The Chang Song and the Nightmare Pirates

As the Star Cruiser and its fighter compliment entered the system Hilo Fino watched as the sensor operators screen became a snow crash and the commo operator threw off her headphones and ducked under her station to fiddle with her systems.

Hilo Fino sighed. He knew they would encounter this problem, star captains often referred to this area as the smugglers way. The stellar radiation and scattered nebulas reduced sensor capability drastically and made encrypted microburst transmission nearly impossible. It allowed lone ships to slip through unnoticed. For the entrepreneurial ship captain it meant they could enter Kasanthian space or Iron Republic space with a low probability of being spotted and taxed.

The Sparrows reported multiple contacts of unknown type closing on the Chang Song. Hilo Fino gave the orders to establish communications and proceed carefully. He was surprised to get a curt yet polite response from a Kasanthian patrol moving to secure the area, An Iron Republic Patrol which was also enroute to rescue the ship, as well as LT Palomedes who after checking in demanded the other fleets set up a flanking pattern on the ship so that any enemy vessels would be driven toward his location.

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***
Malvillini and his wing cut through space as fast as the Yrs fighters could handle. He saw the missile ships push off and set the same course he was. Deep down he knew the Rear Commodore in charge of the ships was after his icy queen's favor too. As he closed on the Chang Song he saw the faint outlines of the other closing ships. He was determined to be the first to salvage her cargo. When the Maehl ship hailed him he responded letting them know his intentions to salvage the ships cargo. He had a huge lead on the maehl ship as well as the Kasanthian patrol chasing him.

LT Palomedes was also redlining his engines. After being cooped up for so long he knew this was his chance at glory. The drop pod rattled and kept trying to cause the fighter to oversteer, the brethren in the back grunted as gravity swung from side to side.

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***
The Chang Song listed in the hazy light of a far off sun. As Malvillini approached his heart sank. The cargo hold had been sheared open, a cloud of iced air drifting from it like blood in a pool of water. As he looked at the ship in leyas sight he was surprised to see an active leyas generator, the area around the ship was heavy with shadow leyas too which surprised him.

His observations and their repercussions were cut short as the Yrs fighter off his wing exploded violently. The rest of his wing immediately broke formation as a single raptor fighter cut through the formation like a hawk through a flock of doves.

Lt Palomedes shouted, “Enemy ship confirmed kill.” Into his communicator, he could hear a cheer rise through the drop pod. He sent a transmission to the IR Patrol reporting he got one of the Kasanthian ships responsible for the damage.

Malvillini grabbed his com crystal and reported he found the Iron Republic ship responsible for the attack. Malvillini's wing organized and as he cut over the derelict ship LT Palomedes found himself being tailed by the remaining fighters. He turned and burned away hoping the raptors superior speed would cause him to lose his pursuer.

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***
Hilo Fino got the reports from the Kasanthian and Iron Republic Patrols almost simultaneously. He then listened in horror as both sides threatened each other and moved into battle formations. Hilo Fino gave an order that made him pale, but would later earn him a promotion for gallantry.

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***
Admiral Yr was in her changing room at the assassin's ball. She was dressed in a spider silk chemise which could stop a bullet and was perfectly accented by the live black widows climbing on it gleefully. She had a robe made of the softest of silky kiorn skin over it.

In her dressing room mirror a small bastard skull projected the feed from the eye spy tagging along with the K-Fed patrol. She delighted as she watched them move into battle formation against the IR patrol which was moving into a traditional defensive formation. It made her nostalgic of happier times when the tortured screams of IR officials filled the skies of her new worlds. She lamented not recording those symphonies.

Her reminiscing was disrupted as a Star Cruiser boldly displaying Maehl's insignia cut between the two fleets. She sighed and even though she couldn't hear the conversation she knew Maehl's people were prolly trying to calm the situation. She shrugged and ordered the fleet to follow the star cruisers advisement. No one wanted to let a girl have fun these days.

On the other side of the galaxy SG Palomedes let out a sigh. While he knew he needed to take the brash clones observations with a grain of salt he also knew the Iron Republic would never back down from a fight. He ordered his patrol to fall in with Maehl's.

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***
LT Palomedes Raptor tore through hazy space, even with the drop pod he had been able to get ahead of the Yrs fighters. As he flew he saw a faint blip pop up on the scope, it was a distress beacon. He angled the fighter towards it letting his brethren know they were going to do a quick pick up.

As he approached he could make out the outline of a man in a space suit drifting in the void. He slammed on reverse thrusters his ships superstructure whining in response. LT Palomedes had bravado enough for two people but he had the skill to back it up. The ship came to and almost perfect stop a few meters from the target. The man was thrashing trying to swim to the Raptors drop pod. With a rush of crystallized air the back hatch opened and a brethren in sealed powered armor tossed a bag attached to a line to the drifter he grabbed it and was pulled on board. The man in the suit identified himself as CPT Teach, his ship had been attacked by freakish alien pirates.

Malvillini's fighters came upon the drifting raptor and saw his moment to attack, he ordered the other fighters to hold position. The Yrs fighter dipped below the ship gracefully as an orca going for a seal coming up underneath the raptor.

Palomedes heard the proximity warning and slammed on this maneuvering thrusters trying to barrel roll out of the fighters sight. A wave of acid splashed over half his plasma missiles as Malvillini cut past him. Inside his cockpit alarms were blaring and lights flashing the acid was causing the warheads to activate and go critical. LT Palomedes slammed on the “pickle,” a small switch on his control yoke that released all ordinance on the hard points. He then slammed his forward thrusters to full trying to out run the impending explosion.

Malvillini looped around lining up behind the raptor to get the kill shot. He noticed the missiles jettison and he pulled hard left in a gut wrenching turn guessing the reason. The explosion bought LT Palomedes enough time to regain a solid lead on the K-Fed fighter wing. Malvillini cursed at the raptor and took up a hot pursuit.

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***
Hilo Fino was in charge of the investigation. The sparrow scout group had pulled up to the breaches, releasing their drop troops. As they investigated the wreckage they realized over half the crew was missing. Logs indicated the “night” watch was reporting hearing strange sensor readings and noises before the attack, each journal entry tasted of a little more fear than the last as they realized they were being followed. The Maehl personnel also found the leyas generator. It was an EEF model and linked to the shadowdrive, obviously the guild merchant who owned the ship had gotten a good deal on it and sold the ships original drive.

Then came a message from LT Palomedes on open channels. In a tense voice he reported that they found CPT Teach, the pirates had a moon base in a nearby asteroid field. He also noted he was wrong about the Kasanthians. When the IR commander tried to reproach him he replied with, “Come on they are Kasanthians!” When SG Palomedes heard that transmission he took an antacid, it was going to be a long day.

The Joint battle group activated shadowdrives in hopes of shaving time and at least catching up to the rogue IR and K-Fed elements.

As the ships cruised over the bleak plane of awareness one of the Kasanthian ships spotted something odd. As they closed to investigate they saw ten people tied to stakes on a spit of gray rock. A horde of undead spacers were climbing up the sides. The K-Fed commander gave the order and a team was dropped onto the rock. The prisoners were all crew members, reporting the grotesque space pirates had “marooned” them in the plane of awareness after and attempted mutiny. The rescued crew men spoke of madness, the space pirates wore antique cliché pirate garb like sword belts and tricorner hats along with their very modern looking power armor. They decorated their pistols to look like ancient dragoon pistols and wood work on and in their ship to make it look like an ancient pirate ship.

While captured their the crew was ordered to “swab the decks” with mops with writhing and sliming tentacle creatures tied to the end. Several were taken as cabin boys and unspeakable horrors befell them. The captain was ordered to “walk the plank” out of an airlock.

Hilo Fino shook his head, he guessed the entire ship must have taken a bad batch of combat drugs that inflicted permanent damage.

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***
When Palomedes and Malvillini reached the asteroid belt the tables turned. The fast raptor was forced to slow down and navigate the obstacles. The Yrs fighters wove through the shadows passing through ones asteroids shadow to come out another's. Malvillini smiled gleefully as the wing darted past the raptor and to the prize.

Mining station XDS 979864 had been abandoned over a decade ago. Locked onto the old IR Moonbases main dock was a hideous abomination of a ship. It looked like a strange cross between a Pirate Light Freighter and an old earther pirate ship. An honorific wood dock and mast on its top. A twisted and broken lady tied to her bow. Its hull was a dull black that almost seemed to pulsate. It was bristling with more guns than one would think possible. Its main guns looked to be large propellant fired cannons capable of launching a shell the size of an earther.

Malvillini spotted the heavily armed ship and ordered his wing to take of observation positions under the cover of the asteroids. Palomedes caught up and pulled into a similar hiding spot. Both were calling their superiors demanding they pick up the pace, describing the ship and its armament.

When the fleet reached the asteroid they took up a far perimeter. Hilo Fino had ordered that they try to get the hostages release before engaging the ship. As he keyed his mic he said, “To the unknown ship holding the crew of the Chang Song hostage I am Captain Fino I wish to negotiate for their release.” Then he waited.

A minute later a raspy and loud voice replied for all to hear. “CPT Fino, I am The Dread Pirate Maynard captain of the Queen Annes Revenge II. I be beggin' yer pardon but I know yer after me treasure, and ye will never get yer mitts on it!”

Cpt Fino looked round the bridge, his crew looked as astonished as he was. “CPT Maynard, I don't care about the cargo, I just want the crews release. Please name your price.” CPT Fino said.

The reply came back a minute later, CPT Fino swore he could hear cheering, “Yar a ransom it be, the price fer the crew is high, there are some mighty fine lasses my crew does not want to part with! 20 million in ghaz and spanish gold dubloons!!” A mighty Yar rose in background at the price.

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***
Admiral Layne Yr nearly spilled her vampyr wine when she heard the replay of the transmission. In a moment she put together all of it, the seeming madness of the pirates, Chang Song's modifications, and now listening to it she had her ships look at it in the leyas to confirm it. It all made sense to her, and it made her laugh. The Dread Pirate Maynard and his entire ship were nightmares, acting out the crews worst fears about pirates. What they new of pirates was likely little as space piracy as of late had been only political in nature, and they filled in the blanks with what they did know, the tacky and poorly scripted carribean pirate holovids that had come to preoccupy many an entertainment hub in the free systems.

She kept the information to herself though and gave her fleet orders that when the assault began they were to send a boarding claw full of slavers onto the Dread Pirate Maynards ship with intent to capture as many pirates as they could. Layne Yr loved it when peoples fears provided her with new playthings.

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***
Hilo Fino rubbed his brow, the negotiations were not going well. The pirates refused to back down from their ridiculous demands and the banking guild merchant and planetary governor of Nodnol refused to pay the ransom. Hilo Fino knew time was an x-factor. The more of it that passed the more desperate the kidnappers would get, at the same time the more time they had to think about their fate.

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***
Being stuck behind the same asteroid LT Palomedes and Malvillini had time to talk. As they listened to the negotiations fail they were in agreement that action would need to be taken. They more they talked about it the more invincible they felt, no way the drugged out mad men could track the fighters with guns or have the precision and skill necessary to peg one of them, especially with ace pilots behind the sticks. They decided it was time to end this.

The Wing of Yrs made their attack run first to Palomedes chagrin, as he pulled around the asteroid they just shadow jumped through it.

The fighters all came at an aft section hoping to overwhelm the gunners with targets. Before the Yrs fighters could fire a shot streams of acid, gouts of purple fire, and streams of slugs erupted from the ships guns with surprising accuracy. The first two Yrs fighters were slashed to pieces in the screen of fire.

Malvillini ducked behind the last fighter a second before it was reduced to a green cloud of acrid vapor. Malvillini fired a salvo that slagged the culrpit gun but he realized there was no way he could survive the guns on the other deck. He did the only thing he could and bailed, his fighter bouncing off the ships hull scraping up the paint before crumbling to pieces.

LT Palomedes was close behind the Yrs and slipped past the first round of fire. “Prep for release, find the hostages.” He shouted into the PA system. Instead a blast of purple flame washed over the fighter immediately draining its power plant and causing LT Palomedes to lose control of the raptor.

The raptor slammed into the wooden deck on top of the ship tearing numerous lines. The Brethren and LT Palomedes all leapt off the wreck as it teetered for a few moments and then began to float away. The ship had a weak gravity generator they all noted as they lightly hopped onto the deck.

As LT Palomedes looked around he spotted an 8 foot tall monster of a man. He was dressed in power armor the color of bone with a pair of wicked notched and serrated cutlasses and a black leather sachel. He wore large black hat with the jolly roger clearly depicted and had an eye patch. He had a long and poorly cared for beard that seemed to writhe in the low gravity like tentacles. LT Palomedes said to the brethren “Free the hostages the captains mine!”

LT Palomedes raced up the poop deck whipping out a nano blade sword. As he approached Malvillini pulled himself effortlessly over the railing drawing a vicious flamberge styled rapier that glowed with purple flame. They were on either side of the Pirate captain who looked back and forth at them irritatedly. “You no good scurvy infested wharf rats think you can take my treasure. A pirate will never reveal its location YAR!” He shouted as he drew the swords.

LT Palomedes and Malvillini charged the captain each seeking the glory of a quick kill. Though they were both skilled swordsmen the Nightmare captain proved to be too much of a match for them easily parrying their repeated attacks.

The Brethren on the deck found themselves surrounded. Pirates began pouring up to the deck through multiple hatches. At first the brethren opened fire with their mach pistols easily killing off the first few. Then a lanky pirate dove from some of the lines on the mast and tackled one of the brethren driving a pair of rusty knives through chinks in the power armor before they both toppled off the side. The remaining brethren drew nano blades and quickly sought cover. The pirates dragoon pistols fired purple flame that could knock out the life support systems in their powered armor. As the pirates rushed them brethren found themselves split in the melee. Soon each one was fighting with a pair of nano blades trying to regain the upperhand.

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***
On board the Maehl Star Cruiser CPT Hilo Fino realized something must be done. With the crew fighting on deck he reasoned the guns couldn't all be manned. He ordered the Sparrow boarding party to assist LT Palomedes Brethren.

The sparrows moved quickly and efficiently coming to perfect stops for a second near enough the ship for the drop troop to use jump jets to propel them to the deck. The sparrows wasted no time pulling away as they began to receive fire from the ship.

On the deck of the pirate ship the maehl troops landed in a quick formation. As they leveled their grey guns the pirates froze expecting imminent death. Instead nothing happened. The platoon leader realized what happened, when they did their load out they forgot an important rule of physics...in space no one can hear you scream. The sonic guns were useless without an atmosphere.

The pirates realized it too and a wall of them came crashing into the maehl troops. Several of which whipped out survival knives, tomahawks, and a few grabbed improvised melee weapons like bow pins and mops with strange tentacle aliens tied to them.

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***
In the confusion and choas of the melee on the deck a TRILAT boarding claw slipped past undetected. It fastened itself midship and bore its way into the hull. The nightmare slavers found themselves fighting a much tougher foe than the average nightmare. As they pushed into the twisted and dark corridors they found a nightmare in a doublet with a pair of what looked like plasma pistols. He was ordering around the nightmares in a thick British accent.

The nightmare slavers got the jump on him and quickly killed the nightmares around him. Injured and armed with one plasma pistol the Nightmare who identified himself as the first mate began shouting “Parlay!” and let himself get taken into captivity.

***
LT palomedes stumbled back to malvillini, he was breathing heavily. The Kasanthian was as well after receiving a boot to the chest. “We need to work together.” Palomedes said.

Malvillini shot the Iron Republic officer a glare but then nodded in agreement. “I'll go high, you go low”

The both sprung to their feet and charged the laughing nightmare captain who suddenly found himself being pushed back being forced to awkwardly parry the dual blows from his assailants. The captain was backed up to the railing. Lt Palomedes slashed one of the pirates hands, it was enough to create the opening Malvillini needed. He drove the rapier into the captains chest.

As the captain fell he said, “You'll never find me treasure, dead men tell no tales Yarr.”
As he breathed his last an explosion shook deep within the ship. The pirates ran to consoles and rigging and began frantically working them. Shouting things like “The core is over heating, and “shes taking on water”, and “Tonight we sleep in Davy Jones locker!”.

The brethren and maehl troops stormed below quickly gathering up the hostages. The TRILAT boarding claw pushed off racing to get clear of the dying ship. A wing of SAVs flew out from the Iron Republic fleet. Luckily the hostages had been left in their space suits and as they were freed the hostages made their way above and dove over the side toward the SAV's.

The ship listed heavily groaning as some unseen force began to tear it apart. Malvillini and LT Palomedes had been thrown from their feet as they got up they saw the dead pirate capatains bag had opened. A yellowed piece of skin or parchment had rolled out. The two fighter pilots grabbed it on either end arguing over who the map belonged to. As the pulled the map tore in two. The two were forced to abandon ship as another loud explosion tore through the ship.

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***
Hilo Fino finished filling out his report, most of the hostages had been rescued, the pirate ship sunk, and diplomacy had won the day, in a way. Iron Republic investigators had recovered the Chang Song and the K-fed recovered the wreckage of the Pirate Ship. The K-fed reportedly had a prisoner but they were tight lipped on what if anything he was saying.

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Beautifully done. Absolutely approved.


Rewards

All players involved get access to the shared Trade Spacestation "the Last Stop"

Includes 1 private suite for use by each character.
The Last Stop is neutral ground run by the Banking Guild.
Any character hiding at Last Stop is immune to attack, kidnapping or capture.