Into the Deep Wealds

[Gir Quee]

Cyclone-class Bomber Echo Five, outskirts of the Fidlos System

The space around them began to light up with streams of incandescent ion cannon fire. Zurel rapidly flipped a bunch of switches on his console, causing various icons and dashboard lights to glow as systems come back online. We'll probably get spotted in a few seconds, but that's better than accidentally getting hit in the crossfire between the mines and the cartel...He slammed the throttle full forward, causing the Cyclone to relunctantly edge forward before gradually breaking out to its full speed. He could see twin streams of sapphire blue fire spring out from his own craft to lash out at the nearest assault boat. A muted klaxon sounded through his earpieces.

He glanced at dashboard. Enemy missile lock...just great...He began to gently guide the Cyclone in a route that would take it head-to-head with the enemy missile. He would have preferred a more forceful maneuver, but Cyclones weren't exactly known for having stellar maneuverability. He bracketed the oncoming warhead and tapped the firing stud of his ship's laser cannons. Twin emerald streams poured into the missile, causing it to detonate in a brilliant but short-lived flash. Relia's voice began to filter through his comlink among the various updates of arriving Directorate crafts.

"I'm ready for some payback. Bring her around for a run..."

"Didn't you start it?" muttered Zurel, now moving to point their craft's nose at the assault boat.

"Hell yeah...but I didn't launch a missile at no-one..."

He aligned his laser cannons on the stern of the enemy craft and eyed it carefully. He blinked. They're already in a world of hurt...Beset upon by the mines, the assault boat was lashing out almost at random at its hidden attackers. His eyes darted to the craft's engine block. And they've already lost a good amount of thrust from some of the ion cannon fire...I wonder if that was us, or the mines...He pulled the trigger, adding a stream of emerald bolts to Relia's ion cannon fire. Their fire began to chew through the stricken craft's shielding. The lieutenant watched as a secondary targeting bracket flickered green before becoming solid. The targeting computer began to produce a solid intonation, announcing that it had acquired a lock.

"Pull out," advised Relia.

He did so, just in time to see a pair of concussion missiles leap out of his craft to smash into the assault boat's rear. A brief flash of fire engulfed the enemy craft and briefly filled his cockpit with its light. But his craft's path took them away from the sight of the explosion. As he did so, they entered a spray of laser fire from another one of the Cartel's ships, but the Cyclone's heavy shields held as he put the craft through every evasive maneuver that he could think before the enemy fire abruptly ceased. He began to take the Cyclone in a banking maneuver back towards the Mynock-class Assault Boat.

"Their engines are out," announced Relia, "I think we should change our focus to a bigger fish..."

[member="Arlan Zy'rosh"]

 

[Arlan Zy'rosh]

The Carrions had pushed forward against all odds, driving the remainder of their enemies back underground from whence they came. There was now naught but silence where so much chaos had ensued just moments ago. A field of corpses decorated the floor of the warehouse as Arlan and his men rallied upon the entrance to the lower levels of the compound, knowing full well that another firefight waited just out of sight. Most people would have turned back, would have gave up on this job, but once The Carrion Company accepted a contract they saw it through to the end. The hatch was swung open, and one by one the men filed into the darkness of the unknown in search of their prey. Only Teerik could have fielded such an organized resistance on this backwater rock. Only the man Arlan sought would dish out enough credits to hire this much protection. Arlan knew he was here, and he knew he had to catch him before he slipped away like he had become known to do.

"There's no one here commander." One of the Carrions called out as the completed their sweep on the entrance. "They've hightailed it deeper in, must have."

"Alright then. Form up in three man teams and push forward. Engage all hostiles freely and if you spot the target call it in." Arlan barked out as he check his weapon's ammunition. "Move out Carrions." Arlan sneered and continued forward with his own team. Everything was up in the air at the moment, and no doubt the target was preparing to flee after his men sustained so many casualties. It may have been smarter to stick together but the time-frame just didn't allow it. If Teerik was here he wouldn't escape so easily.

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

Cyclone-class Bomber Echo Five, outskirts of the Fidlos System

Zurel looked at the assault boat closely just to make sure it wasn't some enemy trick. Much of the ship's rear was simply missing before it turned into charred and twisted metal at what should have been its middle point. The weapons still look like they're there...but anyone in their sane mind is probably trying to get off that ship rather than fight in it. His mind flashed to the stories he'd heard of people fighting to the bitter end. Certainly there were those who were committed or desperate enough to continue the fight, but he wondered just how hardened the Cartel's people were. While the boat's weapons could still be a threat, if he was careful enough, Echo Five would never enter any of its firing arcs. He deftly guided the bomber around to towards the Corellian Buccaneer limping through the minefield.

Blue lightning sizzled across its hull as the sheer volume of fire from the minefield ate away its shields. Echo Seven and Eight surged towards the corvette in another head to head run. Under fire from the ship's light turbolasers, the bombers released staggered salvos of concussion missiles before breaking off in evasive actions. A brief blossom of fire erupted across the bow of the warship, but the buccaneer seemed unpeturbed by their attack. They must have reinforced their bow shields to have shrugged that attack off...especially with their shields being so weak everywhere else...Zurel frowned as he began to bracket the stern of the cartel's corvette in his targeting reticle.

"Keep it nice and steady...just like that..."

Zurel rolled his eyes. What are you going to tell me next? Stay on target? He glanced down at gunner's display screen, which displayed information gathered by the Mon Calamari Shipyards targeting system. He blinked. She's not targeting the engine block? Well then again, the ion wash from their engines might mess things up...The blue and white flares of the corvette's ion exhaust began to occupy more and more of their viewport. Any time now...Relina...He perceived brief flashes of light fly past his peripheral vision before surging forwards to the cartel's corvette. He glanced at the targeting computer readout. Looks like they're following the laser signature painted onto the corvette's reactor housing fairly well...that should be long enough for us to have had a good lock....Zurel banked Echo Five away from the doomed buccaneer as the warheads pierced into the reactor core's housing.

[member="Arlan Zy'rosh"]