Entrance Song

Valar Dohaeris · Feb 4, 2019

The pirate base was rather boring.

It was a runway, some hangers, a control tower and some buildings with a rather weak-looking wall surrounding the place. And here he was still in his crux fighter with his allies!

Which meant one thing and one thing only.

"Alright - we've got options here." he spoke over his coms as they approached at an, honestly, quite leisurely pace, "Our objective is to stop them from being able to launch or house any more fighters. But we can do that from the air or we can land."

Or...

"Or we can do a bit of both." he suggested, "Vian, how about you and I land our ships and clear out the main compound and rig it to blow? Argo, you stay on overwatch and lay down fire on the hangers and any particularly strong resistance we encounter."

It had merit in his mind at least.

"Thoughts?

@Taz @Ulysses

Vian Windrider · Feb 4, 2019

Vian was back in his own Crux fighter once again. This slick talking Sith from the core had managed to talk Vian into tagging along to blow up some more pirates. This time Val promised him a shield booster for his time and effort. A fitting reward for a little more target practice.

The half breed Sith slipped into formation just off of Val's left wing.

"Hmm, why not split the difference. Bomb the kark out of the hangers to keep them from launching. Then land and clean up the rest while Argo keeps watch as you suggested. Unless we're trying to be stealthy, then just ignore my idea."

Argo Swan · Feb 5, 2019

Argo didn't know the details, he wasn't important enough for that, but it appeared that this Sith - Valar was his name? - had approached the Navy with a proposal. Clearly the navy had thought it a tip-top priority to clear the pirate base as they had allocated a 5 man bomber to the task. Only to Argo's mind, it must be the most clapped-out banger in the fleet, if not the whole service. Going through hyperspace had done something to the shields, and the bomb tubes looked like they had seen better days. To top it all off, they had put the greenest officer in charge and sent him packing.

Nevertheless. His first command! It was a momentous occasion - if only in his own mind - as his crew had saluted him as their Captain. They were a rag-tag quartet, but Argo had estimated he did not have the time, nor the personal authority, to drill them into shape before setting off: and to try would only invite grumbling and mutiny.

Although scruffy, his pilot was not incompetent and brought the ship into a protective formation behind the two fighters, forming a reverse triangle. Sat next to him in the cockpit, Argo received the comms and made swift calculations: on the one hand, he didn't fancy losing the protection of the fighters with his shields on the blink. On the other, he did not trust his bomb tubes. In the end, he decided that the risk of being blown up by his own bombs outweighed the risks of his crew missing their targets.

"Let's keep things stealthy if we can. Who knows who else might be around the corner. Yes, I'll cover you."

@Nefieslab @Taz

Valar Dohaeris · Feb 5, 2019

Stealthy?

Valar was not entirely certain that Argo was aware of what it was that they were doing if the man assumed that stealth was an option. They weren't in stealth-equipped ships and they were approaching a fighter-control base. The chances of them being able to be stealthy were practically non existent.

"We're openly on an attack run - stealth is out." he told his team with a frown, "Come on guys. This isn't some stealth poke and stab - this is an eradication of a pirate menace. We're not really in a position to decide that we want to start being stealthy here. So... let's launch our missiles at the hangers and go from there, yeah?"

Angling his fighter downward, Valar fired off the missile in the tube of his Crux fighter and cursed when some anti-fighter batteries opened fire on him. His missile slammed into one of the hangers, ruining the doors, but he took some shots to his fighter, including one that blasted one of his cannons clean off.

"Down to one cannon."

@Taz @Ulysses
DICE

Vian Windrider · Feb 5, 2019

Vian could not stomp himself from making a snickering sound from his nose before commenting on the open comm channel, "did the man in the HAY I'M OVER HERE sized bomber just suggest a stealth approach? I think they knew we were coming when we killed all their friend in the space above. Besides what did you bring the big guns for if you didn't want to use them?"

Not wanting Valar to have all of the fun, Vian approached from the same attack vector. Still raddled from the systems issues he suffered from in the previous battle, he went low and slow. Following Val's missile attack on the hanger with one of his own. The ruined doors from the other Sith's attack left a hole just big enough for Vian's missile to slide through and explode inside the hanger. Destroying the building.

Not expecting such a successful strike, Vian was a little slow to react. Pulling up in time to miss being caught in the explosion, but still being stuck by shrapnel.

"Little tight....but.....one hanger destroyed." he grunted back gritted teeth. "Coming around for another run. You're up stealth boy!"

DICE

Argo Swan · Feb 6, 2019

Argo was bemused, particularly with this Windrider guy. He was only echoing his own phrase and there had been no sign he was joking at the time. As far as he was concerned, stealthy was a relative term: a reference to the other two sneaking in and then blowing the place - their leader's original suggestion - not to some non existent stealth cloak. What's more, when they had said it, they hadn't started their 'open attack run', they were still approaching at a leisurely pace. He knew that making this protest would only make things worse, so all he said was "yeah, laugh it up, you got me."

He took a line through the command tower and another hanger, dropping off bombs against each. The first command was given a fraction too late, meaning that he scored a glancing blow against the tower. As he gave the second command, the fact that he was sidetracked by the mockery meant that he overcorrected just too much and hit the wall of the hanger rather than hitting it square on. Both buildings were now unusable, but reparable.

"Do you think they heard me?" He retorted, not exactly proud of his exploits, but certainly more comfortable in his role.

DICE

Valar Dohaeris · Feb 7, 2019

Well it seemed that the bad luck was almost exclusively on his part - but considering they were all on the same team he could accept that rather easily. He had lost the use of one of his laser cannons which meant that he was flying a starfighter that would get it's arse kicked by anyone even halfway decent at flying if it came to a dogfight.

Which meant that for Valar's credits?

It would be better for him to get down on the ground. Suiting action to thoughts, he began the sequence to land his fighter on the runway, close to the command tower.

"Hold fire on the command tower, I say again hold fire on the command tower." he told his allies as he grabbed his lightsabers, "I'm going to clear it out myself since my ride is broken. Argo, keep hammering the hangers until they're gone. Vian - you can either do a strafing run on the main building or you can get my back, your call."

Leaping from his cockpit, Valar would ignite both of his lightsabers and begin a charge across the distance towards the command tower. Only one guard stood between him and the command tower and as the man fired shakily at him time and time again, Valar didn't even break stride as he batted the blaster bolts aside before impaling the man through the throat with his main lightsaber.

"Gained access to the command tower."

@Taz @Ulysses
DICE

Vian Windrider · Feb 7, 2019

Vian brought his Crux around in time to see his ally and fellow Sith landing and running head long into ground combat. He adjusted his attack vector to another side of the base to a building that looked as though it could be a barracks. If Vian couldn't destroy the town he would at least limit the reinforcements to it.

"Did you forget you have missiles my friend?" answering Val's either or.

The concussion missile was not a bomb, per say. But used correctly they were effective none the less. The missile would launch and burst just above the barracks. Bursts of energy would rock the building would devastate the roof and cause the building to implode partially. The shock wave would also backlash toward Vian. Striking his ship and damaging his engines.

"Looks like I will be joining you after all. Save a few for me. I'll be there soon."

Vian then landed the damaged ship and jumped from the opening cockpit to land with his lightsaber ignited and ready for any pirates who might be about to attack him.

DICE

Valar Dohaeris · Feb 13, 2019

Did he forget that they had missiles?

Kind of, actually.

But that was precisely the kind of thing you DIDN'T tell another sith, even if they were you ally. Admitting you made a mistake was often just a terrible idea. He tutted a little bit as he tapped his com link in his ear to transmit properly.

"I didn't forget!" he declared defensively, "I just prefer to get up close and personal, you know?"

Charging into the tower, Castor was surprised to find that the guards here were actually not prepared for him at all. They gawped at him stupidly, all four of them, and that just made them the perfect little targets. He surged across the room, impaling one before the others could even react. He threw his shoto, catching one in the throat with his blade before using the Force to spin it into a saw of death that then cut through the other two.

"Sorry Vian - I got a little carried away. Command tower is ours."

@Taz @Ulysses
DICE

Argo Swan · Feb 15, 2019

Argo moved in for another bombing run on fresh hangars. He was in his stride now and scored direct hits on both.

The roofs fell in on the ships below, making them unusable.

"I think that's the last of the hangars accounted for. What else can you see down there?"

[OOC - I didn't think it worth worrying any longer for a decision on the 100 and treated it as a 99]

DICE

Vian Windrider · Feb 16, 2019

What was left of the pirates, at least in Vian's area, had little fight left in them. The ship overhead was destroying everything in sight and sounds from the tower were of slaughter and chaos. They were broken, defeated. And so attempted to retreat anyway possible.

But the Vian refused to let Valar have all the fun of feeling his blade cut flesh. So he effortlessly cut down any man who stepped into his path. If they ran passed he slashed them in half, if they were withing five to ten meters he willed the force to turn his blade into a spear. Plunging into the backs of the men before returning to Vian's hand.

"They are fleeing" he said amused with himself and continued "I think we have done what we came here for Valar ?"

DICE

Valar Dohaeris · Feb 17, 2019

He supposed Vian was right.

The hangers were destroyed, the command tower was theirs and there didn't seem to be a single living pirate left here who wasn't desperately trying to flee, to be elsewhere. Valar looked over the pirate base from the vantage point of the command tower for a moment longer before nodding to Vian and touching his com.

"Mission accomplished gentlemen." he agreed, smirking ever so slightly, "Come on - let's see if they follow the universal constant."

There were a lot of universal constants but the one that Valar was talking about was simple. Moving further into the tower control room, he had a quick look around before snatching up what he was looking for.

A bottle of expensive whiskey.

"Pilots always love a drink - let's help ourselves gentlemen!"

/Exit Thread
@Taz @Ulysses