Sunburns & Hyperdrive Troubles

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

While Kaile was busy learning, Kurt was apparently busy breaking off pieces of the ship one by one. The small metallic nodule that he had snapped off apparently belonged to the ships sensor systems, wires hanging from below the vessel and poking out from underneath the ship indicated that much, the small markings around the node being a good indication that the piece had in fact been important. He grimaced slightly, scratching the back of his head with his free hand as he inspected the part. "Oops."

Was all that really came to mind.

He hadn't meant to break the ship after all, just...well just find out how to get to the hyperdrive. It would have been a lot easier if he actually had the schematics for the damned thing, especially since it was almost a thousand years old. The Courier frowned slightly, letting out a heavy sigh and tossing the piece over his shoulder and onto the ground.

"Small setback, but lets keep looking." Kurt explored the underside of the ship, this time more carefully. "You're here somewhere."

There had to be a panel to access the hyperdrive, a way to drop the thing out from beneath the ship otherwise it didn't make any sense. A ships hyperdrive had to be easy to access and remove, it was the piece of equipment that was most prone to failing on any ship, even this one.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

With this little toy, Kaile was anxious to try it out. In fact, she wanted to go try it out upon the facility itself! There were those ten levels that were blacked out and blocked to her before. Maybe with this new gizmo, she’ll be able to dig in deeper and get a full map.

Chomping down on another big bite of her powerbar, the Lorrdian began furiously grabbing everything that she’d need to head on over. Datachips and her portable laptop went into her bag. The snacks went in there too. Just in case, she tossed in her Morp gun. Might as well be safe.

Slinging her arms through the straps, she adjusted the satchel.

A small wrist comm would connect her to Kurt. Testing the Browncoat Datalogger, she queued it up.

[ Kurt?] her voice would crackle over to the pilot.

[ I’m gonna go exploring to the databanks. Shouldn’t be more than an hour or so. ]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

[Eh?] Kurt said almost automatically as he was pushing his way on the underside of the ship.

[Oh.] He realized what Kaile was saying as her voice echoed in his ear. [Okay. Be careful.]

They still weren't entirely sure about this place, and honestly Kurt wasn't too thrilled about the idea of Kaile running off on her own. He frowned slightly for a moment, considering, then shifting slightly as he reached out towards his glasses and tapped the side of the communications band. Technically speaking they weren't alone anymore, they had help from the droids that had cleaned the hangar bay, Darktroopers were nothing to scoff at and in this place...well, it would be enough. [Take one of the droids, just in case.]

Kurt urged her.

It wouldn't be too difficult to have the thing just follow her, and if anything happened then Kurt would know that Kaile was at leasta bit more safe than she would be without it. She could take care of herself, but having a full fledged Darktrooper at your side was enough to keep even prime ministers safe.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]


[ Okay. If you need me just comm me. There shouldn't be too much interference here. ]

Kaile's voice would come through the comm with a slight reverberance. She was using her Browncoat Datalogger, which was a wrist all in one comm, so it had good range. It was all she had so far, as she still didn't know that Kurt had made something just for her.

[ There are some snacks I pulled out on the counter for you if you want them. ]

She added, knowing that the pilot had a tendency to snack. Bounding off the Messa, the Lorrdian female went off towards the closest Dark Trooper. It was crazy for her to think she was going to use one for protection. They were rather scary looking things.

[ Should I name him?]

There was a slight hint of amusement in her voice. Coming to a stop in front of the Dark Trooper, Kaile held up her hand. The Force ran through her fingers, easier now than before. A thought would bring him to a halt

[ How does Marty sound?]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

[Mcfly?] Kurt asked with an almost absent mind as he shifted on the underside of the ship. His fingers went sprawling across the black metal as he found the small latch on the underside of the ship. His face lit up for a second, his fingers reaching over to the small lever and pulling it back. There was a slight hiss, the sound of a mechanical whir, then suddenly a drop of metal as he heard the clanging of one of the plates lower down. He made a slight noise of fright though quickly got over it.

One of the pieces of the ship was now hanging down from four heavy chained lines, all of them hooked to the edge of the plate. Kurt wandered over to it slowly, his eyes wandering over the metal as he inspected what exactly he was looking at. He mused for a moment, then realized that this was what he had been looking for.

"Got you." Kurt said with a grin. "Now to find that damn hyperdrive."

The components that he had revealed weren't actually part of the hyperdrive, he managed to figure that out pretty quickly. What he had revealed was instead an access to the ships main on-board computer, a secure system that normally one would have to access from the cockpit. He wondered why the designers had moved it to such a strange place, especially since it was rather vulnerable to destruction on the underside of the ship.

He frowned, there was too many mysteries here.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Her chuckle would echo through the tiny audio feed from Kurt's glasses.

[ Marty McFly? Reckon it sounds just shiny. ]

The small crunch of her boots heading off towards the rear of the hanger would echo within the large chamber. Brown eyes glanced over at 'Marty', a crooked grin perking upwards.

"Well come on Marty, you'll be keepin' me company."

The sound of his gyros and hydrolics moving him along were louder than her steps. Where Kurt felt a bit creeped out by it, Kaile didn't mind. Perhaps it was because she had been the one to delve into the droid and see it for what it was.

[ OH! I found this really neat computer spike! ]

Her sudden exclamation might startle the pilot, but Kaile was the sort that enjoyed making conversation wherever she was. The Lorrdian didn't enjoy feeling lonely. Ever since she had first left Tatooine and then after with Asmus.. well... Kaile was keen on keeping some sort of connection going about.

[ Supposedly it goes right through socketguards like butter, so i'm itchin' to try this to check out those blacked out levels. ]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt was too busy in his own little world to hear Kaile at first, consumed by the electronics that he had uncovered within the Shuttle. It was still a mystery as to why this thing was placed here, especially since...oh. He made a quick realization.

[Might need to bring that up here.] Kurt commented as he smacked his forehead. [When you're done with exploring]

The computer systems were placed in a vulnerable position precisely so that they would get destroyed. This ship was important, or rather, it was meant for somebody important. That also meant it would be carrying important data about, or for, whomever was traveling on it. So if the ship was to get attacked, all the pilots had to do was turn the ship in a certain way and all the information they were trying to protect would be completely erased, albeit in a rather harsh way.

It made sense, though it was a bit...drastic.

He frowned for a second. "These fucking imperials are insane."

Kurt would never do something like that to The Messa, never leave a spot vulnerable on purpose, that was just silly.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[ I can do that. ]

The crackle of her voice would echo her intent. Marty was now just a few steps behind her. He was a curious thing. All of his armaments were set to the side for now, but just because his hands were free didn't mean he was harmless. It was just curious to feel that massive form lugging behind her.

It made her wonder what they had been used for before.

[ How are things at the shuttle going? ]

Kaile knew he was going through the shuttle to try and find whatever they could use as salvage for the Messa. Since he'd been at it for a good couple of hours, she was curious what he had found. She didn't get a chance to ask while she gave him the update that she was going to head out.

Up ahead, the dim lit room that lead towards the service lift and the expanse of a corridor up towards the second level came into view. Hmm, need to turn on the power in this area. I'll need to find the switches.

They'd originally been hesitant to have too many generators on the grid. As old as this area was, having too many might not be good.


[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

[Alright.] Kurt said quietly, his head poking on the underside of the ship as he tried to wiggle his way through the small gap in the ships hull that he had created earlier. The computer systems were all well and good, but they were hardly what he was after. The Hyperdrive was the important thing, especially since it was the only component of this ship that he was actually interested in. Shifting slightly Kurt pressed his hand further beneath the hull of the ship and the inner components, his fingers barely touching the edge of another lever.

His lips thinned for a moment.

His tongue stuck out.

"Ehhhhh" Kurt groaned. "Graaaa."

The Courier's fingers barely grazed against the edge of a lever, then suddenly an extra press and his hand wrapped around the lever. He pulled hard, and then suddenly the metal panel beneath him shifted once more. There was a loud hiss and then suddenly there was a loud clattering of metal. Kurt barely managed to jump back as the hull piece came loose, crashing to the ground and resounding all throughout the hangar bay with a thunderous boom.

 

[Kaile Vera]

The loud boom managed to startle Kaile, prompting her to jump in mild fright as the boom went echoing throughout the hanger and forehanger. Immediately, she tapped at her comm.

[ Kurt are you okay?!]

Her voice was coated with worry, eyes near bulging as she began to take a few steps back towards the Messa. Marty would halt his walk, turning on his chassis to follow her lead.

[ Kurt?!]




[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

[It's fine.] Kurt said. [Everything's fine. I'm fine.]

He was.

Just startled.

The panel, unlike the last one, had completely dropped away from the ship and clattered to the ground. There were no chains holding it in place and no mechanisms to keep it from falling away, the thing was entirely detachable, and as Kurt eyed the systems that were held beneath it he immediately knew why. Instead of an exposed computer grid like under the other panel, this one had an additional lair of heavy durasteel kept on a large hinge with a single latch holding it in place.

This was what should have been under every hull panel.

[Just taking apart the shuttle.] Kurt commed to Kaile, not wanting her to worry about what the noise was. His fingers wrapped around the secondary latch, pulling it away to release the heavy durasteel plate. The plate lowered, slowly, moving on the hinges until eventually the systems below were revealed. There was a mess of wires, a small bit of metal grating, and then the sleek outline of the hyperdrive. A grin crossed his face.

He knew that it had to be somewhere.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Needless to say, him saying that he was okay didn’t quell the pounding of her heart. One hand had come up to her chest in worry, and she had already begun to nibble on her lower lip.

Another chirp of the comm.

[ You sure? You gave me an awful fright. ]

She told him, the concern in her voice dripping in his ear. Marty McFly came to a halt beside her, the hydraulics of his chassis an oddly comforting sound in the backdrop. Funny how that goes.

Her brows drew upward together, mulling if she should go back or continue on. Honestly, she was likely just being a ninny again. Yet with everything that had occurred, maybe she had a right to be. A hot puff of air would blow her bangs away from her face, prompting them to feather down her temples afterward. The motion would bring back another memory. Another ship. Washing of hair, a blowdryer, and the sensation of fingers running through it.

[ You sure you don’t need me to help out? ]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

[Yep.] He really didn't need help right now, especially considering that...well there wasn't anything that Kaile could do anyway. She would take a look at the computer systems later, but for right now this was all stuff that Kurt could do on his own. Eventually they would need to find a dolly or something to move the hyperdrive, but honestly that was a long way off, and really...well it would be far more intelligent to use the droids. He mused for a moment, looking back at the massive darktroopers before turning once more to face the hyperdrive in front of him.

He mused for a moment.

The droids would be a lot of help with moving the equipment, any equipment that they found here.

This bunker was massive, and having the darktroopers around wasn't necessarily the worst thing int he world, that was provided they didn't kill the two of them. A frown slowly pulled at Kurt's lips, his eyes wandering over towards one of the troopers that was pushing the last of the guano out from the hangar and into the volcanic pits below. He couldn't help but shudder slightly as he looked at those things. Made for killing and looking like it didn't help. He frowned for a moment, then looked back towards the hyperdrive.

[It's all good.] For now anyway. [Go look at your computers, nerd.]

 

[Kaile Vera]

Kaile was still a bit hesitant, but at his encouragement acquieced.

[ Alright. Try not to wreck too many things, kay. ]

There was a note of humor in her voice, but it was laden with concern. Turning towards the Dark Trooper, Kaile beckoned him with a waggle of her fingers.

“Come on Marty… let’s go find the power button for the control room. Then get to scanning.” Marty Mcfly was quiet, but he followed her much like a lost little kathpup would. How curious it was when a simple reprogramming of protocols and conditions could make a killing machine like this Dark Trooper an aide.

Made one realize that it wasn’t the droid that was evil or doing terrible things; but the designers who had installed said protocols and programing in the first place.

The control room was on the second story. There was a lift, but Kaile was a bit hesitant to take it. Instead, using the light from Marty’s helm, they found the stairway that would lead them to it.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Even after removing the outer hull and the inner durasteel armor the hyperdrive was still hidden behind a thick layer of wire and metal grating, enough that it would take him a few hours to remove it all properly, at least without any tools. Kurt frowned slightly as he inspected the metal pieces, his eyes wandering slowly over the different pieces that held it all together. It was interesting to note that this thing really wasn't designed for convenience of engineers, meaning that it likely wasn't really built at all for functionality, rather for appearance.

He suspected that wasn't all that out of the ordinary.

These were Imperials after all, looks were half of what they did.

The Courier mused for a moment more, eyes slowly wandering over the systems as he tried to map them all out within his mind. There wasn't much that he could see would get in his way, nothing critical, just a few annoyances. His lips thinned as his hand reached out and his fingers glossed over the different components. He'd need a servo-driver, a drill, maybe even a hammer or two. Some of the parts had dust on them, though there wasn't a lick of rust.

"Thank kark for that." Kurt mused to himself as he slowly pulled some of the wires to the side to get a better look.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Going up the ramp took no time at all, but there was quite a dusty mess up here. A curl of her nose would tickle at the level of dust up here. Note to self, get the boys to come up and clean the place.

Beams of light would pour twin spheres of illumination, allowing the Lorrdian female to investigate the control room. What bit of light came pouring in through one side of the room itself, the glasteel viewports allowing a measure of illumination to cast a faint glow over the consoles.

"Marty, find me the power generator for this." she'd say, the Dark Trooper looking at her silently for a moment as it processed through the request.

"Hmm..." Kaile mulled to herself, setting her bag down upon the nearest console. There was an array station, a few sensor arrays. It was a large control room, with several screens upon the walls, likely what would be used as feed from around the island and out in orbit.

"Just what happened here, do you reckon, for it to be abandoned so?"

A curious thing indeed.




[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Wires.

Metal.

Some grating.

There wasn't really much to this ship besides the standard stuff. He was sure that the computers had something interesting in them, but really aside from that there wasn't really anything of note that Kurt could point to and go 'this is amazing!'. The hyperdrive was certainly unique, but he'd seen systems like it before. The Courier supposed the reason for that was that this was simply an Imperial Ship, a vessel designed not to be all that unique, but instead function and form fitting. He thought that there were likely copies of this exact vessel somewhere in the galaxy, more bunkers, more ships, more everything like this.

Kurt frowned for a moment.

Could it be that there was en entire network of places like this? They were in the ass end of nowhere, somewhere in the outer rim where most cartographers hadn't even bothered giving planets names, they were just numbers, nothing more. This planet hadn't even been designated with that, not being important enough. Kurt frowned for a moment and began to unplug a string of wires that hung below the grate of metal that he would have to remove.

"Karking Imperials." Kurt swore. "Can't make anything easy."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]


[ How things doin’ down there for you, bud?]

Kaile’s voice would chip in anew. That she wanted to maintain conversational contact wouldn’t be a surprise. Not with how everything had fallen out. Perhaps a bit needy in that, but both were to a degree that way.

As the Lorrdian slicer inspected the control room, Marty’s towering form went in search of the power generator. Kaile could hear him move, every heavy footfall resonating. She could see how they could be terrifying when having to face them in battle.

Again, a bit creepy.

Taking a spare rag she tucked into her bag, Kaile began to dust the consoles off. She’ll need to first investigate what this Empire of the Hand did. It was strange that there were so many ground troops but little shuttles in such a large hanger.

Where did the rest go?

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

He mused for a moment, realizing that once he had all the wires unplugged he was going to need some tools to actually pop the metal grating away from the ship and move everything along, after that he would require some lifts, probably repulsor. There were a few on The Messa, though most of them were old and worn away. He frowned for a moment, looking around himself and spotting some of the other maintenance closets that still lay scattered around the hangar bay.

[Fine.] The Courier answered curtly as he pulled himself up from the floor and moved towards one of the closed doors.

[Gonna peek into some more of these closets.] Hopefully he wouldn't find any more droids. [I'll let you know what I find.]

Kurt was hardly paying attention to the comm at this point, far more enthralled with what might lay hidden within the storage compartments. He wasn't being rude, or at least, not on purpose, but by nature he was a rather curious creature. Curiosity had to be sated after all, and what better way to sate it then to jump right in and open a few of these doors.

Even if the last had terrifying skull droids.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

[ well that's good. ]

The mention of opening up more storage areas, her brows perked up to hide under the fringe of her bangs.

[ Try to not hurt yourself. Who knows what could be in there. ]

Just then, there was a series of sparks from the back end of the room.

"Gah!" She gave a startled cry, a small jump that would drop her back a step. Her start would wane as the flicker of lights ran overhead, her pupils dilating as suddenly the power swept through the control room.

Marty had found the generator.

"Well that's one way to kickstart the place," she said ruefully, watching Marty's large form walk on back. Around her, several consoles came to life. Moving swiftly, Kaile set out to figure out what was what.