It takes a couple of days while general cleanup and checking the ship out, but you finally realize what the passcode is to the Captain's cabin. It was "BOLT".
It strikes you just now, just how lonely for family your old Captain was.
Would you like a public or private description?
"I've got it!"
Bolt jumps up, knocking his saucer and spilling milk over the table.
"Bolt! It was B O L T!"
He races to the cabin, leaping some of the junk still lying round, "Dang that was a good jump. I hope some one saw that." and quickly punches in the code to the captain's quarters. It takes him four attempts as his excited fingers flay about.
"Wha...? I thought he was Bolt? What's that cat-man going on about, now?"
" Bolt, yes. He gets quite erratic. You get used to it after a while and it becomes only mildly irritating. " Baniss says smiling.
"Don't you see it, Five-point-five? Dran Duellee was alone for a long time before I stowed away on this old bucket. I guess I was the biggest change to his life in decades."
Bolt flicks is tail menacingly at the Vet, "Midly irritating?! You should know that all cats ignore those that they like, and pester those that they don't. What's erratic about that?"
"Though maybe Duellee chose BOLT because he loathed me. That'd be hard to forget. I don't know. I don't understand humans? Do you?"
"In my experience, people, humans included, don't style passcodes after things they hate. They stick with things that mean something to them, so my credits are on the ill-fated captain of this heap having grown fond of you, Whiskers.
But, ah, to answer your question - I don't think humans even understand humans all that well. Er, no offense," he nods at Jerrn and Juce, still not having seen beneath the mandalorian's helmet and unsure what species he might be.
"What about this mess we're cooking up? I tried to remove any evidence the Exchange had left a holo for the doc back at his clinic, but I remember enough details from when I was scrubbing the system to be able to reach them I think. What about this mysterious transmission you caught, Juce? Any chance we can back trace a signal or identify the source? I think that'd be our best first step - identifying the pieces on our little dejarik board.'
Desh follows the conversation, shaking his head at the revelation that the cathar's name was the pass-code. "There any reason to try to get creative with this job? I mean, should we try to throw in some misdirection? Grab some local ganger's leathers and gear?" He shrugs his heavy shoulders, "Plannin's not really my gig."
Juce stares after Bolt as he skips over to the captains' cabin, screaming his name.
"It's the com I picked up from one of the mercs we picked off by the cantina while we were getting the Trandoshian back." Juce replies to Jeriko, holding up the comlink for him to see. "I've already got it hooked to by computer, let me check if I can trace it."
Parallel trace checking the signal through the communications web, and cross checking with a visitors map, Juce manages to locate the source of the signal at Docking Bay 71.
The docking pits in that area are given to transient light freighters, much like the one you're in now.
When Bolt finally punches the correct code in to the Captain’s cabin, the seal cracks and the armored hatch slides open.
>CLICK< for an overview of the Captain's Cabin.
Revealed is a spacious cabin decorated with what looks like the contents of a Hapan Prince’s bedroom. All bright vermillion crushed velvet walls, shag carpeting that seems to wave in invisible breezes, decadent plush chairs and couches. Strategically placed mirrors give the illusion of a much larger space. On the far wall is an armored viewport.
Off to the right is a combo bar/kitchenette; it is clearly well stocked with some very good liquours.
Also off to the right is the entrance to the bedroom.
Directly left you see a deluxe fresher unit.
On the far left you see a computer station, behind that shelves against the walls contain ship models and other interesting mementos; a rack of medals, holo records of old enterainment shows, an irregular piece of jagged metal, a complex looking water gun, a thick telephone sized archaic book, and an old fashioned flashlight.
You realize from the Ships Models, and the medal collection that the former occupant was probably a member of the Corellian Navy at one time.
The archaic book is the printed copy of an official Corellian Naval Court Marshal of a Commander Dran Duellee. Reading the thing all the way through in detail would take about 15 hours.
That water gun (it looks like a super soaker) is actually an exotic weapon known as a Carbonite Rifle (you can find details on P.69 of the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign guide); long story short, you can immobilize an opponent with it.
That thing is an Archaic Lightsaber! With a Violet crystal, this could be an ancient Rakatan weapon! Extremely valuable to the right collector.
[spoiler=In the Bedroom]
In there is an aerogel hoverbed with a holographic "Total" entertainment system. The kind for consenting adults, if you know what I mean.
You can touch a hidden switch on the left side of the ships models rack to reveal a scan shielded rack of blasters.
A hidden switch on the right reveals the ships safe in the far corner, a complex looking code lock blinking multicolored buttons on the front.
"Docking Bay 71." Juce says, not looking up from his brace comp as he follows the band into the captains cabin. "That's where the signal originated." he informs, drpping his hands to his sides and looking around the cabin.
Picking up the flashlight Juce rolls it over in his hands, examening it from every angle. Holding the flashlight in front of him in both hands Juce spreads his legs, as if bracing. "Hey, look!" he warns, flipping a switch on the flashlight.
Standing like that for a few moments Juce obviously expects something to happen. After a few tense moments Juce grunts and relaxes his pose, shacking the cylinder he bangs it against his palm before bringing it up to his visor, looking down the lens.
"Huh? Must require a power pack to operate." Shrugging he flips the thing over to Jerrn with a casual flick of his hand. "That's an archaic lightsaber there. Could be ancient Rakatan. Valuable to the right collector. Extremely valuable."
" So what did you find Bolt? " Baniss says as he walks into the captains quarters. " Woh! Dran had a lot of medals. These are Correlian Naval Medals. Did you know your captain used to be in the Navy Bolt? " Baniss picks up the telephone sized book and flicks through the first few pages Who would keep a copy of their own court martial record? I'll have to read through this later " Gee not only was he in the navy, he was a commander! though it seems he was eventually court martialed. " then he takes a look at the water gun but after looking it over he just puts it back down again completely stumped. " Hey Bolt wasn't there supposed to be a stash of Creds in here? "
Kn Galactic Lore:
Kn Beaurocracy:
Kn technology:
You realize from the aperture in the rear end of the Ancient Lightsaber (for you realize that is what it is), is meant to be connected to a belt mounted power pack. Looking around you realize the stand the lightsaber was resting on is one such.
"Docking Bay 71? Well, I guess we've got a place to start looking now so we can figure out who this mysterious nerfherder who supposedly has Juce's grandpappy's armor might be. Good!"
He looks up, a surprised look on his face, "Oh! We got into the captain's quarters. Good job, Bolt!"
As the others mill about the captain's cabin, Jeriko sidles over to the bar and takes a quick inventory of the liquors the late Capt. Dran had in stock.
"Whoa. He's got a bottle of Chandrilan Blue '439 back here - that is an excellent year from what I've heard. Ha ha! And here's a bottle of Starshine Surprise. Looks like there might be enough left in here to make a couple of Tatooine Sunburns," he glances up at Desh then amends, "oooor just a single, hardy Cassandra Sunrise. Haven't heard of anyone ever downing one of those and staying on their feet though. There's even some Juma Juice and Polanis Red back here. Nice!"
He disappears behind the bar and reappears with a shaker, several bottles, and several small crystal glasses. After pouring himself a little of the Chandrilan Blue, he looks expectantly at the rest of the team. "Well, anybody else like something? All this getting shot at and hiding in a derelict ship can really get a fella thirsty."
Juce slides over to Jeriko at the offer of drinks. "I could use some refreshment." he says, taking a seat and working on his helmet straps.
Drawing off his helmet long, blond hair cascades down in front of his face, combing it away reveals Juce to be a blue-eyed, caucasian human male in his mid-thirties. His chin is broad and his brow deep, his nose is flat and looks to have been broken at least twice. A scar splits the left side of his lips, running from his chin back to his left ear. His gaze is calm and measured, awake and ready for action.
"Surprise me barkeep." he says unsmiling.
"I'da never guessed you for a blonde, Juce. Good to know there's a person under that helmet." Jeriko jibes as he bends down to snag another bottle. He comes back up grinning, having found some thick, syrupy purple liquid and a clear, spicy smelling one. He offers Juce a wink as he mixes a modest amount of each in a tumbler, then pours them into a glass, only filling it halfway. He then finds a shot glass nearby and fills it with some of the Starshine Surprise, then sets the two before the grisled Mandalorian.
"One Reactor Core, primed and ready. Drop the smaller into the larger, pound it as quick as you can, and then buckle up."
Jeriko grins, his hands spread wide on the bar top, "These were always a bit too strong for my taste, but I'm thinking you might enjoy it, Blondie."
Jerrn stumbles into the room, wiping his hands with a dirty rag. "Wallll, Ah got the hyperdrive workin', then it stopped. Now it's workin' again. Ah think. Ooh, Ah'll take a drink. Whatcha got there? Got any Mos Eisley Sunrises?"
Jeriko's lekku twitch in mild surprise at Jerrn's request. "A Mos Eisley Sunrise? That's like a Tatooine Sunburn but stronger, right? Yeah, I think saw what we need for that one." Jeriko smiles and vanishes behind the bar again, this time coming back up with a bottle of a bright orange liquid that smells cloyingly sweet. He mixes a double portion of the Starshine Surprise and a tiny bit of the thick purple liquor together in a tumbler before pouring them into a wide, tapered glass. Cupping the glass in his hand, he swirls it a few times to get a small whirl spinning, before pouring the bright orange liquid into the center with his free hand.
The results are delightfully colorful as the dark purple and bright orange liquids swirl about within the glass. Setting the glass down before the jedi, Jeriko smiles triumphantly as he wipes his hands on a small towel.
"There you go, farmboy. We've got enough of this Starshine Surprise left for a couple more if anyone else is interested. Stuff's good!"
"Hey guys, look at this!"
You can touch a hidden switch on the left side of the ships models rack to reveal a scan shielded rack of blasters.
A hidden switch on the right reveals the ships safe in the far corner, a complex looking code lock blinking multicolored buttons on the front.
"Hey, now... Isn't that something?" Six walks over to inspect the blasters.
Desh follows Six, seeing if there is anything worth using in the rack. He can't help but eye the blue-skinned barman, "See any cigars back there? Could use a good smoke."
"Deathsticks? Didn't you see any of those after-school holos insisting that you rethink your life instead?"
The twi'lek grins, then produces a fat, blunt cigar from a high-end climate-controlled storage container. He then dips the end of it into a bit of the Starshine Surpise and then offers it to the burly Feeorin.
While tossing Desh an antique lighter he also offers with a shrug, "Let's just hope the fire supression system isn't too touchy."
"Agreed. And I'm just playin' the odds... I gotta figure a blaster round's got my name on it." He lights the cigar, finally taking a slow pull before puffing it up towards the nearest sensor as a test. "Plus, I'm pretty sure those holos are propaganda; these bad boys are life-givers... not life-enders."
Jerrn looks up from his drink, waves his hand in the air and says "You do not want deathsticks. You need to go home and rethink your life." He then looks inscrutably at Desh and downs his drink.
Desh shakes his head, blowing out another huge cloud of aromatic smoke, "I'll keep that in mind, farmboy."
Juce feels the effect of the alcohol creeping into the back of his head, a comfortable warmth in his gut and a slight grogginess in his motions. 'Poodoo' it had been too long, he didn't have any tolerance for it anymore. Perking up at the talk of deathsticks he waves a hand at Jeriko and drones in a mock voice of Jerrn's. "You will give me a deathstick."
"HA!" Jeriko barks out the first real genuine laugh he's had in a very long time. Grinning, he prepares another cigar for Juce the same way he prepared one for Desh. The twi'lek then offers it to him, his free hand gesturing toward Desh to toss the lighter over, "Here you go, Blondie." He catches the lighter and strikes a flame for Juce to light off of, grinning.
Juce smirks at his own joke accepting the cigar and popping it into his mouth. "He's right you know." he says sagely. "We're all dead anyway. All we can do is fight for one more breath and the best we can hope for is to go out in a way of our choosing. Kicking and screaming, or docile." he slurrs, waiting for Desh to pass the lighter.
Baniss chuckles, " You're going to have a hard time fighting for that next breath when your lungs are clogged with chemicals... I'll have a glass of Polanis Red though. "
The weapons include two Cinnagaran Assault Blaster Rifles and an Ion Carbine. Three slots are empty.
When Bolt starts fiddling with the key pad, a translucent holo-recording winks into being in the middle of the room. You see a seedy looking human belted with two blaster pistols and holding a half filled liquor bottle. He has an old military vest on with “DUELEE” as a tag. He looks a little drunk.
“Bolt-boy! If yer seeing this holo, it means I’m dead. Pushed me luck a little too far no doubt.”
He takes a swig of the bottle.
“Listen up a minute. I… I’ve caught a few bad breaks, and done some things I’d really, really like to take back. But… what I am, is what I made of me life. But, there’s a lot of good things that I threw away fer pride; stupid reasons.”
He takes another swig. He weaves a bit.
“Don’t … don’t do what I did. Don’t be a pirate. Take the Yellow Truck, rename her, go out and be something more. You got something boy; you learn quick, you got a bit of luck, and you don’t let the bad breaks twist you. Like I let ‘em twist me.”
He sucks down the last of the bottle and contemplates the empty.
“So, once in a while, raise a glass fer yer old Captain!”
He pitches the bottle offscreen; you hear glass shatter in the background. He leans forward.
“And, if yer messing with the safe and I’m NOT dead, yer gonna WISH you were!”
He reaches out and the image disappears.
You notice that Capt. Duelle seemed to hold the bottle in a peculiar way. With the label facing you. When you focus in on it, it reads "Courscant Black Label". Was this some kind of message?
Juce stares at the holovid play with the unlit deathstick hanging limply from his mouth. After it plays he shrugs and raises his glass. "To the Captain?" he more asks than toasts. Frowning his eyes cross as he tries to focus on the cigar and, punching Desh in the shoulder to get his attention, he points at it meaningfully.
Juce isn't surprised when the punch is somewhat like hitting a ships hull, though Desh does seem surprised when the punch packs enough force to actually budge him slightly off-balance. He tosses the human the lighter with a grunt as he steadies himself on the bar.
Puffing away contentedly at his cigar Juce takes his glass and, grabbing his helmet, moves off to a more comfortable seat. Lounging he sighs, content for the first time in a while with a cigar and a glass of something strong in the company of people he wasn't worried were looking for a chance to shoot him in the back.
"So. Are we going to talk tactics? What the hell are we doing? We can hunker down here indefinitely I'm sure, might even get the ship flying and blast off this rock, but frankly I'd like a chance to bloody those bastards noses."
Juce leans forward in his couch, all business. "That slug's got it coming and frankly, the exchange too. We got a solid group here between us, professional soldiers, a jedi, a doctor, people who know the score on this dirtball or a planet. We could do some serious harm to some people who seriously got it coming."
Bolt sheds a silent tear, and raises an imaginary glass to his former captain and friend.
"Let's rename this bucket The Duellee," he purrs quietly, "This is, of course, if it ever gets off the ground."
The cathar then shyly retreats from the captain's cabin, and finds some cleaning and maintanence to keep himself busy.
You notice that Capt. Duelle seemed to hold the bottle in a peculiar way. With the label facing you. When you focus in on it, it reads "Courscant Black Label". Was this some kind of message? A clue he wanted Bolt to have?
What had been bothering Desh clicks into place. He pushes off the counter with surprising urgency. "Play that back again." After a few minutes, he points, "Stop! There! Check in his hand... the bottle."
"Somethin' about that feels odd, don't it?"
Behind the bar, Jeriko blinks several times at Desh. He mumbles something, then ducks down behind the bar and starts looking through the bottles to find some Coruscant Black Label.
"What feels odd? What are you on about? What about the bottle?"
Juce looks groggily at Desh with a muffled 'humm?' as he puffs away at his deathstick. "What? Correllian Black Label? That's a message?"
Desh scowls at his fellow mando, "Difference between a good scout and a toasted scout? The ability to read between the lines. His body language is all wrong. I'm sure of it... that bottle or its label is some kind of message." He looks over at Bolt, "So that doesn't mean anything to you? If not, can someone get on the 'net and start searching the keywords "Correlian Black Label"... anything that stands out, I guess."