Ripley

It was a tough decision to make.... Most of Ripleys' duties in the Rebellion had been been to do with building things and supporting people. She had delivered supplies and help set up and run several bases...But in all her time she had seen little combat. Other than flying the falgship of Flash Taxo at Coruscant and a small scuffle with Vrean on their first meeting she ahd been out of the line of fire completely. She was nervous but had gone through training to use the grenade launcers and special suits of armour. Plus she flew cargo ships or bigger, not starfighters. "I'll take the ground...Thats where I can be put to the most good. Where willyou be?"

Ripley entered the office trying to hide the great pride she felt at having become a captain. she couldnt help from grinning and rushing over to Kira. "Welcome home admiral!" She hadnded over some datapads. "thes reports show everything thats been done to the base since you left. They are pretty detailed, but I can tell you the long and short of it all. Wer sorted out most of the problems we had with the underwater base, you can think our Calamarian engineers for that. Everything is running to plan and will basically be completed within the 3 to 4 days tops." Taking a seat Ripley could no longer stay formal. "If I may speak freely....Hows everything going Kira? Ive been so busy down here with base, Ive heard things from the troops but nothing clear....How does the rebellion stand at the moment...I mean, is there na battel on the horizon?"

When the signal came in requesting permission to land Ripley went to the command center to give the go ahead personally. "Permission granted. And welcome back guys." Ripley couldnt help but smile as she spoke into the mic. She was sure Kirana would have passed her trials and was heppy that she had returned so soon. "I trust all went well? You can tell me all about it when you land. Its good to have you back." Ripley sent the co-ordinates and waited for the shuttle to arrive.

Ripley hoped that Kiranas' training went well and that she returned soon. The way of the jedi were still a mystery to her. She had met several jedi during her time in this galaxy but had never really learnt much about their ways. She had heard reports that something bad had happened a big blow to the rebellion,but amongst all her work she didnt really know what was happening. Hopefully everything would be cleared up when Kirana returned, but until then she would protect the base and make sure everything ran smoothly with the construction work.

Ripley took Kirana on a tour of the mountain side base. "We dug deep into the mountain side, from the air you cant see anything the rock is dense and because of its compostion sensor scans cannot penetrate it. So far we've built a working landing bay, command center and some space for training the troops. "Ripley motioned to a large open space filled with rebel comandos going through the motions."At the moment its not anything really sophisticated but it'll do for training the troops. Living quarters are next on the agenda." The tour had led Kirana to the command center. "Now as for the technical aspects." Ripley punched a few keys on a control panel and holographic blueprints appeared as Ripley talked Kirana through them. 'We started off by reinforcing the bases structure with a high powered force field. This should keep the base intact and also act as a protective barrier should the location ever be found. In the woods just outside we had planted several automated lookout posts." Ripley punched several more keys coming up with the lookouts schematics. " They are fully automated and all the data comes straight back here, they have robotic defenses which if need be can be controlled automatically. These outposts are also masked by natural rock formations which makes them undetectable. should they be under risk of being discovered they will automatically destroy themselves." Ripley led Kirana out of the command center and back out intothe main complex. They walked past the hanger bay and carried on walking. When they arrived at their destination there were several technicians busily at work on a huge device. "This is a heavy duty ion cannon, a shot from this can disable a Star Destroyer. We are embeding it deep into the rock and building an opening mechanism which will allowus to fire it through a hole in the montains side. The hole will be sealed at alltimes when the cannon is inactive and like the rest of the place willbe force-fielded and undetectable." The tour was over. "I guess thats everything so far. Weare having much more trouble with the underwater base, as you can imagine. Ive got some Calamarians working on the initial structure as they ae much more adept at building underwater structures. I was about to clean up and then head down there to make sure thing are alright. Would you like to come to take a look ? or is it time for you to depart?"

Ripley thought about kiranas' question for a few minutes. "No, I think you've covered just about everything. All I really have to say, is good luck with your trials." Ripley smiled at Kirana. Before Kirana could go Ripley suddenly had a more serious question to ask. "There is one thing,if we are called to arms how will I get hold you of you....How soon dod you think it will be before we may have to go into battle. I mean....will you have enough time to complete your training?" It was a concern of Ripleys' that when the time came, she would be all alone and be an inadequite leader. She had commanded ships and workcrews before, but never led troops into a full- scale battle. The idea was somewhat daunting.

A tired looking Ripley entered the mess hall and stumbled her way over to Kirana. Her grey overalls were smeared with grease and her long hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her face was also grimy and she seriously looked like she neede a good nights sleep and a shower. " Vice-Admiral. You'll have to accept my appologies for not making my report to you. Ive been terribly busy over-seeing the construction of the bases. It was easy on Hoth because there was and old base that just needed to be reworked, but this task is so much bigger." She exhaled and paused for a moment. " There have been a few set-backs abut the good news is we're working our way through them." Ripley asked to be excused then retrived herself a cup of coffeee and returned. "So on a more personal note, how are things with you? You said something in your message about going away for a while."

"Thats good news. It makes me proud to be a part of the rebellion when I see the work that we've done. Hopefully we can start taking the offensive soon." Ripley grabbed a tool bag and began to help Drake with the repairs. She liked to be hands on, it felt good to know that she was actually doing something useful. Her dreams had left her puzzled, she decided to put them to the back of her mind and carry on as normal. After all there was very little that she could do. She wasnt ill or incapacitated...just disturbed. However much her resurfacing memories came as a shock she was not going to let them get in the way of her work. She ghot out a hydrospanner and began to do what she could. Ripley was no mechanic but she had a general idea of how machinery worked. "What did you do before the rebellion?" Ripley enquired of her commander. She realised that she very little about Drake, despite working with him for some time.

Rebel Officer: "Understood, we will let you know if we see a ship matching that description." The officer relayed the information to Ripley. Hearing about the stranger who had questioned some of her officers Ripley stored the information deciding it may come in useful. The Rator....What was it and why was somebody so interested in its whereabouts. "I'll be ok Drake." Ripley told her commander over the comm. "I feel better." She tired to believe what she had said as she headed towards the construction site of the new Rebel head quarters. When she arrived she noticed that a lot had happened during her absence. Much of the base was now up and running. She approached Drake and relayed the information about the Raptor. "Does the name mean anything to you?" Ripley wondered."Have you heared anything from the others. I was wondering how they are getting along on Hoth."

OCC: Us rebels are in an underwater (secret) base. So tou wouldnt know we were here. There may be a few Rebeles on the ground still with the ships. So here goes... IC: Rebel offficer "Sorry, we arent Rebels we're just simple traders. We landed here so our crew could have a break and get some fresh air. Im sorry but we havent seen any ships of that description." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ripley slept inside her quarters aboard the Rebel transport ship. Her dreams were filled with strange images that both scared her and drew her towarsd them..... They were all around her. She could feel them in her mind and outside her body. Dark alien creatures. So alien, yet so familiar. Once she had run from them afraid, but now... Now she was inexplicably drawn towards them. She opened her eyes to see writhing body all around her. Clawed hands grasping for, slick wet tentacles reaching for her. As she decended into the alien mass the tentacles colied aound her. The slimey mass engulfed her. Just when she thought she was about to drown in the grotesqueness of it all she emerged on the other side. An alien body held her up. Tall, dark, ferocious yet strangely beautiful. Talons grasped her but did not pierce her bare arms. The beast held her gently, carrying her to some unknown destination. She realised that she was not afraid. Somehow this abomination belonged her, she was connected to it on a level that she could not grasp. She felt its mind probe into hers. It spoke her in a language only she could understand, a language no human could understand. Deep down she knew but didnt want to admit, this creature was her child.... Ripley own voice came to her.... "You've been in my life so long I cant remember anything else. Now do something for me, it's easy. Just, just do what you do!" Startled Ripley awoke with a gasp. Her body shot up rigid. Sitting up in the small bed, breathing rapidly, her heart pumping like a piston.She got up and walked quickly into the cabins small bathroom. Filling the sink up with cold water she began to splash her face. She stared into the mirror examining her face. Her own image had become alien to her. She looked at the creases around her mouth and eyes. When did I get this old? Ripley thought to herself. Once she was calm and in control Ripley commed Drake. She had hoped a rest would make her feel better and perhaps help her fractured memories. "Drake, It's Ripley. How are thing going over there? I had a little rest....I hasnt done me much good but the last thing I want to do is lay around feeling sorry for myself. Do you need me to come back over?" The idea of lazing around was completely out of character for Ripley. Even if she wasnt feeling her best, she still wanted to do her bit for the rebellion.

Ripley finished the inspection and gave comands for the new araments to be deployed. She was feeling strange, she had a splitting pain in her head. The resurfacing of memories was always confusing but rarely this painful. Went in search of Drake. "Drake, Im sorry Im feeling terrible. Im not sure whats wrong with me but whatever it is its not good. I think I need a rest." Ripley headed to the ship that she had brought to Naboo and settled herslef into her quarters onboard. She drifted off to sleep hoping that perhaps her dreams could provide the missing links in her memory.

Ripley nodded "Im on it." She picking up a datpad and heade off to inspect the weapons. A technician came with her to give advice on how things could to updated or amended. As she strolled around the complex a memory came back to her. She was looking at a map of a base on a large computer read of. Her thumb moved over a joystick that controlled the view of the map, she scanned in and out observing the blueprint. "We'll weld plate steel over these ducts here, here and here." she siad as she pointed to the certain places on the map... Suddenly she was back to reality, left stunned by her emersion into the strange, distant memory. "Miss Ripley are you ok?" the tech asked. "Yeah im fine." She said sounding distracted and far-away. "How do you feel about deploying guns here?" He asked looking at her with concern. "Sure, that should work fine." She tried to sound normal but was still a little distracted. The tech looked at her questioningly. "I was just....Lost in thought for a second there." The tech seemed to accept the explaination and continued with inspection. Ripleys memories had been slowly resurfacing over the past year. There were still large dark spaces in her mind that she didnt seem able to fill. Every now and then something would come to her. An insight, a fragment of a memroy triggered by sound sound or something she saw. It confused her but she soon regained control over herslf and began to savour the new memory, hoping she would one day remember her past life in whole.

"Well its looks like you've got everything under control. Im impressed." Ripley looked around as the workers and droids began their job of restoring the underwater base to working order. She felt a little obsolete, there didnt seem much for her to do. "I hate to be standing around with all this work going on, is there anything I can do?" she asked Drake.

"Well it's good news for us that this place got left behind." Ripley smiled. She began to walk around the place and take everything in. It was an impressive structure, she had never seen an underwater base like this. With a little work they could really make something of this place. It's location was an ideal place to set up their headquarters. "It's definately the right place." Ripley commented turning back to Drake. "We'll have to find a vehicle to get the repair droids over here, after that it should be clear sailing." Ripley was very impressed.

Ripley stopped smiling and began to think about the situation at hand. They had a large task ahead of them. What they built here would be the cammand center for the entire Rebellion. It would be the foundations of all there futures. The future freedom of the galaxy itself. It seemed like a daunting task, but would also be a labour of love. Ripley wasnt afraid of hard work, not at all. The thing that was trubling her was where to begin. Rome wasnt built in a day...The phrase came to Ripley's mind. A distant fractured memory from a time long ago. Whatever it meant it felt fitting for the situation. She turned to Drake her mind now fixed on tthe task at hand. "So, where do we begin?" It was a rather vague question, but Ripley wasnt clear on how to go about beginning such a large project.