Raid: Death Watch Piracy against Sekalus

[Captain Larraq]

[member=Sanya Val Lerium]

Larraq needed to obtain something rare, for cheap, and in a manner that was... both untraceable and deniable. Or... deniable. With Wayland at a loss and mining currently disrupted at Roche, Mandal Hypernautics was unable to acquire the Phrik he would need for a... special project. One which he and Draco ([member="Darth Vulkan"]) were in collaborating on.

Mandal Hypernautics would supply the Ionite, while Draco would acquire the Phrik. To aid in the endeavor, Larraq had temporarily placed his finest ship under Draco's command.

It was for that reason that the [member="Naast'ika Laaran"] appeared from Hyperspace over Sekalus and burned towards the planet as quickly as possible.
For the first time in the young Mesen'Loras's life, he would be engaging in an act of Piracy.

The thought made Larraq wish he had had time to make the young Mando'ad an eyepatch.

Not that he had eyes or anything...

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Piracy was a hilarious concept. But it was simple, cut and dry, and straight to the point. With Phrik being mined and sold to Spaarti Creations in massive quantities, nearly immeasurable amounts of the ore was leaving the planet every week. One had only to sit in a basic stealth ship capable of Quiet One and they could observe the time for as long as they wanted. As much as people liked to believe a government could have eyes everywhere, this far away from the center of business, it just wasn't possible.

With [member="Naast'ika Laaran"] providing assistance, the Mando'ade that stood around on the Hra'nadetr Jair'Galaar Strike Cruiser would most likely be successful. Even with no drop pods the strike cruisers were straight evil when it came to acts of piracy, able to unleash one hundred twenty eight Mandalorian warriors in boarding torpedoes per salvo. And with Naast'ika's help in subduing a cargo ship, they shouldn't have much trouble. It was mostly just a courtesy of smashing aside whatever escorts the cargo ship would have with it, capture the thing mid system before it could get out of the gravity well, and run away with it before anything that was actually frightening could show up to stop them.

Vulkan sat patiently in the boarding chamber, a small gathering point in the prow of the ship, just outside the torpedo launchers. "Alright boys, lets get Mister Larraq his ore, get a crapload for ourselves, and show off our skills for the Death Watch." With every successful raid, Vulkan's claim to his leader's title grew stronger, and so he rarely turned down missions like this now. And Rygel Larraq was a close associate, having helped build ArmaTech into the monster of industry it was today.

The captain, Verkuz Orar, stood at the helm getting ready to make the jump in system. He was painfully unaware of his ally's abilities, but he knew his ship. Built to dart anywhere in a system and feth up the first thing he sees face. The way it should be. "Vod Laaran, we are making the jump in ten seconds. Nine. Eight." The count down trailed off and the sensor data was there. Just a snatch and grab now.

 

[Naast'ika Laaran]

Naast'ika dropped out of Hyperspace as close to the planet as he was able. Mr. Draco had explained the mission to Naast'ika well enough. It seemed simple. And fun. Fly in fast, pick out something with Phrik in the cargo bay, come in close, disable the ship, let the Mando'ade Mr. Draco had brought with him get inside the ship and come back with the Phrik... then fly away and go home. Oh! And blow up the ship when they left. Something about "no witnesses."

Naast'ika liked the plan. He got to shoot things, fly fast, and visit a new planet all in one day.

Chirping at Mr. Draco ([member="Darth Vulkan"]), Naast'ika informed the commander and his people that they had arrived. Already knowing what the next part of the plan was, Naast'ika began focusing his senses on the hundreds of ships that swarmed around the planet's orbital ring. Nothing more than twice his size and nothing with guns. That was what Mr. Draco had told him to look for. Already rapidly approaching the planet and the ring that orbited it, the holographic display on Naast'ika's bridge began to change color as various ships were categorized by Naast'ika. Too big was one color, too small was another color, armed was another color, unscanned was another color... and possible targets were given a separate color. As the number of unscanned ships grew smaller and smaller, Naast'ika began to focus his attention upon possible targets one by one.

Heavier gravitational mass than would be typical for a ship of that size, higher magnetic content, simple, flimsy hull design... and dirty. Because ore transport ships always seemed to be dirty.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

The tunnel of hyperspace peeled away and the small cruiser burst in system. Mid sized ship, angry amount of weaponry, albeit split and unable to target full forward, the Hran's were mean to the poor sole that happened to be the first thing they saw. Normally a planet that caught about eight hundred metric tons of variable explosives. Because sometimes that planet was mean to someone that it shouldn't have been. In this case, that wasn't the case.

The captain looked at all sensors, "Alright, let's see what [member="Naast'ika Laaran"] has selected for us today. I want some flak in the void. A pair of seismic torps for the orbital ring, four clusters warheads ready to launch at a moment's notice." Crewmen scurried around doing their battlefield duties as the ship fired off a pair of big assault grade missiles for the orbital ring. Just a little something so the civilians knew they got hit, and so the first responders had more to worry about than a cargo ship full of phrik. Eight Seismic mines going off near a shipyard of that size was sure to cause distress, and sure to back the smaller vessels in the system off the big cruiser.

"Looks like there is a Corvette, laden with glorious purpose off the starboard bow making a break for it." Perfect, their pull in that direction would be slightly obscured by the seismic warheads going off close to the planet's orbital rings, while they went after the prize. "Pull us in that direction and let Naast'ika pull it down." The ship, despite being a monster of speed, didn't really do turns that well. For short bursts the thing could out pace a corvette, and keep up with a number of corvettes regularly, but it turned like a sick bantha.

At the fore of the ship, twelve boarding torpedoes, fully stocked and ready to go with Mandalorian warriors sat, waiting to be magnetically driven out of the ship.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

 

[Naast'ika Laaran]

[member="Darth Vulkan"]

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fBR-pKxjf0

Innocent ships were classified as possible targets and relayed back to Mr. Draco and his clumsy ship. A quick return signal later, one of the targets turned to red in Naast'ika's 3-dimensional view of reality. Chirping with excitement, Naast'ika yanked his four primary Dovin Basal to port, twisted his rudders in that direction, and fishtailed heavily as he brought himself in line with the target ship. Forcing as much energy as he could into the dovin basals, Naast'ika raced towards the larger freighter, even going so far as to add his fifth, defensive dovin basal to the four that typically pulled him through the void.

As he closed on the target, Naast'ika deployed his weapons. A Heavy Proton Cannon and a pair of Heavy Plasma Cannons sprouted from his hull. Likewise, a number of small point defense turrets sprang to life, twisting and turning in a passive search for threats. Focusing his attention on the ore freighter, Naast'ika lined up three shots. Computers built into his brain and Hyperion Security crew seated somewhere very near to his brain enhanced and augmented those three shots, adjusting them ever so slightly. The Proton Cannon was designed for targets far larger than what was ahead of him. It would likely go strait through the ship before detonating on the far side. But since it would be going through the ship anyway, that one was aimed at the ship's bridge. The other two were aimed at the ship's Ion Drives.

With a happy chirp, Naast'ika fired three shots at the freighter before zooming past the target.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Above Vulkan's a running light turned red. That meant that the torpedoes were being accelerated inside the launch tubes, so that they would be fired a maximum speed, with burners for prolonged acceleration and course correction. It was about time they got started hopping aboard that ship. Possible targets were already buzzing even though the Hran had only been in system a minute or so. People didn't like it when cruisers fired explosives at civilians, but as far as Clan Vereen cared, if you weren't Mando, you were a potential target, especially having teamed up with Death Watch. "Here comes the drop boys." The voice agumenter garbled his already raspy voice to something unrecognizable via recording.

"Target locked on the freighter sir!"

"Incoming defense cruisers. They are way out there though."

"Detonations are good sir, minor damage to the Orbital yards, a few civilian craft seriously damaged."

"Fire the boys at it, bring us about and hit the overdrives to get us out system in a hurry." Hyperdrives revved and engines burned hot as the wicked fast cruiser continue its wide turn, firing off the twelve boarding torpedoes, the one hundred mandalorian warrior, at the cargo ship. The plan was set and was simple. Take the cargo ship and get out of dodge before anything could respond. With the sick calf laden with phrik separated from the heard, the defenses around Sekalus needed to be avoided.

Vulkan nodded his head and then the burst came, faster than a flash, out pacing an A-wing, the boarding torpedoes sped through the stars. "Field Disruptor armed. Plasma-Jets engauged."

"Someone tell [member="Naast'ika Laaran"] good job, and then see if he wouldn't mind arresting the prey once we hit." And hit they did.

 

[Naast'ika Laaran]

[member="Darth Vulkan"]

Unlike most of the other creatures Naast'ika had encountered, his view of reality was not limited to a two-dimensional image of a three dimensional world, nor was it limited to a narrow cone. Naast'ika saw all things, from all directions, at once. He saw things in three dimensions, at all times. When he focused on an asteroid... on a rock. He saw the entire rock, from all sides. He could feel its weight, sense its magnetic pull, and taste the particles that spread from it. He knew what it was made of, how much mass it had, and how magnetic it was. He knew what frequency it vibrated at, he felt the radiation flow from it, and if he really focused, he could tell if lifeforms had ever crawled upon it.

So, as he passed the newly crippled ship and raced past it, not for a moment did the ship escape his vision. As Mando'ade filled torpedoes raced towards the crippled ship, Naast'ika arced wide and approached the ship at a more reasonable speed. The torpedoes would impact the ship long before Naast'ika returned to its side. But that wouldn't matter much, or so Mr. Draco had informed him. The Death Watch Mando'ade would need some time to clear out the corridors before they could start moving cargo from the freighter to Naast'ika.

Naast'ika chirped happily as he approached the freighter again. Within him, cargo loader droids moved towards his port docking umbilical. Far from him, a handful of foreign ships were accelerating towards him. Naast'ika saw them. It would take them quite a while to reach him though. Naast'ika chirped happily as he wondered if he would get to play with the new ships before they went home.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Boarding torpedoes hammered the cargo ship. It was a civilian ship, not prepared to fight off one hundred fully armed, beskar plated, pirates. "For Death Watch, FOR DRAHR'BUIR!" The cries were taken up from the warriors smashing through the cargo ship. Even carrying phrik nobody prepared for that many angry Mandalorian pirates on a relatively small ship. Beskads swung, bullets and blaster bolts flew, screams of fear and terror were cried, the sound of grenades rang through the ship, and pleas for mercy were silenced. All in minutes the skirmish inside the ship quieted, the bridge already dead from [member="Naast'ika Laaran"] 's attacks on the vessel.

"Hurry up, clear them out." Vulkan called, pressing hard through the Force, eminating the sense of utter hopelessness and dread all around him like a torrent of death and despair. Several members of the crew were so taken aback by the feeling of dread and despair that they convinced themselves they couldn't face this foe, that they needed to escape. Some ran for escape pods, some took cover and cowered in a corner. Other's took the coward's way out rather than fight. But the Mandalorians howled through the comms, the cold void unaffecting them, sending rockets out after escape pods, hacking at the survivors and the hiders with axes and swords. Like wolves among lambs they were. Brutal and quick.

"We found a container of phrik boss. We gotta get it loaded up on Naast'ika."

"And we need to leave with him ourselves. Hurry, load everything up, and set the boarding torpedoes to detonate."

Mandalorians not partaking in the carnage around them snapped to and did as order while the others sated blood lust and painted the diving shriek hawk on the walls in the blood of their enemies. Some, however painted the Dragon instead. Oh, Death Watch was serving its purposes well.

 

[Naast'ika Laaran]

[member="Darth Vulkan"]

Naast'ika listened to the party his Mando'ade brothers were having. He heard them on comms. He could even see them with his sensors. At this range, he could see every room and corridor within the freighter. He watched as heavier lifeforms swarmed through the passageways and lighter lifeforms ceased to be. As he watched them spread through the ship, cleansing it of the non-mandalorians as they went, Naast'ika approached the freighter. Even before they told him on comms, Naast'ika could see which of the freighter's docking bays Death Watch was securing. He watched as they moved crates and bodies out of the way, clearing a path. Naast'ika slowed to a stop. Or... close enough. He was close enough to the ship now that his own dovin basal enabled movements also dragged the crippled freighter as well.

His port docking tube extended through the void, connecting with the foreign, artificial ship. Death Watch opened the external hatch on the freighter and Naast'ika could smell and taste the copper-rich air that flowed from the craft.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Mandalorians quickly loaded Phrik onto Naast'ika, each warrior taking a small box of phrikite ore with them as they cleared the vessel. With the majority of warriors still tense and pumped from the short fight, they worked hastily, sloppy, but they got the work down. With bloody diving hawks and dragons painted on the inside of the vessel, cold, freezing bodies lying around the ship, hacked or shot to death by the Mandalorians. This proved that no one was safe from Death Watch, the Shriek Hawk could find anyone, anywhere.

Black armored warriors filed out, packing Naast'ika full, to the brim with soldiers and cargo now. Vulkan stomped aboard the living ship and found a seat in the cram packed creature, near the rear of the vessel. "Let's get out of here before someone who matters tries to stop us." He took of his helmet and breathed out a sigh and stared at the ground. He would probably catch a somber look from Seela when she found out about the raid and the civilian casualties. She would understand when he killed Tralik like the dog he was, and Vulkan was the top dog. It was just a matter of time.

"Someone call Larraq and tell him contract fulfilled while they are at it. Clan Vereen always comes through for its clients. Oh, and tell him For Death Watch."

[member="Naast'ika Laaran"]
[member="Captain Larraq"]