Ask [Roche] Deals on Deals

[Nox Solus]

Roche Asteroid Belt​

One of Nox's first moves as the new Mand'alor was to call another campaign immediately after he finally caught some rest. The clans had gathered for his ascension and he wouldn't let the opportunity go to waste. Even though there most likely should have been a celebration or something of that nature, he had preferred instead to keep the initiative and press on. His people were at a breakneck pace right alongside him and they earned their rest but once more, they answered his call without hesitation and he was thankful for it.

Taking part in the invasion, Nox led the force that would head for Rosche, a small fleet assembled for the operation. For the first time, the ships weren't of Sith make but instead, Mandalorian designed and produced. The composition was small but it was deadly for what they needed, two Shuror cruisers, two Besbavar combat carrier, and three Neo-Crusader corvettes. The fleet wasn't massive but the testament it made of the Mandalorian's progress as a whole would counter-act that weight.

Nox stood on the bridge of the Shuror in the lead of the formation, the asteroid field within view from where he stood. It was the second time he had visited one of these fields and a bad taste had been left in his mouth. The last occasion almost made him lose Shale and as a result, would have most likely chosen a planet for his presence at first. The primary cause of his appearance was his eagerness and anticipation to see their newly produced ships in action as well who accompanied him.

The Mand'alor had always considered a respected friend, ever since he knew him before he even became the Solus'alor, though brief. Much had changed since then, mostly Nox, but the respect he had for the Vizla remained steady. Gett'se had skill and experience, both of which would be needed in the near future. As the fleet still slowly edged toward the belt, Nox gave an upward nod to one of the passing droids, "Have the Verpine been signaled of our arrival?" The crewman droid on its heel, a closed fist slammed into his chest first before he responded, "Yes, Mand'alor. A signal has been sent back as well, guaranteeing our passage to the station." Another nod was given and the droid returned to its duties.

Nox would lean against the holo-table beside him, facing away from the cruiser's windows, as he crossed his arms. He peered to his left, curiously asking Gett'se, "You've ever been to one of these rocks?"

@Arcangel

 

[Gett'se Vizsla]

Gett'se was deep in thought as he stared at the holo table. A blue projection of the Roche asteroid field floated in front of him, flickering slightly but otherwise stable. Distant memories echoed through his mind as he contemplated the field, the individual asteroids floating in an almost tranquil dance, welcoming and inviting. It clashed with the memories from his youth. He heard the Mand'alor speak next to him, not to him, but it reminded him of just whose presence he stood within.

He noted the droids words, which explained the asteroid fields present state. Safe passage, they were guaranteed it. Gett'se turned his helmet to catch the Mand'alor's visor once he realized that he was now the one being addressed.

"Once." Gett'se said shortly before returning his visor to the floating projection, his eyes searching behind the helmets concealment. "There. Roche G42" He said after a few silent moments, pointing to a mid sized rock floating on screen. "When I was young and still under my Buir's tutelage." He silently counted the years in his mind, the number growing larger than he expected. Or cared for.

"It is good the Verpine are willing to meet with us... You." Gett'se said as he turned once more to face Nox, no... The Mand'alor. How swiftly time brought change. War even swifter. "Buir's visit to Roche came under the banner of the hunt. The asteroid field was not as inviting then." Gett'se let out a low chuckle, a morbid little joke as he remembered the silent scream of asteroids as they flew past the viewport, their chaotic motions only betrayed by the scraping of space rock against steel that echoed in his childhood memories.

"The Verpine keep the field docile with a rather ingenious array of tractor beams." Gett'se explained a hint of admiration in his voice. His hand strayed to a pouch flap at his belt as he spoke, gloved fingers brushing against data chits containing various programs and algorithms, the subtly raised markings on each chit letting Gett'se find exactly what he was looking for. He pulled one of the small chits out and held it out in his open palm, an offering.

"An algorithm I wrote to navigate the Thrugii Asteroid Belt. A crew of pirates had fled there from Soccoro after hitting the wrong target on Dom-Bradden. A target with deep pockets and a mind for vengeance." Gett'se paused for a moment as he realized he was about to start rambling. He shook his head. "The story doesn't matter. This can reliably... Semi-reliably, calculate safe passage through the fields if the tractor array fails." Or if our passage is no longer guaranteed. The last part was left unspoken, but Gett'se knew Nox would understand.

@Orbit

 

[Nox Solus]

Nox wasn't actually expecting his answer to be yes but was glad it turned out so. Misinformation was one of the most lethal killers in war and conquests. If Gett'se had actual experience on the rock and with the Verpine, however slight, that was more than the Mand'alor and meant they wouldn't be completely blind. The bugs weren't known to be treacherous but it is always safe to have a backup plan.

"Us," he corrected after Gett'se, "You'll be accompanying me there." Vroj and Zuus had been deployed elsewhere, his usual composition for meeting parties and delegations. Nox only brought those he trusted and knew could hold the line, that one being Gett'se. Plus, if the Vizla had been there on of the asteroids before, that could be quite beneficial if he knew what to expect. There was also appreciation in his voice as the systems behind the asteroid defense were explained. The Solus had caught it and with the lack of appearance on the battlefield from Gett'se, he wondered if the man was spending more time in or near the forges.

A chit was then offered to him, another explanation given that it could safely, with a little skill most likely, could get them through the asteroid field. Nox inspected it for a moment before simply tossing it into the air to catch it again, "It's better than having no idea at all. Nice work." The chit would then be handed to one of the actual crewmen, "Start to calculate our course through the field. Hopefully, we won't need it." As the crewmen departed for the navigation computers, "Maybe another time for that story." It sounded like an interesting one at least.

While the fleet started to approach the entrance of the field, the path before them given by the Verpine as they would see idle asteroid completely freeze and others pull away slightly. Even though this was Nox's first time visiting, it didn't stop him from hearing the rumors that circulated around the asteroids. There was possibly another fleet a couple of sectors away and burning hot to close the distance. For that reason, Raya had already been sent out with her own wing to act as their scouts and vanguards for this supposed "ghost fleet" that would be arriving.

After pressing a button, a display of Raya in her cockpit would appear on the holo-table before Nox and Gett'se. "Pick up anything on sensors?"

@Altaris @Arcangel

 

[Raya Kryze]

As was ever-the-case, Raya was undeniably giddy to be seated behind the controls of her new Starfighter. The Kryze had gained something of a reputation for her abilities as a pilot during the course of the Mandalorian campaign, and there were few things that brought her that same rush and sense of exhilaration. As a result, it was no surprise that she had practically jumped at the opportunity to provide support to the Mand’alor’s fleet.

Raya flew at the head of her own squadron of Osprey-Class fighters - having hand-picked the best pilots from amongst Clan Kryze for this operation. Unsurprisingly, she had taken the liberty of making her own Starfighter stand out from the rest - recently painted a metallic bronze that perfectly matched the color of her own beskar’gam. Her squadron flew in tight formation on the outer edge of the Asteroid Field - eyes trained ahead and scanners prepped for any vessels approaching through hyperspace.

Whatever was coming, Raya wasn’t about to allow it to catch them off-guard.

A series of chirps alerted the Kryze of the incoming transmission, and she promptly flicked a switch to patch the Mand’alor through. Her holographic visage would appear within seconds on the other side of the transmission, her face concealed behind her custom helmet as per usual.

“Nothin’ so far, boss. But I don’t think we’ll be lonely for long.” She said after a moment, her attention flicking over to Gett'se to give the Vizsla a nod of acknowledgement. It was only a hunch, but Raya was confident that the ‘ghost fleet’ was more than just rumor and myth. “Any word from the locals yet?”

 

[Gett'se Vizsla]

Gett'se's eyes widened when Nox told him that he would be accompanying him to meet with the Verpine leadership. His buyce remained impassive and he held himself from showing how he felt about the information. He wasn't exactly a good diplomat, he almost preferred silence and solitude to the company of outsiders. But none of that mattered.

It was the Mand'alor's will.

"As you will it, Mand'alor." He said with a nod, the words feeling stiff as he spoke them. Not out of disrespect, but a foreignness of the name to the helmet that he spoke it to, and the general discomfort he felt about the assignment, but it was not his place to question or second guess.

Nox handed the data chit off to the navigator, and Gett'se's visor followed the back of the crewmember's helmet as he returned to his station. It wasn't often that his programs left his person and he couldn't remember the last time he had let someone handle his gear. Then he remembered, the face of death made machine flashing across his mind.

That was one that he would rather forget, and Gett'se was glad when Nox turned his attention to a pilot that he pulled on screen. The bronze armored warrior was a familiar one and Gett'se remembered fighting by her side on Lothal. He returned the Kryze woman's nod but didn't interject in the conversation between the two, instead turning his attention to the terminal in front of him. The pathfinder program was now running on the ships navicomputer and Gett'se brought up a panel of the algorithm on the terminal's screen.

The program, ihyu'aaka ju'rupayr, as it was quite literally labelled, began to display a straight path through the field, the path presented to them by the Verpine fields. Gett'se frowned. The ships navicomputer combined with the long range sensors should be able to come up with better than that. Of course. It was only showing them the easiest and most practical route. Tapping a few buttons, he gave the command for the program to begin showing multiple routes only to be met with an error. His frown grew.

His gloved fingers began to tap away at the terminal as he shut down the program and delved into the error. Of course his program, designed for use in his Y-wing, would have compatibility issues with the warship. He opened the program with an array of passwords that allowed him access to the datachips memory files and the code within. Usually he would do this on his own gear, but with the system power of an entire starship computer at his fingertips... Gett'se figured that his rig would be a downgrade.

"I'm going to adjust the program to correct for the mass of the Shurer." Gett'se muttered as he concentrated on the screen, eyes narrowing behind the visor that was facing the screen intently. He was quiet for a moment as he tapped away, accessing root code of the various subsystems that the program would be interacting with, copying entire blocks of existing commands to snip and tailor to his needs. "Correcting for system compatibility." He mumbled, more to himself though he decided it could be a status update as an afterthought.

"Sensor array, check. Navicomputer, check. Targeting, check." He murmured to himself as he ran a final check. Satisfied that the quick fixes would work, Gett'se executed the modified program. He watched it silently for a few moments as the algorithm did it's job on the small screen, a small smile breaking out under his helmet.

"Pathfinder program on screen." He said as the holo display next to Raya, once more lit up with a simulation of the asteroid field as it currently lay according to the ship's sensors. The near field projection of asteroids were quite accurate, though things got a bit muddled further out. The ships primary path was of course still displayed, as well as several alternate paths through the field that involved a bit fancier flying for the big ship, as well as a few firing solutions at various coordinates along those path.

If safe passage wasn't guaranteed, they could always carve their own.


@Orbit @Altaris

 

[Nox Solus]

Nox would just give a shrug as an answer to Raya before explaining, "We've made contact and agreed to meet. How receptive they will be to us? I have no clue." The Verpine and the Mandalorians made treaties in the past, most likely what earned them access to the belt with their assembled fleet. Those times were years ago and from what he had heard from his contacts, new ideas, and new factions had been made inside their hive. Repeatedly, they had fallen out of favor with the galaxy, just as the Mandalorians and he hoped that similarity could be utilized.

The sound of clacking keys drew his attention and Nox's visor swung over to the nav computer, Gett'se administering and standing there to adjust the program to account for their current vessel. After a few moments, alternative paths were made through the Roche field and on the display for all the pilots to see in the Shuror. He knew bringing Gett'se would be invaluable in this type of situation and he was glad to be proven right so quickly by his efforts. "Good work, Gett'se," Nox commented as he leaned against a railing, "Send the program to the other ships and have them start to calculate their own paths through. We're allowed proximity of the station but our fleet will still have to reside amongst the asteroids." That was the flagship taken care of, they just needed the rest.

Nox then turned back to Raya, "Keep an eye out. There are enough rumors about these pirates for us to be on guard. If you spot anything, the fleet will be ready to reinforce or assist you." The Kryze was turning into excellent pilots over their campaigns and he knew they could handle themselves. Still, if anything happened, he didn't want his best pilots still separated from the main body of the fleet. Nox would just give a nod after, his own silent and personal good luck to Raya before he disconnected the line between them.

"C'mon Gett'se, we got a shuttle to catch and some critters to meet." A shuttle would be waiting for them in the hangar, the boarding party consisting of Nox, Gett'se, and a small handful of Mandalorians accompanying them. They were close enough that they could take it the rest of the way to the station, a massive asteroid with ports sprawling out from the tunnels carved out in the rock.

@Altaris @Arcangel

 

[Gett'se Vizsla]

Gett'se's visor trained on Nox as he gave praise for the swiftly altered program, issuing a new order. The reward for good work. More work.

Gett'se could have spoke up and told him it wasn't that simple, that he would have to tailor the program individually. Each ship type had different mass, different propulsion and maneuverability. Each model was vulnerable in different ways to the deadly chaos of an asteroid field in motion. Instead, Gett'se nodded.

"It will take a moment." Gett'se informed the Mand'alor as his gloved hands clacked away once more at the computer's keys. A few more adjustments were made to the program, another fast patch to get it online for the variety of ships in the battle group. Hard numbers became variables, set to run a diagnostic on each individual ship to fill them. Gett'se shook his head. He felt it was sloppy, but it would have to do for now as the time to meet the Verpine was close at hand.

"Good hunting Kryze." Gett'se said to the huntress with a nod before Nox cut the feed. It was time to go and Gett'se had just finished tailoring the final touches on what he considered. Well it wasn't his best work. Maybe he would revisit this project when he had more time. "Transmitting pathfinder program." Gett'se informed Nox as he wrapped up. The program would take a few moments to boot on each individual ship as it carried out a diagnostics scan.

Gett'se turned from the console, blinking his eyes to get the screens glow out of them. "Let's hope these critters are friendly." He said, a tinge of humor in his voice at his own dry joke. It probably wasn't funny. Gett'se cleared his throat as they exited the bridge, glancing at Nox.

"I think I'd welcome a ghost fleet showing up right about now." He said without explanation, letting the words hang for a moment as their boots clicked against the starship floor. "A hostile aggressor would make negotiations smooth, an example of force can go a long way." He finished explaining, glancing around at the brand new walls of the corridor they walked. The Mandalorian fleet had swelled with new designs, the armorer's and engineer's of Mandalore invigorated by the crusade. The ships were certainly impressive, but remained as of yet untested.

@Orbit @Altaris

 

[Nox Solus]

Nox was about to depart from the bridge until Gett'se informed him that it would take a moment. He assumed that the navigation crews would have been able to handle the task themselves but he respected the Vizla's choice. If he thought the program required his own personal touch for it to work, then so be it. The Mand'alor wanted his fleet to make it out of this field intact, not floating pieces of debris. Instead of exiting, he would park there at the door, spinning on his heel so that his back would collide against the wall. They had time to spare, somewhat, and he didn't mind waiting.

After a few moments of fidgeting, it was announced the program had been transmitted. Nox was thankful that Gett'se was able to manage despite Nox's lacking of programming experience and expecting it to be easier. As they left the bridge together, a hand was clasped on the Vizla's shoulder, "Is it ever that easy for us?" Nox asked sarcastically before giving him a squeeze and slipping it off. There were very few times he could count on one hand where he or his people were greeted warmly by others off the rip. The only occurrence so far had been on Saluecami and he wondered if that meant the situation concerned the FWA was deteriorating much more quickly than he thought.

The two walked through the iron veins of the ship, eventually arriving at a hangar with a shuttle already filled with fellow Mandalorians. As the two stepped aboard their transport, Nox faced Gett'se as the doors filed close. He noted earlier the Vizla inspecting the workings of the ship as they made their way to the hangar and there was an eagerness blossoming within himself as well. This would be the first time a true fleet battle could occur with only Mandalorian weaponry and engineering, especially with their newly produced ships as Borgo Prime consisted of Sith assets. "They are terrified of it. Rumors say it's 50 or more ships but we know what fear does to... bugs. We can work that to our advantage. " People didn't really fit but he figured the concept was the same as his words were followed with a shrug.

As the shuttle began to lift and take off from the hanger, Nox pressed two fingers to his ear, connecting to Raya's comm, "If you wouldn't mind, could you make sure we aren't blown the hell the up in space? I hear you're quite the flyer now." The last two times he saw her, they both been on foot but even he heard of the Kryze acquiring her efficiency amongst the air, even amongst other clans.

@Altaris @Arcangel

 

[Raya Kryze]

Raya’s fingers twitched ever-so-slightly, curling a bit tighter around the controls of her starfighter. The Osprey-class weaved past a drifting asteroid, continuing along her path to patrol the outer rim of the field. The fleet was there in the event that an enemy fleet did drop out of orbit, but her squadron was there to ensure that nothing could get the jump on them. “Good luck to you both,” Raya said back to Nox and Gett’se, giving each a nod. Truth be told, the Kryze didn’t envy them one bit.

Diplomacy was complex and nuanced. But this? Nothing came more naturally to her.

A few minutes of uneventful silence passed - the Kryze’s umber eyes flicking between the radar on her dashboard and the viewport just up ahead. So far, nothing could’ve been more ordinary. If Raya was being honest, if it weren’t for the looming threat of a fleet approaching, the flight might’ve actually been rather relaxing. In many ways, it still was.

She couldn’t help but grin when Nox came in over the comms once more. “Glad to hear I’ve started to make an impression,” The Kryze’s smirk could easily be picked up on through her voice. It was no secret that Raya herself always had a penchant for flying, and it had directly translated into efficiency in the air during the multiple campaigns over the last few months. “As it so happens, I might just be able to cover your ass just this once. Try not to piss off the locals.” She grinned. Of course, as if on que, Raya’s attention was rapidly drawn to a blinking of lights on her radar.

Within mere moments, a handful of ships dropped out of hyperspace - gliding across open space and towards the asteroid belt just up ahead. They were unmarked fighters - bearing no government insignia or banner and very clearly belonging to whatever pirate group they had been tipped off about. It wasn’t quite a fleet just yet - though Raya had no doubt they only heralded the capital ships to come.

“Right on fuckin’ time,” Raya grumbled, her visor fixed onto the enemy starfighters as her own Osprey-class whipped around - breaking off from the patrol in order to begin her attack run. The rest of her squadron followed suit - moving in loose formation as they closed in on the enemy ships. “We have company, boys!” She barked back over her comms to Gett’se and Nox, only to turn her attention to two of the fighters in her squadron. “Keep close to the Mand’alor’s shuttle until they reach the station.” It meant two less fighters at her disposal and worse odds, but it also meant more direct protection over Nox and Gett’se.

@Arcangel @Orbit

 

[Gett'se Vizsla]

Is it ever that easy? The question elicited an immediate shake of the head from Gett'se as they walked. No. It was never that easy. And usually when it was it was a trap. As it stood now Gett'se calculated that there was a sixty percent chance the whole situation was already a trap as it stood, granted those calculations included a health... hefty dose of paranoia.

"Let's hope its easier than it could be. I'd hate to have to get bug guts all over my boots." He said. He'd rather not the negotiations go sour and the pair of them have to play exterminator with their hosts. Good faith negotiations were always the most straightforward, but they both already knew that things hardly ever played out that way.

"You think the threat might be overstated?" He asked, cocking his helmet at the Mand'alor as they took their seats in the gunship. Fifty ships was a rather large fleet to maintain and move, the resources required... He held doubt that a simple pirate band could amass and field such a fleet without some serious outside funding. Or an insane amount of success, in which case they would have heard more than whispers. He mentally bumped up his calculation that it was a trap by five percent.

The ship rose out of the hangar and began its approach to the large asteroid that hosted the majority of the Verpine population. Gett'se's foot fidgeted ever so slightly as he just barely felt the ships inertia through the dampener field. He would much prefer to be in the cockpit behind the stick than trusting his life, and the Mand'alor's life, to someone else. But this was his place.

"What are the chances we're actually getting pinched between a rock and a hostile fleet?" He asked, shuddering at the possibility of the Verpine turning the asteroid field against them while a fleet of warships trapped them in the tumble. His mind immediately began filtering the possibilities, the pathfinder algorithm might give the fleet a chance, and if they land and take control of the tractor generator hub...

Gett'se heard the warning over comms as Raya signaled them. The pirate vanguard had arrived. Gett'se looked towards the cockpit, wishing he had eyes on the instruments to see what they were dealing with as the majority of their escort peeled off to handle the new threat. They hadn't been dashed against an asteroid yet though, which meant their welcome was still intact... so far. "Pilot, how long until we dock?" He asked over the comms.

@Orbit @Altaris

 

[Nox Solus]

Nox barely glanced over to Gett'se before answering his question truthfully, "Undoubtedly. Fear warps everything." There was little chance that such a strong fleet could actually be amassed but you never knew. If the size really was legit, then he would just have to accept the harsh lesson that would be taught to him and his people for being unprepared. Recently, he gained quite a lot of experience in the field of fleet-building and that reassured him that the rumors were false.

When it came to the second question, Nox answered truthfully again and with a shrug accompanying his words, "Fifty/fifty. They've worked with us in the past but exactly that... in the past." Much could have changed, as it did at least for the Mandalorians. The agreement the two people had made was hundreds of years ago, the clans nearly facing extinction during that time before finding their feet recently. He had no idea what to expect from the bugs but he hadn't shut out the possibility of everything just going to shit.

Before the conversation could be continued, Raya's voice cut through their helmets to warn them about incoming fighters. Nox's gaze snapped to the window and the direction she was in. He tried to locate the targets but with the number of floating asteroids surrounding them, he couldn't locate anything. Connecting to Raya's comm, he calmly stated, "Go give them a warm welcome for us." He trusted the stories that had built up around her flight skill and he kept his calm demeanor because of it.

The pilot turned his head toward Gett'se before answering, "Only a couple of minutes! I'll pick up speed and get us in there quickly." While that could have been dangerous, they had the pathfinder program and the path laid ahead by the Verpine as well. They would feel the engine's thrust pick-up intensity, the craft rumbling slightly before picking up speed.

The unmarked fighters flew over an asteroid and picked up Raya on the sensors. She would see the ships bank toward her before arranging themselves in a wedge formation. It would only be a minute or so before each wing was in range and the weapons began opening fire.

@Altaris @Arcangel

 

[Raya Kryze]

Despite the poor - albeit predictable - turn of events, Raya couldn’t quite help the smirk that slowly began to spread beneath her bronze-tinted helmet. The truth of the matter was that she lived for her thrills, and this - locked amidst the throes of naval combat? It is here the Kryze felt more alive than anywhere else.

She tilted her head a bit, umber gaze flicking between the holographic projection of Nox and Gett’se. “I think I can keep them occupied for a while yet. Try not to take your sweet-ass time, though,” Her voice carried the faintest hint of amusement, underlying the otherwise entirely serious situation at hand. Without another word, Raya clicked off the communication - her fingers wrapping tightly around the controls of her starfighter, her gaze returning to the theater ahead.

With an abrupt yank of the controls, the Kryze banked her fighter to the left - diving downward to avoid a volley of cannon-fire from the enemy vanguard. Her contingent of fighters followed suit - breaking away from the tight formation they had flown in up until this point in order to engage their enemy.

With swift reflexes, Raya pulled on the controls of her starfighter once again - rounding to the right and turning back to face towards a small cluster of enemy fighters up ahead. The Osprey-class screeched through the open space as the Kryze began to trail the fighters, unleashing a volley of yellow cannonfire that found its mark in the thrusters of one vessel - causing the entire thing and its pilot to go up in a burst of flames.

While she continued to trail her enemies, her gaze snapped back - catching sight of the fighting between her fellow Kryze and the rest of the vanguard. To her relief, it seemed that her squadron hadn’t sustained any casualties quite yet. Even still, there wasn’t nearly enough of a force to go up against, and Raya knew that. This was merely the vanguard - an advance team sent forth to herald the arrival of something much, much larger.

At least for that moment, Raya pushed that thought aside - keeping her attention strictly trained onto the battle ahead, up until the moment that variables finally did shift.

@Orbit @Arcangel