Ask Government Contract Palanhi

[Brondar Steelaxe]

On The Galactica, 09:00 a.m.

Brondar found himself in a less than ideal state, nursing a severe hangover from the 30 beers he'd downed the previous night at "Detonators Origin." His overindulgence had led to a memorable evening with old acquaintances from various Apex jobs, but it came at the cost of a pounding headache.
As he groggily woke up, his vision was met with the familiar photo-receptor of his trusty droid, Hopper, who inquired with a series of beeps if he was awake. Brondar, with a dry mouth and throbbing head, responded, "Sure, little guy, what's up?" In response, the droid projected a hologram detailing the latest job involving pirates.

Spoiler: Contract

Palanhi Pirate Interdiction

• For years, the New Republic has served as Palanhi's protection. After the dissolution of the New Republic, Palanhi's wealthy have begun to fall prey to the pirates that have begun roaming the core worlds. One such group - nearly fifty strong - have set up on a nearby moon with recurrent raids against the people of Palanhi. Hunt and destroy the pirates at the behest of the Palanhi government, wherever they may flee to.
• Assets Assigned: 75 contractors, 1-2 PCs
• Payout per teammate: 50,000 credits

"Sign me in... has anyone else already registered?" Brondar inquired. Hopper nodded and displayed the list of participants, which included 75 contractors and a second team leader named "Kotru Eabrod."
"Hmm, interesting. I don't know him, but he should do fine, I hope. Sign me up as the First Team Leader," Brondar decided. He then asked Hopper if it knew the whereabouts of his painkillers, and the droid pointed to a drawer. "Alright, you can leave me be for now. I'll get ready," Brondar said, dismissing the droid from the bathroom.
After a quick shower and toothbrushing session, Brondar was prepared to venture outside. He gathered his equipment, donned his battle gear, and descended the stairs into the bustling streets of "The Arms." Suddenly, he realized something important.
"Oh, damn, I forgot... can you inform this... um, Earbread, that we'll meet at the Detonators Origin? I'm starving, and we need some privacy," he requested from Hopper, who promptly relayed the message.

The Detonators Origin, 10:00 a.m.

Upon arriving at the Detonators Origin, Brondar placed an order with the serving droid.
"I'll take some space waffles and coffee, please," he requested. Hopper, his ever-enthusiastic companion, tapped happily on the table and offered to assist with anything.
Brondar decided to take a look at the profile of the second team leader while enjoying his meal. He asked Hopper to show him information about "Kotru Eabrod," correcting himself from a previous mispronunciation.

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

With a clean bill of health and an accepted insurance plan, a certain Zabrak was sent on his way once again. He had also taken the advice from a fellow spacer in the wake of another one of his jobs, that being to chase down a group of pirates on one of Palanhi's moons. He did not often venture so close to the core, but many of the other jobs were either far too risky or just outright esoteric Force-related nonsense. There are many things that Kotru did not kark with. And chief among those was any of that mind reading, rock throwing laser sword space magic Zurscat.

Disembarking from his ship and stepping into the morning light, the Zabrak squinted a few times as he checked his belongings. A protective vest on his chest, with his

(ethically acquired) blaster pistol on a thigh and the folded EE-3 sitting comfortably underneath the thick layer of cerulean that framed his form.

He checked his datapad as the device thrummed at his hip, drawing it to check the meeting place. The local watering hole, no doubt. Slipping the well-worn device back into his pocket, Kotru would make his way out of the starport.

...

The bell atop the Detonator's Origin's door would ring as the Zabrak nudged the door open, slipping into the building. Recalling the description of his fellow operative, the Dwarsin would soon find the navy blue-wrapped individual taking the stool beside him and sitting down. "Just a caff, f'me," He would speak up toward the serving droid, the pale blue of his eyes flicking toward the man from the hourglass-shaped markings on his face. His tone lowered slightly, blending into the background noise beyond the short distance they shared.

"Brondar, right? What you got on our boys so far?"

@JoeWing

 

[Brondar Steelaxe]

"Nice to meet you," Brondar greeted the Zabrak, taking a moment to acknowledge his impressive resume. He then added with a chuckle, "Quite the CV you got there... I hope that you are just as good with your blaster as you are with ships... hehe."
Brondar didn't waste any time with small talk and delved straight into his plan, explaining the details. He proposed using an empty light freighter, disguised with a fake Blackwell branding, to send a distress signal. The ship would appear as if it had been damaged in combat, with broken droids and fake bodies in the cockpit, all rigged with tracking signals and explosives. The plan involved luring the pirates by making them believe they were salvaging a valuable asset, then ambushing them at a strategically chosen location.

As Brondar laid out the plan, he mentioned using an asteroid field near the moon as a hiding spot to avoid detection from a distance. Once the pirates took the bait and attempted to recover the damaged ship, Brondar's team would activate the tracking device, follow them discreetly, and, just before they landed, trigger the explosives to capture the pirates.
Brondar looked expectantly at Kotru, eager to hear his thoughts on the proposal.

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

Would take the still steaming mug into his hands as the droid handed over their respective meals, nodding his head in greeting.

"Likewise," the Zabrak agreed. "I hope so, but a soldier of your experience should more than make up."

Kotru would occasionally sip from his mug as Brondar went over the plan, watching the small holomap between them. "A honeypot, eh? Classic," He mused aloud, pointing a finger toward the side of the moon facing the sun. "If we keep ourselves scattered and on low power, we can hide in the 'field. Put the ship on the other side from the moon, it'll make it seem like the 'victims' tried to hide," He added after a sip, his finger warbling the projection around it as if tapping at a surface he couldn't reach.

"Chances are their base will still have some of them lying around on guard duty. Once they fireball, it'll be all alarms up. Won't be able to snatch 'em quiet-like," Kotru hummed. "Though with everythin' else goin' on, we'd catch 'em with their pants down. Should be a quick, albeit messy cleanup."

Nodding his head with approval, the Zabrak would set his emptied mug down.

"You got a junker lined up 'fer us to use?"

@JoeWing

 

[Brondar Steelaxe]

Brondar's confidence in the plan was evident as he described how the pirates would react to their bait. He seemed excited about the impending operation.

Kotru nodded in agreement with Brondar's assessment. "Oh, their reaction will indeed be quite memorable," he remarked, clearly on board with the plan.

As they left the cantina and made their way through "The Arms," they stopped at various shops to purchase the necessary supplies, including explosives, training dummies, and broken droids. Brondar and Kotru were well-prepared for their mission.

Upon arriving at the hangar, they were met with a crew of 75 individuals, some of whom appeared skeptical about having a dwarf as their team leader. One particularly disrespectful individual made a derogatory comment about Brondar's size, leading to an altercation. Brondar swiftly put the offender in his place, establishing his authority.

With the crew's attention fully focused on him, Brondar gave a no-nonsense briefing on the mission, making it clear that he expected discipline and obedience. He introduced Kotru as the second team leader and explained the plan in detail, emphasizing the need for concise responses.

The crew responded with a resounding "YES SIR" to Brondar's instructions, showing that they understood their roles.

As the briefing concluded and the crew geared up, Brondar turned to Kotru and asked if there was anything he wanted to discuss.

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

Kotru was the furthest thing from a leader, so he was all too happy to let the shorter man take charge of the situation.

It probably didn't help that even compared to the small militia's worth of well-armed and armored men, Kotru seemed on the less-prepared side. He carried little armor on his frame, with only a concealed carbine and a heavy blaster pistol to accompany him. The Zabrak travelled light, and this preference extended to his armaments. Suffice to say, he stuck out like a sore thumb. There were a few incredulous glances sent towards the Zabrak, but they were answered only with a short-lived nod.

"Nawh, I think we got everythin'. I'll prep my ship, meet you in Atmo'," Kotru answered, turning towards his side of the starport and walking out towards his own hangar.

Not long after their separation, the group were soon reunited in orbit of Palanhi. Accompanying the dummy freighter and the other ships was an R-41 Starchaser, accented in dark paint that blended into the void around them. The quartet of engines to its rear humming away as he established a connection with the others.

A short trip was all it took for them to arrive in the asteroid field. As the singed freighter was left to drift on its own, Kotru's starfighter moved towards the asteroids and started to fade away on radar as he powered down non-essential systems.

"Alright boys. Goin' dark, keep yer' eyes peeled."

@JoeWing

 

[Brondar Steelaxe]

Brondar stood firm in his cockpit, observing the scene unfolding before him. The orders were followed without error, and for the moment, the others respected his leadership. They deployed the "Honeypot" and concealed themselves behind the asteroid field, shutting down their systems as Kotru went dark. Soon, nothing appeared on the radar except for a ship that appeared to be severely damaged but was still transmitting a distress signal.

The "Honeypot" ship was a FT-19 Fondor Haulcraft, meticulously disguised to resemble a wealthy transporter, practically begging to be targeted. In less than 10 minutes, two ships were closing in on the trap. One was a Z-Wing, which surprised Brondar, though he remained confident they could handle it. Following closely was a Gozanti-Class Bulk Cruiser, capable of transporting the captured ship to the ground. "Perfect," Brondar thought as he patiently awaited the Bulk Cruiser's docking.

"They took the bait," Brondar informed the other members aboard his ship. As swiftly as the enemy vessels arrived, they descended onto the surface of Palanhi. Upon entering the atmosphere, he commanded, "Power up systems... gradually prepare to get into position," closely monitoring the datapad. They lingered in orbit for another five minutes as the tracking beacon slowed its movement. "Okay, we've got them... let's move! GO, GO, GO! FOLLOW ME!" Brondar ordered, entering the atmosphere swiftly and safely.

Two minutes later, they located the tracking signal, and it was time to strike. It turned out to be an old Imperial base repurposed by the enemy. As the beacon ceased moving, Brondar pressed the detonation button in his cockpit, resulting in a massive explosion that obliterated both the Honeypot and the Bulk Cruiser. "Fire away! Ground team one, land west. Ground team two, land east, after touchdown, start the ground attack," he commanded, signaling the beginning of the firefight...

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

Kotru watches from his viewport as the rocks slowly parted to reveal the two larger frames navigating towards their baited Hullcraft. His eyes narrowed, eyeing off weapon emplacements as the Zabrak's fingers idly drummed against his joystick. The silent but visible clunk as the FT-19 was secure in their grasp and dragged through the asteroids was all he needed.

A few dexterous flicks from his fingers restarted the Starchaser, each affirming hum like a chorus that made the man's heart stir.

The R-41 was quick to follow by Brondar's side, the fighter matching the heavier craft's speed as orange danced across his ship. Once clear of the atmosphere, Kotru's eyes snapped towards the distant structure. As the Bulk Cruiser erupted into a fireball of twisted metal, his grasp pushed down on the throttle and the R-41 rocketed towards the Z-wing which was caught halfway through breaking away from the others.

A pair of ion bolts scatter and spark across its hull, shields and other non-essential systems failing as the Junkspear sprinted right past it and rolled to the left. Kotru got a good view of the base below as he went wide, noting into his comm.

"Ground forces are centered around the front gate. Looks like two laser encampments. They got some fighters prepping for launch, handle it if y'can."

With his nose once again aimed at the now alert Z-Wing, the two began their intricate tango of high-speed maneuvers and traded laser bolts.

@JoeWing

 

[Brondar Steelaxe]

"Copy that, Teamleader 2... Break... Pilot of ground team one, land and attack the vessels that try to start," he commanded through the commlink. The Pilot acknowledged the request, and soon after touching down, they began firing shots at the starting aircraft, forcing some of the pilots to disembark and flee from their spacecraft. However, two starships managed to take off, but one was swiftly shot down, crashing unceremoniously about 100 meters away from the base.

The other starship attempted to evade the allied pilot and their ship, posing a threat. "This is Pilot West, I've got a Tango on my ass," radioed the pilot, requesting assistance.

Meanwhile, Brondar focused on the ground assault. Ground team one quickly overran the laser encampment, but their success led to the reinforcement and pinning down of ground team two, alongside Brondar, who struggled to gain the high ground. "Team two, divert into two groups. Split one, follow me and push south. Split two, stay in position and provide covering fire," he ordered. He then led about 15 men with him, rushing to the less reinforced south side of the hill.

As they ascended the steep hill, Brondar felt the burn in his legs and heard his own heavy breathing, reminiscent of being chased by a rancor. His small legs propelled him swiftly up the hill, and just in time, he ducked to avoid a blaster shot.

The enemies, proving their tactical acumen, reinforced the southern front. Some rocks along the path provided cover, but they needed a swift solution. "Get two thermals ready on my command," he radioed to his split group. Two Duros nodded in agreement, preparing to throw the detonators. "COVERING FIRE!" he commanded, as the others peeked over the rocks, taking fire. Despite casualties, it was enough to force the enemy into cover. "THROW IT NOW!" he ordered, and the Duros launched the thermal detonators at a perfect angle, detonating shortly after they disappeared behind cover. "ATTACK UPWARDS!" he declared, and the group surged upwards to end the conflict.

Within minutes, they reached the hilltop, destroying the heavy blaster and forcing the remaining 11 enemy forces to surrender.

As the battle raged on, two Kihraxz Light Starfighters closed in from the north. Concerned, Brondar looked up and issued another order. "Ground team one, get airborne," he commanded. Soon, one light freighter and one starship would join the fight in the sky. "Team leader two be advised, two Tangos coming in hot from north.", he radioed.

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

Kotru was finally in his element again. The R-41 banked right with only a flourish of the Zabrak's wrist, fire from the Z-wing dancing along his deflector shields as his targeting reticle centered in on it. A flick of his thumb changed his firing mechanism from the wing-mounted ion weapons to the nose-fixed laser cannons. All it took was a squeeze, and the escort fighter was impaled on a series of crimson lances.

As his opponent went down in a blaze of burning fuel and failing components, Kotru made a sharp turn.

"Copy West, moving to intercept."

Yanking back the throttle as his nose levelled with the other fighter, he shoved the lever forward once more and watched his targeting computer. As each number ticked down, lines on the well-used screen began to converge and blink rapidly.

// C.Missile Away. Reloading... //

A billowing streak shot across the sky, impacting one of the fighter's wings and erupting into a deafening blast that ripped the starship in half. The wreck twisted and turned as it fell from the sky, arcs of yellow dancing across its exposed innards as it struck the tree line.

It was then that the Zabrak noticed the two familiar shapes rapidly approaching on his radar. When he looked through his canopy, Kotru's eyes widened in recognition. "Black Sun designs. Nova'," He growled, banking right to aim his nose at them.

A few laser bolts danced across their respective hulls, Kotru and his newly acquired wingman making a pass at the pair.

// Shield Array holding at 67.3%. M.Launcher Reloaded. //

Kotru checked his ship's monitor as he turned, starting a proper dogfight as the four ships danced in the sky and exchanged fire.

@JoeWing