First Reply Diamond in the Rough

[Eaton Waters]

His ship was missing again. Well, not totally missing, it was out in the Levant space, where his sister was, being overhauled. Partially. The Pelagic was a Niathal shuttle that he was using to get from point A to B nowadays, and he was still looking to perfect it. And with it down? Meant that Eaton was doing what he knew how to do. He found his way on a ship, and was serving as a side mechanic, and navigator. His sister warned him that the Wardens of the Sky were heavy out in the Rim, but it wasn’t something that Eaton was totally terrified of.

He wasn’t out here hurting people. Honestly, he was doing his best to help them, where he could, and where it served his own ends. Today? The ship he was working on was saddled up to a deep space refuel dock, which gave Eaton plenty of downtime, and what did he find out here?

Another freighter was aboard, and that one was carrying some rich mogul’s valuables. Now, the Midnight Star, that he was crewing on, was a fast ship, and with his own navigation? Even faster. But they were Alliance-loyal types, not the Outer Rim folks he typically crewed with. He was taking a risk, but with his trusty SCOMP he was opening the door to where the freighter was docked.

Just a little more… He thought as the door whooshed open.

And the alarms began.

 

[Armel]

Location: Deep Space Refuel Dock, Outer Rim
Objective: Seize Fuel and Ships
Tags: Eaton Waters

The Wyrm of Y'toub drifted slowly into the refuelling dock before eventually coming to a stop. According to it's transponder the Wyrm, a medium freighter was on a long voyage from the Core, hauling the personal possessions of Zoltar Tagge, a minor blood relative of the Tagge family who was retiring to Canto Bight. The ship's manifest listed hundreds of pieces of expensive furniture, art and other objects that the Tagge planned to furnish his recently bought mansion. Unfortunately for Zoltar, the Wyrm was seized while it sat in drydock along with dozens of other vessels during the Neo-Crusader raid on Contruum and now unfortunately for those aboard the refuel dock the Wyrm had been emptied and filled to the brim with fuel bladders and a dozen fresh Neo-crusaders eager to prove themselves.

The ship shuddered as it the fuel pumps locked onto the freighter. The lights in the ships docking bay switched off turning back on but in red, illuminating six armoured Neo-Crusaders standing in the room. The harsh voice of the Wyrm's captain, a Mandalorian Rallymaster known to her troops as the Baroness, spoke over the ship's intercom and filled the room.

"Alright kids, time to earn your stripes. We're not on Dxun anymore and this ain't another run through the assault course, this is for real this time. You might be wondering why we're in the middle of nowhere going after a station guarded by rent-a-cops and gas jockeys. I'll tell you why, the fleet is hungrier than ever and this fuel is easy pickings. More importantly if you lot can't even take these guys then you ain't worth a real soldier's time of day. Check your shit and get set for boarding action."

Armel stood in the red light, checking over his equipment as the Rallymaster spoke. "That speech was ass." he said as he checked his blaster pistol's beamsplitter. His comment was met by muted silence from the rest of his squad and he let out a small sigh. He felt out with his mind to his comrades in the room with him, a clash of warmth and cold, excitement and nerves. Except for a handful of veterans aboard the Wyrm's bridge they were all fresh recruits of the Neo-Crusaders, running through several weeks of basic training before being thrown out at the enemy, his comrades had every right to be nervous, some of them hadn't even held a blaster before being conscripted. Still, it soured the Zeltron's own good mood.

"You guys need to loosen up." He said pushing to the front of the other five crusaders that stood in the room with him.

"Shut your mouth before I shut it for you." a cold voice hissed right back at Armel. Nervous and pissed off.

He let out a sigh before turning back to the others. "Red lights are on so Jai'galaar squad is already out in space and they'll be hooking up the fuel bladders to the station's tanks in no time. All we gotta do is board that piece of junk and kill anyone before they realise what's going on. We'll be long gone before sector authorities show up." he said before checking the time on his helmet's HUD. There was still ten minutes before the station's automatic sensors picked up that the Wyrm siphoning fuel, that was their squad's go time. "The Baroness even said our squad gets first pick of the spoils if we bag another ship."

A few hushed murmurs and turn of heads at the mention of the spoils. As conscripts calling the equipment they had been given basic was a generous term. Everyone was eager to upgrade their gear, from their blasters to their sleeping mats. Armel smirked as he felt his squad's spirit lifted ever so slightly. He felt that they had nothing to worry about in the first place, their plan was sound and if everything went well, they'd have the station locked down, have enough time to suck it dry of fuel and get out with time to spare.

But a plan never survives first contact with the enemy, or in this case first contact with a trespasser. Out of nowhere the dim red room was filled with a bright white light as the docking bay doors were opened. Armel spun around and squinted as his eyes took a second to get use to the bright light. The six blue armoured Crusaders were now clearly visible to whoever was standing on the other side.

He looked at the figure that was before him and for once in his life the Zeltron couldn't figure out what to say. "The fuck?" he finally let out, stunned. And then the ship's alarms started blaring.

​

 

[Eaton Waters]

The mogul had not only Outer Rim talons but also supposedly some priceless artifacts. Art, Force shenanigans, he assumed, and just even the run of the mill credits. Eaton was fine for that. He would be more than happy with whatever he could steal. Get himself out into the space lanes before anyone found out, but then again, he messed up somewhere here. Was it really that the station was that secure? Or…

A droid?

Maybe a droid. He didn't have one because he didn't need one. He could fix most things on his own. Sure the Pelagic was needing the extra repair work, but Eaton preferred to do it on his own. Unlike his sister, Eaton was capable of making sure he blended in, or at least used the little Force skills he had to push others away and vanish into a crowd. And if that didn't work?

Knife fighting.

Obviously the last resort.

And something that was not going to go well with what he found here. A half dozen blue armored Mandalorians. What did Brooke say about the current list of Mandalorians? They were not the Protectors… They were different, crusaders, marauders.

A pause, much like an Tanaabian Buck running across a busy street, he looked before trying to lie. He pointed down the hallway. "Someone was trying to test station security." Eaton did have a bit of coveralls on, nothing too official, but he wasn't looking the bit of a thief, especially if no one caught him sliding the SCOMP down his sleeve.

Armel

 

[Armel]

Location: Deep Space Refuel Dock, Outer Rim
Objective: Seize Fuel and Ships
Tags: Eaton Waters

Armel stood there as Eaton spoke, a station security test. It could be the Sith Emperor himself for all he cared, the reason they were at a station like this is that most folks out here kept their head down and out their way of things. None of the other crusaders had moved an inch either and they didn't until the voice of the Baroness filled their helmets.

"The Hell is going on down there! You aren't set to go for another ten!" she barked.

Armel watched as one of the other Neo-crusaders turned to reply to the Rallymaster but there was no time for that, whether they liked it or not their schedule has just been accelerated. With his blaster already in hand the Zeltron lurched forward through the door and right up to Eaton, pointing his weapon in the Bluebreen hybrid's face. Armel was hunched over slightly, as if trying to stay avoid non-existent blaster fire going on overhead.

"Security check you say..." he said before turning his head slightly down the hallway towards the rest of the station. He quickly nodded at the rest of the Neo-Crusaders still in the ship and the spilled out with weapons raised. Two scampered down towards the end of the hallway, hugging the sides for any bit of cover they can find.

"Usually you announce that sort of stuff don't ya? Especially to the ship you're testing." he said his attention turned back on Eaton. The small black T-visor betrayed nothing but beneath the Zeltron's face was that of confused and angry, so much so that he didn't notice Eaton tuck away his device. Still something wasn't right, had they been compromised? Or was it really a case of bad luck?

"And on top of that who are you? You ain't dressed like station security." he said again as he moved to press his blaster right into Eaton.

​