Kalidor Freight: 0419

[Rane DeCola]

Rane was glad to see his ships wouldn’t be the only ones assigned to escort duty. The X-Wing and A-Wing would definitely augment the group’s defenses, considering that Buggie and Outland Mining had shown up at Ossus with two more Action V transports. As he continued to monitor his scanners, Rane noticed that the two other escort fighters were running a live combat exercise.

“What do you think Medic, should we get in on the action?”

The droid beeped happily in response, and with that Rane brought his vessels out of their preset orbit and entered into the simulation.

“Bring us around on the lead ship and watch for the trailer, that A-Wing may not be as maneuverable but I know it’s quick.”

Rane also noticed that the two ships while not Outland, Outback or Kalidor vessels, displayed transponder ID’s that identified them as Kessel Rock vessels. This interested Rane and was definitely something he would need to look into. It seemed suspicious that the Kessel Rock ships had shown up on the last shipment and were here again on the current one.

Rane didn’t mind the extra company, especially on the side of the BSP, but he knew that ‘management’ would want him to investigate the matter.

[Professor Mors]

While the Sith-Imperial Armistice had allowed for some reallocation of resources, the Empire's steely gaze had not yet left the immediate area around the Gordian Reach. Though intersected by a popular hyperlane, there was little in the way of fortress worlds to weed out brigands within the gap between Columex and Maridun. Countless deep space probes and automated listening posts had henceforth littered the sector periphery, and even encroached into a handful of stellar deadzones. Nonetheless, despite how wide or meticulous the net was cast, there would always be gaps. Cue the Navy, and its equally rhythmic cycle of patrols and reconnaissance ops. No matter who was wriggling through the web of sensors and sonar beacon, they would be caught and found out in due time.

Even, Doren had brought the Proudclad to a standstill, and was hard at working interpreting the satellite scans from the nearby quadrant. Though smugglers and pirates had their gags and gimmicks for avoiding detection, time-tested Imperial science was not so easily undone. In the event a ship could not be tracked on heat signatures or energy readings alone, high-density laser markers would shore up the blindside in information. By sending a harmless series of light beams out into a given pocket of the cosmos, the emitters would highlight and record the relative distance and speed of any metallic surface they made contact with. And, given the blinding speed of comets and other phenomena, the far slower pace of a starfighter was easily calculated and identified with minimal effort.

"Subsector 44-E61-A5", Vassyl whispered aloud to no one in particular, "No change in average coefficients". Strumming a gloved finger against the cockpit date interface terminal, Doren recorded yet another tame statistical output, and quickly booted up the next region's worth of data from the far-flung intelligence module. "Subsector 44-F67-A8", the Captain mumbled again, this time a touch more slowly, "Potential change in momentum average: two standard deviations". Pressing the bend of his index finger to his upper lip, Doren weighed the balance of probability, and began to dig deeper. "Ninety-five percent confidence interval, consecutive feedback signals", the young officer mused further, "It might just be asteroids, but it can't hurt to wait and see".

[Jom Etro]

It was at moments like this when Jom Etro wished more than anything that more Imperial fighters were equipped with hyperdrives. As the TIE Bomber’s engines screamed through the cold vacuum of space Etro repeatedly checked his scanners, almost begging for something of interest to show up.

If intelligence was correct, which Etro was fairly sure was, he and the rest of an attack squadron would be able to converge on the supposed route of enemy cargo transports. Taking supplies away from the enemies of the Empire would be a great victory. That was only, of course, if Jom’s ship made it there in time. The knowledge of whether or not it actually was going to do that escaped Etro.

As a few asteroids came into view, the Imperial pilot eased the bomber to the side and guided the ship over the field of rock.

As he sat in the cockpit, Jom pondered about the possible battle ahead. Would it go smoothly? Would there be much resistance? What sort of ships might be present? It was unfortunate that the Empire has decided against sending a few more bombers to aid Jom in his raid. “Oh well,” he thought to himself, “I’ll just have to make do with the group I have.”

As the massive boulders floating through space became distant behind him, Etro once again returned to his original route. At least it wouldn’t be too long until Jom reaches the rendezvous point.

The only salvation the pilot could find on this journey was the thrill of soaring through the stars. There was something about flying that Etro couldn’t resist. He hoped to continue flying for the rest of his life, if it wasn’t cut short in an attack like this. Flying on combat missions was a demanding and risky lifestyle, but it was the way that many wanted to live.

Jom keyed his main thrusters again and avoided near collisions with multiple celestial bodies. The rendezvous point was not far off now. There was only a little bit of time left.

[Ben Kenobi]

Roll provided by Jay Mertaal.

Interception Failure. Convoy proceed to final destination.

[Ben Kenobi]

#4

His datapad lit up green and he was legitimately surprised to witness the finalization of the cargo manifest as well as the loadmaster’s signoff of the convoy in question. Ben was also happy to view that Outland themselves had concluded their own manifests or at least were very close. As such Ben wasted no time in taking part in the pre-flight checks as well as establishing a steady communication’s line with his escorts. Within the following twenty minutes or so there was a pair of BFF-1 Bulk Freighters from Kalidor Freight launching from the supply hub’s dockyards and they were loaded to the brim with fresh supplies for the Jedi Coalition.

Within the following hour the heavy and cumbersome freighters breached the atmosphere of Ossus and accelerated into high orbit to join with the escorts. Once Outland’s ships joined up they would be well on their way across the Prelemian and onward to Rhen Var and beyond. Ben predicted smooth sailing ahead as he settled in with his second hot steaming bowl of noodles.

[Derric Starr]

Playing space tag was a great way to pass the time before the ships were all ready for departure. Soon enough Starr and Roc were joined in their live combat maneuvers. Roc wasn't as aware of it as Starr was, a mark of his inexperience in actual space combat. Starr kept a half a eye on the new comers as he brought the XJ X-wing into a tighter loop to bring his fighter into an intercept course via the long way around. Just a little game of tag something to get the flight dust off and check out the fellow escorts reaction times.

Roc started off keeping pace with Starr's X-wing until he broke into a quick diving spiral at which time the other two ships joined in their training exercise. Baffled at first he pushed the A-wing even faster in an attempt to catch up with Starr

[Derric Starr]

As things slowed to a halt, the convey was nearing the point of readiness for departure. Starr commed an end to their impromptu combat maneuvers and throttled the XJ down to take up a proper escort position alongside one of the bulk freighters. Roc took up position on Starr's wing as they began preparing for the jump to lightspeed... A jump that seemed destined to end in a successful escort mission with little to no problems.

Starr looked ahead watching in silence as the flight calculation were being made. A number of things ran through his head, most of which revolved around the things he was in the midst of. Kessel Rock Trading Company and Spice, but most of all what he was really aiming for by staying involved in the whole thing.



OOC: 4

[Rane DeCola]

It had been fun playing tag with the group of fighters from Kessel Rock Trading, but it was time to get down to business.

"Medic, get on the comms and let them know we are ready to make the jump to light speed."

The droid beeped in response as Rane brought his Firespray Patrol Craft into formation along with the rest of the convoy. He keyed the switch that brought the slaved StarViper fighter into formation as well. As he waited patiently for the convoy to depart, Medic beeped loudly indicating that the convoy had forwarded over the jump coordinates.

"Get started on plotting a course Medic. If we can shave a little time off from the convoy plotted, I'd rather be early to any party that might be waiting for us, and not let the convoy walk in completely unannounced."

The droid chirped happily in reply to Rane's comment. While he hadn't exactly been in charge of security for the mission, his own safety and the interested the Blue Star Pirates were first and foremost on his mind. Things tended to work in his favor when he kept life in order that way.

[Rane DeCola]

Several hours later...

Rane pulled back on the lever that disengaged the hyperdrive on the Steel Rain.

"Shields up Medic, weapons hot in 3... 2... 1..."

As he finished counting down, the star line that had only moments before been swirling before him once again ceased and dropped the Steel Rain and the StarViper fighter that was slaved to it into real space. Rane's RX-24 droid beeped.

"Good, nothing around for a few light years. It's been a nice hop, but I think this is the end of the line for us. Once the others reach the midpoint, we'll send a comm to them and let them know we're breaking off from the convoy."

Rane's droid chortled quizzically at him.

"Don't worry Medic. They'll be okay from here on out. We have some business of our own to take care of however. It's going to be a long ride, but set course for Reuss VIII."

It wasn't long before the rest of the convoy arrived, at which time Rane bid farewell to the group and set off in search of answers to other questions that he had on his mind of late.

[Master Buggie]

Some time prior to arrival at destination...

The convoy had made way from Ossus toward Sith territory, where they would rendezvous with the Galactic Alliance and Jedi Coalition assets laying in wait for their supplies. The supplies carried onboard Outland 01 and Outland 02, as well as the supplies carried throughout the rest of the convoy, were deemed crucial for the success of the operations within Sith territory. Beyond that, Buggie had not been made privy to the particulars, but he had been handpicked out of several other bidding transport services to make this journey into Sith territory. In recent months, Buggie had made a reputation for avoiding Sith patrols within their territory, whether it was slipping in for a raid or smuggling rarities and other goods only found within the Gordian Reach outward to the rest of the galaxy.

Still, Buggie knew that there would be an end to his luck someday. Smugglers and pirates didn't make it this long against the Force-sensitive Sith for obvious reasons. He understood that his fortune was most likely attributed to his own ability to use the Force. Buggie needed to be sure he didn't slip up and make himself too visible in Sith territory, especially because it would endanger the entire convoy, of which escorts had been at a premium lately.

"Beginning countdown to reversion over Columex," Buggie's co-pilot, Gary Storm, announced.