<span style="font-style: italic">"Hello? I know you guys are there. I just thought it might interest you to know that there is an Imperial convoy up ahead and you should probably raid it. But first, I'd like to ask you a question. How much does a AEG-77 transport sell for these days?"</span><br/><br/><br/>Kardai heard the question, her nerves went on edge as she recounted the information she’d been told in that conversation in her head.  First, her instincts had been dead on, a convoy was sneaking it’s way through.  Second, it was Imperial, meant they’d follow some standard operating procedures.  And last, that an Egg-Seventy-Seven was involved somehow.<br/><br/>Still the<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte </span>didn’t slow on it’s course while the Outlaw Star and her own crew worked to narrow down the source of the transmission.  The<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte</span>’s aft engines burst into full on speed.  While this speed was inadvisable for long burns, considering it ate up a vast portion of the ship’s fuel reserves, they quickly closed in on the convoy which had began to take note of their uninvited guests.<br/><br/>Still there was the rogue transmission to deal with,  as the three bulk freighters started to break away from their course while the two AEG-77 transports whirled about, heading for the<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte </span>her Captain was already barking orders.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">“Send a warning volley across his hull.”</span><br/><br/>The<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte </span>swooped in towards Tirowe’s ship, having pinpointed it with the<span style="font-style: italic">Outlaw Star’s</span>assistance.   Like a vast hawk moving in for the kill on a tiny sparrow the ship roared near, its forward linked guns flashed twice as four bolts danced across Tirowe’s shields, sparkling against the strong deflectors as the<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte </span>rumbled over and past just as swiftly.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">“Enough to kill for.”</span>Kardai answered the communication, her finger pressed to the earpiece stuck in her ear with it’s tiny mic stem near her lips.<span style="font-weight: bold">“We claim these waters, suggest you not interfere.”</span>She added, letting go of the toggle as the two Egg 77s closed in on the<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte</span>,  their standard Imperial formation doubled up the strength as their guns lit up on the<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte</span>, causing the entire ship to shudder and shake as all those anti-fighter guns painted along her forward hull.<br/><br/>Kardai gritted her teeth a bit as a few even chewed a few holes into the shields and left deep smoldered pockets along the<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte</span>’s hull before the shields replenished the power in the breached sections.<br/><br/>All the while those three freighters were starting to pull away from the battle, their hyperdrives beginning to spool, triggering an alert from the<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte</span>’s sensor officer.<br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><br/>“Captain, our catch is starting to fire up their hyperdrive motivators.  We’re scrambling their navi-beacons but we estimate five minutes before they get coordinates out of here.”</span><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><br/>“Return fire on these Eggs and head towards the freighters,  you know the drill.  Leave the escorts to the <span style="font-style: italic">Outlaw Star.</span>”</span><br/><br/>Kardai watched with her eyes illuminated with the firing lights all around as her ship punched right through the middle of the two AEG-77s, rolling  vertical and towards the three ships that were their prey.  The distant rumbling of shots along the<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte</span>’s belly and dorsal sections let her know those ships were still quite capable of stopping such a ship.  Getting off a few last shots at the Eggs they burned hard for the bulk freighters.<br/><br/>As soon as range had been met the<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte </span>unleashed compressed hell upon the rear quarters of the freighters, shields were there, but they held very little resistance to the warship’s bite, even still taking out engine pods required a good bit of expert aim,  and while it was ideal, the<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte</span>’s gunners weren’t perfect, extending time.<br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><br/>“Detecting energy spikes in all three ships.  They’re about to jump.”</span>Reminded her officer.<br/><br/>Just then the starboard most vessel’s engines ruptured, blowing out and filling space behind it with pieces of molten debris as the<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte’s</span>shots tore it apart, leaving it stranded and adrift.<br/><br/>The middle most was quick to follow, though as her engine’s disintegrated she pitched to the side, coming to a slow grinding halt against the starboard ship.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">“Captain!..”</span>gasped out her officer, only to be stopped in mid report as the third ship bolted off into hyperspace, disappearing in a bur of light and taking it well beyond the<span style="font-style: italic">Aparte </span>and<span style="font-style: italic">Outlaw Star’s</span>range.   Live to fight another day, she supposed.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">“Open a channel to the two ships.”</span><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">“With his Captain Kards, prepare to be boarded,  all resistance will be met with brute force.  Let us have what we want and we’ll be on our way.”</span>