Sour Times

[Jerred Rez]

Jerred penned himself up within the confines of his ship, the Dark Falcon. He knew Ryu was somewhere nearby, using the dark side of the moon that they were orbiting as cloak for his own ship. They had relayed some transmissions to Tirsa and Endo, hoping that the two would come alone. Jerred had arranged for all the communications to be sent via secure TriOptimum channels. All signs would point to a legitimate business arrangement... That was, after all, why Ryu had ever agreed to this ridiculous mining business anyway.

The green goggled bounty hunter scratched at his chest, hating the feel of the tight black uniform that he was forced to where beneath his trench coat. He had cut it in certain places and modified (against company policy) to suite his needs... He couldn't remember the last time he saw Ryu even put the thing on.

That bastard...

Thanks to the expenses that Ryu had dropped upon their approved corporate funds, they were very, very close to losing everything they had worked for at that nasty little ore-factory of a mining colony. How the executives at TriOptimum managed to overlook a Victory Class Star Destroyer as a "personal expense" was difficult to fathom. It was a miracle they were still in business as it was...

[Endo Freedoo]

:: It had been the most interesting of communications. One on a channel that neither he nor Tirsa immediately recognized. A little investigation of its encoding let them both know who was responsible. In the inner circles of those who had shady careers it was an organized group of people much like Endo and Tirsa, but not quite. TriOptimum was not a group of pirates per say, they were more like bounty hunters. It wasn’t really like a pirate to actually be a part of an organized group, with all the politics and procedures that came along with such a relationship.

Endo and Tirsa certainly didn’t answer to any such procedures, and had already been waiting in the moons dark Shadow in his Sith Infiltrator, fully cloaked via cloaking device, and even more hidden by the satellite’s shadow. ::

Should we let them know we are here or just let them stew a little bit?

:: He asked his flying companion. ::

[Tirsa Krylana]

:: The Nebari leaned over and looked at the readout between her legs. She always had an annoying habit, at least in Endo's mind, of putting her feet on the console. The Rodian was still waiting for the day when Tirsa would hit something by accident. So far, it hadn't happened.

She nodded and saw that her partner was right. Their contacts had arrived and most likely waiting for them. Little did they know that Tirsa and Endo had arrived 45 standard minutes earlier.

Leaning back in her chair, she threw a cherry in the air and caught in her mouth ::

"Let them frelling wait."

:: with a big grin, she winked at Endo ::

"More fun that way to see how patient they are."

:: she munched on the cherry, stopping to wipe some juice that dribbled down her lip ::

"Or, maybe they can find us. We'll have to see."

[Ryu Warusa]

"Sir," the droid at the radar controls looked back at the standing above him. The man had been looking outside the ship's view port at the time enjoying the scenery (or lack of) that space provided. The figure looked down upon the droid with a look of annoyance; he did not enjoy being disturbed.

"Yes. What is it, TR421?" his deep voice booming over the beeps and blips that the ship's computers were making.

"We have discovered a strange gravitational anomaly at point 351.25." The robot had said in its whiney voice.

"What do you think it is?"

"Well, I don't know sir. It appears to have a mass index of a small vessel."

"A small vessel... hmm bring us in a little closer." Ryu had said to the navigations droid.

"Aye aye, Sir."

The navigation droid brought the ship about, moving very slowly and carefully. This was not what Ryu had wanted him to do. He jumped down into the pit and lifted the droid out of the chair, then proceeded to sit down.

"Fool, I told you to bring us closer. When I give an order, I expect it done quickly." Patience was not one of Ryu's virtues. The ship lurched forward to the coordinates of the anomaly. Suddenly there was a small crash, as the VSD Arcadia rammed into the rear of a small unidentified ship. "What was that?"

"Sir, we have just discovered the presence of a ship. It came out of nowhere, sir." It was the radar droid.

"Well, activate the tractor beam and prepare a boarding party. Oh and call Jerred, tell him we found them."

[Senassi Teften]

"Ryu... you wouldn't know subtle if it screamed at you. Why the frell are we boarding them? Why the frell do we have a goddamned STAR DESTROYER?" She walked up and kicked Ryu in the shin, and then stomped off to the main fire control station.

It was a miracle of a strange sort that the thing worked. Ryu, in typical moronic male fashion, had acquired the thing without crewing it. She had suggested that a Nebulon B was overkill, but Mr. Fancypants wanted a Star Destroyer.

She dashed twoards tractorbeam and docking control.

"You want fries with your tractor beam, stupid?"

[Endo Freedoo]

He was taken quite by surprise when the tractor beam took hold of his ship, almost shaking he and Tirsa from their seats. Alarms began to sound and all control of navigation was lost. ::

Frell, we got too close!

:: Came the very irritated voice of the Rodian. He formulated a plan as quickly as he could, not liking how this supposed business agreement was turning out so far. He turned and told Tirsa. ::

They won’t take my ship in one piece if I have anything to say about it.

:: His knobby fingers pressed keys on the console and activated the ship’s self destruct system. Once it was active he pulled a small device from an electronic dock in the console. ::

Tell them if they do not release this ship immediately theirs will be destroyed.

:: He started to rise from his seat knowing that he and Tirsa would have to time this perfectly if they were in fact forced to do what he thought they must. They would eject themselves in an escape pod just as the Chimera was taken on board and the tractor beam disengaged, setting off the Chimera’s self destruct system via remote inside the VSD would prove quite devastating if it did come to that. ::

Its not an option I like, but in this situation I would rather loose my ship than be taken captive by ones such as these. Let them have it if they must, but they will end up with neither us or it and it will mean their own doom.

[Tirsa Krylana]

:: Tirsa didn't want to do it either. This ship was sentimental to her as well. It was part of her livelihood as well as her partner's ship. His own ship ever since Sorsha gave it to him.

She gave Endo a pat on the tush ::

"You're the boss." :D

:: quickly Tirsa opened a communication ::

"Alright resident dumb asses. This is Krylana of "The Chimera" ... I suggest letting us go or you go boom. Why you ask? Let me tell you! The self-destruct system has been engaged. If you don't comply, kiss your ship good-bye."

:: she reached for the comm to turn it off but smiled ::

"Oh .. forgot to say.. if you know us... you know we don't mind dying. Must be an after effect of hanging around those Sith. Bye!"

:: after signing off, the Nebari quickly started to chase after Endo ::

"I left them a a beauty of a message. Hopefully they aren't any stupider. I left a channel open incase they change their mind."