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Gettin' that cash flow
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| Blackfire_Contacts | Date: Saturday, 28 Jul 2012, 8:07 AM | Message # 1 |
 Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 110
Status: Offline
| Chandrila was a relatively peaceful planet, as things went. They didn't expend much on military matters and normally spent little time in the galactic hot seat, so to speak. That meant that the planet's senator, Ilanah Thanatos, was a valuable asset to Blackfire, largely in the money that could be contributed. There had been a small team of four mercenaries, Blackfire paid, that had been keeping tabs as best they could on the Senator's comings and goings. Since the Droid Uprising, she had been prone to remaining at home, it seemed, and eventually, she would have to depart the world, or so they hoped. This would allow Blackfire an opportunity to snatch-and-grab and then utilize a ransom.
The Citadel's Contractors
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| Ilanah_Thanatos | Date: Saturday, 28 Jul 2012, 3:19 PM | Message # 2 |
 Colonel general
Group: Users
Messages: 891
Status: Offline
| Ilanah Thanatos did, in fact, have to leave at some point. Much to her dismay, and with the convincing of her aide, she decided that she needed a day, if not two, on Imperial Center to take care of some Senatorial business in person. She had absolutely no desire to travel there, and had informed the Chandrilian council that she would stay on planet for as long as possible and conduct all of her work from there, something that they had been more than fine with. After all, some Senators and Representatives never set foot on Imperial Center during their entire careers.
Riley had agreed to accompany her, as Kal had some business to attend. He had worked and convinced her that he really was just Imperial Intelligence, and that he had given up those filthy Jedi ways ages ago. Her memory was starting to come back though, which might become a problem for him eventually.
Finally, after more than an hours delay of Lana giving last minute instructions to the nurse maid about Caden and what to do in case of emergency, she was finally boarding the personal ship that she had purchased the year before, with Riley in the pilots seat. She settled in the lounge in the back and tried to distract her mind with some work, but distraction was hard to come by anymore, especially with everything that had happened.
Once the ship broke atmosphere, Riley called back to the Senator on the comm. "Senator, we're about to make the jump into hyperspace.' He warned. "Are you ready?"
Ilanah R. Thanatos
Senator of Chandrila
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| Blackfire_Contacts | Date: Sunday, 29 Jul 2012, 12:10 PM | Message # 3 |
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Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 110
Status: Offline
| (( Presumably this is after Blackfire's actions at Cyborrea, I ought to mention. ))
The mercenaries paid by Blackfire had indeed tracked Ilanah, from a distance of course, to her place at the starport. While she would be in the process of boarding, a rather innocent-appearing call would be placed to an offworld source, which in turn trickled back down to a specific Blackfire agent by the name of Twenty-one. With the senator's vessel being what it was, there were only a few vessels allocated to this mission.
Once Thanatos' vessel was clear of the planet, it would find, emerging from hyperspace, a solitary CR90 corvette that would be ostensibly blocking its path to hyperspace; an innocent enough mistake in this case. Thanatos' vessel would receive a hail from the ship's captain. "Shuttle on course bearing two-six-zero, it seems we've made a small mistake in our planetary approach trajectory. Please advise your bearing so we may swing clear."
The Citadel's Contractors
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| Ilanah_Thanatos | Date: Sunday, 29 Jul 2012, 12:36 PM | Message # 4 |
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Colonel general
Group: Users
Messages: 891
Status: Offline
| She wasn't ready, Riley could tell by the lack of response from the Senator. He was just about to get up and go into the back to speak to her when the hail came across his communications system and the CR90 corvette came into view. "Captain, not necessary, stay on course. I can adjust much easier than you can." Riley said as he settled back into the pilots seat and flipped a few switches and redialed the course into the ships computer. The small "Krandor" custom vessel would have truly had an easier time, so the guard felt that he was only being polite.
After a few moments, Ilanah emerged from the lounge in the back. "Riley what is going on? I thought you were making the jump to hyerspace? I just want to get this ridiculous trip over with as soon as possible." She said, not noticing the other ship for the moment.
Ilanah R. Thanatos
Senator of Chandrila
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| Blackfire_Contacts | Date: Sunday, 29 Jul 2012, 1:26 PM | Message # 5 |
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Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 110
Status: Offline
| Twenty-one knew he only had a brief shot at this. It wouldn't be long before the all-red ship, repainted for this operation, would be noted by Chandrila Control to not be broadcasting an IFF. A brief word to the engine and weapons officer had the ship veering slightly to the right of the senator's vessel. The problem here was to do just enough damage but not overdo it. As they moved position, the gunnery officer gave the order to fire, opening up with the ventral dual turbolaser turret for a single shot, with one of the port single turbolaser cannons ready for a followup if the ship tried to run. As soon as the first shot was away, Twenty-one sent his message.
"Senator Thanatos, power down your engines and dock with this ship, if you please, or you will be blown out of space."
The Citadel's Contractors
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| Ilanah_Thanatos | Date: Sunday, 29 Jul 2012, 2:06 PM | Message # 6 |
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Colonel general
Group: Users
Messages: 891
Status: Offline
| Riley was about to speak when an alarm sounded in the cockpit, alerting them of a shot fired at the vessel. "Senator, go and sit, buckle up." Riley said as he jerked the stick to pull the ship sharply to left. It didn't avoid the turbolaser, completely, but kept the blast from tearing through the hull of the much smaller vessel. She hadn't made it two steps when the communication came across.
"Senator...." Riley warned, thinking he could handle this, based solely on the extra training he had been given by Kal.
"Riley, do what he says." She said as she pulled herself upright from where she had almost fallen when the ship rocked from the blast. "Send a distress call to Chandrila...." Ilanah took a deep breath. "And Brentaal." Chandrila had no way to help them, and Brentaal was probably too far to get anyone there fast enough, but it was worth a try. "Before they cut off our communications, do it!" She told him before she dropped into the co-pilots seat to do it herself.
Ilanah R. Thanatos
Senator of Chandrila
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| Captain_Heller | Date: Friday, 03 Aug 2012, 5:07 PM | Message # 7 |
 Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 60
Status: Offline
| There's always a bigger fish.
The words needn't be spoken, the unidentified CR90 obviously dwarfed the Senator's far smaller ship—just as the Star Destroyer Marathon dwarfed the CR90.
Chandrila was meant to be a reward for Heller; a nice, quiet assignment in recognition of the Marathon's capture of the Jedi fugitive—and certified loon, in Heller's opinion—Drace Xeone. But even though Heller had been accused of being a "climber" and he appreciated the recognition, and even though he wasn't one for combat and preferred the peace and quiet of a Core World that was especially quiet and peaceful, the uneventful months here had begun to wear on him—he'd exhausted his reading list and, for the first time as a captain, delegated the day-to-day operations of the ship to Duvall. The man needed the experience, Heller told himself; in reality, Heller couldn't stand the monotony of customs and traffic control.
But the Empire's presence here, at Chandrila, was an important one. It couldn't well take Chandrila's fleet away from it without stationing a large, permanent Imperial force to defend the planet—and, Heller suspected, to keep would-be dissidents cowed. That was none of his business, Heller told himself; whatever psychological effect that a Star Destroyer in orbit had on the people below wasn't his responsibility. As far as he was concerned, he was here to defend Chandrila.
Or a Senator, in this case.
Heller strode onto the Marathon's bridge, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He'd fallen asleep reading in his quarters; Duvall awakened him with an alert about the CR90. For Lieutenant Duvall, the corvette had been immediately suspect—for one thing, you didn't see many of them in the Core that weren't Imperial. The CR90 didn't respond to ground control, and moreover, it was in restricted space reserved for Imperial and Chandrilan government vessels. Three other ships, to be precise; the Star Destroyers Marathon and Temperance, and the personal shuttle of Senator Ilanah Thanatos.
"Looks like you were right to be suspicious," Heller said drily as the corvette fired a warning shot across the Senator's bow. Heller settled into his command chair as, a moment later, the distress signal from the Senator's shuttle crackled over the comm. "I have the conn."
"Yes, Sir," Duvall said.
"Marathon, this is Temperance," a crisp, professional voice was heard a moment later. Heller found his gaze drifting to the Star Destroyer Temperance in the distance. "Looks like attempted piracy," the voice went on, "possible kidnapping of an Imperial senator. You're closest—all yours?"
"This is Heller," the Captain responded, "We got it."
"We'll circle around to cut off any potential escape."
"Very good. Marathon out," Heller said, turning to Lieutenant Duvall and issuing instructions to come about and approach the corvette and its would-be prey. Shields up, he ordered. Starboard batteries 1 through 20 acquire targeting solutions when in range. Tractor lock when in range. TIE pilots to fighters. Ten degrees to port, slow to cruising speed. Relay the following to the CR90—"Unidentified corvette, you've made a serious mistake. By order of the Empire, stand down immediately, lower your shields, power down your weapons, and prepare to be boarded. Failure to comply will be met with deadly force."
Beneath his firm tone of voice, though, Heller was concerned—for the Senator, to be specific. Heller had served on a CR90 once and knew it'd be no problem for a Star Destroyer to dispatch one. But in desperation, these pirates or would-be kidnappers might fire on the Senator's shuttle again, and not a warning shot this time. "Duvall," Heller said, leaning over to speak softly to his Lieutenant, "Instruct that shuttle to take evasive maneuvers, for Force's sake."
"For 'Force's' sake, Captain?" Duvall said, with a raised eyebrow.
"No time for formalities, Lieutenant," Heller said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "Get to it."
As his orders were carried out, Heller noticed his hands, sweaty, were firmly gripping the arms of his chair. He forced himself to loosen his grip, but the feeling of apprehension remained in his stomach. He remembered this feeling—he hated it, but he had to admit he'd missed it, too.
Clive Winston Heller
Captain of the Marathon
The Galactic Empire
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| Blackfire_Contacts | Date: Friday, 10 Aug 2012, 3:33 PM | Message # 8 |
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Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 110
Status: Offline
| Twenty-one swore under his breath. He'd not expected any Imperial presence, much less a trio of Star Destroyers here. Thankfully, all were still well out of range, save one that was closest and maneuvering towards them. "Divert all power from weapons to engines. Sublights to full thrust and one-half turn. Get us out of here before they can range us or get a tractor lock." The corvette began to come about at full speed, heading in a tight turn will all intent on fleeing the planet. Having remained some distance away from Chandrila, the gravity well, thankfully, would not become an issue. This mission, it would seem, was quite scrubbed.
The Citadel's Contractors
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| Captain_Heller | Date: Sunday, 12 Aug 2012, 6:50 PM | Message # 9 |
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Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 60
Status: Offline
| (( Shall I go? ))
Clive Winston Heller
Captain of the Marathon
The Galactic Empire
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| Ilanah_Thanatos | Date: Sunday, 12 Aug 2012, 7:06 PM | Message # 10 |
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Colonel general
Group: Users
Messages: 891
Status: Offline
| Sure...))
Ilanah R. Thanatos
Senator of Chandrila
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| Captain_Heller | Date: Monday, 13 Aug 2012, 11:01 AM | Message # 11 |
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Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 60
Status: Offline
| Few Core Worlds were going to be very hospitable to a conspicuous operation like the one Blackfire had planned—this close to Imperial Center, the Core might as well have been an ant farm of Star Destroyers. It so happened that Chandrila was especially well-defended because, having no planetary fleet of its own, it was the most logical hub for the Empire's ships in the Bormea Sector, if not the entire Ringali Shell. At this moment, however, there were two, not three Star Destroyers of consequence to the CR90 (not that two Star Destroyers were inconsequential, by any means)—the Marathon and the Temperance.
The Temperance, as aforementioned, had moved to encircle the CR90 from behind and prevent it from escaping. But this would take another moment, as would the Marathon's tractor lock on the CR90. Time enough to escape, if only just. For now, the Marathon would continue to close in. If the CR90 fled fast enough in the direction it had come, it would get away; the CR90's advantage over a Star Destroyer, after all, was acceleration. And, the CR90 having a far smaller mass, Chandrila's gravity well would be more of a problem for the Marathon and the Temperance; they wouldn't be pulling off any tight maneuvers.
Clive Winston Heller
Captain of the Marathon
The Galactic Empire
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| Ilanah_Thanatos | Date: Monday, 13 Aug 2012, 5:24 PM | Message # 12 |
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Colonel general
Group: Users
Messages: 891
Status: Offline
| "Senator!" Riley snapped as she tried to get up again. He reached a hand out and pushed her, gently, back into her seat and snapped her harness in place. With the arrival of The Marathon and Temperance, he was much more at ease, but with the unidentified CR90 still nearby, he wanted to take evasive maneuvers to at least get the smaller diplomatic shuttle out of the line of fire. He did that, with ease, and jerked the vessel to the right sharply so soar beyond the nearest star destroyer. Within seconds, he was radioing down to the surface of Chandrila to get permission to re-enter atmo and land the shuttle again. The trip, it seemed, was cancelled.
Ilanah R. Thanatos
Senator of Chandrila
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| Blackfire_Contacts | Date: Monday, 13 Aug 2012, 5:26 PM | Message # 13 |
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Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 110
Status: Offline
| Attempting to kidnap the Senator of Chandrila was indeed, perhaps, too ambitious a plan for Blackfire at their current stage. Had it worked out, it would have been delightful. In this case, however, the CR-90 and its superior acceleration did indeed allow it to turn tail and flee for safety, ideally leaving the Imperials none the wiser. Perhaps in the end, it might well even be blamed on the Libs or another rebellious group.
The Citadel's Contractors
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