Mission 2: The Terms of the Negotiation have been Changed

[Insalius]

Nameless Planet, Orbit


Kurtis looked out at the shipyard as they travelled to the small frigate that would serve to be their meeting place. Ners, his hired Bounty Hunter, had come up with the perfect solution to their need for secrecy by finding this planet and its failed attempt at breaking into the ship-building market. Its original name was lost, as was the colony of rich investors that had tried to make their own way in the galaxy without living by anyone’s rules but their own. The shipyard had been built but had taken all their credits to do so, meaning there were none left to protect them from pirates and the like. All that was left now was the orbiting complex of metal, stripped of parts but still whole.


The newly minted Grand Admiral of the Imperial Forces, Kurtis DuValle, was going to negotiate with the current residents of the shipyard to lease it’s use. The original settlers had chosen this planet due to it being so out of the way, really with only one hyperspace lane in or out and quite far from the main trade and travel routes. It had been a surprise that the smugglers had agreed to meet, though it was near certain it was to take him hostage. His fleet was waiting to jump in, set to do so 10 minutes after the meeting started to swiftly take over the facility and wipe out any of the pirates. In their hubris, the smugglers had allowed Kurtis to bring a few bodyguards, namely his Bounty Hunter and a few Imperial Soldiers. Perhaps they thought that they would get more money per head capture.


As they approached the frigate, Kurtis looked over at Ners. “I’m expecting this to go badly very quickly. I know you are ready for anything, but the second I see them try anything I’m using this.” He pointed to his Admiral’s hat, underneath of which was a secured flashbang grenade next to his lightsaber. “Give me a sign if you see something I don’t, then we’ll fight out way out. I’ll try to keep them talking for as long as possible, though.” It was a risky maneuver, but he was tired of leading from the bridge of his ship the whole time. Some may call him naïve or stupid, yet his presence would make for the quickest resolution to their problem. There was still a few minutes before they landed, giving time for Ners to respond if he wanted.

@Nor'baal

 

[Nor'baal]

Man's hiding a lightsaber and a grenade under his hat, Ners shook his head at the odd sight, the things you see. he added to himself, as he checked over his weapons. Maybe it’s the stresses of the job? he thought, deciding that was probably it before checking through the information he had on the target on his datapad. ”Always found smugglers to be cocky and annoying,” Ners said, picking up his MD-12 ...could say the same about Admirals.’’ he muttered under his breath.

The plan was reasonably simple, which is something that Ners liked a lot. ”Go in, kill everyone, leave.’’ he ran over the plan out loud ”Simple, easy to remember.’’ he finished. Not even DuValle can screw that up…. he added mentally. Gesturing with his free hand as he rested the shotgun on his shoulder, as if to say ‘after you’, he made to follow the Grand Admiral.

With a soft jolt, the ship made its way into land...

OOC - Weapons same as the past two threads xD

 

[Insalius]

The Bounty Hunter’s words were not lost on Kurtis, and he accepted them just as he had been prepared to do since the beginning. Now, though, was the time to lead from the front. For the sake of strategy, sometimes it was necessary to place a valued piece into danger to draw out the enemy king. If he had to play his own pawn then he would do so. That was why he had brought along such a powerful Knight, as well as having his Rook and Bishop within striking range. Ah, chess, one of his favorite games and so full of analogues to most parts of life.


The Admiral had been allowed a total of four bodyguards, being Ners and three others. The rest of his ‘protection’ would be on the shuttle, but it wasn’t what the smugglers would expect. Ready to explode were munitions wired to Kurtis’ commlink, as if these criminals had half a brain they would send most of their men to secure the shuttle before making their move. Their pilot had been a droid, so no Imperial life would be lost, yet most of the crew and soldiers would fall to the explosion. Between what was left of the crew versus trained fighters and officers of the Empire, even numbering just five, it should be a simple thing to take the bridge of the ship with some skill and tactics.


Was it reckless? Yes. Could it work out very well? Yes. They would have to fight for their victory and he intended to do just that. The hangar was a mess, crates of unidentifiable goods just strewn about. The fake smiles on the faces of the criminals gave away their intent, yet they thought they were just too clever for these Imperials to notice. “As agreed, I have just these men guarding me. The rest will remain on the shuttle.” The door closed to the small ship as a greasy-haired man with a pointed moustache led them to the meeting room. With how big the Frigate was, along with the calculated power of the blast, they would feel a very rough shake yet would still be safe. The bridge was in the opposite direction and would be fine.


Sitting down, Kurtis allowed his men to stand behind him as he waited for the enemy leader and his guards to make an appearance. The plan would commence once it seemed that talks were impossible, which should be rather quick. “Now, I assume you’re the captain of his…mercenary outfit?” Kurtis said, looking at the greasy-haired man. “Why, just the one. I figured it would be rude to send one of my boys here instead. Hope you don’t mind if we’re as decked out as your guards. Surprised you don’t have any weapons, though.” The look in his eyes said what his mouth didn’t, that Kurtis was a fool for coming unarmed. Good thing he wasn’t. The negotiations began, only eight minutes remaining before the Hyperion and its fleet jumped into the system.

 

[Nor'baal]

Ners opted to say as little as possible on the way over to the ship - preferring to focus on the work ahead of him. He often fell into silence before a contract kicked into gear; a sort of personal ritual, the calm before the storm if you will. You simple cannot trust Smugglers, he thought to himself, recalling the numerous times past in which he had been forced to end agreements with them prematurely - all too often they cared more for their own hides than for the completion of their deals.

However, despite his earlier bombast over the Admiral's own lack of warlike intimidation, Ners did stand impressed at the quality of his Guards. Three men of the elite troopers of the Imperial Navy, the sorts of people Ners and others of his profession had devoted a lot of their professional time to avoiding - one liked to avoid any imperial entanglements as often as possible.

The fact that the smugglers had demanded a limited number of Guards however showed that they had at least above average intelligence, after all members of the Imperial Navy - especially ones occupying Kurtis’ rank tended to come well stocked in the protection department. Stepping off the ship, Ners did nothing to hide his disgust at the unkempt nature of the Hanger, or the people within it and discreetly started an eight minute countdown on his HUD. His trigger finger was literally itching to get to work, yet he kept it under control - waiting for the Commanders signal before he set to the bloodletting.

’’Ordo, Ners Ordo.’’ he introduced himself, watching as one of the younger smugglers physically paled ’’Grow a pair, freak.’’ he challenged the balking smuggler, whose associate moved his hand toward his side arm, anger clear on his face ”Go ahead punk, make my day.’’ he snarled, moving to raise his shotgun...

 

[Insalius]

Kurtis glared at the smugglers trying to goad his men into attack, knowing full well what their strategy was. His bestial looks combined with his ice-cold eyes made them pause, long enough for the Admiral to turn his attention back to their ‘host’. “We came here on good faith, at your terms, and I would expect at least a modicum of courtesy. Tables turned, I would be treating you far better on my Star Destroyer.” The greasy-haired man smacked at the other guard, obviously an order to stand down and behave. “You’re right, I’m terribly sorry. This is a business meeting after all. The lads are a bit jumpy at having someone with your notoriety here, as well as your hired man.” He looked at Ners nervously, thoughts inscrutable. Kurtis let the tense situation last, infinitely patient and milking every second of time. It was about five minutes now before the Hyperion arrived.


Clearing his throat before the atmosphere became jumpy again, Kurtis looked at the apparent leader of the smugglers. “I’ll cut straight to the point. The Empire has need of your shipyard, which I know you are currently using as a base. In exchange for leasing the rights to the facility, we are also prepared to offer construction of temporary homes on the planet itself and due credit compensation for the time.” Slowly and carefully he pulled a datapad out from his pocket, turning it on and handing it to the human. As he and his lackeys crowded around to look at the details, none of them saw Kurtis slip his commlink into his other hand. The men took some time to look over what would be given them if they took the legitimate route instead of the underhanded kidnapping they had planned. Furious whispers from their side of the room went on for minutes, the Admiral’s internal countdown giving them just a minute left. Perfect.


“Well, Admiral DuValle, that’s a mighty fine offer. Unfortunately, I think you’ll find my counter-proposal a bit less favorable to your side.” Fifty Seconds. “Oh? And what would that be? I was fairly sure when I crafted that proposal that it would cover all of your immediate needs and most of your future plans.” Thirty-eight seconds. “Indeed, it would. I think that the Empire might fork over a bit more to have the return of their best military mind, don’t you think?” Twenty-five seconds. “So, you plan to ransom me back to my own nation for some extra money? Do I have your plan correct?” Thirteen seconds. “Very astute. You pick up things quick, no wonder you’re an Admiral.” The sarcasm was thick in his voice. Five seconds. “Then, allow me to offer my final proposal.” An intercom blared to life, a panicked voice coming from it. “Boss, we’ve got a whole Imperial fleet jumping up our ass here!”


Perfect timing. With a smile, Kurtis pressed the transmit button on his Commlink. The explosion rocked the room, sending the unprepared smugglers clinging to the wall or falling to the ground at the sudden movement. With a deft hand, the Admiral grabbed the flashbang grenade and lightsaber under his overly fancy hat, activating the detonator and throwing it at their unbalanced foe. One of the Marines kicked the table over, pulling his allies down to shield them from the sound and light that rang out from the disorienting grenade. Nodding at Ners, they took cover to fire at their immediate targets. Taking control of this room was key, as next they would need to quickly move to the bridge.

 

[Nor'baal]

As the smuggler backed down, Ners stayed sharp - for it was all too easy to relax when it appeared one's enemy was scared. From personal experience, Ners had found that a corner animal however, was often far more dangerous than one which ran free. He kept calm as he caught the Commander making the commlink switch whilst the Smugglers focused elsewhere, and braced himself for what was to come. He flicked his eyes up to the HUD, seeing that the countdown had nearly reached its terminus and prepared himself for action.

As the smugglers noticed the arriving Imperial Fleet, Ners sprung into action - diving for cover as the detonator was thumbed by Kurtis, Ners raking the Smugglers with several shotgun blasts as he made his dive. He shielded his eyes as the flashbang went off, and emerged from cover, his shotgun cast aside and two pistols in his hands. Firing three shots each in rapid succession, Ners blasted the Smugglers from their feet, shooting a further barrage into those who had been cast over by the explosion.

’’Don’t even try it.’’ he snarled at the paling Smuggler from earlier, who stopped trying to reach for his pistol, and merely threw his hands into the air. ”Better.’’ Ners scowled, casting a set of stun cuffs at the mans feet and indicating he should put them on. The room was clear, now they just had to take care of the backup.

 

[Insalius]

With a warning glare at the surviving smuggler, Kurtis placed the toe of his boot under one of the discarded weapons and kicked it up into his waiting hands. What many were surprised to find out was that despite his fast track to Command he had still served in the Imperial Regular Forces and had seen live combat in the field before. It had been some time since he’d participated, yet his recent training with his boyfriend had gotten him back in shape. Just in time for this operation, it would seem. One of his Imperial soldiers barred the door leading to where enemy reinforcements would come while another, a Slicer, busted off a circuitry panel to plug a device into. He grunted in disgust at the coding he was seeing, though, making it seem the operating system on the Frigate was just as cluttered as the rest of the ship was.


“What year is the programming?” Kurtis asked, the other two soldiers holding the door as they heard running bootsteps from down the corridor. “Pre-Fall of the Republic, sir.” Kurtis smiled at the answer, gesturing towards the small computer before it was handed to him. Typing in a few commands, the smile suddenly turned into a grin as the hidden administrative account was activated, giving them full access to the ship’s systems. “I used to work on these kinds of ships with my parents. You would be surprised the amount of people that don’t disable the backdoor account. They stopped making these after the Republic fell, partly due to this reason.”


Handing back the computer, Kurtis turned towards the door that was now starting to be pounded against, muffled yelling heard on the other side. “And now for this rabble…Put the table at the base of the door for cover. I’ve another idea.” Without complaint the table was moved, the ship’s door sliding to the side and thus not dependent on opening out in one direction or the other. Taking his lightsaber, the Admiral calculated the rough height of their foes based on previous group configurations and placed the hilt at about chest level by the door. “On 3, open the door.” More pounding as the Shistavanen held up one finger, more yelling as he held up a second, then a rushing sound just as he held up the third.”


As the door was forced open from their side by the Imperial Soldiers, Kurtis turned on his Lightsaber to form a deadly line across the length of the opening. Two men of six, the reinforcements trying to break in, were surprised at the sudden lack of door yet did not have much time to process their situation as they ran right into the amethyst beam of death. It sliced through their torsos, killing them instantly as their friends looked on in horror. Dismembered parts pushed to the side, the Imperial soldiers began firing on the four enemies that were left going towards their destination. The Admiral nodded to Ners, hopefully his melee tactics having helped turn the odds in their favor a bit.

 

[Nor'baal]

Ners was actually finding himself rather impressed with the demeanor of this Imperial, he struck him as a practical man; with a repertoire of skills and experience that would make some Bounty Hunters Ners had done business with, blush. From his own research, Kurtis had clambered up the ranks of the Imperial Armed Forces with unprecedented speed, and based on what he had seen of the man so far, it was becoming reasonably clear to him just as to why that might be.

Kurtis sliced into the Security Systems with unnerving ease, born of information and training that only service in the Imperial Armed Forces could have given. Committing the existence of backdoor accounts on certain Imperial Systems to knowledge, in case such information could become of use in future - he followed his instructions and moved the table into position. The door was forced open soon after by the Commanders enforcers, two smugglers bisecting to the ground soon after.

Unaware of the Commanders nod, Ners was in the corridor soon after - the smugglers halting as he stepped in front of them weapons stowed in their holsters. ”One.’’ he began, his hands moving to cover the butts of his pistols. The smugglers stood, motionless - their recognition of the man before them rendering them paralyzed. ”Two.’’ he advanced his countdown, his arms tensing for the draw.

”Frak this!’’ one of the less hardened combatants before him shouted, making to fire. Ners responded in a blinding strike of motion, the blasters flying from their holsters at a speed that defied explanation, born of decades practice and use. He suppressed the triggers rapidly, the four men falling - dead before they hit the ground, one struggled to breath as he slid down the wall. ”Three.’’ he said, emotionlessly as he fired the final shot into the prostrate man, his struggling coming to an end.

”I don’t like being interrupted.’’ the Hunter stated to nobody in particular, spinning his pistols to disperse their smoke, and stowing them away.

OOC - I have Calo Nord as a FC. Couldn’t help myself.

 

[Insalius]

Kurtis barely heard his soldier’s report that they had changed the IFF information of the Frigate to an Imperial code, instead watching Ners do exactly what he was paid to do. The Admiral’s combat abilities had been born of training in the Imperial forces yet the Bounty Hunter had honed his through multiple firefights and impromptu battles. His was a more primal skill, born of desperation and reflexes, and deserved just as much respect as the Shistavanen’s own skills. As the last man in the hall died, he brought himself back to the moment as he finished learning that a Leviathan Corvette was on its way to provide support.


“Mr. Ordo, our job is almost done here. Let’s see what still awaits us.” Stepping into the hall, Kurtis pulled up a small hologram of the layout of the ship. As he thought, the bridge was just through the next bulkhead. It would be simple for their override to open the doors, though inside there could be any number of smugglers still waiting for them. As for behind, well, if they hadn’t tried to attack them by now, they had died in the explosion. “I see two options that await us. Either we open the doors and take them all out in a protracted gun battle, or we use a more efficient if honorless path.”


Typing a few commands, the Admiral brought up a list of options that only one with master access to the ship’s systems could do. These commands included items like specific control over the life support and atmosphere in specific rooms on the ship. “If you wish, we could vent the air from the bridge and allow them to suffocate in the cold, then restore it when my ship arrives. Unfair, to be sure, but a lot less chance of getting shot. I’ll leave the decision to you, as I am fine with either choice.” It would seem odd for such a ranking Imperial to give the choice of their last battle to a hired gun, but it was a show of respect to the man. It wasn’t a test, more of a different kind of bonus. If he desired blood, then that’s what he would get. If he wanted a clean victory, then that was on the table as well. Either way, he’d be getting paid just the same.

 

[Nor'baal]

The countdown had reached its terminus, and Ners listened as the the Commander brought up the hologram of the ships layout. Before the man had even finished, Ners decided on the best course of action - after all, ammunition was expensive these days. ”I always found the honorable course of action to be the most reckless.” Ners stated, making his decision clear. Taking the controls from the Commander, he tapped the appropriate controls, and listened as the vents kicked into action.

It did not take long for them to have the desired effect, and Ners watched as the lifesigns began to blip out the other side of the door. ”After you.’’ he said, gesturing to the door to the bridge as the air was pumped back into the room some five minutes after its venting.

 

[Insalius]

How pragmatic. It was the choice that Kurtis had preferred, as in war and strategy it was the most pragmatic of maneuvers that led to quicker victories and less lives lost. It was a philosophy that he followed when it came to tactics in that any action was allowed if it ended the fight the quickest. Of course, once the situation became more complicated more thought and strategy was needed, but as a basis of one’s actions it had served the Admiral very well so far. Opening the door after the atmosphere had been restored, he kicked aside a suffocated body to gain access to the Helm just in time to allow the boarding party from the Leviathan-class Corvette into the Frigate.


Looking out the viewport on the bridge, he saw his own Star Destroyer already docked with the shipyard as the rest of his fleet began to secure the orbital facility in its entirety. The operation had been a success, quick and efficient as only a well-planned assault could be. It had been good to be back in the line of fire again, though he would defer to the wishes of his crew and superiors to not do so again unless needed. He was too important now to lose to a simple firefight, though now with the capture of the shipyard he shouldn’t need to be in one anytime soon.


A thought came to Kurtis then, looking around at the Frigate and then to Ners. He had no need of the ship, as it was too old to be effective in the Imperial navy and quite damaged. It was still whole, though, and could be of use to another. “Mr. Ordo, exemplary job. Another successful mission. I’ve a mind to award a special bonus for this one.” He gestured towards the helm, tractor beams having been fixed to the ship to bring it to the Hyperion. “To the victor goes the spoils. Congratulations on your new ship, Captain Ordo.” He smiled at the man briefly before returning to his commlink, getting status updates on his forces. The smugglers never stood a chance against a full Imperial blitz, especially thinking they had the upper hand by tricking their guest. It would have been a lesson for others to learn, if word were to get out. As the first supply ships and worker transports began to jump in, eager to begin construction, Kurtis vowed that no one would know of his creation until it was too late.