Ask A Nyss Day Out

[Gentis Freem]

Nyss.

One of the orbits of the Boz Pity system, the planet was known for being unremarkable, with a small population and nothing of note. However, it was not the planet Captain Freem and his crew where after today, no - it was the cargo of a ship they had purchased the flight manifest of.

The Batuu Bantha was an MB-C1 Medium Transport, bloated with cargo, it moved at a sluggish pace through the system escorted by four Z-96 Headhunters as it lazily made its way to its destination a few sectors away. It was a target the crew of the Moguls Fortune considered themselves lucky to be able to hunt.

Because their intelligence suggested that it was packed to the gunnel with vacuum packed Bantha meat, which was in turn being used to hide dozens of camtono worth of Hasian smelt, a precious metal worth a small fortune.

And that fortune would soon be theres.

Cresting around the dark hemisphere of the Nyss moon, the Moguls Fortune would cut an impressive figure in the darkness of space, bearing down with the glare of thes sun behind them so as to make them appear as menacing as possible.

On the bridge, Captain Freem barked commands. "All hands, battle stations. Fighters launch and engage those head hunters, I want them out of the picture. Shields up, full fore - man the gunwhales and keep the topside turrets hot." he instructed, as the bridge crew milled about to meet his orders.

Looking over to his navigator, Dismas, he grinned with glee "Are you ready for your first hunt, mate?"

 

[Dismas Zaa Fenn]

As Captain Freem barked his orders, Dismas calculated possible escape vectors and jump-points for the Batuu Bantha and came to a favorable conclusion; they'd have thirty minutes before the freighter could reach the closest safe jump point at its top speed of 15 MGLT. That should be more than enough to take out its escorts and force it to surrender.

"Ready, Captain-" Dismas replied, swiveling in his chair to meet the Captain's eye. "-the target is thirty minutes away from closest jump point starting," he swiveled back to face his console, "now!"

What Gentis Freem didn't yet know is that Dismas had spend considerable time on a pirate vessel as a teenager. Up until the moment he started following astronagivation classes on Eriadu, he had enjoyed most of his education on a similar ship to the Fortune. This marked the first time he was part of a crew as its navigator, though, and he was acutely aware of his elevated heartrate. Both excitement as anxiety.

Sure enough, as expected, the Batuu Bantha altered its course slightly towards what any decent astronavigation computer would designate as the closest jump point and its escort starfighters suddenly veered to meet the frightening sight of the Fortune.

Dismas swiveled back again, "Captain, do we give them a chance to surrender?"

@Nor'baal

 

[Gentis Freem]

A bead of sweat began to form on Captain Freems brow as he watched the victim come further and further into range. This moment was vital, announce their 'colours' to soon and the target could flee, announce to late and it could panic, make reckless decisions and endager his crew, and his quarry.

"On my mark, fighters." he spoke over the internal crew comms to the fighter squad, who clicked in with their acknowledgements of his instruction. Next, he signalled for a tight beam holo to be opened to the target, broadcasting a closed transmission consiting of their ships sigil, transponder code, and name written in aurbesh, alongside the blaring noise of their 'signifying broadcast', which would blare over the victims comms.

There was no doubting who they where.

There was no doubting that pirates had come to take their quarry.

"Engage." the fighters bolted forwards, engines full, sweeping in to engage the enemy escorts, two of the pirate fighters peeling of to head in front of the transport, heading off its escape. "Fire!" he bellowed, the front two underslung gunwhales firing at the transports engines, whicberupted into baloons of fire as the missiles found their mark.

"Report in each fighter kill. Helm, continue the advance, get us in closer once their at full stop." he sneered, so far the enemy was flustered, the speed of their attack acting to the Fortunes advantage. He looked over to Dismas "Keep our exit open, get me updates on possible incoming jumps." he added, making sure they would be aware of any incoming 'traffic'.

 

[Dismas Zaa Fenn]

It wasn't always easy to track space anomilies and hyperspeed signatures and predict whether or not they would exit such speeds in their proximity. Piracy was -since the invention of hyperspace travel- a tough and risky trade. Most civilized worlds, especially closer to the Core, could muster more advanced and hyperdrive capable patrol vessels that would instantly render boarding operations too risky to even attempt.

Still, without a boarding action a pirate crew couldn't make a living. Sometimes you had to make the hard decisions and risk your life on a daily basis just to get enough warm food in your belly to warm you in your metallic-framed cot.

Dismas nodded, "No other ships on radars, first jump point locked and-" he send it over to the pilot's console, whole pre-loaded it into the autopilot in case a bridge impact would render him immobile. Whatever happened, even with an unconscious crew, the autopilot would kick in as a failsave and make that calculated jump. "-confirmed ready."

That was much of his job done already, Dismas realized as he gazed passed his console for a moment and looked at the medium freighter with the backdrop of cold dead darkness. Baloons of fire quickly dissipated as the vacuum of space snuffed out the air that escaped the ships on impact. The fortune's starfighters had much more experienced pilots it seemed, for the freighter was soon without its protection and then..

.. the flash at the freighter's aft almost blinded Dismas as the ship engines were taken out.

@Nor'baal

 

[Gentis Freem]

With no other ships on the 'radar', Captain Freem was comfortable that the raid was thus far going to plan. Out in this part of the galaxy it was less likely local planets would have a rapid reaction to an alleged raid, should their victims get a signal out. Mostly because they lacked the resources to send ships to everyone who signalled distress, but also because they often had no vested interested in doing so - after all, the raiders could come for them next.

That being said, sometines an overzelous local magistrate might try and respond. It meant they still had to be fast, they still had to get over and on board the enemy vessel, and get their prize.

"Bring us in." he instructed, as the Fortune closed distance between them and their quarry, as the autopilot pinged its confirmation that the exit route was now programmed in. "Vanguard, ready!" he shouted down the comms, his hand subconciously falling to his knife as the prospect of bloodletting grew closer.

Slowly, the fortune moved closer to their target, their own defensive fire peetering off as within the target vessel the crew made ready to repel borders. Across the decks of the Fortune the 'vanguard' rushed to their positions. Made up of around one third of the crew, including 'passengers' (raiders used for just such actions), Captain Freems 'Vanguard' consisted of forty hardened raiders, Klatoonian thugs, Gamorrean goons, and a handful of other aliens led by his Quartermaster- the Dowutin, Hodor.

Each armed with short vibroknives, maces, staves, and a collection of pistols - they where ideal for fighting in close quarters.

And fight they would.

The Fortune linked up with their target, and the vanguard began to breach the connecting doors at the end of the bording tubes. Captain Freem smiled as the first sounds of fighting resonated over his comms.

"Dismas. With me, time you saw how this business is done." he stood, picked up his saber and shouting "Galdar, you have the bridge." a diminutive Ugnaught lept up, and dashed to the command chair, as Captain Freem stalked from the bridge, and made his way down to the bording tube.

 

[Dismas Zaa Fenn]

Once more Dismas came to realize that like everything else he grew up near to, pirating was a bloody business. The Vanguard of the Fortune was a ruthless mob of murderers and outlaws who found their refuge on a ship that moved around often enough to avoid the consequences of their actions. If one ever wanted to mutiny, then you better have the vanguard on your side or be cut down mercilessly. There was a reason Gentis gave these men extra rum rations.

"Aye, Captain," Dismas replied to Gentis as he reluctantly stood up from behind his console and hastily pointed out a few things of interest to the ugnaught that Gentis had given the control of the bridge to.

Suddenly the Kyuzo Petar in his pocket felt heavier as he followed Gentis out to the airlock -that was now attached to the target freighter- and they made their way over. The boarding tube was narrow and Dismas couldn't help but picture the quartermaster, who was quite large as a Dowutin, barely fitting through.

As they entered their target ship the shouting up ahead became almost recognizeable, but Dismas was focused on the bodies and blood. It seemed like three human security officers had tried to repell the boarders and they had been cut apart for good measure. Deep cuts in their limbs betrayed they had tried to 'defend themselves' before one of the cutting weapons had found their way into their necks and torso's. One face was nearly cut in two and opened up like a zipper. It was a brutal sight.

Barely able to keep his lunch behind his teeth, Dismas duly followed the captain further into the ship. They had two objectives, first the bridge and then the cargo hold. Hopefully the cargo had made all of this worth it.

@Nor'baal

 

[Gentis Freem]

It had not taken the vanguard long to get on board, a handful of security officers standing between them and the bridge. However, as Captain Freem would soon notice as he strode through the somewhat dank deck of the their boarded vessel, the bridge was locked shut. He snarled. The Captain and his last few men where holding a final stand, locked in the bridge with all the controls - and with the comms.

"Blast the door down, now." he barked instructions, as a set of charges where brought forward and affixed to the door. "Not uncommon in these sorts of raids, the enemy always forget that blast doors can be blown down quite easily." he laughed, making sure the enemy Captain could see him through whatever cameras he had available.

BOOM!

The security door was blown apart, and the Dowutin Quartermaster led a team of four men into the breach. Flashes and screams could be heard through the smoke, and finally Captain Freem sauntered on through, to see one of his vanguard clutching a wounded arm, whilst the rest stood around the bridge, over the bodies of dismembered bridge crew.

"I'll be taking that." he swiped the Captains code cylinder from his pocket. The enemy Captain, a small human, was standing in the middle of the room, his weapon clearly having been dropped on the floor before him. "Dismas, deactivate their communicator, and find me their hold." he handed the codes to his navigator, and turned his focused back to the Captain.

"Pick it up." he gestured to the weapopn on the floor, the enemy Captain timidly leaning down to gather it up. As he returned to stand upright, Gentis shot him twice in the chest - and spat on his body. One less thing to worry about.

 

[Dismas Zaa Fenn]

Captain Gentis was brutal to a point that Dismas was sure there would be legends and myths told about his that would scare every child in this sector for generations to come. He executed the captain without a second thought while the vanguard, Dismas and the prisoners watched. Dismas spotted a few of the vanguard grin menacingly as if they thoroughly enjoyed such a ruthless display.

"External comms deactivated," the navigator said out loud after spending a few moments struggling to read the console in a dialect they only spoke on Lucazec. Courtesy of the Tagge dynasty. "I'm trying to decipher the programmed language but I-" one of the dozen options in a quick-menu suddenly prompted a floorplan of the freighter with designations in actual Araubesh. "-found it. Refridgerated compartments, twenty of them. Just take this hallway-" a press of a button and a door opened, "-two holds, ten compartments each. The Hasian Smelt is probably easily extractable," a pure guess that might be incorrect because frozen meat didn't give away much to retrieve frozen metals from between ten-pound slabs.

The vanguard immediately went for the hallway. They all knew that a boarding action was best done in a hurry. You never knew when a surprise patrol would show up and ruin your party. "Captain," Dismas turned to the Klatoonian mobster-turned-pirate, "want me to scuttle the ship in the meantime?"

@Nor'baal

 

[Nor'baal Desilijic]

Far away, Nor'baal was asleep.

 

[Gentis Freem]

"Good." he stared down at the enemy Captain. In a way he never would get used to this side of the job, but in this industry a reputation was one that had to be paid for in blood.

He turned away, and back to the Vanguard. Nodding to the Quartermaster he continued "Get the cargo, and -" he grabbed the larger mans arm, bringing him up short "Be exacting in your count." the meaning was not lost on the man - do not try to rob me.

The vanguarded started off down to the hold, wherein they would commence the work of securing the cargo and getting the precious smelt back to the Fortune.

"And yes, scuttle her - we need to be underway." he confirmed. It was time to get going, lingering beyond their welcome was not good for their health.

 

[Dismas Zaa Fenn]

"Aye, Captain-" Dismas replied as walked over to the pilot's console and disengaged the engines, then plugged in his datapad into the ship's navcomputer. "Downloading their charts and logs, then heading over to the engine room-" which should give the rest of the crew enough time to secure the cargo and.. actually gave Dismas a moment to explore the crew cabins.

With the datapad linked and downloading the data, the navigator diverted his gaze from the consoles and went over to ladder that descended into the crew area. "Don't mind if I do," Dismas grinned as he slid down and landed in something of a crew mess with several doors he now knew -because of the floorplan- to be the crew quarters and that the third on the right.. he counted the doors with his fingers.. was the captain's.

The door opened rather easily as he held the captain's own code cylinder in his hand. The room was more spartan than Dismas would've liked but something instantly caught his eye; a hip-flask next to a bottle of exclusive Coreworld Scotch. "Ca-ching," he grinned and immediately began to fill the flask. He'd never be able to hide the bottle from the rest of the crew, but at least he could hide the flask and give himself a little bit extra. There wasn't much else of worth inside the cabin aside from a datapad with the label "Captain's Logbook" on it, which Dismas grabbed just in case.

The data on it wasn't particularly interesting, other than the fact that the Captain had once been flying in the service of the Republic Navy's Second Fleet. "Would think he'd put up more of a fight," the beginning pirate mused.

@Nor'baal