Private Relic Recovery

[Council of Captains]

Defensive Minefield, Sith-Centran Border

No sane being would seriously entertain the idea that the Centrality could pose any kind of threat to the Sith Empire. The entire Centran fleet would be little more than an appetizer to the ravenous legions of one of the galaxy's great powers. But one promise the Sith made to their citizens was safety and security, however oppressive, and they kept that promise ruthlessly. With the genocidal Bryn'adul drawing closer and closer to their borders, the ruling Dark Lords and sector governors stepped up their defenses, preparing for a war that would no doubt shake the Outer Rim to its very foundations and leave horrific devastation in its wake.

One such defense was the border minefield interdicting the main hyperspace route from Gand to Erilnar. Sith military ships had the IFF clearance to avoid the deadly droid mines, but the area was off-limits to civilian vessels, and any that strayed too close would be pulled out of lightspeed and rapidly blown apart. Only a truly excellent pilot would have a chance of running the gauntlet of auto-defenses. Unfortunately, the pilot that fifty Gand refugees had chosen to take them to their new home hadn't been truly excellent. Somewhere in the middle of the minefield, the transport drifted aimlessly, its belly ripped open by the power of ingenious and deadly Sith engineering.

There was nothing that could be done for the Gand, killed in the explosion or choked by the pitiless void. But the precious cargo they had carried was another story. From their new refuge on Dilonexa II, the leader of the Centran Gand community transmitted the specifics of the job to the bold outlaw who had volunteered to complete it. "This one thanks you for accepting our contract," the flickering holoprojection said, its voice and image distorted by distance and the communication disruption generated by the minefield. Only very famous and accomplished Gand referred to themselves in the first person or used names; only they were considered to have earned the right.

"You must locate the destroyed transport, dock with it, and recover the strongbox within the hold. The contents are very important to this one's people."

Revy ​

 

[Revy]

Wreckage of Transport Ship on its way back to Dilonexa XXII

The XS Light Freighter, White Raven; breezed through the star system of Tund. The outer rim had served the ship well, it had been the pinnacle of its travels and more so, for its pilot. While the Corellian manufactured vessel was considered ancient, the newly painted white lines gave it a sharper image. It functioned like any old ship would, loose and capable. Any pilot that cruised through the nothingness of space knew that the newer the ship, the harder to handle. Sure, most modern ships had all the bells and whistles, but nothing quite moved as fast and precise as a broken-in ship. This was true for the White Raven.

The small shape of the ship slipped into Centrality space and bucked slightly as the levers were pushed backwards with ease. Revy looked out into thew void before leaning back and grabbing onto the small cartridge of smokes. Carefully she place a long white filtered cigarette between her index and pointer finger. She observed it for only a brief moment before placing it between her lips. It hung laggardly, waiting to be stoke by the flame of her own uniquely dressed lighter. The cockpit was a mess, but the controls and switches were pristine. Scattered bags and empty cans were scattered along the floor, but none of that mattered as Revy snatched the purple tin from the small ledge that poked out from her right. An infusion of red and green blinking lights indicating the usual functions. Her thumb stretched upward as the clicking sound brought a smile to her face. A bright flame greeted her. Her velvet eyes shifted downward as she sucked in deeply with a relaxing pleasure. Smoke lifted and she exhaled. Another cloud of smoke filled the pilot's chambers like a plague. The smell of rich tobacco and mixtures of rare fruits hung in the air.

The flame dissipated as she tossed it to the side before leaning inward at the screen in front of her. She was just passing Oseon VII. A planet that harbored many things to attract tourists. Revy didn't care for such worthless activities, unless credits were involved. Of course, gambling was the only thing she really approved of when it came to relaxation. Even so, credits were the exact reason Revy was within the Tund System to begin with. A high-end client needed a worthy pilot to retrieve what was rightfully theirs. Regardless of the tensions among the Sith and their intruding threats beyond their influences, Revy decided to take the job. The credits were decent and happened to be the quickest route to making a name for herself among the Centrality areas of space. If the job went fair, she could maybe take on more contracts for the Spinward Syndicate. Maybe, just maybe it could lead to a new ship.

"This one thanks you for accepting our contract," Revy crossed her legs, her bows indented on the flat metallic surface in front of her. The holo-projection went static for a brief moment before continuing. "You must locate the destroyed transport, dock with it, and recover the strongbox within the hold. The contents are very important to this one's people." Revy sighed, it was never simple. Never was it truly ever one thing in her line of work. She took note of the odd presentation of speech, but ignored it before answering.

"I've set the coordinates to the last known location, provided by your worthy contacts. The briefing mentioned a minefield on the Sith-Centran border. I trust the credits will be there upon arrival." Revy's voice patched through, the image of a long haired female with a tank-top sitting on her own throne. She grinned, if she was going to risk her life in a defensive field constructed by the minds of The Sith Empire, she expected immediate pay when the job was done. She really hated the details of the job, but loved the danger. She took one last drag of her cig and twisted it in a forceful way, pointed downward onto the metal surface. The ash left from the careless motion struck a cord. If things went south she would need her combat suit. She waited for the comms to click on as she transferred the receiving signal to her internal ship system. Preparation was everything, survival was life for a criminal like her. Revy didn't think she was evil, rather, a necessary nuisance to create opportunities for those less fortunate like herself. Either way, soon she would be in the depths of a sith engineered minefield. Chills reached her. The combat armor stared back at her as she admired it.

"Kark it."

Council of Captains ​

 

[Council of Captains]

The image of the Gand flickered again, and there was a moment's silence as the bug-eyed alien took in the long-haired woman with the cigarra dangling between her fingers. In so many ways they could not have been more different, but each had something the other wanted, and that was all anyone in the galactic underworld needed to form a partnership. "This one will have your credits ready on Dilonexa II," the Gand finally replied. "This one urges you to be careful. The task is dangerous, and the strongbox must not be damaged, or the mists will become angry."

With that, the alien cut the transmission, leaving Revy alone in the cockpit. Beyond the viewport, the vast bulk of the Sith minefield stretched far and wide, each pulsing droid mine packing enough power to rip the White Raven apart; these were designed to cripple capital ships, so a small freighter could easily get vaporized by a direct hit. But a freighter had an advantage over those capital ships: it was small and nimble enough to dance among the mines and, in the hands of a talented enough pilot, come away unscathed... or at least intact.

Among the mines, Revy could see the wreckage of dozens of ships that had tried to make the same perilous journey she was about to attempt. Plenty of refugees tried to flee the oppressive rule of the Sith, but these defenses didn't care which direction you were coming from; if you didn't have a Sith military IFF code, they would turn you to ash. Fortunately, the Gand had provided a transponder signal to lock onto, so Revy could find the wreckage of the right transport among all of the ruined hulks. Unfortunately, the signal was coming from deep inside.

By the best estimates of the White Raven's sensors, she would have to make it past five layers of mines to reach the area where the Gand transport was drifting. These were seeker mines, fitted with droid brains that enabled them to fire their thrusters and speed after any ship that got within their range. They weren't as fast as the White Raven, but there were a lot of them, so evasion would be the name of the game. And if she could reach the Gand transport, Revy would have to figure out what to do about all the mines that were following her by then...

Revy​

 

[Revy]

The last of the leader's words echoed through her ship as the transmission was abruptly cut off. Revy knew the figure head of Centran Gand community had no time to spare when it came to pleasantries. The two main forces that would soon collide in their sector of space had to be a frustrating thing to maintain. Revy was lucky she never became a diplomat, politics were for those untrained with a gift for surviving. Instead they harnessed words like a sword, something Revy thought she was good at. Still, even with brains and brawn, the galaxy didn't care for what you knew, but how you applied what you knew.

The hissing sound of her helmet snapped shut as tiny streams of air blew out from beneath it. The air was filtered and the bright green and blue HUD greeted her as the suit powered on. She rushed to the cockpit as the loud signals erupted into her chamber of aviation. The stars that streamlined into her view pinged at her curiosity as the display showed the course. The ship had disregarded the many threats that lay underneath its belly, any closer to the field of tactful explosion and the White raven would cease to exist, including Revy herself. Her grimace was hidden beneath that of her suit helmet and her hand curled into a tightly woven fist. The sheer amount of mines that layered the area on her contract ping was infested. The sensors warned her of some, but she knew of the engineers in The Sith Empire. They were crafty and ingenuity was an understatement.

Revy slowly weaved her ship nicely above the field, giving her a top down angle with the bow of her ship. Her thrusters slowed as she gently glided above. Her mind was free from restraint and she closed her eyes. The patterns in her head began to click as she sat in her pilot's chair. The arms that allowed her to rest her elbows on were soft, laced with leather woven animal hide. It was treat from most of her beast hunts. She recalled the information relayed to her, the one thing that mattered the most was her life; then the strongbox. She felt the tingle sensation like she always had, the swelling emotion of fear expunged from the forefront of her mind. This was something different. Revy's body slouched slightly before a mechanical breath escaped her MK. II helmet. Her fingers extended to a few switches and the ship rattled with excitement. The ion cannons were set to auto targeting for any threats that chased her, preferably; she would have no visitors.

Revy's eyes shot open, the bridge of her eyes creasing as she focused. Her right arm jerked forward, the shaking manifestation of the back end of her ship propelled the rather large piece of machinery forward. The mid sect of the ship vertically twisting and tottering through the explosives. Revy flicked a few more switches and pressed down onto the electronic display. The wide-spannned image of the wreck expanding to the sides of her view. The debris slowly drifted in suspension from the weightless physics. The White Raven slipped through the first screen of defenses. The distasteful grin that once hung on Revy's face, turned to a smile. The ship continued forward as it violently changed whipped itself into a horizontal form as it barely escaped a line of unsuspected mines. Unfortunately, it would cost her. The Raven screamed at her with a fury of popups as the auto targeting system kicked in. Revy was skeptical of the idea, but if shooting down the tracing explosives would keep her alive, she had no choice.

Hopeful a stray shot didn't miss its mark she clenched tightly onto the controls as she bolted into the next layer of death.

Council of Captains ​

 

[Council of Captains]

The White Raven leapt forward, plunging into the minefield. Droid mines hummed to life all around it, closing toward the little ship like the jagged teeth of some awakening behemoth snapping shut. They were slow compared to the nimble freighter, but doggedly persistent. Every time the Raven had to slow, maneuvering around another of the deadly obstacles, her pursuers drew just a little closer. The swerving necessary to make it past five layers of defenses, into the heart of the Sith interdiction grid, might just slow the ship’s forward progress enough that a mine could catch it...

Fortunately, Revy had other tricks up her sleeve. As she swerved to avoid an in rushing line of mines, the White Raven’s ion cannons sparked up and spat lines of electric blue across the void. The droid mines were armored to deflect laser fire, their armor doubling as lethal shrapnel when they exploded, but the heavy plating provided no defense against ion weaponry. With each blast the thrusters propelling each explosive shell sputtered and grew weaker; several mines lost the ability to adjust course and were left drifting aimlessly, dragged by their inertia through the frictionless void.

Suddenly, an explosion ripped through the defense grid just starboard of the Raven. One of the drifting mines had slammed into a stationary one, setting them both off in a flash of heat and light that rattled the freighter. It had been far enough away that there would be no damage, but the danger was clear: if more mines collided, the defense grid might rapidly turn into a maze of jagged armor plating fully capable of ripping through a speeding starship’s hull. On the way back out of the minefield, that would make navigation even more dangerous, closing off paths that had been open on the way in.

The White Raven was getting close to the position indicated by the destroyed transport’s transponder signal. A dozen mines still trailed behind the ship, fighting to close in for the kill, and the ion cannons and swift maneuvering just barely kept them at bay. If the ship was going to be able to stop and dock with the wreck of the transport, Revy would need to find a way to lose them - or destroy them without blowing herself up in the process. Whatever she was going to do, she would need to do it fast.

Revy​

 

[Revy]

The ship tucked under another layer of heaping explosives. The fragile freighter kicking side to side as Revy jerked the swindle. The propulsion systems eased as she violently yanked upward, the glaring problem blinking in front of her on the HUD screen. The tail end of the White Raven began to slant vertically as the mines approached. The top side defenses waiting to get a lock before firing another barrage towards its pursuers. With the slowed effort from the back end of her ship, Revy bit down hard on her lip. She braced for impact, but throttled forward. The Raven swept higher and higher before the voidless space allowed her to turn.

An explosion ruptured starboard of her ship. The straying explosive that once sought after her knocking into on another as a burst of bright light shimmered across the bow. Tiny chunks of metal flung rapidly through the field. Luckily, but unluckily; the metallic shrapnel from the explosion found purchase. It tore through the ships durasteel. The siding of the ship now bare due to large chunks of metal sticking out from the end cap of her paint job. Revy was lucky it struck her ship and did minimal damage, rather than the shrapnel finding a better target in the sea of explosives underneath her ship. If that had happen, she would have been expunged minutes ago. She lifted her right arm and pressed on the damage calculation. The mechanical flaps that normally were in place to ease landings were torn straight off.

No internal damage though, good.

Revy grinned, as she paced herself, making sure the old ship still had it in her. She whizzed passed another layer as the signal from the client chimed loudly. She was going to make it. The furious tracing missile like mines continued to chase and as the Raven broke free from the fifth layer of mines a loose patch of debris slammed into her. The wreckage sprawled out in a fury of true destruction. The Raven rattled, the possessions of Revy's own toppiling over as it did.

Kark, I can't see shit...

A large solar flex disrupted the signal of her ship, the blots on her radar fizzling out for a brief second. This was it, the mines would destroy her if she couldn't see where she was going. She looked out from her cockpit window, the suspended metal chunks waiting to be retrieved. Revy tightened her fist and slammed down onto the metal counter from her dashboard.

"Come on! Come On!" Revy yelled. Her eyes scanned over to the only electronic thing that seemed to be alive and working. The transponder signal. Revy smiled, the only way she was getting out alive was using the debris to her advantage. This is what she signed up for, her heart raced with excitement as she propelled the ship sideways. Large heaping duraplast and steel ricocheted off her ship as it sputtered up and over her precious old Raven. Again, she proceeded another beam doing the same as it fell in succession. The parts of the already destroyed ship would catch the tracing bombs of death. It was a crazy idea and could even cause more damage than harm.

But that, in a nutshell, was exactly how Revy worked.

Council of Captains ​

 

[Council of Captains]

The engines of the White Raven, now battle-scarred by shrapnel, strained hard as they pushed against the wreckage of the transport, turning the floating hulk into a shield. The freighter cleared the area just in time; only second later, three mines punched into the debris at once, unleashing a colossal explosion that tossed everything nearby away in a huge arc. The rippling field of mangled durasteel hit several more trailing mines, and for nearly a full minute all that was visible was detonation after detonation lighting up the darkness of space.

Eventually, however, the bursts of light faded. Fortunately, only a section of the massive minefield had exploded, but it had still been substantial damage. Left behind was a colossal field of ash and metal fragments, drifting dangerously through the void. Any of the razor-sharp shards could easily tear through an environment suit - or even slice the hull of a speeding starship. The Gand transport had been torn to shreds, its pieces barely recognizable as having come from a starship anymore.

Somewhere in the jagged field, however, was the strongbox containing the Gand relic. Thankfully, it had been built of materials strong enough to survive such a blast; the Gand must have valued it highly indeed. Revy knew that it couldn't have drifted too far, but it was definitely out in the void of space now, surrounded by the deadly metal shards. Figuring out a way to find it, pick it up, and get it inside her ship would be no easy task, and she only had so much time; the minefield would soon detect the disruption and move to counter it.

Revy​