Chapter 7 - Fire Team?

Meebo picks a paraglider and checks it out, making sure everything is in order - and most importantly adjusting the harness to his size. Then he checks over the rest of his gear, and finally finds a spot to take a nap during the rest of the trip.

Nox admires the paragliders and picks out what he considers to be the fastest looking one. He makes sure his bag is ready and investigates around the cargo bay for a while.

After checking out the cockpit (and chatting as little as politely possible with the pilot), Tomas secures his own little space in the vessel, and then examines the paragliders. At first he sets one aside to use for himself, but then wonders if the others would be suspicious of this. "So this is what it's like," he thinks, "going illegitimate. Suspicion all the time; never being able to trust anyone." He sighs as he places his paraglider back in with the rest. After this he slowly begins making his way back to his bunk.

Once everyone is settled, Dancy lifts the ship out of the landing bay and maneuvers for the jump. The hours in hyperspace speed by as everyone finds their own way to pass the time.

Arriving in Obroa-skai, those choosing to look outside can tell there is an excess of ship traffic. Dancy's droid transmits the ship's information as she pulls into the approaching ship queue. Checking her console, she speaks over her shoulder. "The lines aren't as bad as I expected, we should be cruising toward the shipyards in about 17 minutes. I'll lower the cargo ramp at that time and you can go from there. We're coming in from the west and the temporary ship pads are set up to the south west of the city. You should be able to get fairly close before you need to set down."

Ken grabs the biggest and most ostentatious bunk he can the moment he's aboard and then spends the rest of the journey messing about in the galley doing the best he can to make cocktails with the meagre beverages on offer.

On entering Obroa-skai airspace he reluctantly downs the last of his drink and starts picking up his equipment. 'I think we'll be travelling light for this one gentlemen.' He pulls across the velcro fastener to secure his jacket, thumping his chest to reassure himself the plastoid plate is still in there after having the suit repaired. He slips in a holdout blaster and some brass knuckles before holstering his heavy blaster at his hip and securing it with a thumb break. He looks over his selection of grenades, 'I think this is going to be more of a frag grenade kind of day,' he says, popping three frag grenades and a stun grenade into his webbing along with some stimpacks. Finally he pulls on his scanner goggles, connects up his comlink headset, and fastens a rebreather over his mouth.

He strolls over and grabs the nearest paraglider without checking it, he knows Dancy's reliable. He crouches beside the cargo ramp, 'Insertion in T minus...'

Tomas hear the announcement and takes a breath to center himself. He spends much of those seventeen minutes in a meditative state.

When near the time of insertion, Tomas makes his way to the cargo bay. When he passes by Meebo he calls out, "Wake up my sleepy little friend! Time to die!"

It's not long before Tomas takes up one of the gliders. He figures if it's faulty it will only serve him right. He looks over at Ken, hearing him speak. He replies, with a hint of sorrow, "I always travel light." And as he puts on and tightens his gear he adds, "You must blow up a lot of stuff, huh? And people too, I'm sure?"

Nox works through much of the same checklist that Ken does. The difference being that Ken has far gear than Nox, meaning that Nox finishes securing his gear early and has the remainder of the time to spend drooling over all the cool gadgets that Ken has.

"Ken, when we finish this job, you have got to introduce me to your supplier."

Looking to Tomas with a smile, "Die here? No way! Now if we were parajumping into a Nexu nest with only a combat knife, then those might be deadly odds. As it is, you've found yourself in the company of some competent individuals, or at least that's what I've found."

Tomas listens to Nox and can't help but sport a somewhat incredulous look. "I'll have to take your word for it - and Dancy's." After a sigh, he adds, "I have to admit, I've never done anything like this. I mean, I've been in harm's way, been shot at, that sort of thing, but this is... different, and not just because it's under-board. This is the Empire. We're about to throw rocks into the krayt dragon's nest."

AD-hoc arrives just in time to catch the very end of the conversation..not quite grasping metaphors yet,he ask: "Has the mission changed? That seems less profitable and more dangerous. Are Krayts indigenous to this planet? Will I still need to risk my circuits in one of these gliding contraptions?

Meebo startles awake when Tomas wakes him.

"Die?" he says as he rubs his eyes and then blinks a few times. Then he yawns. "No time to die. Got a job to do," he says, his energy slowly ramping up to its usual levels. Then he starts gathering his gear together and getting prepared.

It doesn't take too long for him to be strapped into his paraglider and ready to go. He listens to everyone's banter, but most of his attention is on his gear - checking and re-checking. He's not afraid of the jump, or the mission in general. But he does want to make sure he's fully prepared.

After AD-hoc arrives, Meebo smiles. "Still the same job. Still gliding in on contraptions. But we should get to fly back out in style," he says with a smile.

"See you back at base." Echos over the ships speakers as the cargo ramp lowers into position. As you walk down the ramp and consider the minimal instruments on the paragliders, you realize you're at 250 meters. Anyone with pilot training realizes that you're probably low enough that any scanners will dismiss you as back scatter or ground induced noise. It looks like Dancy is giving you as good a chance as you'll get to land undetected. In your own order, you each step off the ramp and deploy the glider wings.

As the ramp descends Ken gives his paraglider a brief once over and then sets off for the opening with a run. 'See you down there. Don't get killed.' As he sprints past AD-hoc he shouts 'Try and follow me down' and leaps into the atmosphere, deploying the paraglider wings and circling down towards the landing zone.

Watching the first of them leave as he suits up, AD-hoc thinks 'Well, if they can do it . . .', and against his better judgement, exits the ship...and starts accelerating toward the ground much faster than is safe

Not one to be the last one out, Nox takes a running shot and launches out of the back of the ship. He soars with a bravado, while attempting to aid anyone that seems to be struggling.

Tomas stands for a moment at the edge of the cargo bay watching the others fall to the surface. He closes his eyes, takes one last breath, and takes the plunge.

Watching AD-hoc plummeting to the surface, Ken shouts over the radio, 'You're going too fast, pull up, pull up!'