  
WELCOME TO THE TEST DRIVE and thank you for your interest! Though the game hasn't started yet, we've put together a mini-mission with a few different goals for your characters to pursue. In the interest of flexibility and allowing players to experiment with the game mechanics, we invite you to pick your own broodmates, experiment with abilities and specializations, talk to each other and maybe make up some pre-established cr, and generally play around however you like. This test drive will not be game canon, so take this chance to go nuts!
For the full experience, we strongly encourage players to write up a short blurb about what their fellow characters might know about them either through shared time on the Station or through the Nest mental link. Handy links can be found at the bottom of this entry if you have any questions or want to place a reserve.
HELINOS TOZ
...is the smallest galactic empire located in the second disk of the Silver Halo Galaxy. For thousands of years, the neighboring CONFEDERATE OF BAL and INIVIAL COR(P) have eaten away at Helinos Toz's territory and now have reduced the once-great empire to a single moon ruled by the Last Empress. Though she is a child who owns little in the way of property on the galactic stage, the Last Empress still holds a precious seat in the shrinking Galactic House of Chairs. From this seat she and her allies have managed to keep a stranglehold on the throats of Bal and Inivial’s expansion efforts into the fourth and fifth disks of the Halo. She has accomplished this task by viciously excising loopholes in galactic regulation. Paradoxical though it may sound, the outer rings view the Last Empress as one of the few remaining heroes for the common man against the absorption of either the Bal or Inivial, a symbol of the dangers the two great empires present and a name and a heritage that even today commands respect. While Bal and Inivial may have radically different galactic goals and famously spend their time hounding one another in the house of chairs, they can agree on one thing: the Last Empress and her tiny moon kingdom are a thorn in their side. In an effort to pluck it, Bal and Inivial have joined forces to do away with the Empress and her moon forever.
While a direct attack on the ground empire moon would be an undeniable act of war, and would result in heavy sanctions which would only serve to set their goals back further, there are ways to destabilize the moon without actually putting boots on the ground. Inivial has decided to sacrifice one of their own assets to achieve this: the planet which the moon orbits. Helinos Prime is a cold, dead rock, without it's own atmosphere, as well as the site of a significant Inivial mining operation. It's this very operation that Invivial intends to utilize. By mining directly to the planet’s core, they will harvest a massive amount of heavy elements, cutting heavily into the planet's mass and degrading it's orbit in space-- making it a risk to surrounding inhabited worlds. Galactic regulation demands such a threat be absolutely absolved- by total destruction. Further, it states that these dangers must be dealt with in no more than eight hours, regardless of any other sanctions or treaties. The act itself is quite sterile: a beam weapon located in the first ring which is capable of destroying most planets in a single shot as long as alignment is correct. And once the planet goes, so too does the empire moon.
But even getting rid of the empire’s last land holdings wouldn’t do away with the Empress herself, which is why the Confederate of Bal’s massive armada has opted to choose today for a sprawling training exercise in their space above the empire moon. As is their right under the Secrets and Sanctions treaty, they have refused the operation of any other space traffic in that sector until their exercise has been completed. The paperwork is filed, notarized, and finalized. Under the guise of the Bal and Inivial’s mutual animosity, the two super powers mean to trap the Last Empress with the very rules and regulations she’s spent her young life manipulating to keep them both muzzled.
In summary: the Last Empress and what remains of her small royal envoy are stuck quite literally between a dissolving rock and the hard place of the Confederate of Bal’s guns with no diplomatic wiggle room. Should the empire of Helinos Toz fall, the majority of the house of chairs will turn in favor of expansion and it won’t be long before the Halo’s outer rings become the stage for a vicious war between Bal and Inivial. Those citizens of the outer rings will find their lives drastically changed as those two powers dash to make opportune land (and space) grabs. If the Last Empress can be saved, she might be able to successfully reveal this act of aggression for what it is, and use it as a way to rally the rest of the house of chairs, around her and the interests of the outer rings she stands for, against Bal and Inivial.
YOUR MISSION is to help the Last Empress escape the empire moon before it can be vaporized by Inivial, and to slide her and as many of her retinue as possible through the lines of Bal’s armada undetected.
PROMPTS
ONE • DEBRIEF: NOT AS SEXY AS IT SOUNDS
You've been given your mission file (see above) and outfitted with the appropriate gear to see it through. Today that means thermal suits designed to withstand face melting temperatures and a small cadre of ships that seem awfully familiar... if you're not mistaken they're the same ships currently in formation above Helinos Toz. You can ask Prince where he got them or Cathaway for some flying advice, but you probably won't get answers that makes any sense. Hopefully some of you know how to fly. Hug your friends, say your prayers, and wave Station 72 goodbye because it's time to...
TWO • HITTING ROCK BOTTOM
...sabotage a giant plasma drill! Down on Helinos Prime, Inivial's massive mining operation is a veritable labyrinth of tunnels and substations. Luckily you've been provided with schematics (if you feel like using them), and with some trial and error you should be able to navigate your way to key points in the mining operation. It won't be possible to completely stop the machine from coring the planet, but you just need to buy a little time. Suggested targets are the drill's targeting interface, its coolant systems, and its auxiliary stabilizer vents. How do you do that? Time to use your imagination. On the plus side, no one's around to stop you. Inivial already evacuated their on-site personnel which, come to think of it, might be a bad sign.
THREE • HURRY UP AND WAIT
With Inivial's drill momentarily on pause, it's time to rescue an Empress. Does she even know you're coming for her? Well, she'll find out eventually. There's room for six extra people on the ships provided, meaning you have exactly enough room to smuggle her and her closest advisers off of the empire moon. You've got six hours before you can (and really SHOULD) leave. Right now it looks like there's time to kill. Get to know the locals, the moon's bustling trade port, or its local population of cute dragonbirds. You have a collapsing planet below you and a veritable wasps nest of ships above you. Enjoy it while it lasts-- or bypass it all and wait for your window of opportunity with the Empress and her envoy.
FOUR • INTO THE WILD BLACK YONDER
The stealth ships can travel invisibly while in atmosphere, but there's no tricking the sensors of the Bal's ships. Luckily you fit right in-- almost. Pretending to be Bal ships might make the most sense, but what if someone notices you're out of drill formation? Even worse, what if someone detects you leaving the empire moon? No Bal ship is supposed to be down there. You could always try finding another ship to take into space, something with a little bit of stealth or maybe a harmless trading vessel. Then again, no one's supposed to be coming off the moon and into this space at all. Think fast, talk faster, or hope your pilot is really good.
FIVE • WILDCARD
Honestly? This is your show. Go surfing on some subterranean lava flows while stalling Inivial's mining efforts, try to take all the Empress's gold leaf dining room chairs with you when you evacuate the empire moon, or maybe you're done with this whole mission alltogether and want to try hijacking a ship from the Bal's armada and flying it out into space until this whole thing blows over. There's a whole galaxy out there; what else could be waiting for you?
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emptynesters2016-02-03 09:43 pm
no subject
And she keeps them sharp, angles and redirects the shields at the last possible moment before their enemy fires upon them. The ship gives a violent shake, but remains undamaged.]
Shields at 70 and holding. If they're smart, they won't fall for that again. Which means we've probably got at least two more chances.
[She talks even as she tips her chin to watch their enemy pass them, her smirk a brief flicker. It's hard not to miss the rush If adrenaline that comes with air combat, even if that isn't her life anymore. If she keeps from firing back, it will keep the other ship cocky -- maybe buy them time, instead of forcing the opposition to call reinforcements. There's no way she plans on going down with this ship -- not when there are still so many questions to answer.
Instead of focusing on the fact that she could be dying today, she speaks to Anakin without looking at him, with challenge in her voice. She can't make herself look in his direction when he's thinking like that, especially about her.]
So can you outrun them in this thing or not?
no subject
one of the things he loves about flying, specifically space flight, is the freedom to move. on land, one is always limited. ground below. gradually thinning atmosphere above. air resistance no matter which way one turns. not so in a vacuum. without anything resist him but the ship he commands, anakin is capable of some truly spectacular feats for a pilot already famous for them.
the next time they are fired upon, anakin is ready. the laser bolts burn through the space where the ship had been. anakin keeps them just out of reach, taking ahsoka's idea and running with it as only he would usually dare. in this state, in which the ship becomes an extension of him, is the quietest his mind becomes outside of repairs. the tempestuous twist of thoughts that typically mark his waking hours recede to something like peace.
there's something about achieving his oft-struggled for jedi's oneness in the middle of a fight. anakin is not the one to mull it over for meaning. ]
no subject
[She is cut off by his maneuver, and she is forced to grip the console in front of her to keep herself steady. There's an amused little roll of her eyes before concern for their passengers takes over. They aren't used to Anakin's reckless ways, given the way the Empress makes noises of displeasure behind them. Once she falls into the pattern of his flying, Ahsoka pulls herself up in the seat, against the straps in order to glance back and make sure nobody had accidentally injured themselves.
But the quiet is a welcome thing, gives her space for her own mind to relax and wander. She'd be a bold faced liar to say she hadn't thought of what life was going to be like without the Order and without Anakin. None of it felt pleasant -- but it all felt necessary. Just like something about how this whole adventure seemed necessary...like she was being prepared for something else.
Life had a funny way of trying to teach her.]
Don't worry -- won't be long now. We'll have you back on solid ground soon.
[She speaks to their passengers, none of whom entirely endeared to either of them. But Ahsoka can't bring herself to be too concerned about it. Something makes her itch, and the ship rocks with another shot to the shields, forcing her to drop back in the seat.]
Shields at 30. Not good. Hyperdrive will be active in twenty seconds.
no subject
Mind your thoughts. [ which is rich coming from him. something anakin is aware of considering the smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. ]
Won't be long now, [ he echoes his words to her. the playfulness drops from his face like blast doors falling. ] Prep the cannons. Get ready to fire.
no subject
She flicks switches and hovers her hand over the big red button, fingers flicking slightly.]
Canons hot.
[Ahsoka takes a moment to close her eyes and exhale. When she opens her eyes again, the Force is with her, tracking their enemy's trajection. She waits for Anakin's signal.]
no subject
hands locked around the steering grips, anakin fights for every mile gained. he eases the ship into a slow spin to confuse the enemy's targeting, and brings them out of it when he has their ship and their target lined up as he wants them. ]
Fire!
no subject
But that doesn't mean they can relax.]
They're locking on -- now would be a good time to leave.
[But just in case, she throws the shields in reverse. ]
Hyperdrive primed!
no subject
their abrupt come around pointed their ship into empty space between the gunships. before they can react, anakin engages the hyperdrive. a low whine fills the air, the stars drag into luminous streamers, and the ship charges into hyperspace.
anakin inhales through his nose and lets it go with a low chuckle. he pulls his hands back from the controls, busying himself reading the display before allowing himself to relax. tipping his head in ahsoka's direction, a half-smile pulls one of the corners of his mouth. ]
One of our better escapes.
no subject
But as she exhales and he smiles in her direction, she remembers. That smile had turned to anger and hatred shortly before he ventured off to retrieve Ventress.
She likes this look on him better, and as the cloud of fear in the back of the ship begins to settle into relief, she manages to smile back in his direction.]
Yeah. You're welcome.
no subject
I did most of the work. You did…well. [ the praise would have sounded like praise if not for the deliberately long pause preceding it. anakin all but shoots her a sly look.
were obi-wan present, here is where his wearied sigh of "anakin" would fit. ( sometimes, anakin hardly needs his old master with him. his voice and his scolding live in anakin's head. ) here, too, is where anakin would find a way to rope him in.
maybe he's being too familiar again. he should keep his distance. but what he should and what he can do not always coincide. so, sure, they barely escaped from a moon with a child empress and her circle. sure, they got out alone, no word on the other ships and there won't be until they come out of hyperspace. but he and ahsoka did it, the old team, skywalker and tano. that's enough. more than. ]
no subject
[A noise comes from Ahsoka that almost sounds like a groan, but she manages to cut it off with a roll of her eyes and a failed attempt at stifling her grin.
But the grin is short lived. Unlike Anakin, she knows that she can't let herself get too familiar. He's already affirmed her decision to remain removed from the Jedi Order, and she plans to stick to that path. Before everything that had happened, she had already considered it the correct course of action. Nothing was making sense.
He needs to follow his path without her, but that doesn't mean that they can't work together like they used to. They were a good team, and there was no denying that. So Ahsoka clears her throat and unbuckles herself from the co-pilot seat with the intention of checking on their cargo.
She doesn't touch them, even though her instinct is to make them feel apart of them. Instead, she forces herself to fold her hands and bow, a motion that almost looks unnatural on her.]
Its alright...you're safe now.
[Their mission is complete -- its almost enough to keep her from thinking about the others. Her discomfort replaces the void that had been left by the Empress and her Advisors.]