[OOM] Transimir System.

[stuck_mynock]

Atton's ship drops out of orbit around Transimir, a massive, dust-orange and white ball that doesn't look like it would support life.

Floating around it, there's a rather large space station, all dull greys and blacks, with several beeping lights.

"Okay," Atton says, wheeling around the pilot's chair to peer at Will and Guppy. "I have a contact on the Transimir Station. Once we talk to him, we can do stuff. Cantinas. Museums. Stuff. I mean, not museums, they're dull, but cantinas."

Comments

[guppy_sandhu]

"What do we do if they spot us?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"We're faster and smaller than them. We can evade their fire, if we have to. They'll send fighters out, and someone will have to go and gun them down. We'd need to get far enough away from the planet to make a jump to hyperspace."

Atton frowns, slightly.

"I'm hoping they won't notice us, though. We're hardly giving off any energy signature."

[will_scarlett]

"Oh aye, 'ope na, sure ye know best 'ow to 'ide out 'ere."

[guppy_sandhu]

"In the event that one of us has to go and fire on them, are the controls simple?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Move with joysticks, shoot with buttons. Simple." Atton says.

There's another flash of the red light, and the underside of something appears on the hologram. It's apparently too large to fit. Atton zooms out until it can be seen in it's entirety.

It's a ship, but one that completely dwarfes the Interdictors, and is of a clearly different design. It's long, made of overlapping armour plates, and on one end the engines give out to squid-like, metal tentacles in their hundreds, and on the other, presumably the front end, four spiny 'legs' twitch, just behind what appears to be a head, with two feelers and eight glowing lights.

It looks like some sort of giant sea creature, like somebody took a bunch of crustaceans and a couple of cephalopods and fused them together.

"Never seen anything like that before."

[will_scarlett]

"That's just na right."

Is really all Will's got, maybe it didn't see them.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Doesn't look very aerodynamic." Guppy says, wondering how it took off.

It's a minor distraction from imminent death anyway.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Pfft. Aerodynamics."

The holographic image of it turns, slightly, just the head, so that the eyes seem to focus on each of them in turn.

Then, all hell breaks loose.

The displays - those of them that are still on - are suddenly all replaced by a glowing, panes-of-glass pattern of blue, green and silver light. A siren goes off, and Atton presses a hand to his head, running to one of the consoles.

"It's all gone haywire."

The glass of the cockpit window starts to crack, and all the machinery around them begins to spark as the ship shakes, lightly at first, then more and more. At a nearby console, a fire starts.

"Escape pods. Follow me," Atton says, heading off down the corridor.

[will_scarlett]

Will doesn't say anything just runs after Atton, he really was hoping there wouldn't be trouble, Kate is going to be so angry at them.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy, who had grabbed his kit bag as soon as the glass cracked, keeps up with them, praying in his head that it won't break up before they get out.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

There are four escape pods, once they reach the back of the ship. Atton gestures towards one.

"Each pod holds two people. You two get in one and I'll get in another. I'll send out all four, so that two can act as decoys."

From the front of the ship, there's a great whining noise, as the entire front of the ship starts to tear away. A containment field goes up before any air can escape, but it starts fizzing and crackling pretty quickly.

"Get in, quickly."

[will_scarlett]

Will grabs Atton's hand quickly,

"Keep safe an will find a way to meet up soon."

Then he ducks in, grabbing Guppy in after him.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Love you bro." Guppy says to Atton, not waiting to be dragged in.

He sits in the pod, looking around for controls or seatbelts or anything important he needs to notice.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

They have seatbelts. As far as controls go, they're pretty simple, though. There's one lever, and one button. The button, it seems, closes the pod.

Atton quickly sends off two of the pods, before clambering into his own.

[will_scarlett]

The button to close the door is punched and Will straps in as he tries to get a sense of where they're headed, this is all strange but he trusts Atton.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy straps himself in and pulls the lever, hoping this makes the thing go. It does, which is a relief.

"How do we steer?" he asks, looking around for a joystick. His hands are shaking. "It seems to be steering. Can you see the other three pods, did Atton get out?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

The other three pods can be seen, distantly. The giant ship bears down on one, ramming into it and shattering it.

There's a fizzle, and then a hologram of Atton appears. Just a small one, about two inches tall.

"Guppy, Will. My pod is heading down to the planet, I'll send you the coordinates and meet you there."

[will_scarlett]

"Oh aye."

Will honestly has no idea what to do so just peers out the window and grabs the seat a bit hard as they're floating through space.

[guppy_sandhu]

When the pod outside is blown up, Guppy freezes up and goes very pale; when Atton's message comes through after seconds that feel like forever, he takes a deep breath and nods, even though Atton can't hear that.

"How do we reply?" he asks, bringing his knees up to his chest and allowing his sweating forehead to rest on one of them.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"I can hear you, Guppy, it's a two-way link. Listen, I'm going to be entering the planet's atmosphere, soon, and that'll interfere with the signal, but you two look like you're heading to the station. It's a big station, but it's not as big as a planet - you're more vulnerable than I am there.

"Ditch the escape pod when you get there, and keep a low profile. Look for Lagos Ren. He may be using a different name."

[will_scarlett]

"Lagos Ren, aye, keep yerself safe."

If Will thinks about what happens he won't be able to do as much so at the moment he's working on adrenaline and instinct.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Will he take us to the planet? What does he look like?" Guppy asks, deciding not to look out the windows. "Is the space station neutral or enemy?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Neutral, but if they're given a choice between siding with you or Doom-Lobster over there, they'll pick Crusty. Lagos can take you to the planet, hopefully. If not, you'll have to make other arrangements."

Atton's image flickers a little.

"He's shorter than me ..." Static starts to block more and more of what he's saying. "... hair ... wears a lot of ... you'll find him in the ... or the ... hopefully. If you can't find him ... ot ... venient ... atic."

He fiddles about with something, becoming momentarily clearer.

"If you get down to the planet, I can find you. Keep as low a profile as you can, and stick together, both of you. Force be with you both." The image fizzles out.

[will_scarlett]

Will pats Guppy's arm,

"Breath, we'll find a way to get it figured, some'ow."

[guppy_sandhu]

I knew I should have packed Valium.

Guppy nods. He takes the opportunity of not needing to do anything for a few minutes to try and compose himself. He actually has the breathing under control; hyperventilating and passing out in this situation might cost him his life. The rest of him feels like shit.

"I'm okay." he says, which is a complete lie, but he hopes to convey that he's got it under control enough not to be a liability. Hopefully.

He manages to calm himself down enough to uncurl and hug Will.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

The escape pod, meanwhile, floats sedately onwards towards the vast docking bay of the Transimir Station.