Log:Starlight Vanguard: Xyndarran Pirates

The Starlight Vanguard set out to Xyndarra to investigate rumors of a crashed CR90

OOC Date: April 5, 2023
Location: Xyndarra
Participants: Aria Voss, Bar'duur, Karlie, Kaine Ul-Nass, Saito, Juria

The arrangement is simple enough -- Saito is going to take his Bouillabaisse fighter with Figly the Amazing Astromech, Bar'duur is flying his TIE, and either Kaine or Karlie is initially flying the Haulin' Assets (Karlie's preference). That leaves Aria to catch Juria up to speed in the second story mess hall of the modified VCX-350.

Once they're safely in hyperspace, Aria explains the situation everyone else was already aware of. Aria had gotten a tip from an old acquaintance of hers -- not a close enough acquaintance that she didn't have to /buy/ the information, mind you -- that an old New Republic-era CR90 named the Stellar Windrunner had been ditched on a jungle world named Xyndarra. There were no specifics about the condition of the vessel other than it /should/ still be operational (apparently, it wasn't broken into two halves or anything like that, but beyond that, who knows?). There was also no guarantee that this information hadn't been old to someone else either before or after Aria had acquired it.

Aria uses one of the droids to throw up a little projection of the galaxy map, which zooms in on the rotating planet and highlights the area in question. It's all dense foliage, but there's no telling how accurate the location is. They'd have no way to know until they got there. And, better safe than sorry.

Aria herself wasn't planning to be part of the expedition once they touched down. She readily admitted she'd just slow the group down, but she'd stay with the Haulin' Assets and man the comms in case anyone needed her. She'd also keep an eye on radar in case anyone showed up after the fact.

And that's where the group now finds themselves. Emerging from hyperspace above Xyndarra, all three ships revert to real space at almost the same time, the squirls around their cockpits turning to streaks and then pinpoints. Lush and green, the planet looms ominously ahead.

[FAIL ( -11)] Saito's Danger Sense @ (100) diff. [FAIL ( -32)] Saito's Search @ (100) diff. [FAIL ( -69)] Kaine Ul-Nass's Search @ (100) diff.

The red-haired pilot is completely at ease in the cocpit of his Belbulab fighter. He spents the trip imerssed in the force, deep in meditation. The Astromech beside him beeps something, his wordss being translated by the ship's computer. |Seriously.. How someone like her ended upp with someone like you.. Its just beiond me.. All you organicss don't make any sense." the droid grumbles to itself. Slowly, Saito opens his eyes and shakes his head at the droid. "Remember one thing, Figly.. You can be put in a trash compactor.. Ican't," despit his words, there is a smile of amusement at the droid's antics, shaking his head in mild disappointment as the force isn't showing him anything that might be a head of the group. "Stay ready, Figly.. We don't know what is here with us or there in the planet." he glances to his sensors and notices that they don't show anything out of the ordinary. He sighs, softly bitting his lower lip. I hope nothing bad happens.."

It could be said that Juria is a bit of an oddity to this whole opporation. Some of the people know each other, none of them except Saito know her, and she's only as open about who she is as one can be in the short trip through Hyperspace. She's holding a corndog substitute in one hand, nibbling on it like some kind of squirrel, while Aria explains what it is they're doing and how it is they came about that information. Blonde brow raised, eyes turned up, she takes a bite of her meat, corn meal, and stick treat with a few short nods.

Then a little clipped laugh, "Old New Republic." That's the takeaway.

Initially.

"Okay, so we may or may not find a CR90 that may or may not have people who already found what may or may not be there! This has so many layers. I love it." A bright smile curls the corners of her mouth, tugging the rest of her snack off between her teeth.

Bar'duur has no room for a droid in his fighter. He has nothing but the sounds coming over coms to hear, along with the sounds of his breathing and the life support system hooked up to his flightsuit. Fortunately Bar'duur has a very unique sort of suit, one that projects the outside of his Tie Avenger to him, as he looks around. Status readouts of course show as a semi-transparent fixture when he must look, although he has a few settings, he often likes to be able to 'see' the outlines of his cockpit controls. He's been flying this fighter for so long, the buttons and knobs and switches are all in memory. All else in his cockpit is lifeless vacume, of course, such sactifices were made for the Avengers great speed..

With Karlie at the helm of the Haulin Assets, Kaine's sitting in the second seat, ready to move off to jump into the turret gunner's seat as needed. When he came aboard he brought along a bit more gear than one might expect, muttering something about trying to be prepared for who the hell knows what.

Just at the moment he's leaning back in his seat, looking out at the approaching planet with more than a certain small bit of wary curiousity evident in his expression, "Well..I suppose here's the point where we find out if there's at least something there at _all_."

Karlie Is very good at flying fighting is not her thing she's not good, She can install the guns use them not so much . She's really the fixed it type " ir eally hope we don't have to tug this thing " she sighs " I brought some parts but " She sighs " I really hope it's engines are fixable .. I'm okay with no hyper I can tug that along.. but no engines were in trouble "

"No idea what they're going to call the next one," Aria commiserates. "Maybe Republic 3-point-oh." She sighs, rolling her eyes. "After all, if at first you don't succeed, try try again. Maybe next time we'll be able to keep the Sith out of it." Her smile thins. "But, yeah -- layers. That's pretty much where we find ourselves. We're on the Haulin' Assets -- it belongs to Bar'duur and Karlie, but I contract it out for VGC work. Bar's in his personal fighter. Kaine, I think, is flying co-pilot. He's... well, he's an old friend." Of course, Old Friend was relative when spoken by a twenty year old. "Come on down to the cockpit, and I'll do the formal introductions." There's a final glint of humor in her eyes. "Bring your corn dog."

The trip down the stairs is short, and the hallway rounds into the traditional style of cockpit. "Karlie," she speaks up just as the ship reverts to real space. "Kaine. This is Juria. She's a friend of Saito's, so she's here to help however she can." She smiles, glancing back over to Juria. "If you have a specialty, I'd love to hear it. Otherwise, feel free to jump in wherever you can."

Stepping up behind Kaine, Aria leans around him to flip open the comm channel they'd pre-agreed on. << "Saito.. Bar... You guys doing okay out there?" >>

It is, of course, about that time that Bar'duur picks up three blips on his sensors taking off from the planet's surface.

<<Roger, everything ok out here, so far>> Saito's voice crackles over the Asset's comms systems. He manipulates his sensors and scans the space around his fighter, sighing and hsaking his head. <<If thre is something out there, I'm not seeing it>> he reports to the Assets. Hee pushes the fighter's throthle forward, accelerating so his ship can be closer to Bar's, in case the Zabrak needs assistance.

"The New-er Republic." Juria workshops the name with a quirked lip, finishing off her corndog to toss the stick into a trash receptical, dusting her hands off by patting them together. "The New-est Republic... let's face it, governments never figure out the simple truth of the galaxy: Doing something over and over in exactly the same way, but expecting different results, is insanity." For someone so overtly and outwardly optomistic, she has a pretty nihilistic opinion of beaurocracy.

Smiling up at Aria, she bobs her head and jumps down the ladder as if she's old hat at getting around a freighter. "Well, I was born on Corellia, but I grew up in freighters and I fought in the battle of Exegol. Fighter pilot." She waves to Karlie, "Hey, I'm Juria."

A tiny mouse of a blonde woman.

Who leans towards the big view port, squinting, nose wiggling at the planet far off in the drink of space. She pats Karlie on the shoulder, "Got a headset or someth- nevermind, just tell everyone there's some ships launching from that planet..." She squints again, "Uhhh looks like a tiny triangle... a booger... and grey blob.. No, definitely a brown blob." Pause, squinting.. "Yeah, brown."

Those Ion engines of a Tie scream past the Assets along it's port side, just as Bar'duurs voice emits over the comms channel they are all sharing. "Confirmed Jus-.. wait, I've got three contacts, coming up from the surface, confirm targets Saito?" He asks while angling his fighter over to ride in a formation between and slightly above the others, reaching out to equalize power distribution to provide energy for his tie's weapon systems. Targeting information is gradually sent back to the other ships, from the Tie Avenger, and Bar'duur pushes forward to get a lead on the rest, angling his shields forward, and warming up the tractor beam device. "Alright let's see if they want to play nice or not.."

Kaine Ul-Nass looks up as Aria and Juria enter, offers them both a touch of a smile along with a nod, "Hey, " is about all he says in greeting, though his tone is welcoming enough. Then Aria's reaching by him for the comms, and the ships lifting off from the planet are recognized and ... he begins to work to slip out of his seat, "Guess that's my cue .. I'm heading for the turrets." A pause, a glance at Juria, "Blob, hmm? Fair enough.." A flash of a sardonic grin and he's off, slipping between all three women that've crowded into the cockpit.

"A triangle and booger too." Juria adds for Kaine, smiling.

Karlie turns the ship to follow along moving along, she's showing her skill this woman is not new to flying a ship some would say she's near perfect as she flips switches at high speeds even taps various buttons as she uses the sticks to star to follow along despite the ships size

Aria looks over her shoulder at Juria, scooting a little and leaning out of the way when Kaine gets up to move past her despite the fact that she was half-way leaning across to get to the comm switch. There's a familiarity to that a brush of bodies that doesn't seem to phase her in the least. But, then again, she seemed more focused on /helping/ than anything else.

"You can /see/ that?" she asks, eyebrows lifted. Mental note made. Then she flips the comm back on. << "Juria says it's a tiny triangle, a booger, and a brown blob. Can you guys tell what they are?" >>

Even as she she asks the question, the information from Bar's sensors begins to feed over and populate the dash of the Haulin' Assets -- and it was /way/ over her head. One target is listed as an old RZ-1 A-Wing, one a modified Z-95 Headhunter, and the other a modified YV-666. All were just leaving the planet's atmosphere closing fast on the Haulin' Assets.

<< "This is Captain Jarek of the Scarlet Marauder. I hope you weren't planning on landing without an invitation. You see, this little piece of space is under our control, and we don't take kindly to unannounced guests. Now, if you'd be so kind as to power down your engines and lower your shields, we'll be more than happy to relieve you of your valuables. Don't worry, we're not unreasonable. We'll let you go with your lives, provided you don't try anything foolish." >>

Aria purses her lips and flips the comm channel, opening the channel and speaking clearly into the mic, << "This is Captain Seraphine Kestrel of the Advanced Vanguard Reconnaissance Squadron. Your threats are in violation of the neutral territory rights agreement of sector fifty-seven-alpha, ratified by the Luminary Conclave, and enforceable with summary judgement. Return to land on the planet and we will escort you down. Any /other/ action will be taken as hostile. Reinforcements are already incoming. You have fifteen seconds to comply." >>

There's a pause. For a moment, the YV-666 slows, and its escort slows along with it.

And then there's another crackle of static and it re-accelerates.

<< "Your ship's transponder is... *chuckle*... the Haulin' Assets. Sounds like something I'd like to get my hands on. I think we'll take our chances." >>

Aria sighs, her head sagging. She flips the comm channel again.

<< "Saito.. Bar.. it looks like we're doing this. I don't really want them spreading the news that we were here, if you get my meaning." >>

And then she steps back out of the way. "Juria?" she gestures to the co-pilot's seat and moves to one of the jump seats in the back so she can strap herself in.

[PASS ( +66)] Saito's Danger Sense @ (100) diff. [PASS ( +56)] Saito's Pilot @ (34) diff. [PASS ( +5)] Saito's Ranged: Fixed Mounts @ (100) diff. [Aria Voss tests an NPC's Pilot.] [PASS ( +1)] Modified Z-95 (22963)'s 78 @ (100) diff.

<<Targets confirmed, Bar>> Saito's fighter receives the targetting information from the Tie-fighter. He flips a few switches on the fighter's pannel, activating the two tripple laser cannons. "Get ready, Figly.. You'll help me with repairs." from under his seat, he kicks a tool kit so he can have easier access to it, leaving it nearby in case things goo bad. He flips a switch. With a loud wine, the Belbulab's deflector shields are activated. Aria's bluf draws a chuckle from the pilot. He closes his eyes. Don't think, just feel. And thats what he does. Still with his eyes closed, he accelerates the fighter, the wine of the engines growing louder as more power is provided to them. Hee can feel the other pilot's flight path and the point where the Z-95 intents to intercept the Bellbulab. He turns a few seconds the pilot can realize what is happening, the Z-95's laserss missing the Bellbulab. Saito presses the fire controls. The fighter's triple cannons fire and hit the Z-95 head on, managing to do severe damage, its shields satarting to shimmer out of existence.

[PASS ( +73)] Juria's Danger Sense @ (100) diff.

[PASS ( +61)] Juria's Pilot @ (100) diff. [PASS ( +76)] Juria's Ranged:fixed Mounts @ (100) diff. [Aria Voss tests an NPC's Pilot.] [PASS ( +61)] Modified YV-666 (14207)'s 78 @ (100) diff.

"Yeah, right there..." Juria points out at what is basically just tiny little specks, "There.." Same spots, they're very small at this distance, "And there." She didn't move her finger at all. She grins over at Aria and gently pulls her hood back as if she's anticipating something. She reaches up and smooths her hair, then combs it back with spreading fingers. "Scarlet Marauders. That sounds like someone trying to sound scary." An off handed comment, already sliding down into the co-pilots seat, brushing her hands over instruments without actually touching anything for now. Getting familiar.

"Hey Karlie, your ship has a cool name. Haulin' Assets!" Beaming a grin sideways, "I'm just going to help you out okay? If you feel me tug, just lean into it. I think you'll be fine though, you look like you got this handled."

Because negotiations aren't going so well.

A glance back at Aria, "For what it's worth, I totally believed you." Wiggling her fingers, curling them over her thumbs to systematically start popping her knuckles before sliding on a headset.

True to her word, however, Juria doesn't take over flying for Karlie, if anything she's working in absolute harmony with her. Humming to herself, she lets the yolk dance around in her hands as she effortlessly follows the other pilots hand motions side to side. "I wish I was an Oogle Varnin meat stick..." La la la, she applies a little extra pressure in one direction and twirls the ship, the two forward facing cannons arcing in a cork-screw that batter the VY-666's shields, "Mmhmm dee doo daaa... that is what I really wanna beeee... Ooo lucky hit!" Smiling over at Karlie.

<<"Hey, Captain Jarek we've just taken out your shields. Should you wish to accept Captain Kestrel's very generous offer, you will be allowed to pull of, power down your weapons, and return to the planet surface. Scouts honor.">>

[PASS ( +17)] Bar'duur's Ranged: Fixed Mounts @ (100) diff. [Aria Voss tests an NPC's Pilot.] [PASS ( +39)] Modified RZ-1 A-Wing (12210)'s 78 @ (100) diff.

The Tie Avenger screams toward the A-wing, a fairly classic engagement, in fact, and the Zabrak piloting the Avenger has had the priviledge of flying both craft, so he might have an edge in that reguard. Green bolts of light arch toward the A-wing, but it spins and pitches quickly to avoid being hit, only to return the favor with it's red blasts of plasma. <<"You'll find our mercy diminishes quickly.">>

[PASS ( +27)] Kaine Ul-Nass's Ranged:turret Mounts @ (100) diff.

Kaine Ul-Nass gets settled into the belly turret of the Haulin', settles the headset in place, and does a quick spin around to get himself situated and a good look around the battlespace. A moment after that the Z-95 comes into view at _just_ the right point and Kaine squeezes the trigger, leading the swift fighter class just enough to allow the ship to walk right on into the incoming stream of blaster bolts.

<< That's one. Gents, shall we concentrate on that A-Wing while Aria and the others try and talk some sense into the freighter pilot? >>

Karlie Snaps the ship even doing a semi loop .. she manages to move the ship to match the enemies speed helpin to stick to thier rear end.. having the driod help her maintant the speed variance so she can work on sticking to thier rear end .

[Aria Voss tests an NPC's Ranged:fixed mounts.] [FAIL ( -22)] Modified RZ-1 A-Wing (12210)'s 78 @ (100) diff. [PASS ( +62)] Bar'duur's Pilot @ (100) diff.

[Aria Voss tests an NPC's Ranged:fixed mounts.] [PASS ( +49)] Modified YV-666 (14207)'s 78 @ (100) diff. [PASS ( +81)] Saito's Pilot @ (34) diff.

"Thanks," the Zeltron responds with a little smirk. "It actually /worked/ for Kaine and I on Zytheria. At least, it bought us enough time to get to hyper, anyway."

But then the fight's started. Colorful lasers were lancing out across the viewport from ship to ship. It was majestic and... utterly terrifying. Suddenly, it wasn't just loading and running, getting to hyperspace as quickly as possible. They were /staying/ for this fight. They came /prepared/ for this fight.

She /was/ prepared for this fight. Right?

Aria's hand shoots out to catch herself against the bulkhead panel before her shoulder slams into it. Her violet eyes sweep across the women flying, watching them work together, and then out the viewport -- a flash of a TIE fighter, a glimpse of a Bulabanana flying through a cloud of debris. For one horror-struck moment there's a worry that it's /his/ debris, until she realizes the Z-95 was just.. gone.

Captain Jarek's voice comes back over the comms, << "You think a few lucky shots can scare me? I'll not be givin' up that easily." >>

The YV-666 yerks left and 'up', trying to shake the freight off of its tail and get a shot off at Saito's fighter in the process. It goes wide, just as the A-Wing's shot does as it rolls in a close dogfight with the TIE.

[PASS ( +32)] Saito's Ranged: Fixed Mounts @ (100) diff. [Aria Voss tests an NPC's Pilot.] [PASS ( +20)] Modified YV-666 (14207)'s 78 @ (100) diff.

Saito easilly dodges out of the way of the YV, banking his ship away from enemi weapons. <<Please, think about the lives of your companions, please. There is no need for this to go any furter>> Saito's voice is transmitedd too the Assets and to the YV. In the Bellbulab, the red-haired man shakes his head. Hee cuts a bit of power to his fighter's engines, gently manipulating the ship's yoke with light touches. He nods, aiming the ship's cannons at the YV's engines. The two tripple cannons fire their bursts at the engine, which explodes, leaving the larger ship adrift in space. <<Perhaps now we'll be able to sit down and talk?>> Saito's voice remains calm through the communicator.

Juria grins over at Karlie, whose keeping them right up on the weaving freighter, with the Corellian whistling to herself. Her hand slides side to side, swinging the target rectacle along the back of the ship in front of her, until suddenly with a sudden spark, the YV-666's engines die and forward thrust becomes an awkward, drifting roll. She keys up scans, just to make sure there's still life support active inside, <<"Yeah, how you feeling about parley now, chummer?">> adding to Saito's request to talk it out.

[PASS ( +41)] Bar'duur's Ranged: Fixed Mounts @ (100) diff. [Aria Voss tests an NPC's Pilot.] [PASS ( +52)] Modified RZ-1 A-Wing (12210)'s 78 @ (100) diff.

The Tie Avenger and A-wing are quite entangled now, and Bar'duur isn't saying anything at all, he's much too focused on what his opponent is doing, fortunately when only dogfighting a single opponent, he can angle most of his deflectors toward the rear, not all, but most. Leaving that set as it is he can concentrait on throttle and stick, deep, even breaths as he keeps on the enemies tail. <"You still have time to surrender"> He transmits finally as he angles up and fires off a few shots, switching on the tractor beam weapon in an effort to hamper his opponents movements.

[FAIL ( -12)] Kaine Ul-Nass's Ranged:turret Mounts @ (100) diff. [Aria Voss tests an NPC's Pilot.] [FAIL ( -19)] Modified RZ-1 A-Wing (12210)'s 78 @ (100) diff.

Trying his best to _not_ hit the TIE and its pilot, Kaine's absolutely positive his shot was going to be far too wide to hit the A-wing as it and Bar tussle around. Perhaps it's just how close the TIE's shots are, or the tractor gets enough 'traction' to spin it off course, but in this case it's _not_ Kaine's skill with the guns - the A-wing jinks too far right and ends up trying to co-exist with Kaine's turret fire.

Suddenly, everything was quiet again -- except for the debris floating off in all directions, but it gone from sight in not much more than the blink of an eye. Other than the ships they came in with, all that was left was the YV-666 floating seemingly dead in space in front of them.

There was no response to the comms. Maybe something inside exploded and killed the pilot, anyway? It just floated there in space, but life support systems were still operational. Only the propulsion systems were damaged.

Aria sits there in a few seconds of awe before she seems to realize something and pulls one of the headsets off of the wall, cramming it down on top of her head and pressing a button on the panel. << "Saito. Bar. Damage report." >>

[PASS ( +14)] Saito's Danger Sense @ (100) diff. [PASS ( +48)] Juria's Danger Sense @ (100) diff.

<Well->> Saito starts after pressing the button to talk over their comm network. It is then that he pauses,,, feeling a sense of impending doom. For a moment, he feels as if his fighter is exploding around him. << That ship's going to explode.. Every one away from it, now>> He follows his own advice,, the Bellbulab's engines roaring as thee ship reversses course and starts to fly away from the YV.

Well that's rude, who puts a self destruct on their peoples ship?! Because Juria is fairly sure they didn't just blow it up? Did you blow it up? I didn't blow it up... My concussion tudes are totally blank... "Sorry.." She says apologetically to Kalie and flips control over to her stick, twist the throttle and drops them down in a reverse twist to get them, the heck, away from that freighter. "Nope, nope, nope." She doesn't have time to get into the ways, but once they're a good distance away, she flips control back over to Karlie. "Seriously, sorry about that. Haulin' Assets... that's so clever." Big grin.

Bar'duur is in the midst of extreme manuevers with the A-wing. "This guy's pretty.." And then the A-wing flies into a random bolt, or the bolt hits the A-wing, from his perspective Kaine could have planned it that way. <"Oh nice shot!"> he says over the comms, reaching over to re-equalize his fighters systems and wheel the agile craft over to get closer to the Assets once more. <"All systems are good here.."> He says, but blinks, when Saito mentions that the ship will explode, arcing off to get out of range..

Saito's warning came through the comms at the same time Juria was already moving the ship backwards. And, maybe there was something they both recognized that she didn't. Some spark. Some crack in the hull. Or, maybe she'd just gone from the first time she'd ever seen a Jedi do his thing to /two/ Jedi working together. That, in itself, was absolutely remarkable.

"Well..."

The word is barely out of Aria's mouth before the viewport fills with light from the explosion, and where the YV-666 once was, there was just.. nothing. Bits and pieces of it had been scattered off in all directions, harmlessly bouncing off of the shields at this range.

She clears her throat and hits the comm again. << "So, uhm.. I guess if you guys are done goofing around, we should see if we can find a spot to set down next to the coordinates we have." She laughs softly. "Good work, everyone. Keep an eye out for a Corvette. We'll see what's available and go from there." >>