Private Stolen? These ships? Never

[Jared Starchaser]

Jared was doing way too much time away from space, he was doing what his family did best, explore. But he was exploring a few planets. His father, he, and his sister were pilots and explorers. He knew that both of them had taken the time to really make it a point to find themselves useful in the galaxy. Coren Starchaser as the glowing example of what it means to be a Jedi and Kaia learning what she can, being a Warden, and from the transmissions they shared, they were surprisingly close for siblings in a galaxy this big. He supposed it was always important.

But today he was working on a few things, and what he needed was to get pieces and parts for a new ship from the factory out to where they were being built. He loved his Nova Starcutter but, like his father and sister, it was always better to have options. Hell, Kaia just found herself in possession of her Trident AND her YT-2400, and he honestly lost count from his father. Tachyon Rising, Shortfin, the E-Wing, TIE… he knew he was missing one.

But what he was able to find for himself was something a bit old, and a bit… well, people would steer clear of it. A Star Courier. That, and about a dozen other vessels that were being moved. What he was doing was definitely an old Underground tactic, and had leased a Balleen-class freighter, one that was capable of stashing a few surplus ships and getting them to the people who need them.

What he’d done was call for any spacer who wasn’t worried about getting their hands a little dirty and could use the extra credits, well, talons. They still worked out here. But he was waiting for the spacers to join from the advert. The Right Carrier was being held to the station by force cylinders and the people to join him for his little trek aboard.

Sylvia Virtos

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

The job looked simple enough. Sylvia had learned that there was always more than the adverts said, but that was par for the course nowadays. She needed something to do while she planned her next trip to Eshan and this seemed to fit the bill. The spacer could expand her contacts, get paid, and keep her hands busy. It didn't seem like anything too crazy, either.

The compensation for her efforts would go straight into being able to take a little time off in the near future. It was a bit strange for Sylvia to think about that. When she defected from the Sith she had to scrape by just to survive, but as time had gone on work had gotten more common and pay had gone up. It paid to have contacts and a reputation.

Stepping into the Right Carrier, Sylvia quickly sought out the man in charge. His last name certainly drew the spacer's attention, but despite defecting from the Sith she was no fan of Jedi either. She'd seen both sides for what they were, and disliked them equally. Still, work was work. The vessel was a pretty large one, so finding him was turning out to be a challenge.

"Perhaps over here," Sylvia quietly mused as she turned a corner.

Jared Starchaser ​

 

[Jared Starchaser]

The Force Adept hoped that the job would be easy enough. He wasn’t ever sure, but it seemed like lifting something in transit, and coming with something the size of a Baleen would at least confuse whoever they found, and give them a few extra minutes for them to get moving. And if it worked out that well, he’d be able to give everyone a fair payday. The ships were already sold, one to him, and the others to the Underground. He’d have to make sure Veino Garn or an associate would be able to release the funds as soon as the ships were delivered. As a Starchaser he was nothing if not fair to rebels and other spacers.

Jared was his father in a lot of ways, but he wasn’t his father in so many more. He held to the Ashla but not to the Jedi way. He was a Force user, a practioner of the Jensaarai, of the Imperial Knights. He never really knew what to call himself. He wasn’t a Jedi but he wasn’t exactly dark, he was still in the light, just his own way. He was a Judge and didn’t care for the war. If it came to his family, he’d be there, but for now? Jared was satisfied with helping the little man. Or woman.

Expecting the hired spacers, the man made his way towards the entry way, datapad in his hand, BD unit trailing behind. He could sense someone else moving and as he came around the corner took a second to size them up.

“Contractors? Good. Name?” He asked, more business than he intended, but he let it hang that way.

Sylvia Virtos

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

As luck would have it, the man Sylvia was looking for was indeed around the corner. Right around the corner, at that. A short moment of surprise overcame her, but she quickly shook it off. A broad smile greeted the Starchaser as she asked for the spacer's name. "Name's Sylvia Virtos. At your service," she responded, not bothering to hide her imperial accent. In her early days as a spacer she had tried to purge it, but to no avail. Nowadays she just dealt with any consequences as they came. There wasn't much to be done about it.

As much as she was disconnected from it now, she did grow up in Sith-imperial space. It was part of her history. As much as she didn't like it, it was part of who she was. If that was too much for someone to deal with, she'd simply have to move on. She knew who she was, and she most certainly was no Sith, but not everyone was so trusting when the accent came out.

"It was Jared, right? I finally get to meet a mighty Starchaser," the magenta-haired woman quipped. As she adjusted to the spacer life, Sylvia had gotten much more relaxed around those working similar professions. The Starchaser name had quite the reputation among spacerkind, and for good reason. If for nothing else, this potentially was a huge job for Sylvia just for the connections alone.

Jared Starchaser ​

 

[Jared Starchaser]

He had a few names on his list for people he was taking on this job. He knew the pay would be fair, and he wasn’t really hoping for a fight. He wanted people who would be able to fly like a space dragon to get the captured vessels out of here. Everything was going to be a boon for the Underground or the Judges, wherever they got, but for now? Nothing was a profit yet. The Force Adept smiled as he nodded. “Virtos, yeah, you’re a techie too, right?” Like his father, Jared had been around once or twice, and the Imperial accent wasn’t lost on him. Good, he could use that.

When she mentioned his surname, he nodded. “Yeah, though I’m not as stuffy as my father.” A wink, definitely a mark from his father as he laughed. “Going for the ships, deliver to the Underground or the Judges. You can fly Santhe vessels, right? If we need to run with them?” The Adept looked her over.

“Ever done a job like this?” He looked to his droid. “Hopper, looks like we’re all accounted for. Get to the bridge, tell the Captain to head out.” Eyes back on the other spacer, waiting for her answer as he tucked the datapad under his arm.

Sylvia Virtos

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

"You could say that, yeah," Sylvia answered, clearly underselling her response. "you tend to pick up that kind of thing pretty quickly when mechu deru's your strong suit. But I digress." The workings of anything mechanical came naturally to the spacer, something that had already saved her life once. If she believed the Force had a will of its own, she'd have thanked it for the gift.

The conversation continued, with Sylvia's quip being answered by one of Jared. It elicited a chuckle from the woman. "He's not too much like the stories make him out to be, then?" She had heard the tallest of tales about Jedi master Coren Starchaser, from both sides. Sith tales that painted him as the great villain and stories from the Core that made him out to be the greatest of heroes. The truth was likely somewhere in the middle, then toned down quite a lot. And he was stuffy, apparently.

"I've done tricks in ships I'd never touched before. Point at one and I'll fly it," Sylvia confidently answered. Her affinity for mechu deru allowed her to grasp pretty much any steering wheel, handle, or otherwise and pilot the vehicle or ship it was attached to. Another question was asked of her, but she'd wait with her answer until the droid took off.

"I've delivered ships before, yeah. Not as part of a larger-scale operation, though. Shouldn't be much different, right?"

Jared Starchaser ​

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Mechu-Deru as a strong suit, and she was out here being a spacer? By the look of her a merc spacer? That was actually very interesting. “Instinctive Astrogation, same as the tales tell.” Starchasers could lick any navicomp unless it was programmed by Jorus Merrill himself. It was the family trait, but beyond that? Jared called himself a specialist in barrier and a bit of plant surge. His father had Light and Sister could mess with gravity, his were a bit… different. Blame it on a Jensaarai leaning if you had to, or him hunting the creatures of the wilds.

“He can be a bit worse. Its just even harder to live up to what people think you should be capable of, with the last name.” Jared himself was no slouch, but he was still not his father. Maybe something about how he didn’t want to be, but well, he did try. Between he and Kaia, they both seemed to get imposter syndrome, but were more than capable as well. “Dad just focuses too much on the light a little too hard. I’m more… fluid.”

He really couldn’t sully his father for that, but it did limit himself. “Good, we’ll need you behind the wheel of one if something goes awry. And shouldn’t be. The Baleen here will dock, then it’s a matter of smash and grab. If we can we load up into he Baleen, if not, we run, coordinates will be given.” As the larger ship started moving, he knew that it wasn’t going to give anyone real time to prepare.

“You armed?”

Sylvia Virtos

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Sylvia wondered about her heritage from time to time, but there wasn't much she was going to be able to dig up. Searching her last name didn't give her any hits within the Sith Empire back in the day and the little bit of digging she had done since then had turned up nothing tangible either. Maybe Virtos had never been her 'real' last name in the first place. If her parents, or any family for that matter, were still out there somewhere, she'd probably never know. Ultimately though, it wasn't that important to the woman.

"I can imagine. Screw what everyone else thinks of you, though. Chit drags you down." Sylvia knew just how bad the weight of expectations could affect someone. Especially when you always fell short. "But yeah, I'm with you on the fluid part."

As nice as the small talk was though, there was still work to be done. Jared laid out the plan, which sounded good enough to her. If things did go sideways, she had already gotten enough experience being in sticky situations to improvise her way out of them. "Sounds like a plan to me," Sylvia's simple response sounded as the vessel came up off the ground.

"Got a blaster on me. I should be good." Sylvia did own a lightsaber, but she didn't like using it. She had pilfered it from a Sith tomb back in her Sith days. Something about it just felt wrong, like it was drowning in darkness. She had heard of some kind of method to heal a lightsaber crystal, though. If she could find something or someone to help her with that, she'd gladly take it.

Jared Starchaser
​

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Heritage could get someone only so far. It helped open doors, it opened a number doors but it didn’t always work in ones favor. Sometimes you thought you were not cut out for the hero life, but the galaxy expected it from you, or they expectedyou to be ready fight to defend that which you didn’t rightfully defend. Jared, well, he had the skill to keep up with his father, but his drive? It wasn’t quite there. He had other things to worry about. Protecting border planets, providing gifts for the Underground.

Grinning to the spacer, he nodded. “Yeah, its not that I’m evil, but sometimes a hammer is what you need.

“Alright, lets make our way down to the boarding tubes, we’ll need to go in through them once we hit real space.” He checked his weapons belt, lightsaber and blaster. “We’ve got stun grenades. Prefer to take stun shots. If we can get through without making a kill, that helps. Not required though.” He shrugged. “They are just transport crew though.” Obviously, if the shooting happened? Well, he was going to be shooting back.

Sylvia Virtos

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Perhaps it wasn't required to keep the deaths by her hand at zero today, but Sylvia would most definitely aim to keep that number there. Only when backed into a corner had she had to go that far before, and only once. The moment didn't haunt her nightmares, but she still didn't like it. If the spacer could do anything about it, there would be no deaths today. Not anywhere near her, anyway. All they needed were the ships, no more. "It's set to stun, no need to worry."

Sylvia wasn't expecting having to flip the switch on her blaster, either. If there really was only transport crew to deal with, the op wouldn't be much of a hassle overall. The getaway, maybe, but they'd cross that bridge when they got there.

"Alright, let's get going then." Off they went to the boarding tubes as the clock ticked down. Soon it would be time to get to work. That would be her moment to leave a good impression.

Jared Starchaser ​

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Jared knew that there was a time for killing and a time for stealth. He was a Jensaarai after all. Well, part time. He knew enough to stay hidden and have his identity masked. What they really needed to work on were something to help block memories after knocking someone out. Maybe the Force was that answer, or, better yet, some knock out gas or poison. “I’m not too worried, but we’re not fighting a war. No need to go full power.” He smirked.

That was a lesson from his father.

Once they got to the boarding ramps, there were a few other pilots and engineers. Jared indicated the locker for the vac-suit, in case the worst happen. “They’re paid to get us in and out, and, well, pull anyone in if we get knocked out.” It wasn’t going to be a problem, but as he got himself ready, the ship reverted to real space.

“Alright folks job is easy. We get over there, disable it, and move the smaller crafts out. Get them into the Baleen, or get them to our rally point. We’ll catch up. Lethal force only if necessary.” He even had a stun baton instead. "Ready?"

Sylvia Virtos

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Realspace meant it was time to go. With some last-minute stretching, Sylvia signaled she was ready to go. While the ship was getting in place to allow them to board, the magenta-haired girl waited in front of the boarding tube with a sense of anticipation. That small rush of excitement before a job like this hadn't gotten her addicted yet, but if she kept chasing that high she'd end up an adrenaline junkie before long. Thankfully, she also enjoyed her lazy days. She wasn't going to get reckless in search of that next high anytime soon.

"Ready as I can be, bud."

A thud sounded through the ship, directing Sylvia's attention right on the boarding tube. It would open any moment now, at which point there was no time to lose. By the end of the day, those ships have new owners.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

There was always that excitement on any job, of being the first in line to head into the breach. He knew that going about it this way had its risks. But he wasn’t about to board contractors on his Cipactli class stealth cruiser. The Baleen and its crew were being maintained and paid by the Underground as best as they could. The move was simple, they had an agent inside the Imperial shipping vessel. And when they were given the coordinates, Jared himself created the path so the Baleen would revert close.

And revert close it did, as luck would have it, the transport vessel for the Imperial side was making a stop in deep space to recalculate their final three legs. The Baleen reverted and the thrusters moved the vessel along side the target. The force cylinder extended and joined to the transport. The breaching protocol started and Jared stepped forward, Force around him for a barrier, and his stun pistol in hand.

As the panel fell open and the seal adjusted, the pressure in his ears was released by a quick wave of the Force. “Stun shots only. Cresh Team, you will unlock the hangar door. Aurek and Besh with me, we’re getting the ships.” He ordered as he moved, pointing for the contractors. “Pilots, lets go.” Just as he stopped speaking, the klaxons went off.

“Going to have company at the hangar.” He picked up the pace down the corridor.

Sylvia Virtos

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

"Time to stick it to those imperials," Sylvia remarked with a grin. They had taken nearly everything from her; this was nothing but a little bit of payback as far as she was concerned. Life could've looked very differently for the spacer, had she been given the space to be her own person. Instead, they had oppressed her so much she squirmed herself free from their indoctrination.

They were in. Jared pushed forward and Sylvia followed right behind him as the group made their way towards the hangar. Getting the hangar door open wasn't going to be particularly difficult for her, where for others it was going to be much harder. Mechu deru was still a niche ability, which fortunately meant that pretty much no tech or system was protected against it.

"Shout if you can't get it open," Sylvia called out to Cresh team before they split off, "I'll come running." If they got it open without much trouble, she'd keep to simply flying one of the ships out. She wanted to be flexible where necessary for this.

Down the corridor the rest went and Sylvia pulled her blaster of its holster. Her heartbeat increased as began running, her breathing getting heavier while she attempted to keep up. She cursed under her breath; her small stature had its downsides. While agile, she wasn't as fast while running as someone as tall as Jared.

Jared Starchaser ​

​

 

[Jared Starchaser]

What he loved about working with freedom fighters was exactly that, they were fighters. They were here for a cause. And sure, sometimes that cause could be credits, but getting someone to betray you was a lot easier that way. He hated the risk, but it was always worth it. He doubted that people who really had an itch against the Imps or Sith would backstab someone who was after them, though he’d seen stranger things.

Jedi fell, after all. Someone with less than a Jedi code, who knew what they’d do. He wished he had some of the mechu-deru skills, but he was much more the planet sider than others were. A few battle droids entered the corridor as Jared turned towards the hangar. The Jensaarai came to a halt and within a second threw up a barrier between him and the droids before turning back around.

“Its them!” Came another call, definitely in stormtrooper armor. A bit unkempt, but that could be because it sounded like he was one of the crew just woken up.

Blaster in hand, Jared looked to his team. “Count six troopers and four droids. But 8 guns on the droids.” He shook his head. Barriers were his best bet here.

Sylvia Virtos

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Six troopers, four droids. That was a lot of firepower and this group of mercs were looking to take no lives. Jared was going to have to throw up some serious barriers, but perhaps there was a little relief Sylvia could offer. Rushing to Jared's side, she reached into her jacket. The spacer had brought along more than just a blaster, which she hadn't disclosed beforehand, but she doubted he'd mind right now. She hoped so, at least.

"I can take out the droids, at least," Sylvia remarked as she pulled an ion grenade out of one of her pockets. "Give me a countdown, lower your barrier for a quick sec, I toss this out, pray we don't get shot in the process. Should buy us time." She wasn't the one in charge, but in the heat of the moment Sylvia sometimes pitched her ideas with a bit of forcefulness.

Perhaps she needed to make it seem less like an order.

"That sound good?"

Not that the question actually mattered. Sylvia had already pulled the pin and was holding down the lever. She was going to have to throw it eventually.

Jared Starchaser ​

 

[Jared Starchaser]

These sort of missions were interesting. What Jared was hoping for was to get through with minimal losses to his team but if they were going to be seeing any action, it’d be because an alarm would go off. Hopefully they could knock out the power enough or keep attention here before the distress came out. Imperials weren’t going to call a superior until absolutely necessary. When Sylvia gave hi the idea he nodded.

“You got it.” He took a breath and grabbed the Force, he’d have to move fast but he was learning a few things from his father. As long as he stood between the others and the blasts he could keep them protected.

“Go!” He shouted as he let the Force drop when the next volley stopped, waiting for the grenades to pass through and pushing the next barrier out from behind them, growing in an arc down the hall. “Hold!” He ordered waiting for the blast to go off and as soon as he felt there was no danger, he was going to let it be open season on the soldiers.

Sylvia Virtos

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Sylvia had to dodge a blaster bolt from one of the troopers before the barrier came back up, causing a surge of adrenaline to enter her bloodstream. Despite the close call, the grenade had been thrown. The blast wasn't like a traditional grenade; when it went off, it created an ion wave instead that caused the lights to flicker and shut off and the droids to spasm. The area wasn't particularly large, but enough to get the intended targets. They stood in place for a few moments, but a few seconds later the largest threats were now crashing down to the floor.

"Gottem!" the spacer yelled, clearly a bit proud of herself. Her blaster was pulled out again while Sylvia waited for the barrier to come down again, so that they could push forward once again.

The moment it came down, a trio of stun shots were hurled towards one of the troopers. She then quickly pushed up and veered right into another hallway, using the wall for cover. Leaning back in, she discharged a few more shots.

Jared Starchaser ​

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Looking over and shaking his own head at himself, he was supposed to be better. He may not always follow what his father taught but he was needing to get there. He was a Jenssarai, he was raised by Jedi. He was a protector and someone who could play the sides for combat. That shot shouldn’t have gone through, and even though his barrier was up, he used the Force to pick up one of the troopers and slam it off the ceiling as the grenade went off. As the grenade’s flash calmed down, Jared dropped the barrier and grabbed his lightsaber, the green blade lighting the hallway.

“We’re not far…” He said as he deflected a few bolts, setting up cover for the rest of the team as they ducked down the hall. When they were firing, he locked the blade on and whipped it down the hall at the remaining troopers. As the blade arced and sent one diving and another lost their arm to his blade he retrieved the weapon and extinguished it.

“Ok, now we’re closer.” He nodded down the hall. The doors were still open. “Anyone got a way to stop those doors from closing?” Jared wasn’t sure he was that fast.

Sylvia Virtos

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

One by one the troopers were dealt with, whether it was through the barrage of stun shots hurled their way or the blaster bolts that Jared deflected towards them. Sylvia found the experience to be both terrifying and exhilarating, despite feeling a little out of her depth. Deep down, she just was a nerd rather than a fighter. This was exciting enough to make an exception for, though. Besides, a little revenge never hurt either.

Sylvia got out of cover as Jared let the lightsaber blade retract back into the hilt, though there was no sigh of relief coming from the magenta-haired girl just yet. The door before them was slowly shutting, which was something to be dealt with before more reinforcements arrived. Sylvia rose her hand as she pulled a small sprint towards the door, holstering her blaster in the process.

"I should have this," Sylvia exclaimed as she came to a halt right before the control panel next to the door. She cracked her knuckles before placing her left hand onto it and closing her eyes. "Please do watch my arse, this takes a bit of concentration," she asked as she pushed her will into the console through the Force. Both her eyes and head shifted from left to right as though she was looking for something in front of her. Unknown systems always took a little bit of time to navigate, as opposed to the tech she had at home. After letting out a satisfied "gotcha" the door came to a halt, then a few seconds later it opened back up completely.

"You are most welcome," Sylvia said to Jared with a comically posh tone, even topping it off with a half-bow.

Jared Starchaser ​