Relocating

[Zef Halo]

Time had been tough on Clan Varad. Centuries ago during the Cold War, it had defected from the Mandalorians' contract of serving the Sith in order to raid both Republic and Sith assets. Clan Varad had learned to live in space as they had established numerous secret bases in the Tamarin sector of space, where they would ambush and issue raids. Eventually, they were defeated and literally disbanded. Their members had been accepted in other Mandalorian Clans. That was until after the Galactic Civil War, when finally clan Varad was able to re-establish itself. Going back to their long forgotten haven of the Tamarin Sector, they rebuilt half of what they once had. As the Gulag Virus stormed down, clan Varad managed to survive due to their isolationist nature. They waited and waited for the time of glory to come again.

And it came in the form of Mand'alor the Reclaimer.

"Ten minutes left till arrival." A droid's voice reported somewhere behind him to Meviik 'Cap' Varad. A thirty year old Mandalorian that had spent all his life aboard a ship. It was not surprising due to Clan Varad's status and size, Meviik was the most experienced clan member in naval operations.

"Why do we have all these damn droids aboard, Cap ?" Jori asked as his T-Visor followed the droid that reported going back to where it should be.

"How the hell do you think we're gonna manage maintaining this station, the star fighters, the patrol craft and on top of that try and build our own things in the middle of nowhere ?" Meviik explained making various gestures with his arms while doing so. "We're not Clan Varad of the Cold War. We're by far smaller and right now we're lucky-"

"I know, I know. Save it, Meviik." Jori halted the captain's explanations. He knew very well the status of Clan Varad. "Is this Rekali-made ?"

"Aye, it is. Spent three quarters of our credits getting things from the Rekali. Still didn't even take a full hangar, we wouldn't have money for the things that this station usually has in its hangar. But we've got enough."

"It's expensive over at the Rekali?"

"No, we're just...we don't have enough money yet. We're lucky that their Aliit'buir - [member="Alec Rekali"] - even approved the purchase order, considering what's going on between us Mandalorians right now. I am glad she gave us a green light to buy from them cause I don't like buying from non-Mandalorians."

"Mandalorian quality is always the best isn't it ?" Jori chuckled as he said but he definitely meant it.

"It is. Them Rekali are pioneers in all things considering space. As we are 'spacers' ourselves as well, we ought to learn from them."

Jori nodded to Meviik and turned back towards the viewport looking at the endless lines of hyperspace. His mind had focused upon Clan Varad's relocation and finally building a home of their own where they could reap the benefits of it and support the Mandalorian Empire. The young Mandalorian looked forward to it.

"Exiting hyperspace in 3...2...1."

Back to realspace.

 

[Zef Halo]

The station returned to realspace finally finishing its long voyage from the Tamrin sector to the Chiloon Rift. Jori was just about to smile happily that he would finally do something rather than watching the lines of hyper travel but his smile was replaced with his eyes being wide open at the view that appeared. The Mandalorian knew that the Chiloon Rift was a nebula to which one of the biggest asteroid fields was located. Yet, he definitely did not expect the asteroid field to so massive.

"Welcome to the Chiloon Rift, folks." Meviik's voice boomed on the bridge, silencing whatever chatter any Mandalorians might have started. "One of the most hard to navigate nebulae in the galaxy. Here-"

"Transmission from the Alor, Cap." Kiya, one of the crew aboard, interrupted Meviik's welcoming speech.

"Already ?" Meviik asked, his tone much more serious than when he was introducing the Rift. "In this Nebula, communications?"

Kiya did not let Meviik to keep voicing his questions as the unstable holoprojection of the Aliit'buir of Clan Varad appeared in the middle of the bridge.

"There...khht...khht...Problem...kkhhtt...blems..."

"Karking put more power in our damn communications tower, Kiya!!" The order issued resulted in a slight disruption of the lighting on the bridge.

"Meviik...coordinates sent....beacon...follow..." The line was slightly more stable but not as Meviik wanted. "Misjudge-...khht...khhtt... waystation...nt survive...small craft....us."

The line dropped.

"Cap ?" Kiya raised an eyebrow as she looked at Meviik. The man's helmet hid his expression.

"Did you understand what alor said, Meviik ?" Jori voiced everyone's concern.

"Problems. Misjudged the Rift." Meviik simply answered but then seemed to regain composure and continued. "Droid, transfer the coordinates received from the Alor to two of the B-wings. Jori, you're going on a mission. You and Aera. Kiya, let Aera know of this. Droid, send all information about the asteroid field and our scans of it in the range of 1/2 AU."

"Where am I going and what are you doing ?" Jori asked, his eyebrow raised behind the T-Visor.

"To the Alor. I will try to find a way through this field. You will find out why there is a discrepancy in the information we have about the Rift and its current situation, at least according to the Alor. I will double check for that discrepancy through what we have scanned."

"Understood. Ret', Cap!"

"Oya, vod!"

"Oya."

 

[Zef Halo]

<\\Pair 1 engines... check.\\> Jori reported to the flight control operator on board the Waystation which he and Aera had to depart from currently.

<\\Pair 2 engines...check.\\> The Mandalorian's hand then finally went to switch on the third pair of engines.

<\\Pair 3 engines...check.\\>

<\\Check your vectrals.\\> The command came from the flight control over the comm and Jori steered the joystick all around.

<\\No problems detected.\\> Jori responded.

<\\Thrust levels ?\\>

<\\All looks good. \\> The Mandalorian said through the comm as he tested the thrust levels. The engines' roars were booming in the hangar.

<\\Green light for departure. Oya, ner'vod!\\>

<\\ Oya! \\>

The B/E-3 B-wing, recently purchased by Meviik from Clan Rekali, unblocked the output to the exhausts and the starfighter took off forward and out of the waystation where Aera awaited for him.

<\\ Took you some time, boy. \\> Aera's voice rang through his comm channel arrogantly. She was probably grinning like a fox in her cockpit currently.

<\\ You ain't much older, girl. \\> Jori bit back as he lead his starfighter after Aela's. Both focused on the coordinates that were uploaded in their nav computers.

<\\ A year's a year, Jor'ika. \\>

<\\ Whatever, just keep flying. I am right behind ya. \\> The Mandalorian grumpily announced over the comm channel.

<\\ Be ready for anything, sensors aren't much of help in this nebula. \\> The female Mandalorian's voice came over the comm and their journey towards the coordinates given began.

 

[Zef Halo]

The multi-colored nebula that they had entered was truly an amazing phenomena to observe for Jori. He had only travelled through one when he was just a kid. The youth would stay and stare at the nebula without stopping. It was truly a fascinating scenery, that fascinated him even now. That feeling of appreciation was interrupted by the static in the comm channel and Aera's voice coming through it.

<\\ I don't know what we are going to find at these coordinates. To my knowledge all mining stations and the two planets in this Nebula are much further within the asteroid field. \\>

<\\ Maybe it is where aliit'buir is currently located. \\> Jori replied. He steered the ship after Aera, neatly evading a relatively small asteroid.

<\\ Something tells me differently. \\> Aera's tone had gone dead serious.

<\\ You've got the Force now, jetii? \\> The young Varad said with a teasing tone.

<\\ Shut it and keep your eyes wide open. A massive asteroid is passing right infront of us. Be very careful, smaller asteroids tend to move along with and their similar surfaces makes them camouflaged. \\>

<\\ Sensors ? \\>

<\\ Nebula and such a dense asteroid field, forget about it, rookie. \\>

The Mandalorian snorted back but truly focused on not dying in such a stupid accident that Aera warned him about. His movements on steering mirrored those that Aera did, swiftly mimicking her. Jori believed that would be for the best, she was a much better pilot than him. That was for sure.

If there was sound in space, they would've heard them coming.

<\\ Evasive!! \\> Aera's voice filled the young Mandalorian's ears.

Without a second thought, Jori steered the starfighter down and increased its thrust.

<\\ Three of 'em, starfighters, unknown. \\> The woman's voice came through. No hail, no nothing. Just blasts. <<\\ Head for those smaller asteroids where the purple meets the green. \\>

That was a good marker to find the smaller asteroids. Jori quickly saw them and Aera's starfighter pulled up on his starboard. Both Mandalorian's steering unpredictably so their sudden pursuers would not blow them up.

<\\ Who the he- \\> Jori began but the colorful laser passing between him and Aera interrupted him, along with the later yelling through the comm.

<\\ Shut it, Jori. You're not that good of pilot to talk and pilot here. Focus on not dying!! \\>

That was reassuring.

 

[Zef Halo]

She was right and he knew it. Jori was definitely not that good to talk and pilot at the same time. Hell, he could hardly even think about his controls or have a glimpse at the targeting computer. Bad guys were trying to blow him up from behind and a surprising asteroids were moving from everywhere to anywhere. The Mandalorian saw a rather long gap of free movement and accelerated to a maximum.

<\\ Di'kut, never hit max thrust in such a place. \\> Aera's voice came sharply through the comm channel and Jori, as if ordered, immediately decreased the B-wing's acceleration.

The starfighters entered what seemed to be a denser asteroid section of the asteroid field. The Mandalorian himself could not give any attention to where exactly he was, only evading the blasts which had already shook his starfighter twice now.

<\\ Keep dodging. \\>

Jori steered through the what seemed to be infinite obstacles as blasters struck the asteroids throwing rubble at his starship.

<\\ I am now behind them. \\> Aera's voice came from behind. <\\ Keep flying, Jori. \\>

On the reflection of his transparisteel fire flashed and disappeared into the vacuum.

<\\ Focus. \\> Aera's voice came in a second later, reassuring him that it was not her ship going in flames.

With a swirling move, Jori navigated his B-wing besides two rather large asteroids. His maneuvers led him face to face with a smaller asteroid. Somehow gained more composure, maybe due to one of the enemies being destroyed, the Mandalorian was able to hit the firing buttons on the dual laser cannons. The blast resulted in the dispersion of numerous rubble.

Unfortunately for Jori, the rubble was evaded expertly by the enemy interceptor which was swiftly followed by Aera just like a hound on a blood trail.

Abruptly though, the interceptor maximized its speed, thus greatly endangering its maneuvers through the asteroid field. Yet, it was not a crash into an asteroid that happened but self-destruction.

Aera...

 

[Khia Varad]

Not sure the situation, only the danger in the field. Reinforcements were sent ahead to see if they could head off the pursuit, two more B/E-3 Wings, she was in one, heavy ship, she liked heavy. Khia didn’t often speak. Which most people just got used to. Mostly because she had little to say. When you were hurtling towards a friendly starfighter, it was best to speak, something, so they didn’t shoot you out of the sky.

They’d spent most of their time travelling since she’d joined the clan, she’d picked up a thing or two, mostly from Jori and Aera if she was honest, lessons about flying, no ace but not bad. “Vode.” She said simply, concentrating on what she had to do. Looking at the fireball that had just taken place, her face hardened, the two fighters took their own place to clear any pursuit craft remaining, diving in from behind a rock and firing on them, looked like only one attacker left for them to clear, but she couldn't be sure how many they got between them.

“Gar oyayc?” <<You Alive?>> [member="Jori Varad"]. Not exactly the most fraternal voice in the world, designed as shake to his system to keep him alive, like a solider pulling you up and staring you in the eyes. Then Khia wasn’t in any way fraternal, unless she was by your side. Which is exactly what her ship dipped to become, flying along his wing, to cover him from the rear. “Aera?” <<Aera?>> Knowing it likely she'd been in the blaze.

[member="Jori Varad"]​