparring match on the Gundark he is loosing faith in Venzo and him thinking properly. Given the chance Kellin will do what needs to be done to protect his friends no matter what Venzo says.

Venzo responds to Coorsa. "This conflict between the two of you... the finger pointing, the blame... it's a rift, a short circuit in the shielding... a weakness in the upcoming battle. A unified front is imperative to any chance we have here. You and I are going to meet with Hardin, and get this taken care of." Venzo looked off toward the direction Hardin went. "The sooner, the better."

Before or after the tour works for me. Hardin might need some time to cool off anyway.

"Sounds good" Kellin keeps his eyes open for any cortosis alloy weapons.

"I'm happy to start the tour however you like. If we can have access to a map of the area, that would be helpful. Even something rudimentary would be better than nothing. As we look around, let's try to get a sense of which direction the attack is likely to come from, and what are the highest likely targets. Maybe we can begin to think about multiple plans of defense."

Zara lowered her voice to be heard by her crew-mates, "As the time approaches, we can attempt to look forward with the force to predict how the attack will happen, and then begin the actual work of creating our defenses, whatever they might be."

Again, back to the entire tour group, Zara added, "How large is the entire operation Shos? How many separate facilities are there?"

Shos nods and ushers the group out of the control centre door,

"There are the two factories which are both connected to their own dedicated power generators below, skimming energy from the magma. Leftover power is used to supply the rest of the station; a couple of rec areas, housing, a security station and med centre. Then there are a couple more infrastructure things; a water recycler and the skimmers, droids which skim the lava for useful metals and deliver ti to the factories."

As he finishes the group exits the control centre door and they are then able to look over the railing and see most of the facility below them.

"As you can see, this is probably the best vantage point on the site. You can't quite see the power generators below the factories but everything else is laid out for you."

Keirso looked down at the base below and felt the dry heat of the magma below wash over his face. This was not his first time being close to molten rock - many remote planets harvested raw materials from magma and used the heat energy to power various important systems cheaply.

However, the fact remained that it was still a hazard - one which they might be able to use in their favor. He have a significant look over to Davro and Kellin. What he had in mind might require both of their particular talents, depending on potential pushback from those who ran this facility.

"We might be able to use the skimmer droids to our advantage." Keirso said, pointing at the droids who were currently carrying their loads to various parts of the facility. "No one likes to have molten rock poured on them, and we have a small army of droids who could, potential do just that - if their safety protocols could be overridden."

Keirso then nodded over toward Kellin while pulling his datapad out of his pouch, sending him a direct message.

We may also want to set charges at various choke points. Most of the facilities seem to be connected by walkways. If we can destroy the Imperial's ability to take us on on multiple fronts we should be able to hold them off longer. I'm not sure how well these miners will take to having their facility blown up though.

Casually he slipped the datapa away and directed a question toward their guide.

"Is the magma only handled by the droids, or is it piped through anywhere? We might be able to reroute it somewhere advantageous."

Assuming Landing Chutes Aurek and Besh are the only approaches...

"This is a great spot for sharpshooters. Higher ground to counter the enemy's attempts to find cover. We should out as many up here as possible, within reason. The best shots Hardin has." Venzo eyed the chokepoints leading from the landing chutes. "Perhaps some starship weapons could be placed at strategic points. Convert them into gunnery mounts and orient them toward likely imperial approach."

Like the explosives idea. Perhaps there's something that we could put on the landing chutes that would turn them into a blazing inferno, if only temporarily? An incendiary type weapon. Wait for the right time and then just set the landing pads on fire.

Kellin pulls his data pad out sends Keirso a message back:

If it means they survive and can repair the facility later, I don't think they would be too upset about it. However instead of just blocking their routes, we may be able to take some of them with the walkways. If they think the entire facility is booby-trapped they may not want to continue the attack as fiercely.

Before he puts his datapad back he snaps a quick picture of the walkways and any other location that can be blocked off and or create choke points.

"Sounds good, shall we visit the Arms Factory and see what we have at our disposal?

Shos nods at Zara and starts moving in that direction,

"It seems to me," he says to Keirso and Venzo, "you could combine your ideas of skimmer droids and choke points. The droids could drop their lava on the highest point of the walkways to flow down onto oncoming troops. Maybe cut off their retreat first with explosives, just like trapping any predator; first you need to get it to go where you want so it never has any option but to walk into the trap."

As the group descends to the factory Shos points out one of the cargo skiffs which is being loaded up with a light turbolaser. He mentions that the skiff will take the cargo through the residential area of the other factory and on to the landing chutes, where one of the fleet of four LAAT/c cargo carriers can take it to orbit.

"This factory makes both light and medium turbolasers," he says, "and they have about a dozen ready at the moment. I think they are due to be fitted onto Captain Renlow's Icarii-7."

"I like your trap idea, Shos. Get as many as we can with the resources we've got." Venzo eyed the turbolaser being loaded on to the cargo skiff. "We could put some of those in some key gunnery positions. Above with the sharpshooters I mentioned, and some in good cover aimed at potential Imperial approaches. Captain Renlow's Icarii can go without, I'm sure."

Kellin is taking photos of every location they are pointing out. "Ven, Keirso I agree, after seeing how this facility is laid out going up to the surface is a horrible idea. We can do alot more damage down here where their commanders wont be able to see exactly whats happening. If we can make this place look like a death trap, they might not want to keep pouring forces into it." He turns to Shos "but if the open up from their star destroyers on us this place will become a tomb. Are there any back doors in case that happens."