Log:Quest of the Violet Knight Part 1

Quest of the Violet Knight Part 1

OOC Date: April 7, 2021 (Optional)
Location: Kijimi Fleet
Participants: Jedi Order, Rogue Squadron, Yari, Zandra naMuriel, Jax Greystorm, Ax, Callax Dalso, Tallissan Lintra, Aryn Cortess, Karas Darkwing, Rey

The Kijimi flotilla rested at the edge of the same solar system as New Alderaan. The fiercely independent and racially lot were currently rejecting all aid offered by the governments of New Alderaan and the New Republic. Despite being stubbornly independent the floatilla had a problem, a pirate infestation. For the last several days, pirates had been striking at the flotilla till either they are finally ran off or had their fill. Zandra had been told dealing with these pirates would go a long way in getting Babu Frikk's help. So a group of pilots flying under no flag had been assembled.

The mass of ships hung around a central point almost a large enough mass that they were orbiting each other. A variety of civilian ships of almost every make and model. Most of them held together with Dantooine bailing wire and a prayer. The flotilla was not static it though it seemed to growing and shrinking at any and yes every moment. As ships would set out to gather supplies or to scout other systems. Other ships returning with supplies or reports of possible destinations for the flotilla.

There's several flashes of blue as a squadron of very well armed pirates appear not far from the flotilla. Who ever had supplied them had supplied them with Imperial ships. A pair of Vt-49 few in the center of the formation just behind a mixture of four Tie Avengers and four Tie Interceptors. Laser canons unleashing death and destruction on the ships of the flotilla. There's an explosion as a Gr-75 that had been converted into a green house explodes. What few weapons and fighters the Kijimi had turn to bear on the pirates. They were little protection by they were trying.

Into this frey, a second squadron of independent fighters jumped bearing no flag only lead by the Millennium Falcon. The mighty Chewbacca set in the Co-pilot's seat, his seat, and on the console just in front of him a tiny scared prog. As the Falcons sensors registered the pirates already attacking. Chewbacca lets out a roar and a battle cry across the coms of unnamed squadron. The sound of the Warrior Porg echoing him in its on cry can be heard as Chewie softens to a growl.

What happens when one picks up a droid that's really quite helpful, but out of battery power and about to be sploded by a reactor core meltdown? What happens when that droid is a First Order droid and you still want to help them, even though you don't know a darn thing about fixing droids?

You get help, that's what!

Zandra is in the pilot seat of the Falcon, and she understands every roar Chewie yowls, flashing him a tight grin. "That's why we're here, right?" she says, nodding. <<Alright everyone, it looks like we have an attack under way. Let's get some data out to everyone. Sensors up - >> A glance to the folks with her on the Falcon. "We need a squad naame, why don't we have - " Zan pauses and then she laughs. <<If nobody objects, we can be VeeTen squad? >> Yeah yeah, that's the name of the poor ID10 droid that Zan is trying to aid. And it turns out it's a good thing, because they get to help the Kijimi folk too. << Let's try to keep civilian casualties to a minimum - preferably none. And yes that includes us.>>

~ Ax didn't fly his TIE Avenger often enough, partly because the helmet was just so damned big and goofy looking. Mostly though, it was because Tallie wouldn't let him fly it on Rogue Squadron missions. The Echani was sitting in the cockpit of the Specter enjoying the sheer speed, at least outside of hyperspace, and maneuverability this amazing piece of old Imperial hardware had to offer. It may be a TIE, but it was at least a badass one.

Sadly, because of the lack of life support, the pink sippy cup with the magnet hot-glued to the bottom couldn't accompany him on this mission, the extreme cold and lack of any pressure would have likely caused it to break or at least freeze even the the alcoholic contents he normally kept inside of it. Maybe he should have brought his Skipray instead...

When they exit hyperspace into the system, there's already fighting going on, and it looks like the Pirates have Avengers of their own. "Well, let's hope that our guys don't get confused and target me," Ax says as he thumbs the button to open up comms. <<"Vee-Ten leader, you're the boss. Just don't get the two Avengers we have with us confused with the enemy. By your leave, I'm gonna engage the enemy fighters and see if I can draw some fire off those civvies.">> And with that, Ax is throttling his ship up to its extreme speed. The HUD in his oversized helmet lighting up the other TIEs as enemies, only because his engineer wife had wiped the ship's original IFF. ~

It was not hard to feel inspired by the war cry of a Wookiee, but knowing it belonged to the Mighty Chewbacca, meant it was much more invigorating. It was true about the Kijimi people and those of New Alderaan; ever since the alliance with the New Republic, tensions increased between the aristocracy and those the nobles offered homes to. Affiliations were a delicate rope to balance on, and no one knew that better than Aryn Cortess, the system's Princess and sole heir to the late, Leia Organa.

Situated in the the cockpit of a snug ETA-2b Actis Class Interceptor was Aryn Cortess, gloved hands gripping the flight stick whilst turning her gaze to the distant jewel of her home world, Jaqall glinting off the orbital ring in beautiful display. Keying her comm, Aryn focused her attention on the matter at hand. <<"Spark 3 standing by.">>

Small engine outputs flare as the afterburner is engaged to stay with the modified engines of THE fastest ship in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon.

The Kijimi. These people can't get a break.

A lot of good people from the flotilla now work on board the /Relentless/, the corvette-turned-carrier that serves as the mothership for the Perlemian Rangers; Callax as gotten to know these souls, good people that have lost so much, and now only want their lives to return to /some/ semblence of normalcy.

Naturally some jackanapes are here to ruin their lives.

Callax won't stand for /that/. In the cockpit of their own Avenger, the aptly-named /Dark Joy/, Callax Dalso hisses snakelike as they bring their figher into the fold. << They've got Avengers, >> Callax nearly sings, a mixture of joy and fury filling their voice as they push their craft to maximum throttle. << I'm going to kill them. >> How many? Just the Avengers? The other ships? Every pirate in space? It's a peculiar feeling that floods Callax's body as they grip the yoke, champing at the bit. Bloodlust and rage, and a desire to save innocent lives - at the cost of those belonging to murderers themselves. Appropriate that they fly the Imperial death machine, then. << Attend, Vee-Ten Leader. Request permission to mark those Avengers as priority targets. >>

Orbiting the flotilla gave Tallie ample time for reminiscence. The Kijimi Flotilla contained long-time friends. Justification for a 'private' excursion from Rogue Squadron and dusting off the A-Wing, Quick Event, that had sat in her private hangar gathering dust. Though pressed for time, she had sat in the cockpit for a good half hour, familiarizing herself with it before taking off from Chandrila. It was like returning to the house she grew up in - it felt smaller than she remembered it and was overlaid with memories of her father teaching her to fly.

Chewbacca's roar over coms was enough to awaken her out of her reveries. <<Fabulous, are you already seeing red? I'm going to shed a little Sunshine on the situation. Toast, I'm on your six.">> Long distance to Karas Darkwing: Zandra naMuriel is flying the Falcon, which is good, because my pilot is about 125 better than my turret skills.

Karas heard about the mission and had previously let Zandra know if she needed help and he would do his best. Well here he is, he didn't have his own personal fighter, which is something he has to rectify. Though being on the famed Millennium Falcon has made it on the top of his bucket list right underneath flying in Rogue Squadron. So right now everything is going his way, as far as goals are concerned. He's also finally having met Chewie, though he was a little nervous about this, still it was all good.

After coming out of hyperspace, Karas glances to his squadmate Zan. "VeeTen?" he asks her as he begins to leave the main cockpit area, "How about Seeker Squadron?" he asks her as he begins making his way to the central area of the Falcon and climb up the ladder to the top turret of the Falcon. Buckling up and getting himself together, he places the head set on his head as he flips a few switches on the turret controls. He places his hands on the controls and begins to swivel the turret controls and seat, getting himself accustomed to the controls.

When hearing the war cry from Chewie, he smiles. He rolls his shoulders, "I'm ready to rock!" he calls into his comm. He looks out at the flotilla and damn can the Falcon move, it's far faster then his Racing Wolf, he will need to ask some questions and get some help. He check his sensors to see the others of their squadron noting who is flying what. Karas Darkwing (Kar) pages: Ah ok. :)

Rey had spent the majority of the trip in the aft of the Falcon helping Kaud with repairs on the hyperdirve, it ever needing maintenance and replacement parts to keep it running at peak performance.

"So how did someone with no arms end up as an engineer?" Rey asked moments before the ship came out of hyperspace. "Scratch that, save it for later." She tells the tall alien creature who just make a grunt noise at the Human before going back to his work.

Rey hears the sounds of combat and starts to rush toward her place. As Karas goes up the ladder, Rey is behind him, but descending down to the lower turret.

She glides in to the seat and throws the headset on to speak quickly to check in. The guns are warmed up and Rey gives them a stretching gyration as she checks their range. They were also recently worked on, and seemed to be in good order.

<"Ready."> Rey's voice says over the Falcon's comms.

Sitting in the cockpit of the Falcon is an entirely different experience when you're immersed in a soundless vacuum. Sensor alerts are flashing, screens are aglow, lights blip and the bulkhead rumbles against an elbow. Deck plating shivers underfoot. Cycled air tickles the nose from within - always a more astringent tingle than the pervasive pollen of the outdoors or greasy, gut-rumbling aromas of the kitchen.

These observations and more are made silently from the rear of the infamous Falcon's pit, where Yari sits and stares with seemingly unblinking focus at what bits come into view around the heads of those ahead of her. Namely, at the conglomerate of ships that've come into range. Home. A floating liferaft of 150-200 ships, docked and jostled together, like some amorphous creature. Wounded at the flanks.

Subtle shifts in expression come over the young mother, though she makes not a peep. Wide eyes turn a heterochromatic glance upon each of the other heads present. A continuous scan, searching for any sign of...she doesn't even know. Anything. Leather creaks quietly beneath the tightening grip of her fists, clenched around the small satchel in her lap. This is not what she'd expected to witness. Not what she'd meant to find. The apparent assault occuring upon her 300,000 kinsman (give or take several thousand) is perhaps the reason her father had been so adamant she NOT be here. Why he'd kept her and Izec on the ground, umbrella'd beneath the banner of a foreign regime.

Well. They're here now.

The pirates have yet to realize that Vee-Ten Squadron was here to stop them. The members of the Flotilla not realizing they had help yet. The pirates now focusing on an Action V transport. The bulky ship trying to lumber away like a wounded beast. Then the port side of the transport explodes as cargo creates and crew members are sucked into the void. A ray shield on the side of the Action V transport flickers to life and then continues to flicker keeping the old Action V transport from continuing to spill it's contents into the Void. One of the pirate Avengers starts using its tractor beam to capture the cargo container and drag them toward one of the VT-49s.

Sensor reading on the Falcon thanks to it's round antenna dish soon indicate that the two VT-49s are identified as the Desolation and the Despair. The Tie's names were less creative but just as threatening. The Avengers are numbered Skull leader through Skull 4. The Tie Interceptors are numbered Skull 5 through Skull 8. Chewie lets out a roar on channel telling people of their enemies names. Then he uploads it to Vee-Ten Squadron's computers in case they can't understand him.

Jax was flying the T-65, X-wing that was his personal ship, the Phoenix. He pulls back on his lever to engage the S-foils into attack position. "One more time Exine. I promised you adventures all those years ago. I know as a jedi, I shouldn't crave them but I know you do." Then sliding in formation with Spark 3. << Spark 3, this is Phoenix, I'm on your left.>>

Zan's eyes widen a bit, as she learns more about the cat herding Tallie and Rey do so well! She takes a breath, as she considers the situation, very quickly. While she does so, she might run a quick meditation exercise too. << Toast and Sunshine, affirmative. Look after each other. Priority is to protect the flotilla, everyone. Fabulous, I think that's a great idea. It'll make it easier to tell which Avengers are ours, for one thing. >> That last might not be entirely serious.

She glances towards Karas and teases, "Oh sure, now you tell me. That probably is a better name but - let's leave it for now."

<<All ships, let's move to convince these pirates to leave our Kijimi friends alone. They're already attacking, so we are going in hot. All ships and gunners, pick your targets, make sure you have a wing mate, and engage at will.>> War and fighting is not always the answer. It's not. But sometimes, stopping an attack takes a squad of fighters and the willingness to shoot.

Zan does open up her comms to Kijimi control, such as it is, with some help from Chewie. She waits until her squad has opened fire against the pirates, before she says, <<This is VeeTen Squad incoming, Kijimi fleet. We have your back. >>

~ <<"Roger that, Sunshine. Glad to have you on my wing,">> Ax says as his ship is rocketting towards the fray to engage one of the opposing Avengers. <<"Concentrate fire maybe, bring their numbers down quicker,">> He flips up the laser arming switch, and as he gets a line on Skull 1, he unleashes bolts of green energy. "That should wake him up." ~

The combat that loomed ahead appeared first as bright flashes of light where blasts from cannons traded back and forth. Aryn swallowed hard, intimidated by it. Was this her first heat as a fighter pilot? The voice of Jessika Pava was in the back of her mind, telling her to remain calm and focus on the mission. Hearing Jax's voice prompts Aryn to glance to her left and spot Jax there. She nodded, but he couldn't see that right? So she responded, <<"Understood, Phoenix.">>

Zandra orders them to intercept, and Aryn switches on her targeting computer to begin this foreign ritual of sight alignment and picture through computer feedbacks and aiming reticules. She fires a pair of blasts from the cannons of her interceptor but they find no purchase as the TIE effortlessly glides to avoid her shot proving some measure of Ace experience. Aryn makes an adjustment wordlessly, her expression calm still.

Her fighter rotates from its formation to pursue. If they were focused on her, then they were not firing at the Kijimi ships, that in itself was a win. Aryn engages the afterburner again, her vessel vibrating with the roar of engines as she peeled after her intended target.

Tallie's levity is lost on Callax who, in response, laughs brightly but coldly, silver barbs running the length of every note. << I am not Fabulous, >> they reply as they pour power into the ship's guns, a dischordant cheer soaked with anticipated bloodshed filling the comms with their words. Why do they sound like this? They never sound like this. Callax switches over to public comms for the rest, so that the enemy can hear them as clearly as their comrades - open challenge, come from someone who once was reared as part of the nobility of their society. << I am Callax Lentho Murella Cethassar, youngest child of House Dalso, former heir to the Duxate of Anlax Minor. Traitor to my family, the woe of slavers and the death of pirates, and Commander of the Perlemian Rangers whose crew is made up in large part of Kijimi souls. These people are my friends; their families are my family. And I will make these blackhearts die screaming in the void for what they do today. >>

And then they're off. Far faster than the allied ships, leaving even the A-wings far behind, paneled wings flashing like great double-terminated crystals as Callax drives their black steed into attack range. This was personal the moment the first ship was struck, and now with lives already being taken it will become as bloody as they can possibly make it for the bastard pirates that dare to come here.

But they are no children, these. Callax's salvo of bright green death whistles down upon them -- but the second of the Avengers immediately darts out of the way, something that brings a broad smile to the angry pilot's face. "Darling," they whisper softly to themselves, "A challenge? For me? And all I brought for /you/ is death."

<<"Copy that, Toast. Fanning out but keeping you on my scope.">>

There is a void in the cockpit. Tallie shakes her head ruefully; no droid makes for a quiet ride. The cockpit hums as she fine-tunes the targeting computer, pushing the throttle forward in her pursuit of one of the Avengers. Skull. How fitting. As she comes into range, she hopes she might turn it into one. The A-Wing's lasers tag it twice before she has to turn off, g-forces pressing her back into her seat. She says nothing to their adversaries, preferring their end to be in silence.

A chuckle escapes Karas as he hears Zandra, "Yeah next time." he says into his comm. His attention focuses to the situation around them. He sees one of the flotilla ships take a pretty bad hit. Shaking his head, "Here we go." he says more to himself than to anyone else. Karas rolls his shoulders a little and now that he's comfortable in the seat, he looks at the targeting system following the sensors read outs of the enemy fighters. <<Copy that Vee Ten Leader.>> he calls into his comm.

Seeing Callax fighter streak off ahead of them. Karas glances down to see Rey get strapped in and he smiles and looks back up. He begins playing music and his eyes focus as he feels the push of the Falcons engines as it flies. "I can get used to this." he laughs as he sees Skull 2 take a hit from Callax's TIE, <<Focusing on Skull 2!>> he calls as he lets loose rapid fire shots at the enemy TIE. He grins as he sees shots hit the fighter.

Rey's eyelashes flutter as the lights start to flash outside of the Falcon's lower turret window. The light plays across her face, illuminating the otherwise darkened turret she resides in. She flicks the screen with a finger to get the static off of it then sees the signal of the TIE swooping down in to her range beneath the Falcon's hull.

Rey's turret swings ove rand the quad cannons start to fire rapidly, but all the shots blow right past the TIE that does a nimble move to avoid the laser fighter from the YT-1300.

"Blasted." Rey mutters. "TIEs are too fast for their own good..."

Yari has become one with her seat. This is as different a vantage point as she's ever had while passenger in flight. It is one she's not like to forget. Silent erruptions of light and pinwheeling fightercraft aside, there's the porg to consider.

She has never before seen one. What a funny little bird. It /is/ a bird? She fixes an owlish gaze forward to rival the frightened porg's own, studying the small creature with an intensity that - in equal parts - ponders how soft it'd be to touch, how amenable to that touch, and how it would stand up against other poultry when roasted. These are legitimate ponderings, when you are both animal lover and chef.

There's a voice comes across the general channel from the Kijimi fleet, << Who is this? We don't want no Kriffing help from NO New Republic or No New Alderaan. Thank you very much. If that PRINCESS sent you... >> Then it goes to static. Chewie lets out a combination of roar moans, "Boring Conversation anyway. " There's a hairy paw on the control of the communication system. Then Zandra gets the Falcon tagged. Chewied adjusting the shields. ' Don't fly like a Corellian! Fly like a Wookiee!"

The pirates load what little cargo they steal, then like the evil pirates they are they rip into the heros of Vee-ten squadron. Many of them using pack tactics and Callax takes the brunt of the attack. A dastardly lot indeed.

Jax lines up a shot on Skull 4 and pulls a trigger. He leaves it a smoking mess, <<Spark 3, they're going to have Sand Panther Kittens if they find out who you are. >> Then he gets three fighters chasing him, "Not what I signed up for. Not what I signed up for."

Zan hasn't flown the Falcon much, but for some reason its speediness and agility don't come as a surprise to the young pilot. Zan calls, "Hang on everyone. Ono, tell Yari!" That gets the little R2 unit who is near enough to roll over to Yari to hold up a speech to text bit on a datapad, so Yari knows to hold on too. In case it wasn't obvious.

Zan pushes the throttle down and the Falcon takes off with a fwoosh and a flare of light out of the back, engines revving up. She tries to use the Force to get a lock on one of the evil transports but fails, perhaps a bit distracted by all the ongoing ups and downs. The sensors beep, and she zigs the Falcon away from one shot, ducking to avoid another. There's a hit to the shields as a third shot zings the Falcon's shields. Zan blinks at Chewie, and then she grins. "Best advice I've heard all day. That old guy couldn't fly like you anyway." As the Falcon soars into and through the battle, Zan gets a chance to fire at one of the enemy fighters, and she takes it, sending a salvo of laser fire at Skull 5. "Can someone see if anything needs repairs?" she calls back to Ono and the droids on the Falcon. There's droids right? Ono for one thing. << VeeTen lead here. Let's work together, just like they're doing, right? >>

~ "Well, I got his attention," Ax says as Skull 1 banks hard and starts coming after him. Even before the opposing Avenger was firing, Ax was banking hard to evade the same weapons that he was lining up to fire back at Skull 1. "By the gods I love this ship," Ax says with a big grin on his face. There were few things more exhillerating than flying an insanely fast and agile starfighter in combat.

Of course, when two equally fast and agile fighters engage, it was a true test of skill. The Echani unleashes a quad-blast of green lasers but after his harrowing dodge/duck/dive/dip/dodge maneuver his shot glances harmlessly off Skull 1's shields.

<<"Fabulous, you still with us?">> Ax asks over comms to his fellow TIE pilot. He'd seen the hits on his sensors, but had no idea how bad they had been and if the Avenger's shields held or not. ~

Aryn's vessel takes a harsh hit in the trade off, but she's relieved to see that the shields are still active. A glances over, and the urge to tell her droid to repair is there, but she says nothing because the BB unit is well aware of its role. This is a team effort after all. Within moments, the shields shimmer back to full strength just as the Kijimi voice proudly speaks against help. When they specifically reference her, and Jax comments, Aryn's cheeks go red with embarrassment.

Sheepishly, she comments back, <<"With any luck, we will not have to land. Alas, I do not even have a helmet to conceal my identity.">> Her posh voice is slightly higher given the strain of focus she devotes to angling back around on Skull Four. Jax's efforts in harming the TIE already left it ripe for a finishing blow. Aryn manages that, though it is not pretty. To be slain by a novice pilot must have been some sort of insult, but Aryn is oblivious to this as she sighs with some relief, but there are other targets remaining. She angles Spark 3 to pursue one.

It is at times that Callax forgets - because of being genetically engineered, filled with bloodlust, and perhaps at times due to buying in to their own press just a little too much - that they are not, in fact, immortal; like unto Icarus, their wings are suddenly seared by a hail of laser fire as two of the Avengers break and open fire upon them. Alarms go off all around them a the ship's shields are battered down and the /Joy's/ hull is torn in multiple places, and the gravity of hubris settles down hard around their shoulders. << I've gotten their attention, >> Callax calls over communications, their laughter tinged with concern -- but not so much as they /should/ have considering the sudden condition of their ride. << /Relentless/, get between the flotilla and those fighters, all weapons free! I'm coming in for repair - repeat, I'm coming in for repair! Get another fighter ready for me. >>

And summoned thus from the aether, /Relentless/ arrives; a rust-colored Marauder corvette, its wings banded with white and gray, the savage old boat hurls from its turrets a cloud of turbolaser fire, lances of red light hurtling in the direction of the swarming pirates. Though they have no chance of actually hitting them, the show is real, and Callax sends the /Dark Joy/, streaming waste vapor from its hull, hurtling through the defensive fusiliade and into its waiting hangar bay.

<< Attention pirate forces, >> a grim, feminine voice rings over comms. << This is the Perlemian Ranger warship /Relentless/. Depart the field or you will be fired upon. I repeat, depart the field or you will be fired upon. >> Naturally they won't, because they've got numbers and confidence. But that won't make a liar out of /Relentless/'s commander if they get too close to the flotilla.

Two Skulls decide to return the favor, but A-Wings have zip, as Violet likes to point out. Neatly, Tallie puts the silver and maroon fighter into a roll, green lasers shooting futilely into space at the A-Wings last position.

Throttling back, she brings the Quick Event around, searching for her prey. The reticle flashes, the steady drone in her ear telling her she is on target. Under the lasers glow, lighting the Avenger red, it loses a vertical wing. An explosive flash is the last she sees of the fighter.

Coming around, she searches for Callax, <<"I don't have him, Toast...ah, there he is.">> Apparently, their ire knows no limit. Under her breath, "Pull off, Callax. Repair." With a press of a button, she highlights his ship before searching for the next pirate Avenger.

When told to hold on, Karas just grins. It's been forever since he was a gunner and honestly this was fun. He can't help it, "LET'S GO!!!!!!" he calls out loudly as he is enjoying himself. He isn't happy to be taking another's life but if these pirate show no regard or compassion or remorse for what they are doing, he wasn't going to show them any either. Yeah if a pilot ejects, they are off limits, he isn't blood thirsty but they are here to help Zan and the flotilla.

As he gets setup into a good position to fire, he rotates the control and his chair swivel to the left and he stitch quad cannon laser fire down along the TIE and soon he's rewarded with a orange blossom explosion. <<Splash One!>> he calls over the tact-net. <<Nice flying VeeTen Lead.>> he calls. "Hey Rey, pick us a target and we will tag team'em." he calls out.

With the burst of flame and debris that speeds past the ship, Rey notes the turret monitor showing that Karas took out their mutual target.

<"Nice shooting. Lets take out those Avengers, if there's any still out there."> she calls back up the interior of the Falcon's spine to the other gunner.

Just after she finishes saying htis an Interceptor rolls through the darkness of space and right toward her cannons line of sight. Rey twitches the guns down a little and squeezes the firing triggers!

A glancing shot, one cannon, but the TIE loses its wing and explodes a second later. The young woman's dark eyebrows raising up over her eyes. "Whew..." She exhales. <"Good flying, Zandra."> Rey says over the internal comms.

Ono's vid display for Yari comes not a moment too soon, for the Falcon is soon sent into an abrupt lurch-about. It's fortunate that there's only a tattered sack in her lap and not a baby.

Said baby is funnily enough not SO far away, when the Relentless blips into the fray. At least the /Relentless/ is not juking about so devilishly. Yari, on the otherhand...

She makes a sound. A muffled gagging, to be precise, one that would have Han's ghost shouting in dismay from the abyss, should anything materialize from behind the clapped hand of hers.

Where there was a full squadron of Tie interceptors and Tie Avengers. There was no a single Tie Avenger and trio of Tie Interceptors. There all the tie screams in space as they attack those those that had took out the pirate brothers and sisters. The Desolation and the Despair don't seem lossed on just what Yt-1300 is out there. They came for booty and they're trying to become a legend. They're just no luck. Then the Rentless arrives and the battle really turns to Vee ten Squads favor.

As the Zandra deploys the hold out turret and fires at the Tie interceptor, Chewie raises his hands and lets out a mighty laugh. Then as Rey finishes it off, he lets out a mighty cheer! Then again at Karas quick shooting. The explosions awaken one of the other progs that goes running past Yari to the gunwell ladders. Then seems lost in thought decides to go down to land on the back of Rey's chair and leap into the Jedi Pargons lap. Thinking that's a safe spot.

Jax chuckles, << I understand Spark 3. I think the plan is for the Falcon to land. I don't know if we are or not.>> He reaches out with the force and finds nothing but a lot of incoming fire.

It's a good thing that Zan has a cast iron stomach, to go along with most of the others currently on the Falcon. Poor Yari. On the other hand, there's Chewie laughing and cheering, and porgs going running and Yari trying not to lose her lunch. And Zan is usually in an A-wing solo. No not that solo. By herself. She has to dodge some more incoming laser fire, as the Falcon continues to be fired on. This time she manages to dodge all the fire that might hit the Falcon, which brings a slight grin to the young Ace pilot's face. She then starts towards the Desolation, firing from the turret again, but meaning business. "We're locking a torpedo next," she tells Chewie and those who can hear her. There's a grim determination there, but Zan does open comms, << Pirate ships Desolatoin and Despair, stand down. You are outnumbered and on the losing side. Cease and desist or face the consequences.>>

~ It's been a duel, that's for sure. Dancing with another Avenger is a first for Ax, and he can't help but smile, even when his shields take a heavy hit from the enemy fighter. Throttle pushed to maximum, the Echani rolls his fighter and pulls back on the stick almost spinning the fighter in the same spot before unleashing return fire at Skull 1.

This is why he was a member of Rogue Squadron, helping people and getting into adrenaline fueling starfighter battles, it's better than most anything else. Almost, as he was a very proud family man, and when this was over he knew he'd go cuddle with his wife until the twins woke up, then it was time to take them flying, though likely in something just a little bit slower and with definitely safety restraints and a pressurized cockpit. ~

Aryn's vessels sustains another hit, but Aryn is aware of the origins of the shot because the fighters veered off. Wordlessly, Aryn orients her craft to pursue, likely falling prey to a bait and switch but committed all the same. Sky comments in droid speak that shields have returned just about the time Aryn has begun to open fire on Skull Six. Lacking successful hits, the Jedi watches on as the fighter maneuvers with skill she has only seen a handful of pilots capable of. "Most impressive," she remarks, glancing 'up' in the sense of her orientation, before angling her vessel away from the immediate danger.

Were the pirates leaving? She was not sure. Jax's voice distracted her from obtaining a more concerted observation of their skirmish. She flies along one of the flotilla ships. <<"It may be best for my well being, and health, that I remain outside their ship. For reasons unknown to me, I am not well liked. To the point of violence? I, truly, know not. For the sake of the mission though, I have no qualms remaining so.">>

"I believe that is quite enough excitement for one day. Do you agree, Sky?" Warble, warble. "Just so.."

Humiliation is a pure sword that cuts Callax to the quick - but now there's wreckage, pilots everywhere that still might live, and the Commander of the Rangers re-emerges from their ship in a new TIE, a bent-angled X1 of the kind that Vader once flew. << You fools, >> Callax bellows over comms as their fighter hurtles toward the remaining enemy almost as quickly as the last one left; a burst of bright green laser fire streaks through the void, connecting dead center of the /Desloation/ at extreme range, its shields flaring from the power of the salvo but holding strong. << You cannot kill me! Now I will take your pilots, learn your secrets -- flee, scum, and know that we meet again. Blood for Kijimi! Blood for the dead! Elnoial, Rethan, Betoka, witness vengeance to come! The gods of blood will be sated yet! >> It's raving, but cold raving...and Callax means every word of it, these gods of blood or whomever else might be watching. The apparent joy in their promise of violence is as strong as the fury from which it comes. So perhaps they're crazy. Or filled with blood-passion. Or just very, /very/ theatric. But fear is a thing they seek to instill, now or down the line when that promise eventually is kept.

Can't say Cal didn't warn 'em.

The Quick Event was made for TIE/Ints. Amused, Tallie squints as she targets one of the Interceptors. It had tried to tag her earlier, and she is willing to return the favor. The young pilot pushes the A-Wing into a headlong run at the TIE, and fires twice, making a bullseye on the cockpit. Pulling up into a high turn, she misses the explosion, but it drops off of her tracking screen.

<<"Toast, that is one less on us. What next?">>

Karas nods, "Alright, I think Skull 1 is still out there, I will try to find'em." he say to her. He quickly begins looking for the Avenger and then he checks the sensors and he notices one. He looks to the sensors and catches two fighting and he grins, "Found'em." he quickly turns and pivots his turret and the seat slid to the right and he fires. Quickly firing but he growls a little, "Kriff, he dodged!" he calls out to Rey.

Rey felt the Porg coming a moment before it landed, but it doesn't stop her from having to shake her head a bit after having the little wings slap across her cheek before the bird dropped in to her lap.

"Hi. Thanks." She says just as the TIE sweeps in to her field of view and she twists in her chair to fire at it!

Red lasers shoot off in to the battle and the Porg looks at Rey as she misses. Its huge eyes quiver and it squawks loudly up at her.

"Yeah, thanks!" Rey says sarcastically dow nto the bird that now snuggles in to her like she's a comfy chair to sleep in. <"That one is fAST!"> Rey comments about that TIE after it swept out of her range of fire.

Mm. Bile. Yari swallows it down for pride's sake. Maybe the mildly wan sheen to have come over her face can be blamed upon the sickening dread one feels whilst watching the remnant of their civilization be nipped away at by a pack of rabid raiders. Persistent poachers, the lot of them, harassing an endangered people!

Endangered not being synonymous with innocent, of course. Aryn's concerns aren't unfounded!

But nah, it's mostly a touch of motion sickness. She can't honestly SEE that much of the action from her vantage point and is, for now, clueless about the comm chatter and the implications therein. The clammy redhead slowly relaxes one hand's grip on her bag to instead dab a sleeve against her brow. It won't do to appear out of sorts whenever she's put on display to the locals like some fleshy shield of patriotism.

Skull 1 takes a pounding from Ax as the turns and runs into the field of fire of both Karas and Rey. Though the pilot dodges quickly zigging and zagging. It's seems that Skull 1 is about to get away. Jax comes diving in and firing causing the cockpit of the Skull 1 to explode. Exine chirps and whistles at Jax. "You know buddy, I'm not pointing out the fact they're all ace pilots and it was just one Tie Avenger. They're armed and I would blame them if they friendly fired us." Exine makes a glum noise. The Phoenix peels off, <Looks like you got one, Toast. He just didn't know it. >>

The Desolation and The Despire turn and run with what remains of the Skull squadron. The only response is a broadcast on open channel to Callax in a crisp Imperial voice, << You're welcome to try, scum. >> Then the ships are gone.

A new voice from the Kijimi Flotilla fills the com, it's a female voice and also sounds more reasonable, << Millennium Falcon and Callax Dalso. The people of Kijimi thank you and your squadron's help. Please forgive us for speaking out of turn earlier. You're welcome to dock with the Action V transport, The Independence and allow us to thank you in person.>>

Jax forms up with Spark 3, <>

~ <<"Don't rub it in, Sunshine...">> Ax says with a chuckle. <<"Interceptors are too easy, no shields.">> Of course, he was pretty sure Tallie had splashed at least one of the Avengers in her time here, or someone had as where there were four, only that damned Skull 1 had survived for so long. Must have been the Squadron commander, probably some old Imperial ace like Ax's hero pilot, Baron Soontir Fel. Ax was still giving pursuit, however. He had no shields, had minimal armor left, a stray rock floating in space could take that enemy fighter out at this point.

Then, Jax comes in and finishes the guy off for Ax. <<"Nice shooting, Phoenix. That guy was pissing me off.">> Laughter can be heard as the Specter does a really fast barrel roll. <<"Good shooting, guys, gals, and you too, Fabulous.">> he says. <<"I'll go on patrol, make sure that they don't come back while you do your thing, Violet.">> ~

<< Damn you, cowards, >> Callax hisses as the ships jump out; already they reach for the sensor controls, turning their TIE to bank through the field of shattered metal that had been the enemy fighters. << /Relentless/, this is Dalso. Searching for survivors now. You are instructed to return for Search and Rescue duty. >> The rage is still bright, but its immediacy is fading...and Callax suddenly feels the creeping cold of something very different crawling up through their guts.

What just happened to them?