Log:Sith: Purse Strings: Part 1
Purse Strings: Part 1
OOC Date: March 25 2025
Location: Death Star
Participants: Aitax Rendon, Bors Thul, Orvain Strakke, Valin, Cin'cirad Rook as Neimoidian Captain
Ravenous Fleet (Aitax Rendon)
The Victory II-class star destroyer Ravenous was an old vessel, dating to the dying days of the Old Republic. It was among the last few craft in Sith service that had the original concussion missile tubes; an obsolete and resource-consuming armament that had long since been phased out of more modern warships. During the grueling Hapan campaign, warhead shortages had dogged the Ravenous and diminished its performance to a degree that during refitting and resupply, a long overdue retrofitting had done away with the unloved missile tubes and installed twenty heavy ion turrets.
Fresh TIE fighters and a squadron of new pilots had been allotted to the complement, and the freshly battle-ready destroyer was promptly ordered into a new campaign; several bridge officers were still present on temporary assignment in place of casualties lost against the Hapans, including the Lieutenant on fire control. Initially, two destroyer groups were assigned the campaign, but at the last hour orders changed. Now, the Ravenous was the sole flagship of the operation. As was often the case in Imperial service, whether the Ravenous and its captain were being rewarded with the solitary command, or being set up for failure was difficult to tell, but their target was Neimoidia.
The Neimoidia System loomed large in history. A traditional gateway to the Galactic Core lying on a hyperlane crossroads in close proximity to the key Imperial systems of Kuat and Alderaan, the planet of Neimoidia had fallen far from the grand heights of prosperity it enjoyed in the waning days of the Old Republic. With a diminished Trade Monarchy having long ago abandoned the pursuit of overwhelming military power, the system became a haven for greed and cutthroat mercantilism.
The lack of a strong military presence also gave rise to fears that lawless elements could capitalize on recent Neimodian weakness, either through extortion or bribery. The Imperial Admiralty had decreed that a weak state located so close to the crucial shipyards at Kuat must not be permitted to destabilize the sector. An Imperial presence would therefore be necessary to ensure stability.
And so the commands were given: capture or destroy the Neimoidian flagship *Karr Rangab*. All projections indicated that deprived of their flagship, resistance within the system would collapse.
The target ship was a Lucrehulk-class armed capital freighter, one of the few still in operation nearly a century after the fall of the Trade Federation. Even a single one of those antique ships would have been a formidable challenge: three kilometers long, dwarfing even a Resurgent-class star destroyer in mass, at full complement it held over a hundred squadrons of droid fighters, and over a thousand turbolasers.
Fortunately for the modern Empire, this was not one of the classical Federation battleships. Deprived of their droids, the Neimoidians lacked the wealth and personnel to commit to such militarism, and the current converted freighter was much less powerful. Most of its vast bulk was empty, with dozens of turbolasers aimed by living gunners, where once there would have been thousands. The fighter complement consisted of a mere two squadrons of aging R-41 Starchasers, likely procured from Rendili Star Drives along with replacement parts for the Lucrehulk, at a steep discount. A privateer-class escort carrier and a Furi'ek gunship were its escorts.
Though equal in number, by conventional reckoning the Neimoidian fleet was stronger than the Ravenous squadron, owing to a marked superiority in number of fighters.
Ravenous Fleet (Bors Thul)
Settled into the command couch of his TIE Whisper, Lord Bors of Thul checked his readouts and tapped the comm toggle with his chin to bring up squad command, <<"Alpha, lead, prepare to engage in fighter screening. The Neimoidians are heavy with their own number, we'll need them away from the Ravenous so that Captain Rendon can perform his functions.">>
Eleven fighters angled in behind his own, flying in a chevroned X pattern, holding in a BARCAP Posture around Ravenous until the call to go forth was given.
<<"Lead, Three. What should we expect?">>
<<"From Nemoidians? I should expect offers to pay us not to thrash them too soundly.">>
A burst of laughter rippling over the squad comms as the group banked into another turn.
Kar Rangab (Cin'cirad)
The Neimoidian Captain of the Lucre Hulk looks out across the bridge, a skeleton crew. Always a skeleton crew. Standing near the center of it with the chair behind him, his hands crossed behind him and resting at the small of hit back. "Good. Thiss iss goood. Sqwuadron-s, launch and form up for ah-tahk. We will halt the ad-va-ance fohr our people." He let go with one hand to sweep his hand off to the right, gesturing toward the sensors.
"Proh-ject att-ahck vectors-s. Main Disp-way." He steps down from the chair to make his way along behind the bridge crew as they worked. His eyes moving from monitor to monitor, and then up at the main display to see the estimated paths and projections of what he might expect for the battle ahead. He finally brought a hand up to stroke at his chin, the red eyes looking to the side before he adjusted his hat.
All these years, only being called Captain. But he would prove that he was no mere Captain, today was his day! For his people, for the men and women of his ships. They would all remember his name, or so he hoped, of Admiral Nute Plurodelin!
"Com-munica-shons, hail them."
<"Ah-ttention, Ships of dee Sith Ehm-pire. You are in vio-lation of our bohr-ders. This is your la-hst warn-ing. Leave at once!"> And he creates a cutting motion, making it a point that he is not here to discuss or debate.
Lieutenant Orvaine Strakke stands at the fire control console, her gloved hands lightly resting on the edge. Her posture is composed to the point of rigidity, her striking face impassive, dark blue eyes fixed on the tactical display as the Neimodian squadrons launch. Her fingers hover over the control surface, remaining perfectly still as she watches the tracking data update in real-time.
The Neimodian hail cuts through the bridge's tension, but Orvaine does not react. Nor does she speak. She simply tilts her head slightly, logging the transmission and marking the source ship with a tracking tag. A small light flicks on -- one of the turbolaser banks is ready to lock. Around her, junior officers steal uneasy glances. But she remains utterly still, waiting for Rendon's response.
T/F Fog Weaver (Valin)
Valin's standing in as Beta squadron's commander for this engagement. Which fine, because the Chiss is used to heading from one squadron to the next given their fighters keep getting shot to hell and back. <<Beta Squadron reporting in. Listen to your comms and don't do anything stupid.>> the commander states to her team. Because she expects them to listen given things. There was always that one though that got the hairbrained idea to try to be the big damn hero and she didn't need that.
Ravenous Fleet (Aitax Rendon)
Captain Rendon gave the orders before answering hail. "Fix turbolaser batteries on the flagship, open fire on my signal. Ion turrets sharing firing solution. No need to hunt the lesser prey, hmm? Bid our squadron leaders good hunting, and open channel to the Neimoidians."
He stood on the bridge with hands at the small of his back as if posing for a statue. <<"This is Captain Rendon of the Ravenous: may you fight with courage until you surrender with wisdom. Let the battle begin.">> A nod aside to Lt. Strakke. Open fire.
Ravenous Fleet (Aitax Rendon)
The opening sequence of battle sees the Imperial squadron bearing steadily forward on the position of the massive Lucrehulk. The Ravenous and its Sentinel frigate concentrate fire on the vast ring-shaped vessel, while the pair of nebulon frigates support one another, weathering a bombing run by a pair of concussio missile-armed R41 Starchaser squadrons.
All throughout, Aitax has kept his stance and calm. Assing, "Helm: bring us closer to the enemy flag. When they seek to flee I wish to be in position to oppose their escape. Clearly this foe lacks the teeth to do us harm."
Kar Rangab (Cin'cirad)
Nute scowls, well, the corners of his mouth pull down even more than they naturally do on a Neimoidian as he looks toward the vew screen. They are not backing down, or backing away. He sweeps his way in his robes up behind the fire control. "Aye /want/ their /hides/. Helm! Turn right, foh-ty five, up ten. Whe will covah fohr the Furi'ek." He sweeps his way along back up to the command chair. Turning his eyes dance along the displays.
"Wh-at is hap-pehn-ning! Dee Are Fohr-ty Ones are noht /that/ dil-ahp-idatehd!" He scans the field, then starts to tap on the command panel, calling off the squadron he had left in reserve to join in on the attack. "They have skil-led cohmahnders! Ah-ttack Pattern Cresh!" He starts to tap a few more times to bring in the squadron in on a path that would have them fly 'above' the ecliptic plane of the system and dive down on Bors and his squadrons.
"Do not leht up!" He taps away a few more times, grabbing the chair's arm as a particularly strong volley of shots hits the shield of the Kar Rangab.
Ravenous Fleet (Bors Thul)
When the garrison fighters move to engage Bors is perturbed more than anything - with such ample time for the world to capitulate. Banking his fighter hard and his squadrons following, the Black Knight of Alderaan leads the charge with a goosing of his engines to send it surging forward and forcing his formations into a loose formation to minimize clustered shots finding purchase before the furball is formed.
<<"Ravenous, Alpha, we've engaged. Direct as needed.">>
Glittering emerald showers falling upon the Nemoidian craft until forced to break apart when the enemy craft begin diving at them in what look like suicide runs.
"Bugger..."
Language. Bors.
Ravenous Fleet (Orvaine Strakke)
At Rendon's command, Lt. Strakke had let her hand come down on the console effortlessly -- it was already poised to be there. The console display updates in silence as the first impact reports come in . She doesn't smile. She doesn't speak. But there is a slight flicker, a subtle shift of her fingers, as if confirming that the result was expected. Even when the next volley lands less decisively, she does not appear disappointed. She logs it without ceremony.
"Flagship weakening," she offers, voice even. Crisp and cold. "If they attempt evasive maneuvers, we'll have their predicted arc within two suggestions." Not a suggestion -- it's inevitable.
TIE/sf (Valin)
Valin's TIE assists Beta Squadron fighters as the battle starts, the fighters zipping in to aid where they are needed. She was usually more for assisting the youngsters, but that doesn't mean that she in anyway sits back in this fight or gives a half-assed performance. She gives orders and takes her shots, making sure that no one is struggling in their pursuits.
Ravenous Fleet (Aitax Rendon)
The aggressive maneuvering of the Ravenous does not come without risk, and the heavy guns of the Kar Rangab take a heavy toll on the Victory class for its captain's boldness. The shields are all but annihilated by critical salvos of battery fire, causing alarms blaring across the bridge. The support craft have continued their work, but between the flagships, the contest had swung.
Aitax Rendon was smiling, fiercely. "Good, there's fight in them, still." Informed that a fresh squadron of TIEs is inbound, he nods once. "Open channel to Commander Valin'nratha." Informed that it was open, he stated, <<"Commander. TIE squadron Delta is arriving in system. You are to remand Beta squadron to Commander Thul, and assume direction of all incoming reinforcement fightercraft. Sweep the enemy fighters and then commence attack runs on the enemy flagship. Good hunting.">>
The nebulon frigates were directed to render assistance to the Ravenous to bolster its flagging shields, as the Delayan turning a narrowed stare on the distant ring of the massive Lucrehulk. "Let's hope a taste of success makes them greedy. We can win the campaign in one day if they do."
Kar Rangab (Cin'cirad)
Nute slaps his hand against the arm of the chair, "Ye-e-es. Goo-od! Eh-xcellent Shoo-oting." He walks quickly down the steps once more to loom behind the fire control operator, watching as the shots land where he had planned. His whole point of pulling the Luchre Hulk up like that was to expose the bottom turrets to the Star Destroyer. His eyes dance about, completely locked in on how they slam into the shields.
"Sir! Out-gohing Transmiss-ion!" The Communication officer looks up, turning to look toward Nute as some fear crosses her face. She had heard the Communication Frigate send out the distress call for reinforcements, knowing that it could mean only one thing.
"Wh-Aht?!" Nute turns and quickly strides to her screen, looking over the battle space with his head turning up to the main display. "Sqwua-drons Aurek and Nen! Re-dah-rect to that Frig-ah-t!" He is so locked into redirecting the deployment of some of his fleet to go after the Communication Frigate, he doesn't even notice as the squadrons Bors' leading rip apart the R-41 squadrons, forcing most of a squadron to eject and the rest to give their lives for the planet below.
"Keep Firing!" Nute calls as he points to the screen, moving back toward his chair, turning once he gets there to try and get a better scheme of the battle space. His mouth falling open as he sees his crafted plans now going a completely different way than he intended.
Over half his squadrons gone, half the shields down on his ship. And no measurable losses on the enemy side except for the heavy hits to the Ravenous' shields. He needed to think it through - he needed to find the path to victory.
Ravenous Fleet (Bors Thul)
He did rather like the R-41, a craft with ions for rapid shield stripping before the real fight began. Unfortunate that this would be the destruction of them. And to think that when the Trade Federation stood, their droid fighters were considered some of the most dangerous in all the galaxy.
Bors shoved the throttle lever of his craft forward, having long ago had the blasted twist knob removed so that he might have something more comfortable, the engines lacking the normal screech one would expect of a TIE craft.
There was that at least.
<<"Sweep pattern, wheel and keep them down, let us attend this quickly so we can handle the real difficulties ahead...">>
A number of acknowledgements coming when the squadrons reformed and then burst apart into a strike pattern to dive into the mass once more, scoring kill after kill in the melee.
Ravenous Fleet (Orvaine Strakke)
The bridge thrums with alarms. A shudder passes through the deck as the Ravenous absorbed another punishing volley from the Kar Rangab's guns -- but Lieutenant Strakke doesn't look up. Fire control blink red across multiple subsystems. Shields: failing. Hull integrity: strained. Her fingers move anyway, as calm as if she were updating a duty roster.
She continues the firing sequence without pause.
Another volley launched. A spread of turbolaser fire raced across the void toward the Lucrehulk, clean and lethal. The targeting matrix struggled to compensate for the ship's evasive maneuvers, but Orvaine anticipated them -- her firing solutions adjust a breath ahead of the algorithms.
She does not flinch. She does not react to the flickering lights or the rising tension. She simply focuses. Her duty has not changed. The enemy flagship would be dismantled -- piece by piece, circuit by circuit.
And if the Ravenous fell around her, she would fire until her station went dark.
TIE/sf (Valin)
Valin's pupiless red gaze looks to the targeting system right as Captain Rendon hails. She listens carefully, not perturbed at all by what needs to be done. She was good at adapting. <<At once, Captain Rendon.>> she tells the Captain of the Ravenous. <<Beta Squadron, you are under the command of Commander Thul now, do not get out of line.>> she tells them before she peels off to Delta Squadron and the other incoming craft. <<Delta Squadron, we are sweeping enemy fighters first. Then commencing attack runs, if anyone isn't clear on that go back to the Academy.>> she states as she moves the TIE to begin their task.
Ravenous Fleet (Aitax Rendon)
The arrival of Delta squadrons had accelerated what the skill of the TIE pilots had started: the advantage was tilting toward the Imperials. Sustained fire from the Ravenous had eroded the Lucrehulk's powerful shields, while the particle projectors of the fleet's two Nebulon frigates were pumping energy into the defensive grid of the Victory class faster than the Kar Ragnab gunners could wear it down.
Aitax Rendon's balance had been staggered by the jagged impact of turbolasers impacting the armored plating, but he kept his feet. "Maintain fire! Their shields are failing- Ion control: target the central sphere and open fire. This is our hour!" he called, the zeal of battle lighting his eyes.
Kar Rangab (Cin'cirad)
The thin-lipped expression only grows more so, the pull downward on the corners of his mouth. He had played a number of war games, all leading up to some sort of attack like this. But the one thing that he hadn't accounted for, is all his pilots being so overwhelmed by skill and power. The R-41s being chewed up so fast, it caused a severe drop in his ability to fight. He was watching them getting shot down by the new Squadron that had just jumped in.
"Ha-ow did they get so... s-skil-l-lled? Bah! Pull back that Sqwua-dron to the Carrier. Cohn-tinue the ah-ttack!" He started to walk his way along the displays, checking the readouts before he moves over to the damage control station. The shield emitters were failing upon the rampant bombardment to the main ship.
<"Da-amage Cohn-trol, ready in sector... Fouh-r."> Nute says with a pat on the man's shoulder. He's moving around, grabbing at the edge of one of the consoles as the fighters bombing the ship nearly take down the shields. He turns his head, looking around at the men and women that he serves with. His mouth growing thin. There was no other back-up, there was no one defending the world but them.
They had to be smart about this.
Ravenous Fleet (Bors Thul)
<<"Angle on the connection ports of the central command sphere, first line engage with cannons, weaken shields. Second line, ordnance. Sweep and repeat.">>
Still at full strength the TIE craft from Ravenous were moving at speed in a spiraling pattern that took them around and around the Lucrehulk, having not been recalled to other duties yet. Bors's first line hammered with quad cannons for the second line to dumb-fire missiles into the ship, slowly stripping shields while making no impacts yet
<<"Ravenous, their shields are failing, suggest full power to weapons...">>
More sweeps were chipping away, ripping tears in the energy fields that struggled to keep up with the onslaught.
Ravenous Fleet (Orvaine Strakke)
Lieutenant Strakke remains unmoving, no bead of sweat marring her pale brow. Her face is lit intermittently by flickering status readouts. One of the consoles nearby sparks, but she doesn't even blink. Her console displays the Neimoidian flagship's failing shields, the targeting locks reacquiring faster now, unhindered by interference. The second salvo she unleashes finds its mark -- striking a vulnerable point near the central core. Power fluctuations ripple across the readout, betraying the critical damage now spiderwebbing through the Lucrehulk's systems.
She doesn't react with triumph. She is an observer, wielding precision. The smallest narrowing of her eyes is the only signal that she's noted the opening.
On occasion, junior officers glance toward her -- nervous, deferential, saying nothing. They don't need to. Even when the tides were against them, Strakke was in control. Now, with the enemy faltering, that control feels absolute.
Even before the next order comes, her fingers are already shifting the solution-- ion convergence plotted for the central sphere, as if she could see the hour approaching before anyone else.
TIE/sf (Valin)
Fog Weaver Valin barks out orders to Delta and the other ships that she's now commanding. <<Dig in and bring these fighters down!>> the Chiss clips out. Not afraid to get loud if needed. She's not the most mothering or reassuring in the heat of battle...nor anywhere else really...
Ravenous Fleet (Aitax Rendon)
As was true for many things, when the battle began to turn, it turned sharply. Deprived of its shields, the massed attack runs and cannonry of the Imperial fleet began to take a terrible toll on the enormous bulk of the 3 kilometer wide ring-shaped capital ship. The two escort craft and the twenty surviving R41 Starchasers disengaged and streaked into a microjump, with the ponderous bulk of the Kar Rangab following suit.
"All ships, maximum firepower," Aitax ordered, a terse note to his voice as his prize looked to be slipping away. The damned thing was just so large, they couldn't blast it to pieces fast enough. "Navigation!" he called crisply. “Begin calculations on the Kar Rangab's trajectory." The big vessel had not yet escaped, but despite heavy damage, it looked likely to survive the day. The Battle of Neimoidia would not end in the first pass.
Kar Rangab (Cin'cirad)
It happened in what felt like a heartbeat. One minute the shields were struggling to keep up with the punishment, and then next those damned squadrons came in. The hard hits and Captain Plurodelin has to grab the arm rest of his chair on the dais as the ship violently shakes. The fighters were shooting specifically for the 'command ball' of the Luchre Hulk. "BLAST!"
Stumbling forward he makes his way to the damage control station. Looking over their shoulder, "Sech-tion Two Aurek to Ei-ight Besh! Seal those ho-oles-s!"
He looked up just in time to see the Ravenous' main ship shoot another volley, these ones more well placed. Most of them skating on the inside of the 'prongs' that make up the circle which surrounds that central ball, and instead slamming into the area just below the bridge. "CLO-HOSE DE BLAH-ST DOORS!" He calls out, unknowingly mimicking the call that another person who had his first name said long ago.
Nute grabbed for the edge of the desk as he felt the air being sucked out of the bridge before the bulkheads slammed shut, sealing them inside before the oxygen could escape. Moving up to the communications station, his legs shaking for a moment until he brought them under control, he presses the button to call the rest of his small fleet <"Begin Full Reh-treat!"> Captain Plurodelin, looks up, unable to look his crew in the eye.
"Poh-sition to gu-ahrd the others, we will hold un-til they ehs-cape." He doesn't dare move as he puts his hands back behind his back. Worried that any move his legs might give out, the thought that he was having to leave to regroup, re-arm, and try again... It sickened him, but it at least was a better chance than what was happening now. They had managed to keep the upper hand for a bit, driving the Ravenous down to make the first strikes on the hull - but when they were able to recover, it became obvious it was a losing battle.
"Nah-va-gahtion. Ploht a microh-jump." He turns his head, looking toward the sensors as another round of the Starfighters strafing his ship - HIS ship - divots into the hull and venting oxygen into space. His people were dying, this was the only way to hope for a better outcome, to do his best to save those of his crew and hopefully those on the surface.
As the Ships finally jump out and he has to release from his feigned decorum to not fall over from the barrage and the jump into hyperspace, he moves to his chair. Using the last of his resolve to keep his legs from shaking as he sat down.
"Ehn-gage."
The pin-pricks of light elongated and grew toward him on the screen, and with a burst of light the blue swirl of hyperspace.
Ravenous Fleet (Bors Thul)
<<"Continuing the run, Ravenous, we're showing hull damage throughout.">>
The Old Man continues his circling sweeps on the larger craft, practically skimming the surface as he fires cannons and dumbfires missiles when the shields register having gone down.
<<"I'm getting power fluctuations as well, Captain.">>
And then the blasted ship is gone, Bors's and several other ties thrown off course by the proximity, tumbling and spinning while consoles spark and alerts blare.
"Bloody..." Teeth gritting and hands moving over his consoles to get the craft back under control, <<"All wings, stabilize and Arr-Tee-Bee, we will need to refuel and re-arm if we're to pursue.">> Managing to get his bearings while fighting his system from keeping the inertial dampeners after the tumble he took, angling back towards the Ravenous and going at speed.
<<"Captain, open bay doors. We're coming in at speed.">>
Ravenous Fleet (Orvaine Strakke)
Lieutenant Strakke's console shows the Lucrehulk fragmenting -- something she is very much assisting with. The first strike is surgical and devastating; the second, less so, failing to deliver the finishing blow. But she doesn't flinch. Doesn't scowl. She simply recalibrates, adjusting the solution mid-pattern as the flagship begins its withdrawal.
The others on the bridge are tense, but Strakke remains composed. Watching the trajectory. Plotting interception arcs even before Navigation finishes the calculations.
"If not broken," she says, "it is marked."
And she makes it sound like a death sentence.
TIE/sf (Valin)
Fog Weaver Dogfights could go anyway and as of late they have not really gone well for Valin. And when enemy fighters turn to run there is a few seconds of thought to go after them...but not at the expense of leaving her squadrons without their commander and risk the chance of losing more of them in a dumb act of heroics. The woman focuses and continues the attack runs that she was leading her squadrons through. "Cowards..." she mutters as the ships jump to get away. <<Only prey runs, remember that.>> she tells the squadron she's with.
Ravenous Fleet (Aitax Rendon)
Aitax Rendon nodded once to the reports from his wing commander, though of course Bors could not see him. A motion to open the comms and he responded, <<"Acknowledged, Commander.">> Aside, he gave orders for recovery shuttles to launch hastily with the aim of recovering what few of their pilots had been downed, but managed to eject. "Prepare the flight deck for rapid refitting. We shall pursue the foe unto his inevitable defeat."
