Ask Pursuit

[Roman Kallo]

OPEN SPACE
1800 hours​

Roman flexed his fingers anxiously as he felt the ship bank towards their prey.

He could always feel the movement of a ship, even those with top class dampeners. Years on the sea did that to you and he couldn’t help but feel every slight turn and sway. Space might be smoother than the ocean, but it never seemed smooth enough.

He would kill for a cigarette right now. The Vaynaian had sworn off them a thousand times, but build ups like this were where he craved them incessantly. But there was no way it was happening, so he gritted his teeth and scowled through it.

His burgeoning muscles strained beneath his armor, the heavy plate still not quite keeping pace with his changing body. He was always evolving these days, becoming more and more a frontline warrior. He needed to chase the credits faster so his wardrobe could keep up.

Roman knew he should be buckled into his seat, but he was damned if he could sit still. He fiddled nervously with an earring, checking three times that his hilt was secured to his belt before drawing himself up and stepping into the main compartment.

”I feel like we’re close, Knight-Captain“ he ventured, ”am I right?“. He was keen to impress, but also anxious as fuck.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Days had passed and the ship hadn't surfaced. The signal had been swallowed by the endless void of space, but Kalique hadn't given up the search. Jon's schedule had changed severely and thus she had first been on her own as she started combing through the sector, looking to pick up any signals or even encountering whoever had intercepted the transport,
but there was nothing.

After having been in unknown space all by herself for a few days, the headquarter had announced sending a Knight after her for support, and suddenly the Knight had vanished. She didn't like any of it and had been more than sceptical, but as she had visited a space station for a refuel, she had then received news of a Squire that had been sent as backup.

Another Squire. Not that she didn't enjoy working with them - she had grown into her role as multi-mentor quickly and having the strings for Squire training in her own hands offered a lot of perks. She could teach them how to use the dark side without losing control, drawing from the experience she had gathered in all those years. It was exhausting, but more than rewarding.

What worried her in this case though was that she was paired with a Squire she hadn't worked with before individually, but as she skimmed through his file, she realized that he was one of the older, experienced squires, so that in the end she was optimistic. He had soon joined her on her ship and not much later they had found a promising traces.

They had gotten to know each other a little before they approached what the sensors had picked up earlier - an asteroid field, but hidden inside was a ship, approximately cruiser size. It could be them, she had immediately thought, her eyes widening with hope and her spirits lightened up. "We are. They must have seen us by now" but even if they appeared on their radar, there were no signs of them manning the canons.

"Buckle up. I'll get us in" she exhaled slowly, her mind focusing on the task at hand. Her armor and equipment was ready, but something was odd about this situation. Kalique stopped the autopilot and navigated through the asteroids manually until the ship finally came into sight.

"Odd...seems like they'll let us approach. There comms aren't open though" a few scenarios raced through her mind. She was convinced they knew someone was coming for them - but why didn't they react. She was slightly frowning as they moved closer and closer.

"Okay. I want your assessment on this. If they either pull us in or let us dock, what would you suggest? We could pose as Imperial envoys, try diplomacy, pretend to be naval officers or something totally different". She asked for his opinion, wanting to foster independence and decision making. There were backup plans for everything in her mind, so as she was convinced they could deal with the pirates in whatever way, this was a great learning opportunity for him.

@Alhon

 

[Roman Kallo]

Roman was still figuring Demici out, but her no-nonsense approach to the signal in the asteroid field did not surprise him. He did as he was told and buckled up, holding on tight as the ship arced towards their prey.

Roman had been squiring for a long while now, but never been fortunate enough to be paired with one Knight for very long. He had learnt on the road and on the job and while his raw skills were strong, he still had much to figure out. This time with the Knight-Captain was a real chance to bring things together and start trusting himself a little more.

He eyed the target ship through the viewing port, squatting among the asteroids like bait in a trap. Like the Captain said, it was far too easy. Never mind a smoke, Roman found himself wishing just for his lighter. He occasionally found direction when staring into an open flame, a flash of truth or a scattered premonition. What he wouldn’t give now for some hint of what awaited them.

”They must know the Empire is after them“ Roman replied “they probably already half expect us to be Imperials. They might see through envoys or similar. What passing ship hunts out another one in the middle of an asteroid field”. He cocked his head to one side, trying to imagine what cover the pirates might actually fall for. “We could pretend to be more of them” he ventured”pirates? If the ship can pass for a stolen one?”.

It was bold, maybe even crazy. But if they could just get onboard without arousing suspicion, they could strike before these cretins even knew what was happening.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique wasn't just curious about his reply, but she was ready to analyze it. Not in a scrutinizing way - her face remained neutral plus the usual calmness reflected in her features - but this was of course part of a test. He appeared to analyze the situation until he concluded his judgement, and she was positively surprised.

"Perceptive and reflective. Great answer. I like the idea. The ship can pass as a stolen one for sure, so I'll just change a few details on the main computer and -" they'd both hear, and feel a certain commotion and the ship's controls were out. "Tractor beam...fuck. Okay we've got to change. We'll pretend we've captured the ship, but that means they can't find our stuff at first", she replied, knowing they didn't have much time for this set up.

She unbuckled while the lights started flickering as their controls were getting overwritten. She had a few sets of casual clothes on board, but she quickly searched for something a little roughed up. "Here" she handed Roman a pile of clothes. "They'll fit you" she figured, as he had a similar frame as Jon and those were his clothes.

She sped into her own cabin and started strapping off the armor before she rolled everything up, tugged her lightsabers inside and shoved it under the bed. They'd go through drawers, she assumed, but maybe didn't look down there at first, so they'd have a little time. She then squeezed into the other clothes and called over, "Are you done?". The situation had gotten a little hectic and there approach was unconventional, but maybe that was why it would be genius.

@Alhon

 

[Roman Kallo]

The Vaynaian smiled in spite of himself when Demici gave him praise. His main hope had been to avoid saying anything stupid, but she seemed to feel his suggestion was positively good.

"Thank you, Knight-Captain". There was no chance to say much more as the ship shuddered and several controls flickered off. Roman felt the ship sway beneath them and he knew almost as Demici said it that they were caught in a tractor beam.

"Yes mam" he managed, as she dropped the bundle of clothes in his arms. While the Knight-Captain had a cabin of her own on the small ship, he had no such luxury and slipped out of his armor then and there, stashing it with his weapons in a high compartment marked first aid kit. Hopefully it would avoid attention for long enough.

The nondescript clothes were not exactly his style, but they fit pretty well. Roman half wondered where they had come from at such short notice, but he shoved the question aside, instead rolling on the panelled floor to dirty them up.

A quick glance in the mirror made him pause; he almost looked younger without the armor on his shoulders and he had even managed to get some dirt and dust in his hair. The various tattoos on his face and neck were still visible. Some were permanent but others were temporary, body art he had redone often, but he had no time to wash anything off. It hardly mattered, only those on his body contained runes that might give him away.

Demici reappeared and Roman stopped fussing over his appearance with a start. "Yepp, done, done for ages" he stammered. The Knight-Captain looked completely different too now and Roman just hoped they would make believable pirates.

"I'll keep my head down and stay quiet mam" he said, bowing his head. It would be obvious to the reprobates they were about to meet that Demici must be in charge and hopefully she had some idea what she was going to say.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Right as they were reunited, the ship started rocking, thus roughly announcing their arrival inside the hostile ship. Kalique quickly force pulled her backup blaster over and shoved it under the hem of her pants at her hip, finding it believable that they were armed - they had still been pulled into the other ship without consent.

She prayed this plan worked and so she approached the ramp, waiting for them to override controls and opening it. "Just follow my lead. We'll roll with it" she replied with a definite trace of confidence in her voice as she quickly glanced over to him reassuringly.

If things went down, they'd have to improvise which would probably mean attack. She took a deep breath as the ramp suddenly hissed. Her hand slid towards her blaster, preparing herself for the performance as a pirate, but as the ramp was fully open, there was nothing at first. Reaching out, she sensed six presences all scattered behind various pillars of the hanger room they were in, the atmosphere already tense, which instantly told her that something was off.

She could sense it in the hairs on her neck that stood up, her heightened instincts warning her, but it was a split second too late as they suddenly all sprung out, a hole storm of blaster bolts racing in. Plan A obviously failed. Time for plan B. Kalique instantly reached out with the Force, creating a barrier between them and the fire while her right hand called one of her safety stored lightsaber into her hand.

The blade immediately ignited, just as the barrier broke, and they had to switch into combat real quick as those pirates obviously weren't here to play. "Move into cover!" she instructed the squire, knowing they were both without their uniform for now.

@Alhon

Rolls: 5/20 for their attempt to fool them
16/20 attack

 

[Roman Kallo]

When the ramp lowered and there was no one there, Roman had a feeling it had not gone as planned. His pulse quickened at the thought and the more he tried to listen, to stare through the cover of the hangar room, the more certain he felt.

Demici seemed to sense something certain just as the blaster fire broke out. Though Roman skittered back on instinct, he was glad of the Knight-Captain's barrier, which stopped several shots that were coming right for him. Then her blade was in her hand and it was all Roman could do to leap backwards and find cover around the edge of the doorway, his back against the wall. She certainly didn't need to tell him twice.

He hated that it had gone wrong, that petty pirates had them pinned down. He wanted nothing more than to get out there and get one of them by the throat. He felt the familiar stir of the Dark Side in his gut, the Force's stronger half, filling him. It always made him feel ten men.

Roman got up, dashing hurriedly back down the passage to grab the Knight-Captain's armor and things from her room. If the fools were only firing, not advancing just yet, she might have time to take cover and make use of them. Leaving her items near the gangway, he ran back towards the cockpit and grabbed hold of the fire controls.

Adrenaline and rage spurring him on, Roman brought one of the ship's guns online and swung it around, seeking out the enemy figures dashing about the hangar. "Take this pirate scum" he hissed, pulling the trigger.

Heavy blaster bolts sang across the hangar bay, but in truth the ship's cannon was too powerful and unwieldy for such a small space. One of the bolts grazed one man, sending him sprawling, but the others went wide, richocheting up the wall and hitting a large control unit affixed to the roof. The unit exploded, a chain reaction blasting everything in the room with concussive force.

Even inside the ship, Roman was nearly knocked out of his seat. Then, to his horror, he began to feel the whole world tipping upwards and initial dampeners failing. Whatever he had done, the entire ship was now lurching on its axis.

"Knight-Captain, their ship is rolling! We're all rolling!"

4/20 for gun attack success


@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She sensed that Roman had jumped for cover and thus advanced, her lightsaber deflecting the incoming blaster bolts with ease and taking out a few attackers by skillfully hurling the back the fire in the right moment. She couldn't really think about the missing armor as the situation didn't allow for it, but as the fire died down for a second, her free hand reached out with the Force to render two more pirates useless by knocking them unconscious in a split second.

Adrenaline was pumping through her veins, but before she could prepare her next move and before the pirates could start firing, she heard the canons firing up. Wait. What?! Kalique's eyes widened at the realization of what was happening: Using such canons inside the ship? A very bad idea, and she was in the fire zone as well!

Using the moment of shock amongst the pirates, Kalique raced back inside, wanting to stop Roman from actually firing, but it was too late. The canons started blasting, stopping not only the pirates but wrecking the whole ship. Kalique was thrown off by the explosions and was hurled into the hallway in front of the passenger cabinet, landing precisely on her armor. Where did the armor suddenly come from?

She was beyond startled, yet knew time was running and so she slapped the armor back as quickly as she could. ""What...the fuck?!", she couldn't help but to shout over, now also sensing the death all around. What had he been thinking?! "Get into your armor! They're down, there might be more but time is running, so let's quickly search the ship!".

They had to act quickly and she decided on not giving up now. They were here. They had a trace. Perhaps the Commander was still alive. While she waited for Roman to join her, she was already testing the panel that controlled the flap which would be their exit, realizing that it was still operating. Now they really had to improvise...

@Alhon

 

[Roman Kallo]

Roman knew he had fucked up even before he caught sight of Demici racing away from the aftereffects of his cannon fire. He half leapt and half fell out of the turret seat, instinctively crawling away from the fire controls. Why didn't he think!

The world turned for several moments, loose items falling and clattering all over. Then the turning halted, arrested by the dull roar of emergency systems kicking in. Roman barely had time to thank the Force before the Knight-Captain was there, her shouts ringing in his ear.

"Yes mam!" he shouted back, hurriedly throwing off the pathetic pirate garb with little thought for his modesty. If they were not quick, they would die.

Roman yanked his armor out and pulled it over his head, the secondhand red plating dull and scored. He didn't care. He was just glad to feel the familiar weight on his shoulders and the stiff protection across his back. He fastened his belt and tightened the straps of his braces as if each were a punishment. He needed to be smarter. Stronger, and fast.

With a leap, he retrieved his saber hilt from the compartment and hurried out to the door by Demici's side. "I am sorry Knight-Captain..." he breathed, but trailed off. To apologise felt weak and yet he wanted her to know he recognised his failure.

One of the downed men by a nearby pillar groaned, reaching weakly for his pistol. Roman struck like a viper, leaning past Demici and igniting his orange blade to slash at the man's neck.

He had squared with killing the Empire's enemies long ago. In a galaxy of chaos, it was kill or be killed.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique retrieved her second lightsaber with the Force before she was already out and joined by the Squire. "We'll discuss this later" now was neither the time to investigate reasons behind his inconsiderate firing, nor to be mad. They had to aft quickly and thus she postponed it for now.

They started moving hastily and while Kalique didn't even bother dealing with the half-dead pirate, here Roman proved his quick reflexes. She took a mental note, yet manipulated the control panel that secured the door in front of them with the Force right after, knowing they had absolutely no time to waste.

Reaching out with the Force, she gave the next section a quick swipe, realizing there were a few presences around, however none particularly strong. It seemed like the explosion had rocked the ship so hard that many were either injured or in panic, and no one close. "We've got to find their holding cells quickly. I'd assume they're somewhere in the ship's bottom". She was certain they'd only have a few minutes, also, the ship was continuing to move and soon they'd have to slide down the corridors.

@Alhon

 

[Roman Kallo]

Roman held his saber ready and resisted the urge to charge through the open door first. However eager he was to impress Demici, he knew he needed to be less impulsive and channel his fury. Channel his fear.

He stepped through carefully, trying to let the Dark Side roll before him, feeling for enemies and the way ahead. Another sudden shift told him the ship was slowly listing again, though he held it together this time.

Roman briefly considered the elevator but with systems failing the ship’s power could fail at any moment. He consulted a flickering schematic panel on the wall, considering the best route down. “Can‘t be more than a deck or two” Roman said, tracing the readout with a finger. While he was not an experienced spacer, he had spent a lot of time on ocean going ships on Vaynai and had an intuitive sense for ship layout.

He heard a commotion down the hall even as he sensed danger approaching. Blaster bolts suddenly ricocheted into the area as a couple of people in Imperial garb came sprinting up the stairs, shooting pirates hot on their heels. It seemed the captives had sprung free of their own accord, but they would soon be dead without help.

Roman stepped quickly but carefully down the side towards the stairwell, keeping his blade up to cover them but focusing all his energy on the top of the stairs. The first pirate up them barely caught sight of the squire before Roman shunted him aside with a blast of the Force, skewering the cretin against the wall with his blade. He stared silently into the fool’s eyes as the life left him.

”To the Knight-Captain!” shouted to the Imperials, motioning in Demici’s direction. If he needed to hold the stairs while they fled, he would do.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

His presence was wilder than hers, the dark side flowing through him rather violently. He seemed a little infuriated about this whole incident, and rightfully so, it had absolutely not been planned, but while she also sensed disappointment, he eagerly carried on, strong determination soon replacing the rest.

She didn't interfere just yet, trusting his abilities to manage his emotions and once they've reached the corridors, he made a call he agreed with. It couldn't have been far, so they started darting onward, the ship threatening to spiral out of control. She sensed the approaching dangers and her blade hissed into life again, her gaze narrowed and focused as they ran into the Imperials.

Recognizing both, their armor and lightsabers, a faint breath of relief escaped them as they hurried towards them. "The path is clear, get to our vessel!", she instructed them, not veiling the urgency of her statement. "Squire go, accompany them" if someone would stay behind and keep it all together, it'd be here. Again, her tone indicated that this wasn't up for any discussions - he had already proven himself by having dealt with the remaining pirates.

"I'm gonna hold together what I can. Escort them and start the engines" the couldn't have the ship breaking a part or their path getting obstructed, so her one and only goal was to get them out safely. Kalique called upon the Force, taking a deep breath and calming her mind before she let the dark side flow through her. She reached out with it, stabilizing whatever particle she could and hoping they'd all hurry to get the fuck out.

@Alhon

 

[Roman Kallo]

Roman did as instructed, yanking his orange saber free of the wall and hurrying back towards the hangar bay. Mixed emotions toiled inside him, reluctance to leave the fight grappling with eagerness to impress. And fear, always fear.

The two Imperials needed little encouragement. Whatever trauma they had been through they seemed eager to escape it. That, and the failing ship beneath their feet. An older man and a younger aide, both looking like they had been knocked around a fair bit.

"Up the ramp!" Roman shouted to them "Buckle in! If either of you remembers about the best route out the asteroid field, shout up fast!".

The squire slowed a touch at the base of the ramp, risking a glance back towards Demici still in view back down the hall. Roman could almost see the glow around her, her presence in the Force radiating like light at the edge of his vision. He made himself turn and sprint on up, hauling himself into the cockpit and firing up the controls.

Their ship hummed to life as thrusters fired and the engines began to spool, lifting the craft an inch or two from the floor even as the hangar floor began to crack. Roman locked eyes with the figure of the Knight-Captain through the cockpit glass, willing her to make it back to them safely.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

With the tipping ship and the danger of everything just combusting, Kalique held on tightly with the Force, her teeth clenched and her fingers tensed to a maximum as she kept holding everything together. She slowly began moving, her main concentration lingering on every single molecule around until she reached the control panel.

She knew she had to give it brief attention to initiate the opening sequence before having to sprint into the safety of the ship. Beads of sweat formed at her forehead as one hand started interacting with the panels surface, quickly typing in the order to open the gate to space in 20 seconds. 20 seconds. They just had to get a little further and they'd be good, she kept reminded herself while sheer determination still flowed through her.

Once she was done, she immediately started sprinting towards the ramp, one hand still in control of the compartment they were in so as if holding invisible, thin threads together as best as she could while she finally made it back inside. She slammed the button that would shut the ramp before she dropped down on one knee, the strain physically affecting her already.

"Squire. Prepare to jump to get us out as soon as the gate opens!", she yelled towards the cockpit through clenched teeth, counting the seconds in her head. Their ship would once again be rocked by the inevitable chain reactions happening inside the larger vessel around them, but Kalique kept holding on.

4...3...2...1. And nothing. She didn't hear the gate flinging open, and a wave of dread washed over her. Another second passed. Then another. She felt like getting close to passing out, yet she kept holding on. Was the panel or the gate wrecked after all? It would be their inevitable demise...and then finally, it budged. It would only move slowly at first, but as it finally opened just enough to get them through, Kalique waited for him to go full throttle.

They'd have a little window of an unhindered path before they'd have to slow down and evade the asteroids, but it was enough to get them out. Meanwhile Kalique collapsed onto the ground, panting now that she could finally let go, but even if her head spun, she began crawling towards the cockpit a few moments later, her knees unsteady and their flight a little rough too, but they were out.

@Alhon

 

[Roman Kallo]

Roman gripped the controls so hard his knuckles went white. The ship was spooling all around him, but his brown eyes were fixed on the figure of Demici sprinting across the hangar. He was only a squire, with so much to learn, but he was determined to watch her all the way, as if his focus might improve her odds even one jot.

After what seemed like an age, he heard her boots on the metal of the ramp and this time the sound of her voice brought him nothing but relief.

”Yes Knight-Captain!” he shouted back, determined to do just as she ordered. He brought to bear every ounce of his seafaring instincts, turning their ship towards the exit gate and readying the engines. The gate did not open immediately, but Roman resisted the rising tension in his neck. It would open. It would. It had to.

He actually closed his eyes at one point, blanking out the mutterings of the rescued Imperials as they gradually lost their shit. If there was one thing he was not half bad at, it was staying calm when it mattered. He reached for the fear again and channeled it into composure.

The gate yawned open ahead. Roman actually smiled, looking a tad unhinged as he pulled back and fired the engines, hurtling the ship through the opening in the narrow window they had.

”We’re through mam!” he shouted back, hurriedly plotting a steep course that would take them up above the core of the asteroid field and the larger objects.

“Keep us steady” he said the young Imperial aide, noticing the wings on his battered uniform and knowing he would have the skill. Roman clapped him on the shoulder forcefully for good measure, giving him a look that left him in no doubt that he must do as the squire said.

Roman scrambled back, lowering himself to his knees in front of Demici but not daring to try and help her up without her say so. “Are you alright, Knight-Captain? The survivors are safe, and we are away”. He tried not to grit his teeth. Roman was shamelessly hoping things were ok for his own benefit, as much as the Empire’s.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique's head kept spinning but she managed to make her way closer to the cockpit before Roman dropped down next to her. Somehow it was as if time had slowed down as she only processed a few pictures at a time, but she was slowly regained more awareness.

She looked up at steadied herself on his arm to get back to her feet, her knees still, shaking but otherwise okay. They were out. He confirmed that again and she met his gaze. "Good...well done" she cleared her throat and rubbed her temples. They were alright. Hopefully so. As far as she knew they were still in an asteroid field.

"That was a close one...Squire, please explain what happened in tne hangar" she lowered her voice, just for him to hear while the Imperials were busy in the cockpit. She sensed their trauma even if she was still exhausted, but she trusted their flying abilities for now. She still needed answers from Roman though. Her tone wasn't accusing, but rather sober. Still, she was asking a serious question.

@Alhon

 

[Roman Kallo]

Roman helped the Knight-Captain up, savoring the small praise more than she knew. They had made it in the end, but his recklessness had made it unnecessarily touch and go.

"I was frustrated" he explained "that the disguises didn't work, that they had us on the back foot from the start". The plan had been partly his and he had perhaps also been hurt it had failed. "I thought I could use the guns to even the odds, scatter them from cover...". He took a deep breath. Now they were no longer in the middle of it, it was actually harder to accept his mistakes. "I underestimated the guns' yield, Knight-Captain. I should have thought".

Roman straightened up, staring at the bulkhead. This was his one chance to impress a very senior Knight and he feared he had screwed it up completely.

"What can the survivors' tell us mam?" he asked eventually. He harbored the small hope that the two rescued souls were enough to still make the mission a success.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She expectantly watched him as he began to explain, her expressions softening ever so slightly as he did at least have the courage to admit his mistake. "I understand" she did understand the reasoning and the intent, yet the execution had been dangerous.

"It was perhaps an impulsive decision. You know it as well as I do. The dark side tempts us to act on impulses, but it's upon us to control and redirect them" the Force had been with them and they made it out alright, but his maneuver hadn't exactly been considerate.

She let out a sigh, knowing he was still young, perhaps lacked some guidance, but he wasn't a lost course. "I'll keep monitoring your process. Also, this won't be our last shared mission" she announced, not really sternly, but still somewhat serious before her voice softened.

"We'll ask them. Before their ship had been intercepted, they were gathering data on the new hyperroute parameters, but that might be a delayed project now" she explained, before she got up and made her way towards the cockpit, expecting him to follow. It would turn out they hadn't gathered all the data, but had made quite some process, but the endeavor was far from completed. New recon teams would be sent soon, but what was obvious was that without them, all the process would have gotten lost, including the two Imperial lives they had managed to save.

@Alhon

/EndThread