The Lothal Run

[Kingsley]

//Accessing Records....Lothal Run.//
//Record Retrieved. Displaying...//

In the waning months of the Alliance/First Order armistice, the Lothal Run was a well known shipping route between the more stable heartland of Federation space and the Galactic Alliance's southwestern fringes. After the Imperial conquest of Mustafar and its surrounding systems, Alliance worlds such as Lothal and Kro Var were left more isolated from its allies than ever before. With a First Order foothold along the Hydian Way, supply to anything west of the Elrood sector had grown troublesome and intermittent.

It will never be known how much role the illicit trade networks of armor and munitions that had grown along these destabilized trade lanes played in the greater conflict to come, but certainly they tested the limitations put in place when the two warring superpowers had agreed to disarmament along their border and the establishment of a neutral zone. Some freelancers had even taken to skirting into First Order territory near Ison to avoid interdiction patrols.

Officially such actions, when discovered, were denounced by both Alliance High Command and the Triumvirate Council. But in private a Federation leadership desperate to supply its southern reaches did little to dissuade these practices from continuing, and grateful populations turned a blind eye to the smugglers who replenished their market stores...

//Record Ends.//

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Washburn-class Medium Transport Greater Fool
Lothal Run, Final Approach

The last leg of the run was the most dangerous, or at least so Captain Kingsley had heard. This was the Hiitian fence and smuggler's first time making the dangerous journey south, and his cargo holds were packed with heavy munitions the Imperials were bound to consider 'offensive in nature' by an definition. He didn't know any of the crew he had hired aside from his trusty S19 astromech unit, but they had only been taken on as an insurance policy.

His contact had assured him that this route was foolproof, with very little chance of running into any sort of trouble, and so far the Devaronian had been right. Sure, the 'minor' detour into First Order space had turned out not to be so minor, but they were almost out of it now and so far the transport hadn't come across any patrols Alliance or Imperial. Just the way he liked it.

"This is your Captain, rrraaawk!" he chirped up as a taloned hand triggered the shipwide comm, "We should be back in the neutral zone and on track for Lothal any minute. Begin preparations to break out the cargo and unload it."

[member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Aryn Teth"] | [member="Aeshi Tillian"] | [member="Keric Dynt"] | [member="Kairon Rees"]​

 

[Coren Starchaser]

So, there were people who always figured hat the whole point of running a smuggling run was either the fame or fortune. Sure, that was nice. Showing up in your hot-rodding light freighter with goods that were really needed… what did he have right now? Guns? Food? Medicine? Something the First Order overlords didn’t want the people out in Lothal to have, regardless. But for Coren Starchaser? Nah, the goal wasn’t any of those two. He had money, well, enough to keep flying, and fame? Well, he was pretty sure he used to be on a recruitment video of ‘If he can, so can you’ with regard to fighting back the dark side.

Now though, he was testing out his new ship. The Tachyon Rising was out on his new command, the ANS Intrepid, an Alliance cruiser he was using to move goods and people around the Alliance space, and prepare to strike at a variety of targets. But he was taking a break from his busy schedule to assist here, with the Lothal Run. The ship he was using today though? Something old, and something new. A refurbished YT-2400 that was known today as Burst. It was one of many names the ship was known by. The YT-2400 was a bit more advanced than the off-the-shelf model, with increased shielding, and engine output, and one of the cargo holds devoted to becoming a machine shop.

The two dual-cannon heavy turrets kept anything looking at the ship rom reporting its existance, and her heavy ordinance included a pair of flextube missile launchers. But right now? Her main goal was remaining quiet and outrunning any of the half-trained First Order customs agents that were out there.

Yes, Coren Starchaser was going to be having fun with this. His ship was loaded up at the last world, and that was when he sent out a message to [member="Jorus Merrill"] and [member="Rekha Kaarde"]. Time to help some people and sneak past others.

 

[Eliza Steele]

YT-1930 Light Freighter ~ Cruising Bantha aka Corellian Dawn​

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It had been a while since Eliza Steele had ventured this far south. The Corellian choosing rather to make smuggling runs coreward of the Southwest Quadrant of the Outer Rim as the ports were seemingly more friendly these days and reasonably accessible by "stable" hyperlanes. This all made the risk to reward ratio better for the smuggler's bottom line. But times had changed, and opportunities were presenting themselves once again to bring in much needed goods to the post-war worlds along the Galactic Alliance-First Order border... or so she had been told.

The Captain of the Corellian Dawn had been a founding member of the old Smuggers' Alliance, and a long time agent for the Underground network. Unfortunately though, a run-in with a vengeful Trandoshan by the name of Grikk had put Steele and her co-pilot, Alriccchrahl, out of commission for a while, but now the two smuggling partners were back in action; eager to get back into the big game.

And here they were... using one of their programmable IFF false transponder's the Cruising Bantha on the Lothal Run making a humanitarian trip to the GA held planet that was nearly surrounded by FO space with a cargo hold full of consumables and other assorted necessities for the Lothalians to stave off the winter months ahead.

[member="Kingsley"] [member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Jorus Merrill"]

Rekha was in flight headed back to Coruscant and the Lucky Lady her ship, The Midnight Star glided through the black like a knife through hot butter. Not a bump, and jump along the way just smooth sailing.

She was going over the books for the Underground Bar trying to figure out how to divy the profits to the three running it for her while she stayed out here in protected space. When a blip on the panel over her head alerted her to a message. "message huh"

She inched over and pulled up...."well I'll be damned." She smiled how long had it been since she had seen Coren. What a cutie he was, she had stole more than once kiss from the wandering fly boy. She laughed wasn't it just that twist of fate that every time she started to make good that someone pulled her back into it.

He was calling her why? Well...only one way to find out.

She sent a message back a single word, "Where"

She waited to hear those coordinates that would take her back around to good memories and lots of fun.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The ship wasn’t so bad. No, the Burst wasn’t his YT-2000, but it was a ship he was using to distract others. What he knew was that the YT-2400 was a bit stronger of a construction than his typical ship, but the trick was that he was getting this ship out to Lothal and leaving it there. That was going to be the trick, really. He knew the Intrepid was dropping his Rising off on another larger vessel, from there Porter would land it on Lothal, and meeting up with Coren. That was fine, the blockade here was that the run was for the smaller ships. He would get the rest of the products out on his own ship, the one he could take wherever the feth he wanted. But from here? No, the Burst itself was something he was going to be delivering, full of the weapons and medicine that were needed.

Right now he had a little BB unit that was full of some data the rebel cell would need out on Lothal, yah, the cell that in case the worst should happen, there were still the right folks on that world.

“Alright… Ball…” He shook his head. It wasn’t Two-bit, so it didn’t matter, but still, the droid, and ship were important. That was why he was taking them, and making a bit of retcon. “Get ready, we’re unhooking.” Coren nodded as the YT-2400 released the docking clamp from the transport. She would remain there to fuel and load up a few more transports and then jump back out into ORC space, the safety of the lawless territory.

“First jump coordinates set.” He looked to the astromech, black and gray. “Transport, this is Burst, thanks for the gifts. See you on the other side.” And with that the pilot pulled the throttle, and the ship leapt into light speed. First leg was easy, that was just getting to where the fun was.

Before his first jump though, he did send one message out to his longtime comrade. "Lothal. Bring guns."
[member="Rekha Kaarde"]
[member="Eliza Steele"]
[member="Kingsley"]

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

The Fleetwood had detoured from the route that Fiolette had originally planned. She sat at the forward operations station of her ship, "Petrovsky run those numbers again." The blonde ordered as she rose from her seat taking with her the lit cigarra from an end table nearby. The Fleetwood's soft beige and blue interior with the dimmed lights echoed of home and in a matter of speaking it was. It bore no weapons, just a few defensive tricks and held a lot of speed and maneuverability. A former grand admiral with the First Order the Galidraani still considered herself every bit the Imperial. Navcom beeped again, as it would near Anoth and it made her question if she had missed placing a station here. "Here we go! FIS Froggat picking you up on beams, yes we'll be there in a few days!"

Okay. She didn't miss placing one of her prized Galidraan II stations here, and then she tried to remember why as she set the cigarra between her lips. "Petrovsky what were the gravitational readouts from Anoth?"

"A lot, there were reports from New Habat University that alerted First Order Planetary and Spatial Services, who then spoke with FOCIE..."

She put a hand up in the air that signaled for him to stop. "Right, right okay."

The blonde puffed on the cigarra and let the sin hit her lungs before letting it escape her lips. Smoke billowed around her and yet her azure gaze seemed to cut through them with ease. Her memory played back the conversation with [member="Jorus Merrill"]. She could stand to make a great deal of money if she went independent, of course this would require a substantial investment. She sighed for a moment and then got back to business. "Petrovsky, send me the latest on the Conyers Mark II and the Muhktiar Mark II. Send it to my datapad, I'm heading up to the observation deck."

"Of course, ma'am!"

Geez. This kid was gonna be the death of her, she noted while waving with the back of her hand while she stuck the other into her pocket. The cigarra dangled between her lips and she reset it firmly against her mouth to take another drag. A red glow hummed around it with smoke lifting from the edge as the blonde stepped into the lift. Fiolette watched the doors shut and looked down at her shoes. Fiolette waited for her shipment of tailored suits from Miss Var Nabba until then the finest that the Avalonian shops had to offer would have to do. The Fleetwood had a remarkable observation deck, and as she stepped out the woman tipped the ashes of her cigarra into an ashtray that was situated right outside the lift doors. "Holloway, Galidraani Scotch on the rocks, make it a double."

The bartender only nodded, the Fleetwood ran with minimal personnel and Holloway was one of the few. Fiolette crossed the observation deck cigarra back between her lips as she swiped a datapad from a charging port. Signing in she synced her work desk, and didn't wait more than a few moments before a more than cheerful holomail with the requested information on the Conyers and Muhktiar flooded in. Of course there were the personal projects, the Callisto a Long Range Science Cruiser, the Frontrunner a Blockade Runner disguised as a Diplomatic Corvette and finally there was her personal favorite the Rae Sloane II. All three of them were set to the side as the Mark II project had yet to even be complete.

"Galidraani Scotch, double, on the rocks."

Fiolette extinguished the cigarra on a tray right on the bar top. Her hand went to the glass with urgency, she let the amber liquid hit the back of her throat and set it back down. "Another, please." Eyes focused on the numbers in front of her, on the vectors, the scale and the weapon placements along with engine requirements. It'd be a few days before they reached the Froggat and before they did she wanted to have a solid set of leads on the two ships before walking into another meeting with First Order Naval Engineers and their new Grand Admiral. It was certainly an odd thing to be on this side of the table but she still gathered that her name still held a little bit of weight here.

"Ma'am." Petrovsky's voice cut through her concentration and her eyes went over to Holloway who mouthed that she would find something stronger. "Did you still want to keep your meeting on Lothal?"

"Why is this a question?"

"Just checking!"

"... Right."

On Lothal she was set to meet with a few people, potential investors? Probably not, suppliers? Maybe. She'd have to see who these contacts were and what they had to offer her. In the meantime, she saddled up to her bar and looked out the glasteel of the Fleetwood and admired the gaze of the stars. Fiolette gazed down at her datapad and flipped through a few files before she thought about [member="Aver Brand"], more importantly, the skills and scars she saw and learned while with Miss Var Nabba. "Petrovsky."

"Oh, yes ma'am?!"

"Please try and get me in touch with Miss Var Nabba... Just tell her I may have another line of ships to sell her, oh and while you're at it... Get Captain Merill too, I have a proposal for him."

"Right away!"

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[member="Eliza Steele"] [member="Coren Starchaser"]

Bring guns....oooo...she had a few. OH how she wanted to be able to fire that Thunderclap....would this be the time? Ooo would he let her.....Oooo...Rekha set course and engaged the engines.

She sat there quietly looking ahead at the streaks of light passing by there was a sense of beauty to them. How the different shades played with each other as it propelled the ship forward.

She had grown quieter as of late perhaps being around Coren would help to bring some life back. But was it life she actually needed? Or was it something else...adrenaline maybe.......a new shade of feathers............a new project...............or just to fire a gun.

She'd know soon enough. The brunette sat back resting with her eyes closed as AB monitored their progress.

 

[Kingsley]

Washburn-class Medium Transport Greater Fool
Lothal Run, Edge of the Neutral Zone

"Whats that, S Nineteen?" Kingsley glanced down at the dated, off-brand astromech model wheeling on its tread right up to him, "Rrrawk! Weapons fire?"

Blowing some dust away from the transport's internal sensors readout, he buffed out the remaining smudges with a feathered talon. Pausing only to take another swig of Sullustan gin straight from its bottle, the Hiitian angled his head and nearly slammed his head down on the cockpit display panels before him, pressing his eye right up against the sensors so that he could decipher their readings through a haze of illicit substance.

"Your droid brain must be malfunctioning," he grumbled, ignoring S19's hoots and beeps of alarmed protest while staggering out of the pilot's seat and towards the freighter's forward hallway, "Sensors aren't picking up any internal readings."

The astromech droid whistled indignantly after him.

"I'm going! I'm going, rrrawk!" Kingsley waved his little partner's insistent tirade away, staggering past the galley and towards the stairs leading down into the freighter's belly, "But if this is a waste of time you can say goodbye to that oil bath on Lotha-"

The Hiitian trailed off suddenly as he descended into view of the cargo hold below. A little less than half of their 'reserve cargo' had been yanked out of the ship's hideaways and was sitting on the deck ready to go, and instead of finishing up down here like the rest of his crew had told him they were doing over the comms, they are all standing in plain view doing absolutely nothing save staring straight forward at something Kingsley could not see from above.

"What's this lollygagging, you lot?!" the smuggler shouted down to them from above, as he pulled himself along by the walkway railings to stay upright in his condition, before gingerly taking the stairs step by step, "We'll be back in Alliance space any minu-"

He saw the fear in their eyes too late, far too gone to recognize the other signs from up above. Instinctively, he reached for his holdout blaster.

"Don't!" a voice shouted from underneath the upper walkway, but now that Kingsley was halfway down the stairs he could clearly see the gun pointed in his direction, and the missing crew member that he had forgotten about holding it, "First Order Security Bureau. Toss the blaster over the ledge, then join your criminal scum friends down here with me."

[member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Rekha Kaarde"] | [member="Fiolette Yvarro"]​

 

[Coren Starchaser]

His ship was in the relative safety of hyperspace. This ship made a few sounds he wasn’t used to, but whatever. He could handle it for now. Just had to drop it off to the right people. “Alright Ball, can you give me an update on my ship and the plan as it stands?” Coren spun the chair around as he sat in the main cabin. The droid started beeping and tweeting off the plan. Get to Lothal, drop the ship, get to his own, and then leave.

The Underground contacts would set up safe houses for Jedi and other operatives of the Alliance. What he needed was to get this ship unloaded. It would be part of that team. Shaking his head, he looked at the map that Ball had. Sure, the droid knew a few things, but it wasn’t Porter. Coren was missing his droid, and his own ship, but for now? He’d handle this one for now. What he needed to do was get on his own ship, then? Even the First Order’s Supreme Leader couldn’t take him down.

“Any word on other Alliance vessels, ball?”

[member="Kingsley"]
[member="Rekha Kaarde"]
[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]
[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

She came out of hyperspace a ways from the coordinates that [member="Coren Starchaser"] had provided. She wasn't sure what to expect and diligence and caution were warranted. "AB hook in and tell me what you see"

So far it would seem like nothing. Odd. As quiet as the black could be it always unsettled her to just stare at it waiting for something to happen. She looked down and double checked the coordinates she wasn't quite there.

She was going to take a risk flipping a switch, "Flyboy its Rekha so...can you tell me anything else about what we are doing. I brought the big gun." Stillness any other time she'd be dancing but she couldn't help but have the jitters.

"Yep let's sit right here no company so no one to shoot at us and we are still a good distance from Coren's intersection." She sat back and waited.

[member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Kingsley"] | [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] | [member="Eliza Steele"] |