The war effort needed plunder. While the Mandalorians labored to revitalize their waning industries, they were vulnerable. No matter the skill of the individual vod, the Mandalorians as a collective needed a constant supply of weapons - from small arms to blades to supplies to literal bodies to shove into the war machine. Plundering the space around Mandalore could provide the newly-energized Mandalorians with any of the above. And it would show those who flew into Mandalorian space what fate awaited them, now. Here be Dragons.
When scouts reported that an Action VI had flown into Mandalore's gravity well, he took three warriors with him to meet it. Now seated in a Lancer Pursuit Craft while one of the warriors flew, Fenyang reviewed the targeting computer, which revealed something the scouts hadn't. There were two ships - both Action VI transports. One had covered for the other's movements, somehow, or they had entered the gravity well at different points to rendezvous here. Either way, it made little difference. Mandalore would send its customary greeting.
It made their target all the more tantalizing. This was a pair of ships with something to hide. Otherwise, why go through all this length to get to Mandalore? Or, why cover the tracks of the other ship? One would think that greater numbers would be a boon for a lone trading vessel sailing unknown space. No escort fighters or corvettes, either. Whatever these transports hid behind their durasteel carapace, it would be of service to Mandalore.
They needed to avoid getting killed first, of course. <Approach with caution. I've seen pirates turn these things into floating gunboats.> If the party could take out both of the ships' engines, they could board each at their leisure. Failing that? They'd have to split up. Or lose one of the ships. He didn't know which sounded worse - losing their prey to the void, or having to split up and conquer the unknown.
But Mandalorians had known worse odds. And, this would give him a chance to bond with his kinsmen. Those he was meant to lead. What did this Mandos think of his reign, he wondered. While most had decided to follow his orders, almost all save the most fervent of his Death Watch kinsmen had objections to his rough handling of civilians or his alliance with the Sith. Mandalorians were not meant to be droids - they were welcome to have their objections as long as they followed orders. But, still...an army with only ire for its general? He needed to work harder to improve the morale of the Mandalorians, show them that by their actions, they were changing their people's history for the better.
Perhaps this star-laden night in the Mandalorian sector would be the best time to show them how far they have come. With any luck, it would also show the Mand'Alor how far they're going.
@Painus @Arcangel @Sreeya