Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
Tantor's boots clicked on the grate as he briskly walked towards the bridge. Jedi Soldiers passed by him saluting as they scuried about trying to make any last minute arrangements. Tantor made it ot the bridge and sat in his control chair, one of his advisors came to his side with a datapad and began speaking a mile a minute.
"Sir our support is just outside of sensor range...they're awaiting our signal to make the jump to our side..."
Tantor grinned before continuing.."Excellent....are the engineers almost finished fabricating our engine damage?"
The technician nodded furiously as he went over the missions pre-launch checklist.
"And the distress signal?" the Jedi Master asked, with cocked eyes and his head tilted slightly...as the technician nodded again Tantor sighed and grinned. "Well done....you have my authorization to give mission control the green."
Tantor stood back up from his chair and moved to one of the troop storage areas on the ship. The Jedi ship had been disguised as a merchant ship bound for Corruscant. The ships engines had been artificially made to look like their cores had melted through the hulls and had to stop for cooling. Once Tantor and the rest of the onboard troops were in place the bridge relayed a distress signal stating their "predicament" and alerting that their cargo was too valuable to sit without support. The channel was encoded...but that usually didn't stop the Crimson Ferrets.....Tantor was counting on that.
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
Alongside Master Tantor Aden, fellow master C'orringath Ven'traas stood at the bridge, arms crossed in the small of his back as he overlooked the preparations with his peer, the (ironically) peerless Tantor Aden. Standing next to him, C'orringath could feel his own influence and presence in the galaxy waver and fade, as anything finite did against such an infinitely profound presence as Tantor's, but he didn't let his feelings escape. He knew enough about the master to know that they were still peers and comrades.
"I have the Achilles waiting beyond sensor range as well, but the crew is well in tuned with the Force... They will come if we need them."
The Achilles was C'orringath's own personal flagship of sorts; not entirely, in fact, it was little more than an MC-40 light cruiser that the Yinchorr protection fleet loaned out to him for extended use, but it would prove its worth in combat, it had been somewhat modified at his request. Despite all that, his thoughts began to loom towards the mission in front of them.
"...May the Force be with us...Seems appropriate now more than ever to ask for such assistance."
Crimson Ferret Captain of The Revenge Myes!
Posts: 808
(6/26/07 10:29 am) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
It had been months since the crew had last been paid--the last job being the imperial heist. However that job had gone so well that they really didn't need anymore money for atleast another year. Everyone was itching for action, despite this fact.
Marcus, on edge himself as a result of limited outlets for his lust of action, sat on the captain's throne in the bridge. As of the moment, the most feared pirate ship in the galaxy was floating about, all senses extended, looking for ships to raid.
Too many casualties had been suffered over the years and the recruiting could only bring so many people. It would seem that the crimson pirates would have to turn to pressganging if they were to be able to staff their massive ship.
"Anything?" he asked, smoke pouring from his mouth as he looked to Alema, their twi'lek communications officer.
TGU Adept The Red Flame Iron Ferrets Leader
Posts: 616
(6/26/07 10:29 am) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)Like stealing sweets from a baby... that's how this'll be...
Or so Nathaniel Alcine thought, anyway. The squadron leader for the elite TIE Defender unit, the Iron Ferrets, Nate was looking forward to some live skirmish to test out the new pilots. He wasn't sure they'd get that opportunity with the information that had just come their way, but who knew when Marcus Gray was around...
Nathaniel grinned to himself, picking at the collar of his tunic. He was ready for Marcus to order them to the TIEs. He just hoped that order actually came.
Fringer
Jedi Knight
Good with children
Posts: 333
(6/26/07 12:41 pm) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
Metran sat quietly within the hold of Master Aden's ship. This was the kind of work he had joined the Jedi for: applying his skills for the benefit of the common folk of the Galaxy. Pirates were a constant bane to shipping lanes - they had to be stopped. This wasn't saving the hides or treasures of the elite or another senseless war with the Sith: this was taking care of the people.
Met' was perfectly calm, kneeling as he leaned against an outer wall of the hold in a picture of perfect serenity. It was time to relax: the battle would come soon enough.
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
"Negative Capt--" Alema's words were cut off as something caught her attention. Vivid blue fingers flew across her control panel. She missed the layout of her old console; she'd gotten used to it. Wouldn't be right to complain, though. She'd been given a place on this ship, a place to stay and do her work with people she could trust. Well. Trust enough.
"Hm." She flicked a switch and listened to a signal playing into her earpiece. Ooh, she thought. Encoded. "I've got something. Let me play with it a second." Alema was bored anyway. She took a moment to toy with the signal, once again lamenting that all of her best toys were far behind her now. No matter. Maybe once she'd been here a while she'd be able to get her hands on the innards of this comms array and really get it in high gear. Wonder if he'll let me, she mused.
"Aha! Distress call." She listened to it once, and then put it on so that her captain could hear for himself. "Engine problems. They're apparently carrying something shiny."
She waited for the message to complete and waited for word from Marcus. She'd found him a signal, but couldn't do anything about it without his command.
Crimson Ferret Captain of The Revenge Myes!
Posts: 812
(6/26/07 2:28 pm) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)"Get me the coordinates!" The captain exclaimed, nearly flying off of the throne as he launched himself beside the blue vixen.
An officer on duty brought Marcus a flask of whiskey from which he took his ease. More smoke billowed from the pirates mouth as he narrowed his eyes. This was exactly what the crew had been waiting for. Grabbing his comm, he sent out a general announcement.
"Men! To arms, ye scabrous dogs!" the captain's drunken voice sung throughout the Venator, "We be marking a new girl."
A low growl built up in the man's throat. Finally.
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
While Marcus sent his orders over the intercom, Alema set herself to tracking down the signal. It wasn't exactly difficult, given the entire purpose of a distress call being a great big shout into space screaming, 'Hey I'm over here!'
Once she had the coordinates, she brought up a display showing the numbers. Excitement combined with alcohol meant that Alema didn't expect her captain to memorize a random sequence of numbers, so she made sure they were available for him to check and plan their attack. "Here are your coordinates, Captain." She looked over, attentive to her duties. It felt so good to be doing her job as part of a crew instead of running around space alone. "Further orders for me, sir?" she requested.
TGU Adept The Red Flame Iron Ferrets Leader
Posts: 619
(6/26/07 2:40 pm) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
Nate flicked a button on his comlink that would alert all the Iron Ferrets to get to their TIEs on the double. He grinned wickedly and strode toward the hangar now that Marcus had given word.
"Let's see what we can do..."
Alcine was more than eager to put the pilots through their paces. Even if they were just out to temporarily disable another freighter with ion cannons-only, it would be better than rotting away in the simulators as they'd been doing.
Dropping into the lead ship from the overhead walkway, he brought systems online, still grinning.
Crimson Ferret Captain of The Revenge Myes!
Posts: 813
(6/26/07 2:41 pm) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)"See if ye can't be slicing into their database and find out what's in stock." He whooped, sashaying back to the captain's throne.
Taking manual controls of the ship, he sent it toward the distress beacon at full speed. The Crimson Pirates ride again!
"Heavy weapons, lads!" he roared through the intercom, "I want this to be a bloody mess. Take what ye can!"
After hanging up the ship-wide comm, he grinned, "Give nothing back."
Ferret Trainee
Big Guns
Posts: 84
(6/26/07 2:59 pm) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
Her comlink crackled to life as Nathaniel's voice rang out upon it. "IF's report in..." Ava jumped from her chair and ran out. Her hand grasping her com, "IF 4, Big Guns here. I'm on my way to the hangar." Running now as fast as her feet would allow until she made it there. She felt a great deal of excitement and a rush fall over her. This would be her first huge assignment with the Iron Ferrets.
Large feet pounded on the walkway and settled upon her TIE defender. With the push of a button, the cockpit opened up and Ava followed suit and jumped into the seat. Turning it on and enabling the coms, and putting on the necessary gear. "IF 1, what's the status on our situation?"
Edited by: Ava Pradeux at: 6/26/07 3:00 pm
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
Alema couldn't deny that her captain's enthusiasm was infectious, and when she replied it was with a grin. "I'll see if I can get any more information for you," she said with a nod. "Iron Ferrets are reporting in, so if you want me to relay anything to individuals, I may need to do that after I've picked through their database."
She took a deep breath and pulled herself closer to her control panel. She wasn't an expert slicer and she knew it. But, what mattered was that the captain knew it too, and he was telling her to do it anyway. Alema was going to do her best. She felt she owed a great deal to her crew and what's more Alema loved her job. If she got to try something new in the course of her normal duties so much the better.
To get into their systems, she needed more power to her transmissions than she currently had. She needed a nice stable connection to see what they had. She pulled a little harder on her power supply and got a solid connection. Their ship manifest should tell her what they'd planned to carry and how many people were aboard. Some of that information might be public, but she couldn't imagine any ship being stupid enough to put the precise specifications of their valuable cargo in some easily-searchable location. The hard part would be convincing the ship's computer she had authorization to double-check the full manifest.
Alema took another deep breath, swallowed, and as her concentration deepened the noise and lights and excitement faded behind her assigned task. She had her orders. Anything else could wait.
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
With the stable connection in place, the Crimson Ferret lit up on the radar. They were closing in on their position and closing in fast. Tantor opened up a comm channel to the bridge...
"Keep them steady...I don't want anyone making the jump until they've onto our docking bay!"
TGU Adept The Red Flame Iron Ferrets Leader
Posts: 619
(6/26/07 7:03 pm) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)"IF 1, what's the status on our situation?"
Well, there's one... Nate thought, wondering where in space the others were. He had the answer to that quickly as IF 8, Devorah, commed that she too was aboard her TIE.
To them both, Nathaniel said, "Unless the Cap'n says otherwise, we're going to run perimter to make sure this 'dead' ship doesn't cause any troubles. And we're going to be ready with ion cannons in case it shows any sign of being un-dead."
Nate thought of his sister and of Rok, members of the boarding party of which he'd once been a part. They'd be zipping over to the ship as well, to subdue the existing crew and make away with the goods.
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
Alema surfaced from her investigation when she'd finally managed to wade deep enough into their systems to track down a manifest. Pretty basic skeleton crew, with a couple of... guards for the cargo?
What in the abyss are they carrying? she wondered.
With another checkthrough, the cargo listed froze her breath inside her. "Captain? Looks like they're carrying some spice. Ryll, if the manifest is accurate. Not the strongest spice you'll find, but it does have a kick and goes for a nice couple of credits." Of course there were medical uses for ryll, a variety of spice that was actually mined on her homeworld of Ryloth. But medical uses, while popular with governments and medical supply corporations outside of the Republic, were much less common in the underworld. Alema could personally attest to that.
Alema found herself wondering for just a moment how much of their take could go missing without anyone finding out, but she shook off the speculation, horrified at herself. The last thing Alema needed was to have those little vials anywhere near her. Her jaw tightened and she had to consciously bring her mask of professionalism back down to cover the fact that being anywhere near spice made her damned uncomfortable.
"Looks like they've got enough to justify the trip if you're interested, Captain."
Edited by: Alema Nilim at: 6/27/07 8:37 am
Fringer
Jedi Knight
Good with children
Posts: 333
(6/27/07 2:58 pm) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
Metran began a slow walk through the cargo bay, waiting for the Ferrets to arrive. To pass the time he ran some routine checks: system maintenance, gravity, atmosphere, and various other small inspections that a cargo shiphand would go through on just such a walk.
Met' had one advantage that few of his peers would have: he knew the part. Having been a fringer who had to earn his keep a dozen different ways, he knew all about handling cargo and maintaining a freighter. He knew the job so well that for a while he forgot he was a Jedi and settled into the role of shiphand: checking straps, watching for vermin, checking storage closets for stowaways. Even his weapons had been sheathed in such a way that they looked like cargohand tools: a flashlight and a push-rod ... always handy.
Still they waited ... and waited ... and waited. The pirates certainly knew how to take their own sweet time. Metran began to itch for the action of taking them down: he wanted to get back to Corellia and Jessari - the kids were probably wearing her down by now.
.:Voice of an angel:. .:Body of a goddess:. .:Yours...for a price:.
Posts: 1
(6/27/07 4:35 pm) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)"No questions, IF One...if it moves, fire first, ask questions later." Devorah replied, finishing off her pre-flight cheklist and double checking her crash webbing.
After a particularly bad sim run that Nathaniel still wouldn't let her forget, she had made the habit of going over her TIE carefully every day, ensuring that nothing he could complain about was out of place. Distantly, as she sped out of the hanger to take her place on the perimeter, she wondered why his opinion even mattered.
Moments later, she was in place and waiting. "IF Eight, ready and waiting."
Ferret Trainee
Big Guns
Posts: 85
(6/27/07 5:16 pm) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
"Sounds good. I'll start and move into position." The TIE Defender's rockets blared and soon it shot out from the hangar into space. She maneuvered around and took a look at the ship they were to be invading and pillaging.
Soon now, her Defender was in place. Her hands now skimming over her controls and her hand wrapped around the blaster to the ion cannons. "IF 4 ready."
TGU Adept The Red Flame Iron Ferrets Leader
Posts: 626
(6/28/07 8:39 am) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)"All IFs, go!"
They weren't running a full squadron, but many pirates had warned Nate that that was seldom going to happen anyway. Flying with Ava and Devorah would just have to be enough. Letting his TIE drop and shoot forward from its clamps, Nathaniel rocketed out of the hangar a few seconds behind IF 4.
"It's just the three of us for now, so we fly solo. Big Guns, you watch the forward perimter of our little find... Ennuyant, you take the aft... I'm going to watch the Revenge's back," he ordered, eyeing the scanners. "And keep a watch out for when the boarding party is on the move. This isn't a sim, girls. Remember that."
Made For Evil
Turned to Good
Jedi Apprentice
Posts: 13
(6/28/07 10:01 am) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
Design Julius sat in meditation concentrating on the shimmering visage of himself. His mind was focused as he trainned to use the form as his body and hands. He allowed the image to disolve and stood.
He had heard his master speak of his old days and now he was watching him. Julius approached him and bowed, his fighting skirt and bracers shined and flowed as he did.
"Master Metran may i be of assistance?". He knew little of ships or the work required but he was happy to learn.
Crimson Ferret Captain of The Revenge Myes!
Posts: 817
(6/28/07 12:58 pm) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)"IFs guard the ship," Marcus roared into the comm connecting him to Nate, "Sit tight."
With that, the pirate captain cocked his shotgun and held it above his head. Before him stood the most ravenously blood frenzied crew in the galaxy. A scummy and motley bunch but terrifying all the same.
"Prepare to board, lads," he said with a twisted grin.
The ships connected and Marcus gave Alema a moment to run Wallace's slicing programs to force the doors open. And then...they were in!
"Move in quickly and take them unawares!" he trilled, unsheathing his cutlass, while still holding his sawed-off shotgun in the other hand.
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
The opening of the airlock doors was preceded by a thunderous *RROOAARR!!* That shook the walls of both ships...Rok stood his hand axes spinning in the palms of his hand...a bloodthirsty look firmly planted on his face....
Casting a sly grin at his captain the wookiee bowed slightly, allowing Marcus to lead the charge as he so frequiently preferred to do. Rok was right behind him though...numerous guards were waiting by the doors as they would have been if command had submitted a distress beacon.
One of the guards found one of Rok's axes burried into his chest while another one got an axe in the neck immediately decapitating the soldier.
Rok spoke loudly to his captain and their troops in his native tongue shiryywook...
"Send them to the astral home of their forefathers...."
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
The roar was heard in the holds of the cargo ship. Those in the close proximity of Tantor jumped slightly...but Tantor and his closest comrades didn't budge. They had heard far worse things than a bloodthirsty wookiee.
"Wait for it men...."
The airlock doors were heard opening and the guards were being butchered...one of the younger Jedi made a move for the doors in an attempt to save the guards...Tantor's arm was there stoping him.
"No son......I know you mean well.....but we must wait...."
Tantor's com link came on...
"Sir we've transmitted the signal...reinforcements inbound...we're attempting the upload of the virus...hopefully that will lock their airlock doors open and give us some more time."
Fringer
Jedi Knight
Good with children
Posts: 335
(6/28/07 3:28 pm) Reply
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)"Master Metran may I be of assistance?"
Metran smirked as he heard a thudding on the hull. "Not here, my friend - but that is of no matter. We are needed elsewhere. Come with me." Drawing out his lightstaff Metran made his way to the offended airlock, lining up with Master Aden and smirking at the sight: three 'generations' of Jedi lined up for the battle.
At Tantor's command, both ends of the staff sprung to life and Metran charged, shouting for the guards to clear the hall. Ahead of him was the wookiee pirate - best to take him down first to clear some room in the hall. The lightstaff swung about to dismantle the pirate's axes; the barbarian's arms would be next.
Re: Wounded, Helpless, and Vulnerable(Open)
The Ferret's communications officer flinched as the deafening roar of a Wookiee blasted into her ears through every comm in the area.
Wookiees, she lamented privately. LOUD.
An icon on Alema's console lit up as the Ferret received a transmission from the derelict ship. It was piggybacking on their signal, unlike the distress call they'd caught before. She frowned. It shouldn't be able to do that automatically. Sure it would save them power to do that, and perhaps they had something to say but... felt wrong. If they could transmit a distress call, they could hail her on an open channel instead of...
...the f@#$? she thought. Just as she'd gone to see what sort of message was coming though, it disappeared. Not in the normal, 'oh the signal stopped and the transmission is over' sort of way. It had sent something and she couldn't find what it was.
Letting slip an irritated little moan, she started sifting through active programs on the ship. If something was running that shouldn't be, she'd know they were trying to screw with the Ferret's system. If the drifting ship's system was carrying a virus it meant that the ship might not be transmitting a real distress signal, or at least not an accurate one. Might just be part of the virus propagation. Worse still... If they'd intentionally sent the Ferret a virus...
Alema opened an encrypted comm channel to the captain. "Something on that ship is trying to mess with the Ferret's systems. I'm looking into it over here, but keep an eye out. Something is wrong."
Returning to her task, she checked the systems constantly running on the Ferret. Life-support and climate were fine. No settings changed there. Shields, fine. Weapons, fine. No jamming, no little footprints indicating a visitor in their database.
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