Log:Fancy Way of Saying No

Fancy Way of Saying No

OOC Date: April 24, 2021 (Optional)
Location: Corporate Sector Space - Dostra System
Participants: Sumi Kora, Terek Rosol and Hadrix Kora as GM

Spacelanes between planets in the Dostra System - patrolled regularly by CSA craft, traveled frequently on business by Corporate entities and today among the transport lanes are transport freighters, bulk transport and personal shuttles. A periodic pair of Zeta-19 or 51 patrol craft slip among the dispersed numbers following patrolled lanes.

<<"Target's craft is called Chanter - currently en route among the current transport convoys. SOP is to run passive - we'll need to scan. Termination or live capture is at operative discretion.">> Hadrix's voice rumbles over comms while his ARC-170 drifts after the craft revert from hyperspace - Ka'Shukalar's systems down to life support to reduce sensor signature while he relays information.

Ahead, in the mix of shuttle and patrol craft includes an old Barloz craft, a pair of Delta T-3 Shuttles, a Lamda class, a Theta 2-C and a GX1 Short Hauler. Maybe a dozen patrol craft are local, some seconds away and others minutes. <<"I'm here for support as needed.">> another growling muttering while the craft ahead move serenely in real-space, headed for destinations known only to pilot and passengers.

Terek's borrowed Y-Wing drops out of hyperspace and floats quietly in the black. He takes a few moments to fiddle with the scanners, "I think.." He touches something on the control board and suddenly everything lights up all at once, "Oh no, no!" He quickly presses that button again and it turns back off, "Okay note to self don't press that one again.." The others don't need to know he's trying to figure it out as he goes.

Frogdog emerges from hyperspace, and Sumi immediately triggers the shields to come online. Impulse engines light up with a brilliant ion blue color, and the controls in the cockpit come to life. The droid says something in its droid speak, and Sumi just quietly nods before reaching over to flip a switch, and sync up with their encrypted channel. <<"Frogdog here, all systems green. Let me know where we need to scan, Commander.">>

<<"Shuttlecraft, the was no suspicion regarding the freighters.">> Hadrix responds as Ka'Shukalar powers up and begins to move slowly towards the line of ships.

Open broadcast interrupts further, an authoritative voice cutting through the distortion of comms, <<"Unidentified wing, we're picking up odd signatures. Identify and state your purpose.">> the female's tones no-nonsense as the Zeta-19 and her wing angle towards Sumi and Terek's position.

The shuttles continue, unhindered for now - though with a slight increase to their sublight speeds, trying to keep closer to the half dozen light patrol craft now beginning to edge towards the convoy craft, forming into two wings.

<"This is Rotworm, all systems online."> Terek presses the right button this time, and the Y-Wing begins to move forward. Pressing a few other buttons, he angles towards the Lambda shuttle and runs it through the scanner, <"Target is not the Lambda. Designation Golden Wind on that one.">

He pulls back on the stick a bit when the voice comes over comms, as he glances out of the cockpit, <"You want to handle them, chief?>" Now if that's to Hadrix or Sumi is up for debate, but it's most likely the latter...

<<"I came here for a race, and I'm going to get a race,">> Sumi responds back on the open channel. She yanks back the throttle, testing the E-Wing's capability by opening up with a roar of impulse engines. The sudden burst of speed from the interceptor is paired with seasoned flying, and Sumi zips past a pair of fighters, squeezing through just enough to cause a pucker and a laugh. She's planted firmly against her seat, racing by and leading them on a chase to allow more time for scans!

<<"Halt! Unidentified E-Wing! Halt, power down thrusters and submit for scanning! This is your only warning!">> Ah yes, thee Corporate Security Authority - Warn once, shoot once. Shoot again. Shoot more. Blow up the scrap. Shoot the scrap. Go home - 'Hazard Pay Bonus'. The Corporate Way.

Not as agile or maneuverable as Sumi's E-Wing, the Nineteens try to follow, another pair moving to try and join their merry chase - ignoring the mostly idle-running, aged, recon fighter and the Y-Wing running focused scans.

<<"Tell me if you need me on your six, Sumi'alor.">> mild amusement in the breaking ice voice of the Al'Verde Kora coming on private channels. <<"Best make use of the distraction, Ter'ika. She's kicking a sting-wing nest.">>

With the first ship identified as not the right one, Terek quickly turns away from it. He pushes the stick forward and presses on. He thinks to himself, if he were going to hide, what kind of ship would he take. Old model Imperial transports might be too obvious, so instead he turns his focus on the Short Hauler.

After a few moments the scan picks up postive confirmation for him, <"Got it, it's the Short Hauler. That's the Chanter!"> He calls out over the radio to the others in the wing. Though with Sumi keeping the corporate security goons busy, it may be up to him to try to take it out. He starts bringing weapons systems online now that the target has been IDed.

<<"Hahahaha,">> Is the only taunt from Sumi as she disengages the engines and uses the repulsors to flip about, firing wildly with the trio of heavy cannons toward her pursuers. She manages to hit one of the vessels just before shoving the throttle forward again and planting herself back against the seat. The E-Wing makes it past the damaged Zeta-19 before its systems short circuit and combust. Boom. <<"Splash one,">> Comments Sumi, coldly over the encrypted comms.

<<"Heeik!">> called out at the destruction of the vessel targeting by Sumi, the remaining trio attempt to form up into a reverse chevron to create a kill-box of fire surrounding the E-Wing when more heavy fire sings from the side and the heavy Aggressive-Recon craft piloted by Hadrix roars through another fireball where there was once a patrol craft.

<<"Sumi'Alor... I have your six. Terek, call if you need support...">> craft heeling over while the remaining Zetas on Sumi open fire in a torrent of light laser blasts to spatter around and on her shields.

<<Two-Two - support in bound, Hammer wing en route>> a pair of heavier Zeta-51s are thrusting up, nearing the engagement zone while the only pair of 19s not engaged break off of escort posture to try and pursue the E-Wing and ARC-170 making for four Zeta-19s and two Zeta-51s joining the fray.

Terek is, well. He's a halfway decent pilot but he's never really flown much in the way of fighters.

He probably should have told Sumi this before he borrowed her Y-Wing. Without any droids on top of that!

He does pick up the pace on the ship and then presses the trigger on the control stick, however. The lasers lance past the transport, alerting them that they're definitely under attack now.

Sumi's E-Wing takes a light hit that prompts it to rock, but Sumi seems unfazed by the marginal damage done to its shields. The droid that is seated in the socket behind her has already begun to work on raising the shields back up. Meanwhile, Sumi retaliates against the fighter that shot her, picking it apart with the heavy cannons and blasting past it with another display of speed. <<"Splash two! Roger, Commander!">> She responds to his being on her tail. Sumi gets a notification that her shields are coming back up, but she's moving to help Terek now!

Greeza's shooting nearly destroys one of the interceptors, the lack of shields a telling problem as hull plates melt, shatter or spin away under the turret blasts, the Zeta-19's engines going dark while it spins out of control - adrift without engines while its wing is gutted by heavy cannon fire akin to the one vaporized by Sumi.

<<"Pirate fighters - there will be no mercy. You will be destroyed.">> a warning from one of the heavy fighters that screams into range; the last remaining 19 taking the lead of the 51s - breaking away from pursuit of the E-Wing to attack the Y-Wing assaulting the transport shuttle.

<<"Splash two, Sumi.">> the ARC begins to bank after, <<"Looks like they're mad at Terek.">> turrets wheeling towards the CSA fighters that are converging on the Y-Wing, surrounding it in an absolute deluge of laser fire from multiple angles hammering on the old, but venerated, bomber's deflectors.

Thankfully Terek's first outing is in a big, heavy ship with a decent shield generator. Of course it flies like a brick so it needs that shield.

Some part of him wonders why they stripped these things down, he's seen holos of the old Clone era ones that were fully armored. Still, he manages to squeeze his way past one of the shots, but the twin-link lasers hit the shields. He remains focused on the target, and begins to lock on with the torpedo launcher. This should bring down the shields for sure.

Sumi's shields are back to max by the time she swoops in to engage one of the 51's, tagging it hard with heavy cannons before zooming by. <<"Got one off your back, Rotworm, hang in there!">> Sure enough, the 51 is hot on her tail, but its shots aren't nearly as successful. She spins away, hitting the afterburner hard to try to come back for another pass!

The GX1 - that had been doing so admirably at slipping between the blaster bolts from Terek isn't so sweeping in its, limited, maneuverability when Terek's targeting systems build a firing solution. A soft humming tone sounding on either side of Terek when his targeting computer reports a solid lock - and a sudden absence of enemy targeting warnings when the Z-51s break off to deal with the fighter craft targeting them.

Turretfire from Ka'Shukalar sends the last of the lighter craft running; armor missing in multiple locations and fire spurting momentarily from holes caused by repeated fire that melt the blaster cannons of the light craft.

<<"Y-Wing, this is Chanter; our purpose is transport! We have no weapons! Request you cease fire!">> A cry for mercy while the heavier craft spray fire that would make a TIE Interceptor take notice, for all the luck they have doing not else but illuminating pain jobs and sparking off of the shields of the E-Wing and ARC fighter.

<"Appreciate the help, Frogdog!"> Terek calls out after the one on his back is taken out of action. He finishes getting the lock onto the Chanter, hearing the call to cease fire, <"Should have picked your contracts better."> Is all Terek replies, before he pulls the trigger and fires both proton torpedoes straight into the back of the transport ship.

It never stands a chance, as the first one drops its shields and the second torpedo rips it apart from the force of the explosion, shredding the craft as its engines explode and rip it apart.

Terek can show mercy...Sometimes. This isn't one of those times. <"Splash primary target. Recommend breaking contact and bugging out before more system ships show up.">

Sumi has rounded about, returning to engage the 51 she had tagged moments before, but this time they prove more slippery. Her shots are left to travel the void, and Sumi is coming about again. <<"Nice shot, Rotworm.">> Now it was time to run these guys out of here, and Sumi puts the engines back to max to do just that. In case they forgot the Mandos were there, and all!

Chalk up further success by the Twi'Lek and Ithorian that follow Hadrix - able to damage one of the paired 51s enough to send it limping away, calling for help while one of the charges for the patrol group is left spinning debris and vacuum cooling metal in the wake of Terek's devastating show of ordinance control. The other craft that had boosted to escape the furball by greater distance have begun to wink out of existence as they micro-jump from the battle scene.

The likely mode of escape that the now, lost, Chanter may have taken if not for the fortune and skill of the Cathar Mandalorian.

Sumi's need to make evasive maneuver, too, is allayed when Hadrix's attempts to melt her pursuer in the wake of his gunner's chasing off his quarry is answered by a hurricane of laser fire from the paired double lasers of the heavy interceptor that forces the Al'Verde to jam his thrusts to maximum and swing the etheric rudder to force the heavy recon fighter in a weaving spiral. An erratic curve of S-turn at the center of the spiral being turned to avoid attack.

<<"Sumi'Alor - finish this one? Or jump out? Heiyuu is ready to feed micro-jump coordinates, at your discretion.">>

As soon as he gets the coordinates for the jump, Terek plugs them in. He turns his ship, gunning the engine, and then pulls back on the hyperdrive lever.

Just as quick as he arrived in the system, he's gone. Seems the Cathar's not as bad of a pilot as he thinks he is.

<<"Already on it,">> Sumi calls back whilst orienting her craft for a final pass. Crimson red bursts from the trio of heavy cannons find their mark, and by the time Sumi's E-Wing is screaming away, the craft left to her wake combusts and explodes, killing the occupants.

"Program the jump, Rain, and let's get out of here."

A few moments later, the E-Wing zips from view.

S-foils collapsing for cruising speed, the Arc-170 follows the others out, <<"Copy. Oya manda!">> twisting away from the sight of the still twirling away, dead engined, Z-19 and the other so damaged to barely be functional fleeing. As the last of the Mandalorian craft stretch out and leap to hyperspace there is momentary peace in the area before TIV and Customs craft appear in system, running scans and sending out tugs to retrieve the damaged fighters.

The Chanter, its crew and living cargo are gone and outrage is soon to erupt in this system of the Corporate Sector