Dominion Broken Road Campaign - Tollkeepers - MIR Dominion of Chiron

[Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory]

TAG: Ronhar Tane , MIR Starfighter Command , Hypheer Vhyrn , Korben Aej , Draven Vex , Gaptashi Rokdu
Vessel: The Gluttoneria​

The TIE Vultures did their job, not only by exiting the massive hangarbays of the Super battlecruiser Gluttoneria, but also by displaying what it meant to have droid strafighters in such numbers reveal themselves, like an enormous cloud of angry hornets, the twenty seven squadrons of highly mobile and tactile droid starfighters split up in three wings, attempting to lock down the asteroid field completely and thus more importantly; the pirates stubbornly trying to resist within said asteroid field.

As the Wraith squadron appeared alongside the massive Gluttoneria, the INV Sularen's Revenge flanking the mighty super battlecruiser, Amalia's face seemed to light up a bit as she looked at the holographic display. Even if her master had called Marlon Sularen dangerously impulsive and a narrowsighted narcissist, even He had not questioned the man's capabilities in the field. Mopping up the Pirates would not have been too difficult, but the underestimation of one's opponent, no matter the difference in strength was a flaw many imperials possessed, so too did Amalia tend to make this mistake. However, with the Grand ADmiral now stepping into the fray as well, chances of breaking the resistance had increased tenfold.

"Grand Admiral Sularen," The woman calmly replied when being hailed through the secure channels. "Pirates are refusing to surrender, a significant flottilla of smaller warships, corvettes and starfighters are in their possession. While an interdiction field has been set up, they are desperately trying to force a way out, while utilizing the asteroid field as a natural cover. Deployment of starfighters and bombers has been deemed the best course of action due to the lack of knowledge on the composition of the asteroids and the visual hinderance thereof."

It wasn't a lie, the Grand Admiral would've been knowledgeable enough about the Gluttoneria's capabilities, and the fact the massive battlecruiser hadn't used any of its top tier weapons systems yet, meant that they were waiting for either approval or simply had to bide their time to see whether or not the situation could even mandate or validate the use of the vessel's overwhelming firepower... even if it wasn't exactly as overwhelming as it should have been considering the patchwork repairs it had undergone the last few years.

 

[Keldan Andro]

KELDAN ANDRO
[REDACTED]
OBJECTIVE: BYOO

To say that Keldan had been apprehensive was an incredible understatement.

For months, he had spent his time serving the Tarkin Initiative, until that Imperial Remnant, like so many others like it, had fallen apart and collapsed, forcing Keldan to wander the galaxy as he tried his best to avoid the pursuing Mahporeenian forces that had been hunting him ever since he had escaped Mahporeem itself. It had been a stressful experience for him, constantly hopping from planet to planet, never staying in one place for too long, least someone report him and reveal his existence to the Imperial authorities. When Mahporeem Intelligence had finally caught up with him, he was almost relieved in a strange sort of way, ready to accept his fate that Mahporeem was sure to hand down onto him.

What he hadn't expected was the offer of amnesty that they were willing to provide him with.

Things had changed since he had left, to the point that the Imperial Remnant had even created its very own force sensitive organization to support its goals across the Outer Rim. Too bad they couldn't have come to that conclusion before Keldan had been exiled, but at least now he had been able to return home, though still somewhat in disbelief as to how his fortunes had changed. He had gone from a wanted criminal to an important Imperial asset almost overnight, and now here he was in front of Victport Graras himself, the supreme leader of the Mahporeem Imperial Remnant. The man who could decide the rest of his existence with the simplest of commands. The man who was going to determine Keldan's fate going forward for potentially the rest of his life.

Keldan sat down just as he had been instructed to.

"What can I do for you, sir?", he asked carefully, unsure what exactly someone like Victport would want of someone like him...

TAGS:
Victport Graras

 

[Victport Graras]

VICTPORT GRARAS
[REDACTED]
OBJECTIVE: BYOO

"What can I do for you, sir?"

Keldan seemed to have a good grasp on the situation at hand, and his tone of voice remained respectful toward Victport despite everything that he had gone through during his time on the run. Good. Victport could use someone with a chip on his shoulder, especially if said chip had been caused by the Imperial Remnant. Someone with something to prove, and someone who felt like they owed Victport for saving them from their current situation. Victport continued smiling as he went to address Keldan.

"Tell me, have you seen the news lately?"

Victport handed Keldan a datapad with an article about the exile of a certain individual...a rather important and powerful one, at that. It read:

By order of the Mahporeem Imperial Remnant, the individual known as Her is hereby declared EXILED FROM ALL TERRITORIES AND SPACE UNDER MAHPOREEM IMPERIAL REMNANT AUTHORITY, effective immediately.

This decree serves as formal notification that the individual in question is no longer recognized as welcome within Mahporeem Imperial Remnant territory, nor shall she be afforded the privileges, protections, or courtesies ordinarily extended to authorized visitors and recognized associates of the Remnant.

Effective immediately, Her is prohibited from entering, occupying, or establishing a presence within any world, installation, facility, or territorial holding under the jurisdiction of the Mahporeem Imperial Remnant. This prohibition extends to Imperial-controlled orbital facilities, military installations, shipyards, industrial complexes, and other possessions operating under the Imperial Remnant's authority.

Any attempt to circumvent this decree through unauthorized entry, concealed identity, or the use of intermediaries to facilitate access may be treated as a violation of Imperial territorial restrictions and addressed accordingly by the appropriate authorities.

All personnel, military officers, security forces, and affiliated organizations operating under Mahporeem Imperial Remnant authority are hereby instructed to recognize and enforce this declaration within their respective jurisdictions.

This exile shall remain in effect unless formally rescinded by the appropriate Imperial authority. No individual or subordinate office is authorized to disregard or overturn this decree without explicit authorization from Mahporeem High Command.

The Mahporeem Imperial Remnant maintains its sovereignty over its territories and reserves the right to determine who may enter, remain within, or conduct business in its space. This decision is final until otherwise stated by Imperial authority.

Keldan took his time reading over what Victport had given him, wanting to make sure he didn't miss a single detail in case Victport decided to quiz him on what he was reading. He glanced back up at Victport and handed him back the datapad.

"No sir, this is the first time I've seen this", Keldan addmitted.

"Good, considering I have yet to release this to the public", Victport responded. "That was a little test of mine, you see. Had you already had knowledge of what was on that datapad, or had lied to me about it, it wouldn't have ended well for you", Victport said cryptically, though it didn't take a genius to figure out what might have happened to Keldan. "But you were honest, and more importantly, you haven't been attempting to leverage any information against me or the Imperial Remnant. I can appreciate that in a man, especially one who has gone through as much as you have. So, I'd like to offer you a bit of a proposal. The person named on that announcement, Her , is highly dangerous and likely to attempt to illegally enter our territory again at some point. Yet, I have elected not to have Her more permanently dealt with, at least for now", Victport said rather coldly, a hint of annoyance escaping from his throat. "That being said, its not as if we intend to just let Her waltz back into the Imperial Remnant. That's why I need you to do me a favor and keep an eye on Her . I don't intend for you to confront Her yourself, naturally, but I need you to report Her coming and goings and her position in the galaxy at large. Basicially, if she intends to make any moves against us, I want to know about it. If she intends to run, I want to know about it. If she intends to waste the rest of Her life whittling away on some galaxy forsaken planet in the middle of nowhere, I want to know about it. And I believe you to be the right man for the job. That's something you could do for me, is it not? Plus, I can assure you your efforts would not go unrewarded", Victport added as he locked eyes with Keldan to see his response to him.

TAGS:
Keldan Andro
Her
OPEN

 

[MIR Starfighter Command]

Wrong account. Will post here shortly.

 

[Prystill Oasay]

Objective: III — Their Pirates, Our Problem
Location: Chiron, Darrinport Commercial Exchange
Outfit: Ministerial Uniform
With: Nerra Trulas
Tags: OPEN

The negotiations had barely begun when the situation above Chiron decided to complicate them. A notification appeared on one of the chamber's standing holoprojectors. Maelis Ruun glanced toward it, her dark tail flicking once before she crossed the polished floor to examine the report. Several members of the Transit Council followed, their hooves producing an uneven rhythm as they gathered around the display. The handful of bipedal representatives remained farther back, attempting to see past their considerably larger colleagues.

Prystill Oasay did not need to read the entire report to recognize the problem. Imperial warships. Pirate contacts. Military engagements in the surrounding system. Precisely the developments Maelis had warned about. The Chironian freight executive turned her upper body toward Prystill, although her equine half remained angled toward the projector. "Well, Minister. It appears your people have begun solving our problem." The words were not particularly welcoming.

Prystill maintained her composure. "They've begun addressing a threat to Imperial shipping. I imagine your captains will appreciate having fewer pirates to worry about."

"Assuming they have any shipping left to conduct."

A heavy forehoof struck the floor somewhere behind Maelis. "She's right," declared a broad-shouldered Chironian captain whose gray coat bore the scars of a lifetime spent around loading machinery. "I've got three freighters scheduled to depart before the next shift. Am I supposed to send them through a naval engagement?"

"Better than paying those thieves another credit," another Chironian countered. She was younger, with a chestnut coat and the practical clothing of an independent operator. "My family's been paying them for years. Yours too, I'd wager."

The older captain swung his head toward her. "And how many ships have you lost by paying?"

"How many credits have we lost because we keep paying?"

"Enough." Maelis' interruption was quiet, but effective. The two captains fell silent. One stamped a forehoof before settling back into place. Maelis approached Prystill again, stopping at a respectful distance. "You asked what assurances Chiron requires. I believe we can begin with an assurance that our freighters will still be permitted to leave their own ports."

Prystill considered the demand. It was reasonable. Unfortunately, reasonable and immediately achievable were not always the same thing. "I can't promise unrestricted passage through an active military operation." Several representatives exchanged dissatisfied looks. "And I wouldn't trust someone who made that promise without consulting the commanders responsible for keeping those ships safe." That earned a brief pause. "What I can do is propose a civilian shipping liaison between your port authorities and our naval command. Your people would have a direct channel for reporting scheduled departures, urgent cargo movements, and potential disruptions. Our commanders would have someone to consult before imposing restrictions that affect Chironian commerce, whenever operational circumstances permit."

Maelis shifted her weight, one hind hoof scraping lightly against the floor. "Consult. Not obtain permission."

"Correct. I'm not going to pretend a naval commander will surrender operational authority during combat. But consultation is considerably better than discovering a shipping corridor has been closed after three freighters have already entered it."

The younger Chironian captain gave an approving nod. Prystill continued before the discussion could dissolve into another argument. "I'd also like to establish a limited information-sharing arrangement. Voluntary to begin with. Records of pirate encounters, suspicious distress calls, unusual traffic patterns, and any routes your captains have learned to avoid."

The Duros representative near the chamber's perimeter straightened. "Commercial shipping records contain proprietary information, Minister. Competitors would pay considerable sums for access to them."

"Then we establish confidentiality protections. Information relevant to the investigation would be reviewed by designated personnel rather than circulated through every department in the Imperial government."

"And what prevents that information from being used against us later?"

Prystill regarded him for a moment. "A written agreement specifying its permitted use, negotiated with your representatives. I'm willing to put those restrictions into the proposal." She glanced around the gathering. "I'm asking for information about pirates, not your customer lists or the financial arrangements of every merchant on Chiron."

"Some of those arrangements might be the same thing," the younger captain remarked.

An uncomfortable silence followed. Maelis turned toward her. "Explain."

The captain hesitated, then lifted her chin. "We all know some companies pay more than others. Some get passage without delays. Some have cargo inspected. Some don't. I'm tired of pretending the tollkeepers treat every ship the same."

The older captain's tail lashed sharply. "Careful."

"Why? Because someone might finally ask why?"

"Because accusations are considerably easier to make than prove."

Prystill watched the exchange without interrupting. Beside the chamber entrance, Nerra remained motionless, although the minister suspected very little of the conversation escaped her attention.

Eventually, Maelis raised a hand. "We are not conducting a trial of our own members."

"Nor am I asking you to." Prystill stepped closer to the holoprojector, bringing up a blank document rather than another list of demands. "Let's begin with something considerably less ambitious. Your council appoints a liaison for civilian shipping. I'll request a corresponding officer from our naval command. We establish a procedure for sharing information that both sides agree is relevant, and we determine what protections your businesses require before more sensitive records are released." She looked toward Maelis. "Nothing becomes binding until the appropriate authorities approve it. But we can begin drafting the arrangement here."

The Chironian executive studied the document. For the first time since their meeting began, her expression suggested she was considering something other than how best to send the Imperials away. "And after the pirates are gone?"

Prystill tilted her head. "What about it?"

"Your warships. Your shipping corridors. Your liaison officers." Maelis took a deliberate step forward. "Do they all remain? Does Chiron exchange one authority over its commerce for another?"

That was the question Prystill had been expecting from the beginning. "The arrangement I'm proposing would be specifically for the present security operation. Any permanent commercial or security agreement would require separate negotiations. I'm not asking Chiron to surrender control of its ports in exchange for protection."

"And Mahporeem would put that in writing?"

"Yes. Subject to the necessary approvals."

Maelis considered her for several long seconds. Then she turned toward the council. "We'll need to discuss the terms."

"Naturally," Prystill answered, smiling.

Maelis' tail gave a slow sweep. "And I expect your naval command will have opinions of its own."

"Naval officers do have a remarkable talent for those." That drew a few chuckles, including a reluctant one from the older freight captain. The tension eased, if only slightly.

Maelis moved toward the central projector, her hooves clicking softly as she repositioned herself beside the proposed agreement. "Before we begin drafting anything, Minister, there is something you should understand." Prystill looked up. "Not everyone who pays the tollkeepers does so willingly. And not everyone who cooperates with them believes they have a choice." The minister's expression grew more serious.

"I understand the distinction."

"Do you?" Maelis asked. "Because when your investigators begin asking questions, they're going to discover people who've been making payments for years. Some of those people are standing in this room." Several members of the council shifted uneasily. Maelis held Prystill's gaze. "If helping Mahporeem means those people are treated as criminals for keeping their businesses alive, you'll find considerably fewer volunteers than you expect."

Prystill considered that carefully. She knew rather more about the difference between willing cooperation and compliance under coercion than she cared to explain to a room full of strangers. "Then our agreement needs to recognize that distinction as well. Payment under threat isn't the same as willingly helping pirates attack someone else's ships." She paused. "I won't promise immunity from an investigation, but I will insist that circumstances matter. Particularly when the alternative may have been losing a ship, a livelihood, or someone's life."

Maelis studied her a moment longer before giving a small nod. It was not agreement. Not yet. But it was considerably more than Prystill had possessed when she entered the chamber. "Now," Prystill continued, indicating the document, "shall we see whether we can agree on something before another fleet arrives and makes our work even more complicated?"

This time, Maelis actually smiled. "Minister, I suspect that may already be beyond our control."

 

[Hypheer Vhyrn]

OBJECTIVE I — BREAK THE TOLL
Chiron System

Hypheer Vhyrn had been looking forward to shooting pirates. What she hadn't anticipated was having to share them with practically the entire Imperial Navy. "That's just greedy."

R-X chirped from his socket behind the cockpit of the Queen Vhyrn's Revenge, drawing Hypheer's attention toward the growing number of friendly contacts on her tactical display.

"I know they're reinforcements. Doesn't mean they have to take all the fun." The astromech offered another observation. "Yes, I know it's not supposed to be fun either."

She rolled her eyes. Some droids were absolutely determined to ruin a perfectly good day. The asteroid field ahead had become a chaotic collection of engine signatures, weapons discharges, and rapidly shifting sensor contacts. Pirate fighters had emerged to engage the Imperial forces, and the arrival of additional squadrons was steadily tipping the numerical advantage toward Mahporeem. That didn't mean the pirates were finished.

Hypheer caught a hostile fighter maneuvering toward the Imperial formation and immediately adjusted her course. The Revenge responded eagerly, its powerful engines pushing the unconventional starfighter into a sharp banking turn. "Za, Seven. Moving to intercept a hostile approaching Vex's position."

She didn't wait for an answer before accelerating, although she kept the squadron's tactical channel open. Progress. The pirate fighter flashed across her canopy, attempting to slip past the Imperial formation. Hypheer rolled the Revenge onto its flank, cut across the enemy's projected flight path, and squeezed the trigger.

Blue ion bolts streaked through the space between them. The first burst missed. "Rude." R-X whistled. "I was talking about him!"

The pirate broke sharply, forcing Hypheer to adjust her approach. Rather than follow directly behind, she kicked her fighter into a climbing turn, allowing the enemy to pass beneath her before bringing the nose around. "Gotcha!" Another burst of ion fire lanced toward the pirate's engines. She caught a brief flash against its shields, but the enemy continued maneuvering, disappearing behind the bulk of a tumbling asteroid.

Hypheer started after it. Then stopped herself. There were plenty of fighters already pursuing the pirates. Chasing one around an asteroid while leaving the formation behind would accomplish little beyond satisfying her ego. Admittedly, that was a compelling reason. But not quite compelling enough. "Fine. He can have that one."

R-X chirped approvingly as she brought the Revenge back toward the Imperial formation. "Don't make a big deal out of it." She was halfway through checking her weapons when something on the tactical display caught her attention. A contact appeared near the far side of the asteroid field. Then vanished. Hypheer frowned. "R-X, what was that?"

The droid replayed the sensor data, isolating a faint engine signature among the interference. It wasn't particularly strong, and the surrounding rocks made reliable tracking difficult. But its apparent direction was interesting. Away from the fighting. Another intermittent return appeared farther along the same general vector. Hypheer tilted her head. "That's weird."

R-X chirped a question.

"Well, look at them. Everyone's busy shooting at each other over here, but something's moving in the opposite direction." She studied the display for another moment. It might have been sensor interference. It might have been a frightened merchant trying to escape the fighting. Or it might have been something considerably more interesting.

Hypheer grinned. "Bet you five credits it's pirates." R-X responded with an indignant whistle. "Fine. Ten." The astromech refused. "You're no fun either." Her hand drifted toward the throttle. The Revenge was fast enough to investigate, and the asteroid field offered plenty of opportunities to approach without being seen. She could probably have a closer look before anyone even noticed she'd left. Probably. Instead, she keyed her communications.

"Za, Seven here. I've got intermittent engine signatures moving away from the main engagement, deeper into the asteroid field. R-X is having trouble keeping a lock, but something's definitely worth looking at." She paused, watching another faint contact flicker onto her display. "Could be ships trying to escape while their friends keep us entertained."

A few seconds passed before Wilnes Za answered. "Understood, Seven. Investigate, but maintain communications and do not engage anything larger than a fighter without authorization. We're supporting Lieutenant Dex's operation, not starting another one."

Hypheer grinned. "So that's a yes to hunting pirates?"

"That's a yes to reconnaissance, Vhyrn."

"Right. Reconnaissance. Much more professional."

Wilnes wasn't finished. "I'll maintain our position with the squadron and relay your findings to Dex. If those contacts turn out to be something substantial, we'll coordinate an interception. You are not to pursue beyond supporting range. Understood?"

Hypheer considered pointing out that the Revenge was considerably faster than most of the ships currently cluttering her tactical display. She decided against it. "Understood, Commander. I'll be careful." R-X chirped. "Careful enough."

"Seven."

Hypheer sighed. "Yes, ma'am. Actually careful." She eased the Revenge away from the formation, accelerating toward the outer edge of the asteroid field rather than directly into its densest concentration. R-X immediately began plotting a route through the moving rocks, highlighting potential collision hazards and adjusting for their relative velocities. Hypheer glanced at the suggested course. "That's the boring way." R-X chirped sharply. "Fine. We'll take the boring way." She followed the plotted route for approximately four seconds before making a slight adjustment that brought the fighter closer to a large, slowly rotating asteroid. R-X complained. "It's still basically the same route!"

The asteroid's bulk briefly shielded the Revenge from the main engagement. Hypheer reduced her emissions and allowed the fighter to coast along its shadowed side while R-X concentrated the sensors toward the suspicious contacts. There. Another faint engine signature. Then a second. Hypheer's smile faded into concentration. "Well, hello."

The returns were still too weak to identify reliably, but their movement suggested something considerably more deliberate than random debris drifting through the field. She transmitted the coordinates back to Wilnes. "Za, Seven. I've reacquired two intermittent contacts. They're moving along a similar vector away from the fighting. Still can't identify them, but I don't think they're rocks."

"Copy, Seven. Hold your position and continue observing. I'm forwarding the coordinates to Lieutenant Dex."

Hypheer eased back on the throttle, allowing the Revenge to remain partially concealed behind the asteroid. She wanted to get closer. Desperately. But Wilnes had given her an order, and for once Hypheer intended to follow it without discovering exactly how far she could stretch its meaning. R-X gave a quiet, approving chirp. "Don't start."

The distant engine signatures flickered across her display again. Hypheer leaned forward, studying them. "All right, you sneaky little mynocks. Let's see where you're going."

Spoiler: “Loadout”

[*]Queen Vhyrn's Revenge

• Status
  • Shields: 100%
  • Hull: 100%
  • Structure: 100%
• Armament
  • Twin Ion Cannon Turret
• NK-3 Ion Cannons

[*]2 L-s9.3 Laser Cannons
[*]2 NZ LC-2A Laser Cannons
[*]1 Space-Mine Ejector System

• M-S7 Seismic Mines
• Void-7 Seismic Charges

[/LIST]

​

 

[MIR Starfighter Command]

Objective I — Break the Toll
Hunt the Pirate Flotilla

The numbers were becoming impossible to ignore. Across the asteroid field, the pirate fighter screen was coming apart. It hadn't happened all at once. A Headhunter disappeared beneath a concentrated burst of Imperial fire. One of the gunships lost its engines and began tumbling helplessly toward a nearby asteroid. Two more fighters vanished from the tactical display, their pilots either dead or no longer transmitting.

The pirates had inflicted casualties of their own, certainly. They had used the rocks to their advantage, forced Imperial pilots into dangerous approaches, and occasionally managed to catch an opponent distracted by another engagement. But there were simply too many Imperials. The arrival of the additional squadrons had turned a difficult engagement into an increasingly hopeless one. Worse, the enormous clouds of TIE Vultures emerging from the Gluttoneria were beginning to close the routes the pirates had intended to use when the fighting became untenable.

Aboard the Wayward Fortune, Captain Dessa Korr watched another friendly contact disappear. ”We've lost contact with Red Three and Five. Second gunship reports heavy damage. They're requesting permission to withdraw.”

Dessa didn't hesitate. "Granted. All screening elements, disengage by sections. No more attempts to hold the engagement line."

Her tactical officer looked up. "Captain, the freighters haven't cleared the interdiction zone."

"And they won't if we spend every fighter we have trying to buy them another thirty seconds." She pointed toward the surviving pirate contacts. "Tell the gunships to cover the withdrawal. Fighters break contact in pairs. Anyone who can reach an exit does so. Anyone who can't finds somewhere to hide."

"And the ships still inside?"

Dessa's expression hardened. "They'll have to make their own luck." It was an ugly order. But considerably less ugly than ordering every pilot under her command to die for three freighters.

The Black Ledger was not having a particularly good day. The armed freighter had already discovered that its hyperdrive was useless inside the Imperial gravity wells. Now its captain was watching the battle that had been intended to cover their escape deteriorate into a retreat. "We're losing the screen."

"I can see that." Captain Jarek Voss gripped the edge of his command console. The Black Ledger was no warship. It carried enough weapons to discourage opportunistic attackers and enough reinforced plating to survive the occasional unpleasant encounter, but it had never been intended to trade fire with an Imperial squadron. Neither had the two raiders accompanying it. They were supposed to slip through the asteroid field while the Imperials were occupied. Instead, the Imperials had brought enough starfighters to occupy half the system.

"We've got another problem."

Voss turned toward his sensor operator. "Of course we do."

"Intermittent contact. Small. Very low emissions. It was moving toward our route, but now it's holding position behind an asteroid."

Voss leaned over the display. The return was faint. Too faint for a reliable identification. It might have been an Imperial reconnaissance fighter. It might have been debris carrying a residual power signature. But it had moved. And then it had stopped. "How long has it been there?"

"Long enough that I don't like it."

Voss studied the surrounding rocks. Somewhere beyond them, Hypheer Vhyrn's Queen Vhyrn's Revenge remained concealed, its pilot having already transmitted the suspicious coordinates to her squadron commander. Voss didn't know that. He only knew that something might be watching. "Change course. Bring us around the far side of that larger asteroid. Keep the escorts between us and the contact."

"That adds time to our escape."

"Getting boarded adds considerably more." The Black Ledger began a slow adjustment. Its two escorts followed. For a few moments, the three vessels passed behind a cluster of slowly rotating asteroids, disappearing from direct observation.

Then the first escort emerged. A battered raider, barely larger than a heavily modified patrol craft. The second followed. And finally the Black Ledger itself came into view, its reinforced cargo hull and heavier engine signature making it unmistakably different from the smaller vessels accompanying it. They were not advancing toward the battle. They were trying to leave it. And although Voss had altered his course, the maneuver had done something he hadn't intended. It had given anyone watching from Hypheer's position a considerably better opportunity to identify what was moving through the field.

Elsewhere, aboard the pirate cruiser that had attracted the attention of Gaptashi Rokdu and his Nikto boarding party, the situation was becoming equally unpleasant. The cargo bay was compromised. Two mechanics were dead. The repeating-blaster position overlooking the bay had engaged the intruders, but the defenders had been unable to establish whether the boarding party had been contained. That uncertainty was enough.

"Seal the forward access corridors!" The order came from the cruiser's acting security chief. Heavy blast doors began closing along the passageways connecting the cargo sections to the vessel's command compartments. Emergency lighting flickered to life as damage-control teams hurried to isolate the affected decks.

On the bridge, the captain stared at the boarding alarm. "How many?"

"At least six. Nikto, according to the surviving security feed."

The captain swore. "Get the navigation records off the primary computer. Anything relating to our rendezvous points, communications or cargo transfers goes into the emergency purge."

"That will take time."

"Then you'd better start."

The first deletion commands began running. Unfortunately for the pirates, the cruiser's systems were old, its computers had been modified repeatedly, and the records were distributed across several independent storage units. Destroying everything would not be instantaneous. Nor would the security teams have an easy time reaching every terminal while an armed boarding party was moving through the ship.

The pirates still possessed the advantage of knowing their own corridors. The Imperials possessed the advantage of having already breached the hull. What happened next would depend upon which side moved faster.

Dessa received the reports almost simultaneously. The fighter screen was withdrawing. One of her cruisers had been boarded. And the Black Ledger had reported a possible Imperial reconnaissance contact near its escape route. For the first time since the battle began, she said nothing.

Her tactical officer waited. Dessa enlarged the Black Ledger's position. Three ships. One possible observer. An asteroid field rapidly becoming crowded with Imperial fighters. And somewhere beyond them, three gravity-well projectors that had turned what should have been a routine withdrawal into a disaster.

"Captain?"

Dessa looked up. "Tell Voss he's been spotted."

"We don't know that."

"If he's reporting someone watching his escape route, I'm going to assume they're watching his escape route." She tapped the display. "He keeps moving. No stopping to fight. No heroic nonsense. If the escorts have to separate, they separate."

"And if the Imperials intercept him?"

Dessa's gaze lingered upon the freighter. The Black Ledger carried more than stolen cargo. Its computers contained transaction records, rendezvous instructions and fragments of the logistical arrangements that had allowed the flotilla to operate around Chiron for so long. Not everything. Dessa had never been foolish enough to trust one captain with everything. But enough. Enough that losing the ship intact would be considerably worse than losing it altogether.

"Then Voss knows what he has to do." She closed the display. "And tell every surviving captain that the tolls are suspended."

The officer blinked. "Suspended?"

"Until further notice." Dessa looked toward the distant stars beyond the bridge viewport. She had spent years teaching merchants around Chiron that cooperation was cheaper than resistance. Now the Imperials had arrived with enough warships to make that calculation meaningless. The tollkeepers were losing their hold on the system. But the people who had helped them establish it were still out there. And Dessa intended to remain alive long enough to remind them of that. "Get us clear of the system."

The Wayward Fortune remained beyond the immediate engagement, its captain unwilling to sacrifice the rest of her operation in a battle she could no longer win. Behind her, the pirate flotilla was breaking apart. Ahead of her, there were still places to hide. And somewhere among the asteroids, three ships were running for their lives while an Imperial pilot watched their escape route. The battle for Chiron was no longer about collecting tolls. It was about who would survive to explain where the money had gone.

Draven Vex | Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory | Ronhar Tane | Korben Aej | Gaptashi Rokdu | Marlon Sularen​

 

[R'ayne Asara]

someone left the door open

​

dark aresnal • Draconic Scourge | Aura of Asara
tags • Shade | Anastasia

I listened to Mr. Denon with the stillness of a corpse laid beneath consecrated stone, my red eyes fixed upon him while he attempted to assemble his thoughts into something resembling an explanation. There was a certain pleasure in allowing a man to speak when he had finally begun to understand the precariousness of his circumstances.

He spoke of a rumour circulating among the port's varying personnel, a whisper concerning an influx of newcomers arriving from other worlds around the same time the pirates had begun their operations. Apparently, these strangers had found employment aboard merchant vessels, disguising themselves as ordinary crewmen, dock workers, labourers, and other forgettable additions to the galaxy's already excessive population of useful nobodies.

The captains, Mr. Denon explained, had little reason to question their credentials when the work was menial, the wages modest, and the need for additional hands immediate. I inclined my head ever so slightly, allowing him the illusion that his contribution had earned my patience rather than merely postponed its withdrawal.

Then Shade arrived, interrupting the conversation at a particularly interesting juncture.

Ah, Shade.

The Chiss woman was a thorough investigator, a quality I found considerably more appealing than the decorative incompetence so frequently paraded before Imperial authorities. The Mahporeem Imperial Remnant would do well to appreciate such a resource while it remained available to them. Of course, loyalties could sway, allegiances could fracture, and even the most steadfast convictions occasionally developed a negotiable price.

I had little doubt that Mahporeem preferred not to find itself standing on the opposing side of one of the Chiss woman's investigations.

My head nodded so slightly, my lekku shifting with the movement toward the guards, permitting Shade to pass, where upon I gestured toward the vacant chair at our table. "Come, Shade. Join us. We were just discussing Mr. Denon's rather interesting rumour concerning pirates who have apparently developed a fondness for playing dress-up. How industrious of them. My apologies for the lack of manners, though; would you care for a drink? It's on Mr. Denon."

I turned my gaze back toward the unfortunate man, allowing a thin, humourless smile to settle upon my black-painted lips.

I allowed Shade's report to replay itself from the cold, damp confines of my gifted intellectual mind. "You have been following the convoy's information trail through the port's administrative systems. Excellent. And you have yet to establish the precise origin of the breach because you refuse to mistake the first convenient suspect for the guilty party.

Sensible.

Narrowing down the breach's origins is essential, Shade, but I suspect we may be looking at a considerably wider picture. What we have examined thus far is scarcely more than the first brushstroke upon a canvas whose full composition remains concealed beneath layers of grime, deception, and deliberate omission. We must be careful not to mistake the portion illuminated by our investigations for the entirety of the scene."

I folded my hands upon the table, my black fingernails catching the subdued light as I regarded her with genuine interest. "Mr. Denon was just telling me about a rumour, a word I have detested since the first moment my ears encountered it and my mind was burdened with processing its meaning. It is a horrid addition to Galactic Basic, and its place among the dictionary entries on a datapad is nothing more than a tidied-up, socially acceptable form of intellectual laziness. A rumour is what people call a fact when they lack the courage, diligence, or competence to establish its authenticity."

My eyes shifted between Shade and Mr. Denon. "According to our esteemed Mr. Denon, merchant vessels have recently benefited from an influx of newcomers, hired as labourers and the like. Naturally, anyone occupying a position above that of a lowly ship crewman would seem..." I paused, allowing my eyes to drift toward Mr. Denon. "Help me here, Mr. Denon. What is the word I am looking for?"

The man hesitated, his mouth opening before reconsideration persuaded him to close it again. I snapped my fingers once.

"Suspicious." I fixed him with an unblinking stare. "Now, that is a lovely word, would you not agree, Shade? Ship captains are some of the most superstitious creatures in the galaxy, if not the most superstitious lot of all. They read omens into failing hyperdrives, interpret the misbehaviour of navigation systems as divine warnings, and blame the alignment of distant stars when their own poor decisions leave them stranded in the void. Such individuals would surely raise what, Mr. Denon?"

His throat moved. "Suspicion."

"Correct." I offered him a smile as cold as the interior of a tomb. "Yet this particular rumour appears to have passed through enough ears, across enough vessels, and among enough port personnel to warrant more than a dismissive shrug. I believe it is a fact, Mr. Denon, a fact overlooked because investigating it would require effort. How tragically inconvenient that diligence has become optional in certain professional circles."

I turned back toward Shade, the faint amusement leaving my expression as the matter assumed its proper weight. "Your caution regarding the breach is justified. We must compare our findings before either of us becomes too attached to a theory, and we must examine every plausible point of entry, from compromised administrative terminals to the individuals entrusted with convoy manifests."

Again I paused, my eyes were now on the move, looking at the nearby patrons. "However, I would advise against us placing too much faith in the port's incoming personnel records. Any names listed there may already be compromised. Obtaining forged identification documents, such as scandocs, is hardly difficult in this era, and the manufacture and sale of convincing forgeries have become a remarkably lucrative enterprise for those with the necessary connections. A false identity can pass through customs, acquire employment, and enter the bowels of a merchant vessel without attracting so much as a second glance. By the time anyone recognises the intruder for what they are, the damage may already have been done."

I glanced toward Mr. Denon again, making certain he understood that the conversation had not absolved him of anything. "This is why I find your report so very interesting, Shade. If these newcomers arrived alongside the first pirate attacks, then perhaps we are not dealing with a simple case of opportunistic raiders preying upon poorly protected shipping lanes. Perhaps the pirates have cultivated an infrastructure within the ports themselves, one built upon borrowed names, purchased access, and the remarkable complacency of people who prefer their explanations uncomplicated. Or perhaps the breach began elsewhere entirely, and these newcomers are merely another symptom of a much more deliberate affliction."

It was clear from the beginning this investigation's path would not be so straightforward, but now it seems this path has potentially splintered off. "We cannot ignore any possibility, no matter how small it appears or how obvious it may seem to us. The galaxy is full of truths that hide behind the mask of the improbable, and I have little patience for investigators who dismiss a possibility simply because it inconveniences their assumptions."

I leaned back, the shadows beneath my hood deepening around my face. "So, Shade, let us examine the evidence together. We should trace the newcomers, compare their employment histories against the convoy manifests, and determine whether any of these supposed labourers possess credentials that are a little too immaculate, or employers who are a little too eager to forget them. Perhaps we shall discover that the breach originated precisely where we expected. Perhaps we shall uncover an entirely different hand guiding these events from somewhere beyond the reach of the port's ordinary records that could lead to the leaking of the trade routes, manifests, both incoming and departures. Or perhaps, if fortune elects to indulge our curiosity, we shall finally encounter a rumour that refuses to remain a rumour."

My eyes returned to Mr. Denon.

"And when that happens, gentlemen and ladies, I should very much like to know who was foolish enough to mistake our patience for blindness."​

 

[Korben Aej]

Ship: A modified TIE/sr starfighter, black with navy blue highlights - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/TIE/sr_starfighter

Weapons: C-10 heavy blaster pistol and an E-11 blaster rifle.

Droid Companion: A modified Phase Two Dark Trooper nicknamed "Mr. Fist" - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Phase_II_Dark_Trooper/Legends

Second Droid Companion: An S19-Series astromech droid (S19-F86) nicknamed "Freak" - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/S19_astromech_droid

Y-wing Pilot: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Fud_Sang's_species/Legends (He's not gonna make it...)

Objective: #1 - Pirate Hunting - "Pay the Toll"

Draven Vex Ronhar Tane Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory MIR Starfighter Command Gaptashi Rokdu Marlon Sularen

Korben was glad that she had actually taken the time to put on her flight goggles over the helmet that her Mahporeem employers had been kind enough to supply to her - as part of a small payment in advance, as she had never been in a sortie this huge before!

A modified blue-trimmed A-wing - whether pirate or one of her fellow mercenaries, she could not tell - whirled before her TIE's viewport directly before her, whirling counterclockwise and burning like angry magma where the cockpit had once been... Thankfully, the young Chikarri teen had already been directing her yoke downwards, intending to swoop down from the bulge of the asteroid into the battle below from above, using the gargantuan rock as cover.

However, even despite her caution, she had had to relay on the Light's grace to save her even despite her own plans!

KLA-CHONK-SCREE!

The young rodent swore in Ithorese with a guttural growl as the broken A-wing bounced off the box-like top of her TIE/sr, sending her forward from her chair onto - or against, rather - her ship's primary console!

WHA-KRAK!

Searing pain and blinding white light briefly illuminated one - or was it both? - of the Chikarri's eyes, and she swore again in Ithorese, a word that no Youngling should ever have heard. With her vision blurred and with pain still lancing through her head, the blurred vision of her own fumbling gloved hand off to her right danced once in futility over the ship's primary console; on her second attempt, she pressed the button she sought. She sharply banked her ship to the right, vanishing into the shadow of the very asteroid she had been attempting to ambush the pirates from not less then a minute ago. Behind the Sciurid alien, a hidden compartment opened to reveal another one of her three Prized Possessions, towards which she quickly swiveled her chair to face as it activated and rolled forward on a single thick cylindrical tread that kept its boxlike chassis upright, even while the girl's hand shifted up to remove her goggles, causing the plasteel the composed the left lens to crackle as it fell into miniscule pieces towards the floor of the Warbound Jester. Glancing down at the ruined goggles even as her personal astromech rolled up towards the interfact socket to one side of the pilot's chair, while its Master angrily threw her ruined eyewear to one side to be dealt with later. Frosted white and laced with purple trim over the head and glassy radar eye (the largest "eye" on an astromech). Below, the droid's emerald green photoreceptor flared for a moment, and its holoprojector swiveled as it extended its scomp link.

The Chikarri's words were glum, even as the asteroid and her ship's dark design rendered her invisible for the few precious moments that were needed. "Alright, Freak, you're up!" She winced as her hand pressed at her left eyes, which had already swollen shut and throbbed with pain, an ear twitching to listen for the droid's response, her tail twitching in irritation and pain as she jogged urgently towards the refresher, flicking on the overhead light to glance over her injured, swollen eye with a ginger tapping and prodding of a finger.

The droid's scomp link connected with a whirring click to the computer's port, and a few swivels began Freak's communication with the shipboard computer.

"Take us out slow, then keep your sight on the left side." The rodent teen spoke from the refresher urgently. "ransfer control of the left cannon to yourself, activate the autoturrets in case any jokers try to come up behind us, and I'll be on the right cannon with you."

Korben wasted no further time, swiftly shutting off the light in seconds as she jogged back to and leapt into her pilot's chair, fumbling as she strapped herself back into place while, beside her, her astromech magnetized himself to the floor. Taking the TIE/sr's yoke, she punched the ions to maximum, the viewport reverberating just slight as they shot - perhaps recklessly - back into the fray! Wincing at the gentle, constant throb of her blackened eye (it had thankfully been nothing worse then that!), Korben's eye (ha ha...) caught he sight of a most unexpected ally among the mercenaries just ahead and to her right side, hugging along an asteroid as he blasted - accurately - at what could have been an Z-95 Headhunter, which disappeared into a ball of yellow-orange that peppered a smaller asteroid in charred metal shrapnel!

The blue-white of the engines... It was the Old Perverted Bearded Blockhead Guy! However...

TCHEW-TCHEW!

The lead-follow shots placed within microseconds of each other, computer-aided from her own ship's computer's interfacing with her astromech, placed two well-aimed shots into the engine of a vibrant red-and-silver YT-1300's harsh orange engines as they and the familiar Y-wing approached!

The YT's engines sputtered and flared and... Horrifyingly, for the pirate and his tiny crew - stopped dead in the void entirely!

Korben activated her comms, interlinked before the battle, along with her fellow mercs and their Mahporeem employers' communications, grimacing as the harsh cries and shouted commands shifted into volume all-the-more clearly for the first time, as she had purposefully muted all save some cyborg Junktrooper that had hired her directly for this job, one Ronhar Tane or whatever his name had been. Hopefully they could get more acquainted after this skirmish, if they both survived...

Korben spoke into her comms, an ear twitching with excited and nervous anticipation - even after all her interactions with adults over the years, she was still shy and not the most graceful of social conversationalists!

"Starboard Y-wing, do you copy? I'm the TIE/sr... Care to join The Show with me?"

A harsh, deep bass of a guttural laugh echoed back, and the Y-wing shifted closer, even as Korben's blue beams and his orange beams shifted outwards to bite into the sides of the crippled YT-1300, painting the void with fresh, heated durasteel shrapnel and the glow of heated metal...

"They'd better be paying us extra for all of this risk, is all I can say!" Came the overly cheerful response of his deep voice in Basic, and with that, the Y-wing and Korben's TIE/sr shifted their closest side downwards towards each other, as though bowing, before they resumed their course together towards and above their shared crippled target amidst explosions, the crackle of flak and the comms-yelling and shouted orders of their allies.

"Yes Sir, Old Man..." Came Korben's response, her tail swaying to rest atop her astromech's flat head as she turned to smile in the direction of her ally, even while banking to avoid a diagonal-flying scarlet beam from one side, "I've got to take my frustrations out on something after some prick's A-wing scorched and scraped over the top of my TIE back there! I broke my flight goggles, blackened my eye and I almost crapped my new flight suit all at once! Had to call out my astromech and everything just now!" She huffed in annoyance.

The Old Geezer laughed in response, probably rolling his eyes in their stalks. "Not very ladylike of you..."

They were nearly upon their scarlet-hued target!

The Sciurid alien huffed, even as she did her best not to laugh audibly. "We girls have bodily functions too, you know..."

The Old Geezer spoke up again even as she began to accelerate towards their foe, while his Y-wing dodged a purple beam from below by chance, barely!

"Hold up, Crappie! I've got an idea... Accelerate NOW and out of that guy's range, and then watch me take this tank out! You're clear beyond him!! GO NOW and turn about when I say so!"

Korben bit her lip, but, with a sigh, she resigned and decided to humor the old show-off, pushing the throttle forward as her ship's engines roared into the darkness!

"Just let me show off for you in return, Old Man!"

 

[Ronhar Tane]

CAPTAIN RONHAR TANE, TK-3301
CHIRON SYSTEM
OBJECTIVE I: BREAK THE TOLL

By this point in time, the starfighter engagement had quickly settled in to a rout of the pirate forces.

Superior Imperial numbers were quickly taking a heavy toll on the pirate fleet, and at this point most of the resistance had quickly fallen away. The remaining pirates were now trying to actively flee rather than fight, made all the more difficult by the presence of Imperial interdiction fields. Leading with the Disruptors had proven to be the right choice, though Ronhar was certain at least some of the pirates had already managed to flee the advancing Imperial forces or had hidden themselves well enough to prevent detection. Ronhar sighed to himself at the thought. That meant this wouldn't be the last they saw of the pirates, and it would likely take them weeks, if not months, to finish hunting the rest of them down. Valuable time being wasted, keeping their attention off Nat Nawara 's burgeoning rebel faction or the rumors circulating that the Sith were looking to officially join forces and merge.

Instead, they would be stuck doing clean up duty for the foreseeable future.

Ronhar's eyes flickered toward the planet Chiron itself, and he wouldn't just how well the negotiations were going under Prystill Oasay . She was certainly a competent politician, to say the least, and Ronhar was sure it was going well. But still, he could almost physically feel the distance between her and himself up so far away in the cockpit of his starfighter. When would he really be able to see her again, to spend actual quality time with her without having to worry about being called away at a moment's notice? These days, Ronhar was busier than ever, and it was reflecting on their relationship. Being the hero of the Imperial Remnant had its perks, to be sure, but also its fair share of drawbacks. Ronhar couldn't help but wonder if it was all truly worth it.

"Contacts! Bearing north, dead ahead!"

Ronhar snapped back to the task at hand, locating a pair of fleeing freighters. Caught out in the interdiction zone, they certainly were trying to find the edge of the field so that they could make the jump to lightspeed and escape once and for all. Ronhar was here to make sure that didn't happen.

A burst of laser fire erupted from his customized X-Wing, bolts streaking toward the engines of the freighters in front of him. Though destroying them outright wouldn't have been too difficult for him, it would be better to keep them disabled but intact so Mahporeem Intelligence could pick them up and interrogate them later. Maybe they might have some actually useful information for once...though Ronhar wasn't willing to hold his breath over it!
​

Spoiler: Ronhar's Loadout

• Head
  • Helm of Authority
    • Rangefinder
• Torso
  • Tashai Coat of Coins
  • Mk 45 Protective Vest
  • "Kitetsu" Force Energy Cycler
  • Wampa-Pattern Industrial Exoskeleton
    • Miniaturized Smoke Grenade Launcher
    • Empty Automated Weapon Mounting Point
• Arms
  • Tashai Coat of Coins
  • Wampa-Pattern Industrial Exoskeleton
    • NZ Medpack Display
    • Retractable Vibroblade
    • NZ Pangolin Type 1/A Reactive Armor Plating
• Legs
  • Wampa-Pattern Industrial Exoskeleton
    • NZ MAM MkII Jet Maneuvering Gear
• Cybernetics
  • Mod V Cyberarms
  • Cyberlegs Mod III
• Weapons
  • Burnblade
  • Prototype Sonic Pistol
  • Mahporeem Acid Rifle
  • Model 216 "Big Game Hunter"
• Ordinance
  • Two Rhydonium Grenades OR Three Mk II Viral Bombs
• Medical Supplies
  • Carapace Knitters
  • ABC - Aerosolized Bacta Cannisters

TAGS:
MIR Starfighter Command
Draven Vex
Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory
Korben Aej
Marlon Sularen
Hypheer Vhyrn
OPEN

 

[Keldan Andro]

KELDAN ANDRO
[REDACTED]
OBJECTIVE: BYOO

It was all a lot for Keldan to try and take in at once.

Her , an enemy of the Imperial Remnant. Forced to flee into exile like Keldan once had, only this time he was on the opposite side of things. Yet, he had been given strict orders not to engage with Her or haver Her killed. Why? Why, if this person was such a threat to the Imperial Remnnat, would Victport not want Her eliminated? Why was she exiled from the Imperial Remnant in the first place, and why did Victport want Keldan to watch Her and keep track of Her movements? Surely, he had other far more capable individuals at the ready to do this?

Also as if reading his mind, Victport began to speak:

"If you're wondering why I want you for this job, the answer is quite simple. One, I want you to feel indebted to me, the man who rescinded your capture order and had you inducted back into the ranks of your fellow Imperials. Two, I want to see just how capable you actually are. Being on the run for as long as you were couldn't have been accomplished by any ordinary man, short of you having inredible luck, and I take it was your skills rather than luck that kept you alive for as long as you were out there. If you skills are as formidable as I think they are, hiding away from and keeping an eye on Her should be a trivial task for someone like you. Then again, I've been wrong before. I'd like to make sure someone like you is worth my valuable time before I commit into investing into your future", Victport mentioned almost a little to casually, almost as if he saw Keldan as not a person but rather a commodity to be used and exploited...and possibly thrown away after its use for him has ended.

"So, knowing that...what will you do, Keldan Andro? Will you humor my request and prove yourself in my eyes once and for all?

TAGS:
Victport Graras

 

[Shade]

Objective: II | Someone Left the Door Open
Investigating: The Chiron Intelligence Leak
Interacting With: R'ayne Asara | Anastasia

Shade acknowledged R'ayne's invitation with a slight nod before taking the offered seat. Her crimson gaze settled briefly upon Mr. Denon, whose circumstances suggested that refusing the woman's hospitality would have been an exceptionally poor decision. She had endured enough interrogations to recognize when someone was being encouraged to cooperate, though she remained uncertain how much of his account was supported by evidence and how much came from a desire to satisfy his questioner. The distinction mattered, particularly when the subject was an intelligence breach that might have cost Imperial personnel their lives. "A drink would be appreciated, thank you. Although I suspect Mr. Denon is beginning to regret his generosity."

Her attention returned to R'ayne as the woman explained what she had learned. The arrival of unfamiliar laborers around the time the pirate attacks began was interesting, certainly, but it presented several difficulties. Chiron was a commercial world, and workers moving between vessels, warehouses, and port facilities were hardly unusual. An influx of newcomers could indicate an organized effort to infiltrate local shipping operations. It could just as easily reflect a change in employment opportunities, a recently established transport contract, or displaced workers seeking passage through the system. Shade was concerned not that the explanation sounded implausible, but that it sounded plausible enough to become dangerous if accepted without examination. "An influx of unfamiliar personnel would certainly be worth investigating," she agreed, resting her datapad upon the table. "Particularly if their arrival coincided with the beginning of the attacks. But I'd be careful not to assume they're responsible just because nobody remembers seeing them before. A busy port attracts strangers. We'd need to establish whether these particular strangers had access to anything the pirates shouldn't have known."

She considered R'ayne's observation concerning forged credentials. It was a reasonable concern, although false identification alone wouldn't necessarily reveal an infiltrator. Professional smugglers, fugitives, and people escaping considerably less pleasant circumstances frequently traveled under names that weren't their own. A scandoc might show someone had something to conceal, but it wouldn't show what they were concealing or whether it related to Mahporeem's convoys. "Forged credentials complicate the records, but they don't make those records useless. An invented identity still needs a starting point. Someone accepts the application, approves the employment, issues access permissions, and decides which duties the new arrival can perform. Even if the name is false, the process that allowed its owner through the door may leave something useful behind."

Shade brought up part of her earlier findings, keeping the display angled toward R'ayne rather than exposing potentially sensitive information to anyone within sight. The administrative records had already demonstrated how widely certain commercial details circulated before a vessel departed. She hadn't established whether the pirates obtained those details directly from the systems or through someone positioned to observe the relevant movements. If unfamiliar workers had been placed aboard merchant vessels or within the port's freight operations, they might have acquired information without ever touching a restricted terminal. "There is another possibility worth considering. We may be looking for a leak in the wrong place. The pirates have shown an unusual familiarity with Imperial movements, but that doesn't necessarily mean someone handed them an Imperial convoy manifest. If they had observers positioned along the commercial routes, they could have collected departure times, cargo transfers, escort arrangements, and other details individually. Enough observations, combined with information already circulating through the port, might allow them to reconstruct movements they were never officially authorized to see."

It was an imperfect explanation, and Shade knew it. Some of the pirates' apparent foreknowledge might still require access to more sensitive information than an ordinary dock worker could reasonably obtain. Nevertheless, they should consider the possibility before devoting their efforts to identifying a single compromised official. An intelligence network made up of several minor sources could be much harder to recognize than one traitor with access to everything. "Of course, that raises another question. Were these newcomers working independently, or did someone arrange their placements? If several appeared within a relatively short period and found employment through the same intermediary, that would interest me considerably more than their names."

Her gaze shifted toward Mr. Denon. She had no intention of competing with R'ayne's interrogation, but the man's account was their best immediate chance to move beyond speculation. Rumors rarely emerged fully formed. Someone had noticed something, someone else had repeated it, and somewhere along that chain someone might have a firsthand account. "Mr. Denon, I'd like to ask you something. When you say these newcomers began appearing around the time the pirates became active, who first noticed them? Was it a particular captain, a hiring agent, or someone working in the port? And were they arriving together, or did people simply begin noticing unfamiliar faces over several weeks?"

Her tone remained conversational rather than accusatory. Frightening a man who already seemed to have received a thorough introduction to R'ayne's expectations offered little advantage. Shade was more interested in whether he could identify a source for the information than in extracting another elaborate theory. "If you can give us a company, a vessel, or even the name of someone who handled their employment, we can begin checking the records. Otherwise, we're attempting to investigate an entire port because somebody heard that it had acquired some new employees." A faint smile touched her lips before she glanced back at R'ayne. "Which, admittedly, would keep us occupied for quite some time."

Beyond the cantina, the Imperial fleet was engaged in an increasingly costly effort to break the pirates' control of the surrounding system. Shade had no doubt the military would welcome victory, but she also understood how easily an intelligence network could survive the destruction of the ships it supported. People who supplied information, arranged payments, or facilitated access might simply return to their ordinary occupations once the fighting ended. If they remained unidentified, nothing would prevent another organization from buying the same services. She folded her hands loosely upon the table, studying R'ayne with renewed interest. "I agree that we should compare the newcomers against the convoy records. I'd also like to examine the hiring arrangements themselves. If somebody deliberately placed people where they could observe Imperial shipping, the identities they used may be less revealing than whoever helped them obtain those positions."

Shade glanced at Mr. Denon again, then back to her companion. "And if the information came from somewhere else entirely, I'd rather discover that before we spend the next several days chasing innocent dock workers." Her expression softened into another small, knowing smile. "Although I suspect our esteemed host may be able to save us some of that trouble. Provided, of course, that he remembers where he heard this particularly interesting rumor."

 

[Captain Charles]

Obj I: Break the Toll​

The battle was largely decided when First Scouting Squadron dropped into low orbit around Chiron. Imperial forces had broken the blockade and the pirate fleet was attempting to flee the system. Though the battle in space was reaching its conclusion. Pirate ground elements who had been left behind were still active and a important town, code named Settlement 67, was reported to have a Pirate Headquarters there. If captured intact, the intelligence there could prove valuable in capturing the mole feeding data to the pirates.

“Voss, prepare the 514th for a ground assault.” ordered Charles, He checked the intel reports again. Pirate strength was estimated at roughly 600. Terrain was good and his men were well versed in urban assaults. It would be quick and easy. He opened up a channel to the hanger.

“Tarris, bombardment is not an option. Send as many fighters as you see fit to provide close air support.”

“Aye, aye sir.” came the quick reply as usual.

Charles returned his attention to the tactical displays. Death Squadron and Strike Squadron were launched with Lance Squadron on standby. All eight Runner Class Transports were heading towards the Stryker II to embark the 514th and its equipment. Estimated time of completion would be a few hours. He wasn’t in a hurry.

“Malren, begin the assault as soon as Voss and the Transport Captains say they are good to go.” ordered Charles, glancing at his Tactical Officer. Malren was at his station as always, tapping the screen to give orders in between studying the tactical displays. He gave a thumbs up in acknowledgement.

Charles got up from his command chair to head to the viewports. Around him, his ships maintained formation (minus the Runner Class Transports) who were taking turns in the hangar to embark troops, equipment and supplies. He looked at the planet below. Right below his ship was the objective. He wondered what the pirates were thinking having been abandoned on this rock.

He hoped they were having a decent day because for most it would be their last.