Project Boussh: Planning - Of A Sort
by Josh Nolan

In the confines of the small motel room, Josh cleared a space among the
throng of celebrating Ewoks and laid out the plans for the Imperial
warehouse on the ground.  "First off - we check the sewer connections."

Nick glanced at the plans, and then at Josh.  "Dude, this is the real
world.  It's not like you can crawl in somewhere through the toilets.
Not even the Ewoks can do that."

Josh waved off the criticism.  "It's intel, Nick.  If we can find where
the toilets are, where showers are, where sinks and the like are, we can
start trying to figure out how the place is arranged."

"Bit of a long shot, though, isn't it?"

"Better than going in and asking nicely to have a look, don't you
think?"

"Maybe we could pose as gas inspectors or something."

"Have you got any overalls?  Have any idea where to look for a gas
meter?  Any official ID?"

"I've got official ID - it doesn't say I'm a gas man, though.  Came in
really handy to convince a farmer to help me, though."

"Well, if Farmboy's in there, maybe we can flash some at him.  Though if
a Jedi Master gets in there before us, I think all we'd have to do is
clean up the mess."

Nick grinned.  "Yeah, or he'd get all whiny.  'Why do *I* always get
blood on my shirts?'   That kind of thing."

"And we wouldn't want that, now, would we?  Okay.  By the looks of it,
this area here would be the shower block..."

"D'you reckon they've got any TIES in there?"

Josh shrugged.  "I don't think they'd want Curly G roaming around in
there.  But it's a big warehouse."  Josh absently rubbed his abdomen.
"Judging by the size of the hangar in Pullenvale, I'd say there'd be
room for at least six eyeballs.  Of course, that hangar didn't have to
house all the support staff as well... I'd bet on there being TIEs on
the base, but I don't know how many."

"So it's either a bunch of TIEs, or a couple of hundred stormies?"

Josh paused.  "I guess so, yeah."

Nick sighed.  "So we need to try and map out what it's like if there's
TIEs, and what it's like if it's not."

Josh nodded.  "Tell you what - I'll duck out and get us some V.  We'll
be at this for a while."

**********

When Josh returned with supplies of the gurana drink, the flatmates sat
around the blueprints, discussing logistics, possible security systems,
fields of fire, why Nick was so interested in cricket, why Josh wasn't,
what the Imps might be doing for power, whether Vickie was crazier than
Brad, where the main barracks would be, and just who was actually going
to win the U.S. Presidential election.

Three hours later, Josh sat leaning against a wall, massaging the bridge
of his nose, tickling an Ewok on the stomach with his free hand.  "Okay
- we have a plan whether it's a TIE hangar or a stormie barracks - but
we need to know which, first."

Nick stretched his arms over his head, and said, "Yeah, and we did it
all without Ooryl's help, too."

Josh stopped his self-massage mid-rub and shot a glance at Nick.  "So we
did.  That's weird.  We could have used his knowledge a few times there,
rather than figuring how things would probably work for ourselves."

Nick shrugged.  "Maybe he figures that since we're in charge, we do the
planning," he pointed a thumb over his shoulder towards the next room,
"and he gets to just watch TV."

Josh blinked.  "Hang on - *we're* in charge?"

Nick nodded cautiously, searching Josh's face for any sign of a joke.
"Yeah - that's what Sci told us, anyway."

Josh frowned.  "When did he do that?"

"About three days ago, dude.  You mean you still haven't caught up?"

Josh sighed.  "Look - I had to bunny-hop rendezvouses with a TIE fighter
from Pullenvale to Melbourne, I -"

Nick cut in with, "Is rendezvouses a word?"

"You can figure out what I meant?"

"More than one rendezvous?"

Josh nodded.  "Then it'll do.  I got us this room, then had to buy some
Curly G Cradle Rock clothes - those things aren't cheap, you know, the
NR better bloody refund me - got some mobiles for me and Ooryl, scouted
out a *big* area on foot, got some blueprints and came back here.  I
haven't had time to look at Ooryl's datapad since I came out of the
tank."

Nick looked surprised at this, and said, "Fair enough.  Well, apparently
us Terrans are in charge now.  Something about the Republic's resources
being strained, or something.  Cracken turned it over to us."

Josh stared at Nick, blinking as he assimilated this information.
Slowly, he started to chuckle.  "As if.  *Cracken* leaving a whole pile
of high-profile operatives to a bunch of unknowns?  Yeah, right."

Nick nodded, grinning.  "My thoughts exactly."

At that moment, the door to the adjoining room burst open, revealing the
flickering light of the television framing Ooryl in the doorway.  He
pointed at Nick.  "We are taking your vehicle."  He picked out three
Ewoks.  "You, you and you - you come with us.  Bring your blasters."
With a chorus of yubs, the Ewoks quickly gathered their weapons, and
scrambled after Ooryl, who walked to the door in a Findsman dream.

"We've got somewhere to be?" asked Josh, hopping to his feet, checking
his blaster.

"Not just somewhere," said Ooryl.  "Somewhen.  We must go."

Nick gathered his keys, shrugged at Josh, and headed out the door.  Josh
gave his blaster one more inspection, tucked it in his pants, and
followed them.