Staring into the void of a dreamless sleep, I hear in the distance a quiet beeping. Slowly opening up my eyes I am greeted with the gray of the overhead in my cabin. Rolling over I look to where the beeping is emanating and hit the blinking button on the comlink. “Bridge to Captain.”
The voice on the other end of the comlink was my XO, Uli Jorka, a great person and an even better XO. I have known him for almost ten years now. “Captain, go ahead.”
”Captain, we are about 30 minutes away from dropping out of hyperspace. Cal getting his squad ready for boarding if needed.”
”Good work Uli. I’ll be on the bridge in fifteen minutes or less, and tell Cal to get his squad ready. Capitan out.” I shut off the comlink and headed into the refresher to do the needful. Back in my cabin I begin to put my armor and weapons on , my armor consists of a front and back plate, grieves and vambraces all made out of a light weight durasteel alloy painted in a blue-gray. My weapons were already attached to my belt, a DL-18 on my right hip and a short virbro-blade on my left. Looking at myself in the mirror, my reflection showed a man who had a hard life with brown hair, green eyes and a short beard. There was also a scar on the right side of my face from the battle with the Sith when they took over Coruscant. I left my cabin and headed for the bridge. It was a short walk, my cabin was just outside the bridge.
”Captain on the bridge.” Uli said as I walked in and sat in the captain's chair. Uli is a Zabrak with orange skin and a shaved head to show off his horns, he was very proud of them. They ringed the top of his head with two more at his temples.
“Report Uli.’ I said and I observed the bridge of my ship. My ship was an old CR90 Corvette. Uli and I had picked her up years ago, fixed her up and modified her. Better engines, shields, power plant and ion cannons.
”Captain, we are 15 minutes out from hyperspace drop.” Uli replied to my request.
“Very good, what information do we have on the target, I skimmed the brief we got”
”Sir you should really read the briefs thoroughly when we have them.” Uli said as he looked at me knowingly. “That’s what I have you for.” I looked back at him with a smile. It was an old by play between us. I had read the brief the the local government gave us,we were going after a local pirate weequay named Fitz, he has been raiding freighters coming in and out of the system, putting strain on the local economy and the governor had contacted us when the Galactic Alliance had told him it would be two months until they could get a task force out to deal with the pirates. They were dealing with the aftermath of the Sith invasion of Coruscant, and the Jedi leaving the planet, so I couldn’t really blame them.
I stared at the blue kaleidoscope of hyperspace, I found it soothing while some others found it maddening. When the timer on the viewscreen hit five minutes I hit the button on my chair that activated the built in comlink and hit the com code for Cal. “Cal is your squad ready to.”
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”Sure thing Cas we are locked and loaded.” He said.
“Very good Cal. Let’s see if they will surrender. If not we will go over and convince them” I told him
”Sure thing Cas, no problem.” Cal replied and cut the com link. Uli looked over with a chagrined look, he didn’t like that Cal was calling me Cas. He was a very by the book person, he never called me by my name even in private. It was always Captain or sir. I didn’t care either way as long as it didn’t get in the way of running the ship.
“Five seconds to reversion, four ,three, two, one, reverting” the pilot said as he pulled the hyperspace actuator to the off position. “Sir we have an interceptor-IV and a half squadron of uglies.” The sensor operator reported. We were masquerading as an outdated ship running with a shoestring budget just to make ends meet.
The uglies turned to engage.” Weapons engage fighters and fire at will. Helm evasive maneuvers.” That fight didn't last long, uglies being a mash of different fighters put together they were not up for any kind of fight. They were used to scaring their targets, not them fighting back.“ The interceptor is turning towards us and is accelerating” sensors announced. “Laser cannons to point defense, turbo lasers and ion cannons pound them.” I ordered
Red bolts and ion blasts leapt towards the interceptor. It had fired a spread of concussion missiles, the enemy laser cannons fired also and only a few shots hit as expected of pirates that only ever attacked civilians. “Sir, our shields are down 15 percent. The pirate shields are starting to fluctuate the should be down momentarily” sensors told me as he slightly turned his head, still keeping an eye on the readout.
The ship rocked with an explosion that shook me in my seat. “Damage report.” I said looking at Uli. “Sir, one of their missiles made it through our defensive fire, and hit just aft of the starboard docking port. Outer hull is still intact. I do suggest that we don’t take another hit there.” Uli replied. “Continue evasive maneuvers.” I ordered and the ship began to jink making it harder for the pirates to hit us.
For the next several minutes we continued to pound the pirates shields until they were depleted and one of our ion blasts disabled the engines. “Comms open a channel to the pirates, let's see if they are smart and surrender.”
”Channel open sir.” Coms replied. “Pirate Fitz, you and your crew are ordered to stand down and prepare to be boarded and detained in accordance with GA law. Release control of your docking ports and lay down your weapons. Anyone carrying a weapon will be met with lethal force.” I sat back and waited for a reply.
Fitz’s response came back as I thought it would. “What gives you the authority to detain us? You are nothing!” He yelled, spittle flying from his mouth. I hit a button on the armrest of my chair. “Fitz I hold Letters of Marque and Reprisal from the Galactic Alliance, The Empire, and The Hapes Consortium. They give me every right to hunt down pirates like you wherever you may hide.”
”If you want me, come and get me, bantha poodoo.” Fitz smiled and closed the channel. Getting up out of my chair, I turn and start to walk out of the bridge. “Uli you have the con I’m going to get that bastard.” My voice echoed down the passage.
