The Phantom Affair

[sw_npc]

The lab is filled with terminal banks, screens, modules, monitors, and all sorts of devices with blinking lights. The lighting is nearly as cold, precise, and mathematical as Professor Rorax Falken, sitting in his repulsorchair and staring down Dllr Nep and Mirax Terrik

Comments

[incorsecsdreams]

"Okay, people, let's get out of her." Mirax lets down the ramp of the Pulsar Skate, "I've certainly seen everything here that I want to see."

She skips a couple of the less important steps on the preflight check and by the time everyone gets on board and is seated the ship is ready to go. As they clear the hangar Mirax turns to Dllr, "Take the helm. I've got something I need to check on." So saying, she pushes herself up out of her chair and heads over to the communication console, pulling a datacard out of her pocket.

[rogueofsullust]

Dllr's jaw drops as he watches her pull the card out of her pocket. He should have known...

"That's what was holding you up--you stole the datacard." He shakes his head. Always a step ahead, this one...

[incorsecsdreams]

Mirax's grin is huge, "You heard Falken's music. I trade in cultural artifacts like music and technology. There was no way I was going to pass up a chance for the only copy of his last composition, especially since it was unpublished. And it's a requiem, which is incredibly appropriate all things considered."

[rogueofsullust]

Dllr is practically hopping from foot to foot as Mirax inserts the datacard. He's dying to hear Falken's last piece of mus--

SCREEEEEEK REEEKKK SHHHHRRRIIIIIEEEEEKKKK SKREEEEEGGGK!

"TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF!" Dllr's hands instinctively cover his incredibly sensitive ears, and he winces in pain at the horrible racket made by Falken's 'Requiem'.

[incorsecsdreams]

Mirax stabs a button on the console and the noise cuts out. "Huh. It must not be music after all. I wonder if it's formatted for data. Give me a second while I try loading it up for holo-display."

She leans forward to do just that when a massive shock rolls through the ship with an accompanying BRROOOM!

[rogueofsullust]

Dllr nearly falls out of the chair when the Skate is rocked by the laser blast. "Imps!" He looks frantically around the cockpit. "Mirax, are there any weapons on this ship?"

[incorsecsdreams]

"Nothing to speak of," Mirax grimaces. "The Mrlssi required me to disarm the ship in order to engage in comercial activity in the system. So unless you want to lean out the airlock with a blaster..." She trails off.

[rogueofsullust]

Dllr pouts for a moment as another blast rocks the ship. "And the last music I ever got to hear was that horrible screeching. Just my luck..."

Which is when, just outside the viewport, a pair TIE fighters goes screaming by--

And explode milliseconds apart. One X-Wing flashes through the explosion on the port side, and another a split second behind peels off to starboard.

"Thank the Force! I've never been happier to see you guys!" Dllr whoops happily, before slumping in his seat with a sigh of relief.

[rogue_wraith]

Wedge grins at his control board, somewhat goofily. The Skate is still flying, and Dllr is alive. Life is suddenly looking a good deal more bright.
"It's good to see you, Dllr." He replies, sincerely, but he sobers quickly as his R-2 unit jabbers at him. "Pulsar Skate, come about, we have Interdictators inbound. We need to get clear."

[rogueofsullust]

Dllr stares at the schematic that the datacard contained. "Uh, just a minute, Lead. We've got a different project that might interest you here..." Dllr blinks blankly at the hologram, taking in very little of the actual function of the--was it a weapon? "I'm--gonna let the kid explain it to you."

[sw_npc]

One of the students leans in close to the holo projection. "Fascinating! This appears to be a gravitic polarization beam. It's based on similar technology as the gravity well projector, but this one reverses polarization rapidly and splits things apart at the molecular level."

[rogue_wraith]

Wedge bites back a sigh - it's almost as if these kids are trying to talk over his head, constantly.
"Can you make it a bit simpler?" He demands sharply, keeping a wary eye on the incoming Impoerial ship. "Is it a weapon or what?"

[sw_npc]

"It's..." the young man pauses, struggling for a simple explanation. "It's a portable planet slicer. And the professor was just about to activate it, so I think it must be fully operational."

[rogue_wraith]

"Can it be used on the Interdictator?" Wedge demands quickly. A half-squadron of X-wings and the Skate isn't nearly enough to fight off a ship that size.
"Without hurting the population planetside?"

[sw_npc]

"Yes and," the students sounds more sure of himself over the comm than he looks, "no. The professor provided remote access codes, so we can activate it from here on the Pulsar Skate. And the professor would never hurt Mrlsst, so the planet should be safe."

It takes some effort not to add "I think".

[incorsecsdreams]

Mirax's voice is quiet. "Wedge, if this thing does what they say, it can take out the Interdictor in one shot. It's your call: do we go for it?"

Silence stretches out as her question hangs in the air "do we use a super-weapon against the Empire?".

"Wedge?"