Hostile Takeover

[Mira-Jin Keen'v]

Stopping at a fueling center in the expansion regions was the loan counselor ship, a retrofitted diplomatic ship from a millennia ago, it stopped at the fueling tank in the middle of space where many other tankers stopped typically, however for some strange reason or another, the diplomatic ship was the only one there, which was a strange sight as this refueling center had been typically very lively with trading ships and diplomats alike on their way in-between empires in the expansion regions. Nevertheless the ship continued to fuel thinking their was a reason for the sudden disappearance of traffic, must have been due to factions fighting in space or some other reason as there is always an explanation for things.

On board the diplomatic ship was a small detachment of four Donian royal guards, two protocol droids, and a young woman, Princess Mira-Jin Keen'v, daughter of the King of Donus. This ship was on its way to Kashyyyk for some possible diplomatic meetings. As the ship began to undock from the fueling tank, the radar began to ping with an incoming signature. "Hm.. Incoming ships spotted, must finally be the traffic.. lets go then" The pilot of the vessel said, exclaiming this to his co-pilot as he pushed the ship forward towards the incoming signature. As the two ships finally approached, the true horror was seen.. it wasn't any friendly traders, or a fellow diplomatic ship.. it was a slaver ship, coming from Hutt space. Sadly for the diplomatic ship, it had easy target written all over it.

With a burst of quick action the pilot jolted the stick and went into evasive maneuvers, for a moment it seemed that they had avoided the danger however.. sadly for the crew of the diplomatic ship, they were not fast enough to outrun the Hutt ship. To their dismay four Ion rounds hit the Diplomatic ship sending all systems except gravity and life support to shut off, leaving the ship dead in space and sending the crew to panic. With no moment Mira left her quarters "What.. is going on?!" the young princess yelled as she exited her quarters with fear in her eyes of the situation at hand. "Pirates M'lady, return to your room and lock the door, we've sent a distress signal of to all nearby ships in the area, you will be fine." The royal guard captain said to the princess, calming her down in this moment of high stress, and with no response back Mira simply nodded and went back to her quarters locking the door, and sitting tight as she was requested.

Moments passed as the pirate ship had locked onto the diplomatic ship, moving over the boarding tunnel and connecting the two ships by one short pass. Minutes turned to hours for the royal guards at the door, knowing this might very well be their end. "Alright men.. we fight to the bitter end and prevent anyone or anything from touching the princess, Do not back down.." His team of three other men nodded and began breathing as the boarding hatch to the ship began lighting up with splicing sparks. Within minutes the door busted down and blaster fire was exchanged, rounds exited from the smoky door hatch which led to the Pirate ship and blaster fire returned was returned from the four royal guards. However, the royal guards were able to return fire and dispatch twenty three incoming pirates, the greater manpower and firepower the pirates boasted simply was enough to dispatch and kill the four royal guards.. meeting their ends finally but not after blowing enough time for the signal to reach any near by ships.

"Search the ship boys, kill anything that's not worth while.." A Large alien said as he entered the diplomatic ship from the hatch, a Hutt lieutenant, feared among this region for his brutality and ferocity. After a minutes search blaster shots could be heard as the two pilots of the ship were killed, and two protocol droids were dragged back to the lieutenant. "Progress?" he asked his thug "Nothing to valuable sir, the guards put up a hell of a fight, killing off most of our crew, we only have about fifteen men left, and we haven't found any diplomats except for these two protocol droids.. however we have one last room to search.. the captains quarters." The thug said to his superior as he dropped the two droids off and headed off to the quarters were a team was already at work on breaking the door down, however having trouble being that the door was re-enforced.

[member="Eustachya"]

 

[Epistor of Phasekion]

~ Location: Umbara system ~​

~ Objective: Investigate the distress call ~ Tag: [member="Mira-Jin Keen'v"] ~​

She wasn't able to do anything fancy yet, for fear of stalling out her burrowed starfighter. Simply flying was enough for a feat in and of itself, however, for someone who had only pulled handcarts and ridden the occasional animal mount up until this point. Truth be told, her R5-series astromech copilot, T3-R0, was constantly correcting her, making the training exercise both completely safe and a useful learning experience.

Her human teacher, Silver Spacey instructor Magre, had begun his jump back to Kashyyyk about thirty minutes ago in order to teach a class on the Rest's landing. As the Umbara system was mostly clear of debris, and only contained Umbara, its sun and its moon, it was not just a superb place to teach one space flight, but Magre felt that leaving Padawan Myrian (as was her patronymic) here to practice alone was appropriate.

And it was until the interceptor light illuminated the small cockpit green and an aurebesh mayday flashed across her side display. Pirate attack? And it was only a few lightyears away? Simple math told the young pilot that apprising Kashyyyk and waiting for reinforcements would make her too late. Eustachya leaned slightly over in her seat, giving a quick glance out into the vacuum and down to the planet below. Even comming the SJO base on Umbaran would most likely yield much the same results due to the time commanders would take to discuss the whole matter.

I can handle this, she thought, without understanding--yet--what doing so would entail.

"Arroh," she began addressing T3-R0 by his nickname, "prep for system departure." The little droid gave a series of distressed beeps; the semi-fluent-in-binary woman picked out a complaint about how she only had jumped once before. "View it as practice," she answered, trying to exude more confidence that she in fact possessed. Arroh then gave a slow, resigned whistle, and powered up the hyperdrive. After entering the distress call coordinates into her nav and remembering the correct sequence in which to throw the switches, ending with the jump throttle, after a few moments, Eustachya successfully guided her fighter into the blue and white wormhole-like backdrop of hyperspace.

In thirty minutes, she dropped out on the edge of a system that was unknown to her. She squinted out of her canopy at a construction floating in the distance. Two ships were docked bow-to-bow, and Eustachya would have thought they had crashed had she not realized the telltale signs of power in each of them. "Running biologics..." Arroh whirred his head around, pointing the ship's scanner at the Hutt freighter, as it was in the way of the diplomatic ship.

HUMANOID HEAT SIGNATURES: ...negative...​

Eustachya furrowed her brow. "What are they thinking?" she thought aloud. Even though Sargus Novis hated its inwarring past, the government had chose not the shield its Children from it. Eustachya and her siblings had studied all, including each battle of the Never-Ending Wars. In a few instances, pirate crews ruled the Kyllypser sea, so she was familiar with the concept of piracy, but this tactic of leaving their ship unmanned to plunder another was new.

Oh well, it made her approach easier. Plus, the soundproof vacuum masked her flyby and docking to the freighter's ventral airlock.

"Send notice to Silver Rest, Arroh," Eustachya said before grabbing her lightsaber out of its cockpit holster. She squirmed in her seat to hook her weapon to her tunic's belt, and then went for her collapsible exosuit helmet. The droid beeped in affirmation as Eustachya popped the canopy open and leaned over to take up the thick cable that she had fired from her ship to the airlock. Using it as a guide, she pulled herself though space and to the Hutt ship safely, but just as her foot touched the hull, the cable snapped. She exclaimed and fell into the force field airlock as Arroh ejected himself and used the rocket projectors in his legs to join her.

"Well, evidently, room to improve," was all she could think to say in the moment, keeping somewhat positive. Then she knelt down and pulled off her helmet, setting it by her droid. "Stay here, Arroh. Man the beacon." With that, she started into the cargo bay. Hopefully, she would be able to figure out where she was sooner rather that later.

 

[Mira-Jin Keen'v]

As the young women found her way into the cargo bay, the Hutt soldiers were still having problems breaking the re-enforced doors down, yelling and fighting could be heard from the mix bunch of pirates inside the ship, humans arguing with gamorreans and vice versa as they struggled to blast the door down. Nevertheless the lieutenant could also be heard "Hm.. Pull out the defiler, we are burning this door down, I'm sick of waiting.. Re-enforcements are sure to be here anytime by now! Hurry!" The large bulking human would yell at his pirate crew, yelling at them to go off and lug the siege weapon over. "You two, inspect the cargo hold.. Maybe they have some valuables in here, its a diplomatic ship so we need to find the delegation!" He would yell at two human mercenaries outside the door, instructing them in the direction of the cargo hold.

From the cargo hold [member="Eustachya"] could hear footsteps approaching the door way, light footsteps so luckily it wasn't anything big like gamorreans, trandoshans, or.. wookies, but footsteps they were, and approaching fast. A Minute would pass and the doorway to the cargo hold would open, and close and within a moment two armored humans would enter the dark cargo hold. "Delegation.. what would we find as a delegation..?" One of the armored humans would asked, not knowing what to be really looking for in this situation. "Hm.. Maybe some sort of wine, or an artifact, I don't know.. something that looks expensive." the other would respond also not knowing what to look for.

For a minute both could be heard rummaging through the cargo boxes not knowing what to look for until one found something special. "Think I found something, its a medallion.. I think I'm just gonna keep and give him something else" the first mercenary would say as he stuffed the medallion into his pocket. "Well, we have to find something for the boss, he looks like he is in a bad mood." He would search another crate finding nothing but rations. This trend of finding nothing would continue on for a bit, not being able to find anything valuable.. or their unwelcomed guest which was also in the room with them.

 

[Epistor of Phasekion]

~ Theme: Pirates, Thugs, and Bandits ~ Tag: [member="Mira-Jin Keen'v"] ~​

Thankfully, it was somewhat easy to find her way through the empty Hutt ship and onto the diplomatic one. She was then able to slip into the other cargo hold, the door closing behind her mere moments before she heard the fast-approaching footsteps echoing down the hall. Quickly, Eustachya hid behind a stack of durasteel shipping containers. The men entered they room, and she felt safe due to the darkness of the hold to peer over the boxes at them.

The outlines of two human men met her, one closer to her and one farther. They both had their heads bead, focused on raiding the box that they were each currently going though.

Quietly, Eustachya sighed. Mentally, she bat away the realization of the violence that this would require settling on her now; no, she thought, this will be just like practicing the pankration with Acrenon. She paused. With a...less willing contender. Admittedly, it was a poor excuse, and she had not wrestled in a long time, but it was them or her, now or never.

First, for a distraction. Crouching down onto her haunches, Eustachya turned to face forward. In front of her, she saw an box that must have been left open by the original crew, as the two pirates had not yet searched it. Immediately, that gave her an idea.

If they wanted something valuable, she'd give that to them.

Unclipping the golden, intertwined snake saber hilt from her belt, she leaned forward slightly to toss it ahead. It made it into the box with a soft clang. She held her breath then, as the man closest to her asked, "Oh ho ho, what's that?" He left the cargo container that he was currently rummaging through to check out the sparkling gold piece that he had just spotted though the low light.

As he was about to pass her, when Eustachya, in one quick motion, stood, grabbed the man by his windpipe between her thumb and four fingers, and guided him to the ground. She squeezed his Adam's apple not harshly enough to cause damage but to render his speechless due to lack of oxygen. As they softly hit the ground, him with his back and Eustachya with her right knee, she palm striked his solar plexus, effectively knocking him out. After propping his body up behind the stack she had been hiding behind, she quickly snuck over to retrieve her lightsaber and found more cover.

Now, how to take care of the other one?

 

[Mira-Jin Keen'v]

While the commotion in the cargo hold took place, Outside in the main compartment of the ship the light siege weapon was finally unloaded and was prepared and readied to fire. The drive cannon was prepared and aimed at the reinforced door, as it charged up a faint roar from what it sounded like an engine could be heard from the cargo hold, this of course being the cannon outside. Chatter could also be heard outside the door, what sounded like 7 men crowded in one area cheering as the cannon charged up, as it was always fun being able to use the 'big guns'.. as dangerous as it was inside the small ship.

Moreover, inside the cargo-hold where the young Padawan was making her way into the ship she had successfully knocked out one of the mercenaries.. lucky for the mercenary though, she was seemingly fighting with a more non-lethal approach. As time passed, the other Mercenary began to get confused as he had only minutes ago seen his friend, and heard him also.. maybe he was just playing the silent game.. however the mercenary knew his friend and knew he wouldn't do that.

"Hey!.. Bud, where are you..?" He called out, searching for his friend in the cargo hold, even knocking crates out of the way. The mercenary was obviously panicking as he grabbed his blaster rifle, checking every corner closely.

"Look! This isn't funny man.. its freaking me out, were on a captured ship" The Merc, would call out again, fear was in his voice stuttering his words and shaking from head to toe.

"Hey.. if somebody is in here you better not have hurt my buddy, I'll kill you..!" In a desperate push to sound tough the mercenary uttered this last line, checking his final crate in the room.. preparing to the round the corner Blaster rifle in hand.

[member="Eustachya"]

 

[Epistor of Phasekion]

~ Tag: [member="Mira-Jin Keen'v"] ~​

It was rather clear that the same tactic would no longer work twice.

At least not exactly. A front approach would doubtlessly be dangerous as the mercenary was not armed and ready for her, even if he knew not where she was currently, That left an attack from the back as the best knockout possible. So, exercising extreme caution, Eustachya snuck from cover to cover, encountering a few close calls when the man would knock over a box near her. However, she worked her way behind his position and slowly inched out of the darkness behind him. Once close enough, the young woman struck the thug in his jugular vein and caught him as he crumpled forward. Like the other pirate, she managed to set this one down semi-silently--hopefully, the small clanks made by his blaster rifle on the deck would sound just like the normal ambiance of a settling ship.

Kneeling beside the threshold, now, Eustachya closed her eyes and attempted to reach past the door with Force vision. The red heat signatures of the beings shattered through the ship popped into her mind, one after the other as she focused more and more intently, until the number reached fourteen, but the last glowed a paler shade, radiating anxiety. Opening her eyes, Eustachya turned her attention down to her belt, to her lightsaber. She fiddled with a knob of the hilt, switching from full power to low and then back again. She hadn't sparred very much at all at the temple, but, no better forge than fire.

Finally settling for her weapon's training setting, Eustachya stood. It was as much for her benefit as it was to the pirates, but still, a bad burn, bruise, or concussion could render even the most brutish of them decommissioned.

With a simple wave of her hand into the doorway to open it, she waited to gauge the reaction, if any, it would garner of the remaining enemies.

 

[Mira-Jin Keen'v]

As the cargohold was finally cleared, the engine humming which was the light Siege gun's charging had finally ended.. it had been fully prepped. "Fire! Get this door down and lets get this diplomat out of there!" The lieutenant yelled as two of his pirate guards aimed the gun and fired, burning the blast door down which led into the quarters down in the blink of an eye, as the gun was firing the faintest scream of a young woman could be heard. As the door came down, smoke covered the doorway into the room. The Pirates may have broken down the door but.. who could have been in that room, was there a guard team in there, or simply just the diplomat, Nevertheless, he knew there was a diplomat and he was not going to let this mission be for nothing. "You five!.." He pointed to five of his grunts pointing then to the room "Into that room, search it, and set blasters to stun.. She, is in there" With an evil smile on his face, he yelled at them ordering them into the room double time. The five men entered the room, blasters in hand and set all to stun

Moments would pass and nothing could be heard from the room, only the chatter of the five thugs, rummaging throughout the quarters stealing from Mira's jewelry and clothes for all of her valuables. Suddenly, out of nowhere Mira popped out from behind a desk blaster in hand, letting out a quick burst of successive fire, she had missed all 10 of her shots except for one which.. surprisingly landed a clean headshot on one of the thugs, sadly killing him instantly. Mira would dive behind the knocked down desk and a quick fire-fight would ensue in the quarters, men hiding behind her bed, inside her bathroom, and behind knocked down closets. blaster fire flying all around, red shots from Mira's pistol and blue stun rounds from the thugs. "Get the hell out of here!" She would yell at the top of her lungs, obviously angered by this whole situation.

Along while this was taking place, outside the cargo hold, everything was empty all of the Lieutenants gang was based over by the doorway, clumped in one small area by each other, blaster fire could be heard from the diplomatic ships cargo hold, it was a hell of a fight taking place, curses being yelled out from both sides, one side of course being far more formal however still ticked off, to the unknowing spectator.. it was somewhat comical for what it was, however in reality it was far darker.

[member="Eustachya"]

 

[Epistor of Phasekion]

~ Tag: [member="Mira-Jin Keen'v"] ~​

Her test of the proverbial waters yielded no reaction, but the distressing sounds of the nearby firefight filtered into the room.

Without a second thought, Eustachya ignited her saber and stepped out of her hiding place and into the hall. "Cease and desist!" she called out. Maybe, hopefully, announcing herself and showing that she was a Jedi would be enough to stall the pirates, at least for a few seconds. "This is your one and only warning..."

The leader, behind his men and still in the door of the captain's quarters, turned and looked at Eustachya. For a brief moment, he seemed startled by her sudden appearance, but then picked up on her apprehension. He smiled then and slowly began to pad over to her. Eustachya backed up with a matching pace, holding her weapon angled to the floor in front of her.

For a moment, she thought to warn him again, but then though better of it--it wouldn't be much of a one and only warning if she did--and sliced up as the male rose his blaster pistol. The end of the barrel clattered to the floor as Stach followed up by turning off her saber, twirling into the man, and elbowing him under his ribs. Likewise, he crumbled down behind her feet, causing the padawan to almost trip.

Easily, though, she flipped over him but stumbled into the back of another pirate. The force knocked him prone and caused Eustachya to fall off of his back to the floor, now within the princess' room. She then scrambled to her feet, hastily reflecting a blaster bolt fired at her as she did.

 

[Mira-Jin Keen'v]

As [member="Eustachya"] had entered the room, the firefight had been calming down, while the Padawan was outside, Mira was able to eliminate two out of the eight Remaining pirates on the ship, the others fleeing back to the Hutt transport, or surrendering within an instant. Leaving the six of the pirates left inside of the captain's quarters, along with that, due to the critical strike done by the Padawan to the lieutenant he had fallen unconscious just outside, the wound instantly knocking him out due to it being in such a weak area.

Moreover, inside the captain's quarters was a hailstorm of blue stun rounds and red blaster bolts from Mira's blaster pistol, however as the battle continued on Mira had began hiding in one spot fearing being shot more than anything, one thing that the pirates did successfully was suppress the young Princess to one spot.. making it easier to flank her location, however.. their luck had just ran out as they turned to Eustachya.

"A Jedi?!" The pirate yelled out in anger, "That's it.. kill her and then we can take her saber.." While 2 pirates continued suppressing Mira the rest of them turned and began opening fire, switching their stun rounds over to normal blaster bolts and within a second preparing to open fire on the surrounded Padawan.

Mira in the meantime hearing the word jedi being yelled out began crying in joy.. her luck had finally turned around, she knew the distress beacon would save her.. Sadly it couldn't do the same for her crew. "Oh please save me.." Mira would whisper to herself in a panic.

Meanwhile as this whole situation in the quarters had been taking place, the rest of the pirate crew hearing word of a jedi on board panicked, thinking that this was much more than they planned for.. and this made it way to difficult for how much they were paid for, evacuating and heading off the ship grabbing the lieutenant on the way out and detaching the boarding hatch from the Donian diplomatic vessel leaving the pirates in the captains quarters marooned on the diplomatic ship with the Jedi.

 

[Epistor of Phasekion]

~ Tag: [member="Mira-Jin Keen'v"] ~​

She was less than a half-cooked padawan, unsure of just about everything she was doing.

Maybe that gave her an advantage in the moment; if she had little idea of what she was doing, then her adversaries surely had no idea. And, to boot, they were mediocre shots. And the mix of adrenaline and protective instinct brought on my the princess' scream served to drive her will onward.

"A little help, please, lady," she huffed, swinging her saber wildly to bat back the pirate's blaster bolts. It's just like fighting with a remote, she chanted to herself. Don't be afraid.

Meanwhile, as the struggle within the Donian craft continued, Arroh began to rock on the hangar floor, as the pirate ship detached from they prey. With an urgent series of beeps and whirls, he rolled out of the forcefield to jump back into Eustachya's leased starfighter. He flew around the back of the pirates, taking care not to be spotted...at least not from the bridge.