STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- City in the Clouds

"I'm used to working on my own," Rianna replies. "And I understand. It's frustrating that I lost a definite link to him, though. I did get another bit of info, though, about my family's whereabouts..."

"Oh?" Zalt says. "Let me hear it."

"On the recording, Rand mentioned a platform...and also that they were being held somewhere that no one would go out to and they would have no means of escape. It's not much, but...it's possibly something to go on."

"A platform?" Zalt says. "Hmm..."

"Any possible ideas?" Rianna asks.

"I want to say he's referring to gas mining platforms," Zalt says. "There are a vast number of them floating about Bespin, both in use and abandoned. It'd be like searching for a needle in a haystack."

"...great. I should have guessed..."

"No means of escape, though..." Zalt muses. "Most of the platforms come equipped with escape skiffs, for quick departure should anything go wrong onboard. Only the mining operations that have fallen into disuse won't have those skiffs. So we're looking for an abandoned platform."

"That narrows it down some, at least, though I'm sure that's still a large number of platforms to check for," Rianna says.

"I'd say it narrows it down tremendously," Zalt says. "There are far more active units than abandoned ones. Let me compile a list of inactive platforms and see what we can come up with."

"It does? Well, that will be a great help indeed," Rianna replies.

"Come on, let's get your bruises looked at," Zaltus says.

You return to the Wing Guard headquarters on the upper levels of Cloud City, happy to be out of the grungy underbelly of the floating paradise. Zaltus is adamant that you locate your parents as soon as possible, so you do not have a great deal of time to rest. You do catch a moment to tend to yourself (and remove 15 damage) while Zaltus compiles the list, watching the clouds of Bespin roll lazily by.

Zaltus presents to you a list of all abandoned platforms on Bespin. He has already ruled out several; some of the platforms are on the other side of the planet and just highly unlikely to be where Rand or Vash is located.

"Especially if we think they have been coordinating things with the criminals here on Cloud City," Zaltus says.

Well, Rianna will just have to be very careful and hope that she doesn't get in any further fights, since she doesn't have time to really rest or anything...

"Which we've already seen they've done, at least somewhat," Rianna replies, taking the list. About how many possibilities are there?

In the vicinity of Cloud City, you have dozens. They are separated into groupings, based on old atmospheric data that was used to determine where the platforms should be stationed. You have five groupings to choose from.

Group 1 is a particularly large cluster of platforms where a tremendous gas pockets used to be. That cloud has moved on or was used up, so there are many platforms in this area.

Group 2 is really close to Cloud City, but only has a few platforms. Cloud City itself has some gas processing stations on board, so the need for these platforms is sparing.

Group 3 is a series of platforms further out, on the border of what Zaltus deems to be inside an acceptable distance.

Group 4 is a group of abandoned platforms that were shut down during an accident by one of the mining company's computers that caused fires on several units. They are interspersed with active platforms at a medium range from the city.

Group 5 is just one particularly large platform that proved unable to turn a profit for its operators, further out.

Hmmm. I'm tempted to say that we start with Group 5...Rianna will ask Zaltus which he things we should start with.

Zaltus thinks you should try to rule some of these options out before anything is decided.

Hmmm. Well, the only one Rianna thinks can really be ruled out is Group 4, since there are still active platforms mixed in, and she thinks that Rand and Vash would have to have her family hidden well away from where anyone else may be.

That is one, at least.

Zaltus finds Group 3 to be unlikely. While it is in acceptable range, he thinks it could be too far out still.

Rianna also finds 2 to be unlikely, considering how close to Cloud City it is...

That leaves you with Group 1 or Group 5.