The Almighty Credit

[The Storyteller]

The Almighty Credit

Because everyone loves a good ghost ship, am I right? Word has gotten to us from a reliable source that a ghost ship within a remote asteroid belt is being used as a depot for a pirate gang. Not even sure who they are, but that's besides the point, doesn't even matter. The point is, these pirates seem to be slightly smarter than the rest of their ilk.

Instead of keeping their stolen goods, these pirates seem to trade or sell them immediately and converting their illegal gains into legal and untraceable credit chips... and a lot of it. In fact, it appears that amount of wealth on this ghost ship is small fortune. And since they're clearly not using it, it's only responsible that we take those credits off their hands... still attached, if need be.​

Out of the legions of pirate groups that had formed over the centuries since the rising of the Sith Empire, the Night Fangs were among the oldest and most successful. While many a marauder would love their precious metals and gemstones, the Night Fangs were an especially vicious lot with a penchant for pragmatism. Almost every valuable thing they even pillaged was immediately turned over for its monetary value through third parties. One could scarcely find stolen goods among them, as they converted all their ill-gotten goods into credits and other legalized currencies.

But the Night Fangs had a weakness. Clever as they were, they were still criminals, and never trusted their hordes of treasure to banks, legitimate or otherwise. Instead, the Night Fangs used hidden locations throughout the Outer Rim, Unknown Regions and galactic frontier as caches and stockpiles for their wealth. In the great and wide galaxy, happening on such locations were near-impossibilities... with 'were' being the keyword.

Word has spilled from a reliable source that a large cache of the Night Fangs has been found on a massive derelict ghost ship within the borders between Wild Space and the Unknown Regions. If rumors have gotten out to this extent, it wasn't implausible that others would come to learn of it too, which meant there was now only one solution; the Deucalians would be getting to it first.

 

[Uhtred Wardruna]

"ᛋᛟ ᛏᚺᛁᛋ ᛁᛋ ᛁᛏ?"

"ᚤᛖᚨᚺ, ᛁᛏ ᛋᛖᛖᛗᛋ ᛏᚺᚨᛏ ᛚᛁᛏᛏᛚᛖ ᛗᚨᚷᚷᛟᛏ ᚺᚨᛞ ᛋᛟᛗᛖ ᚹᛟᚱᛏᚺ ᚨᚠᛏᛖᚱ ᚨᛚᛚ", Thaed Orosii said, piloting the Sceadugenga-near to the hulking mass, floating in space. "ᛒᚢᛏ ᛁ ᚺᚨᛞ ᚾᛖᚡᛖᚱ ᚺᛖᚨᚱᛞ ᛟᚠ ᚨ ᛋᚺᛁᛈ ᚷᚱᚨᚡᛖᚤᚨᚱᛞ ᛒᛖᛁᚾᚷ ᛟᚢᛏ ᛏᚺᛁᛋ ᚠᚨᚱ ᛁᚾᛏᛟ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛟᚢᛏᛖᚱ ᚱᛁᛗ. ᚹᛖ ᚨᚱᛖ ᛈᚱᚨᚲᛏᛁᚲᚨᛚᛚᚤ ᛁᚾ ᛏᚺᛖ ᚢᚾᚴᚾᛟᚹᚾ ᚱᛖᚷᛁᛟᚾᛋ ᚾᛟᚹ. ᚹᚺᛟ ᚲᛟᚢᛚᛞ ᛏᚺᛖᛋᛖ ᛋᚺᛁᛈᛋ ᚺᚨᚡᛖ ᛒᛖᛚᛟᚾᚷᛖᛞ ᛏᛟ?"

"ᚹᛖᛚᛚ, ᛏᚺᛖᚱᛖ ᛁᛋ ᚲᛖᚱᛏᚨᛁᚾᛚᚤ ᚾᛟ ᛏᛖᛚᛚᛁᚾᚷ ᚾᛟᚹ", Uhtred said, scoffing at the sight of the other ships. "ᚠᚨᛁᚱᛚᚤ ᛈᛚᚨᛁᚾ ᛏᛟ ᛋᛖᛖ ᛏᚺᚨᛏ ᛏᚺᛖᚱᛖ ᚹᚨᛋ ᚨ ᛒᚨᛏᛏᛚᛖ ᚺᛖᚱᛖ, ᛒᚢᛏ... ᛁ ᚹᛟᚢᛚᛞ ᛒᛖ ᚹᛁᛚᛚᛁᚾᚷ ᛏᛟ ᚷᚢᛖᛋᛋ ᚾᛟᛒᛟᛞᚤ ᚲᚨᛗᛖ ᛟᚢᛏ ᛟᚠ ᛏᚺᛁᛋ ᚠᛁᚷᚺᛏ ᚨ ᚡᛁᚲᛏᛟᚱ."

"ᚲᛟᛟᚱᛞᛁᚾᚨᛏᛖᛋ ᛚᛟᚲᚴᛖᛞ, ᚹᛖ ᚺᚨᚡᛖ ᚨ ᛈᛟᛋᛁᛏᛁᚡᛖ ᛁᛞᛖᚾᛏᛁᚠᛁᚲᚨᛏᛁᛟᚾ ᛟᚾ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛋᚺᛁᛈ", said Odda Orosii, who was likewise helping to operate the ship.

"ᚨᛚᚱᛁᚷᚺᛏ, ᛒᚱᛁᚾᚷᛁᚾᚷ ᚺᛖᚱ ᛁᚾ."

The Sceadugenga-flew through a seemingly-endless sea of debris as it neared the ship in question. If their information was good, which thus far made it seem likely that it was, then this was a ship with a fair quantity of treasures onboard. Hopefully, this meant that Uhtred and the rest of the Deucalians got here first; when lowlife scum takes on the role of an informant, anyone could tell that such information might well have become flooded now, whether believed in or not.

As the Sceadugenga-came close to the derelict ghost ship, Uhtred's eyes practically glossed as he came to recognize the sheer scale of the ship. It was truly gargantuan, easily as large or larger than the greatest star destroyer that could be fielded by the Sith Empire at their height.

"ᛏᚺᚨᛖᛞ, ᛒᚱᛁᚾᚷ ᚢᛋ ᛏᛟ ᚨ ᚺᚨᚾᚷᛖᚱ", Uhtred said, fastening his gear and loading up on his weapons. "ᛟᛞᛞᚨ, ᚷᛖᛏᛏᛁᚾᚷ ᚨᚾᚤᛏᚺᛁᚾᚷ ᛟᚾ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛋᛖᚾᛋᛟᚱ ᛋᚲᚨᚾᛋ?"

"ᚤᛟᚢ ᛗᛖᚨᚾ ᛒᛖᛋᛁᛞᛖᛋ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛋᚺᛁᛈ ᛒᛖᛁᚾᚷ ᛞᛖᚨᛞ?", said Odda, examining the console. Uhtred was used to sarcasm, but Odda, he practically breathed-it. "ᛏᚺᛁᛋ ᛋᚺᛁᛈ ᛁᛋ ᚲᛟᛗᛈᚱᛟᛗᛁᛋᛖᛞ ᚨᛚᛚ ᛟᚡᛖᚱ, ᛒᚢᛏ ᛁᛏ ᛚᛟᛟᚴᛋ ᛚᛁᚴᛖ ᛁᛏ ᛋᛏᛁᛚᛚ ᛗᚨᛁᚾᛏᚨᛁᚾᛋ ᚨ ᛗᛁᚾᛁᛗᚨᛚ ᚨᛏᛗᛟᛋᛈᚺᛖᚱᛖ ᛁᚾ ᛏᚺᛖ ᚢᚾᛖᛪᛈᛟᛋᛖᛞ ᚨᚱᛖᚨᛋ. ᛋᛟ... ᛏᛖᚲᚺᚾᛁᚲᚨᛚᛚᚤ ᛏᚺᛖᚱᛖ ᛁᛋ ᛋᛏᛁᛚᛚ ᚨᛁᚱ, ᛁ ᛋᚢᛈᛈᛟᛋᛖ. ᛒᚢᛏ ᛋᛏᛁᛚᛚ, ᛁ ᚹᛟᚢᛚᛞᚾ'ᛏ ᚨᛞᚡᛁᛋᛖ ᚤᛟᚢ ᛏᚨᚴᛖ ᚤᛟᚢᚱ ᚺᛖᛚᛗᛖᛏ ᛟᚠᚠ ᚹᚺᛁᛚᛖ ᛁᚾ ᛏᚺᛖᚱᛖ."

That was good enough for Uhtred. After all, he hadn't planned on taking his helmet off inside of a derelict ship to begin with.

"ᛏᛖᛚᛚ ᛗᛖ ᚤᛟᚢ ᚨᚱᛖ ᚾᛟᛏ ᛖᛪᚲᛁᛏᛖᛞ ᚠᛟᚱ ᛏᚺᛁᛋ", Uhtred said to Jarl Eva, grinning at his companion. Uhtred loved a good fight, but this was nothing short of a true adventure for him.

Down the loading ramp, Uhtred kept his lockbow in hand as he entered into the empty hangar. The Sceadugenga-would likely be safe enough in the hangar, but beyond that was anyone's guess. Checking his datapad and the alleged map he was supplied, Uhtred took a moment to get his bearings and figure out where to head. As he came to the primary entrance to the hangar bay, Uhtred knelt down as he cautiously checked the vicinity. There was no activity, no sign of other trespassers, just... nothing.

Giving a handsign for an all clear, Uhtred felt a cross between optimism and doubt. It had seemed that they were the first ones to make it here, but there was still quite a bit of ground to cover, and there was no telling whether that would remain true the deeper in the duo went.

@Killa Ree

 

[Eva 'Skuld' Stark]

If it were up to her, she would have simply taken a small fighter craft and bombarded at the outer hull until they scored payday, snagged the loot and sprinted off with their ill-gotten gains. The ship was dead in the water, so to speak, so it wasn't like if there was any life within that could mean the ship could properly retaliate against their own. That being said, the Jarl was casually sitting in one of the crewmates' chairs, listening to the banter back and forth between Wardruna and his crewmates, hiding a smile as icy blue eyes checked over her Elduröxi, twin Kastaöxi, gauntlet shield, rifle... even her vibroblade and blaster. To most, perhaps, being so armed was slightly overkill, but most had never been beyond the Outer Rim, where even in the Wild Space territory, to live and breathe was to survive chaos. She spent a year in such isolation before; though never had she chanced upon this ghost-battle before.

Satisfied her armor and weapons were properly fitted and working, she slowly stood, her helm slipping back over black hair and sharp blue eyes, but the smile was evident in her voice as she answered Uhtred.

"ᚹᚺᚤ ᚾᛟ, ᛟᚠ ᚲᛟᚢᚱᛋᛖ ᚾᛟᛏ. ᛁ ᚨᛋᛋᚢᛗᛖᛞ ᚤᛟᚢ ᚹᛖᚱᛖ ᛏᚨᚴᛁᚾᚷ ᛗᛖ ᛏᛟ ᚨ ᛏᛖᚨ ᛈᚨᚱᛏᚤ ᛁᚾᛋᛏᛖᚨᛞ," she ribbed back good-naturedly, holding up her rifle to check the sight before nodding once in satisfaction, following after the Battle Master. Perhaps she ought to take point, with the thermal settings on her scope... but the last time she had been in a place that claimed to be derelict and abandoned, it had definitely proved to be the exact opposite.

She was never going to assume anything anymore. But so far... all was silent and calm. Too calm. She nodded once, and followed after, rifle in hand. Who knew how armed this place was, if their sources were true. And if they were... a savage grin tilted on her lips.

It had been a while since her ax was last whetted with blood. And it wouldn't do for her to get rusty.

@Korvo