WotH Chpt 15

==War on the Horizon - Chapter 15 ==
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===The bait gets a bite===
April 5, 3009/7948 CRC
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"Anything yet?" Sheppard asked as he scratched at where the prosthetic met his flesh.
 
"Nothing on the scopes," the Twi'lek replied. "But it takes time for those sorts of rumors to hit the Holonet."
 
"I'll pretend to understand what it is that you just said," Sheppard leaned back in the chair. "I'm still trying to figure out what all of the phrases and such that y'all use here mean."
 
"Wait, someone's dropping out of hyperspace," the copilot reported. "Looks like it's the pirates we've been waiting for."
 
"Hey Paige, looks like we've got company." Sheppard said, the comms system beeping in response.
 
"Locking up our armor systems now," Paige replied. "We'll be on standby for transport to the enemy ships when we get boarded."
 
<<"Attention merchant ships,">> a Neimoidian greeted via hologram. <<"I am the pirate Yisk Grenkka. You shall stop your engines and prepare to be made guests on my vessel. I do not wish to kill any of you, so do not resist.">>
 
Sheppard nodded at the Twi'lek pilot.
 
"This is the freighter Hold Harmless," the pilot replied. "We're powering down now, the rest of the ships will follow."
 
<<"Good,">> the hologram smiled. <<"Prepare to be brought onboard, there is much we need to discuss.">>
 
The hologram winked out of existence.
 
"Well, it looks like we got what we wanted," Sheppard said with a smile. "Let's hope the rest of the plan works."
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===Careful Apology===
"You say that the ship vanished before it reached the Kuat Drive Yards?" Yaddle asked the Judicial officer.
 
"Yes, master Jedi," the man nodded. "The team that was escorting it never arrived, and we found their ships drifting a couple of systems off of their scheduled route."
 
"How curious," Dooku said as he stroked his goatee. "Do you have the route that was planned as well as the scans taken from before it was to be delivered?"
 
"We have the old scheduled route," the officer shrugged. "Not sure what use it'll be, but our preliminary scans would be on file back on Coruscant or Naboo."
 
"Thank you for your time," Yaddle gave a small bow and then began walking back to the ship they had borrowed from the Naboo for this. "We shall recommend your hard work to your superiors."
 
"I'm just doing my job," the man nodded his head. "At least as much of it as I'm able to these days," he said under his breath.
 
"May the force be with you," Dooku said as he turned and began walking away, his cape fluttering as he did so.
 
"It appears we are heading back to Naboo," Yaddle said as she boarded the ramp of the ship.
 
"Indeed," Dooku responded. "It is curious just how much seems to come back to this world in the Mid-Rim."
 
"The ties here are an interesting one," Yaddle agreed. "But I find it most curious that the ship disappeared and that no one has reported any sightings of ships like it."
 
"Hmm, that is interesting," Dooku sat down in the cockpit and began piloting the ship. "If it had been captured by pirates, the Hutts, or any other major criminal we would have heard of it by now."
 
"Which means that it was likely orchestrated by the other Sith," Yaddle agreed. "I think we should follow the charted course before returning to Naboo, there might be something there that the Judicial forces missed."
 
"Plotting course now," Dooku shrugged. "I shall have to return to Serenno after we are done with this part of the investigation. An absent ruler does no one any good."
 
"We shall return you to your world, Count Dooku," Yaddle smirked. "But it will be in good time."
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===Stalling for Time===
"Ahh, it seems that I am meeting with a man of style," Yisk greeted Sheppard as he stepped off of the ramp, the duster billowing around him as he walked onto the Captor class Cruiser.
 
"There a reason you've stopped us?" Sheppard asked.
 
"I merely seek to inspect the Mandalorian armor that you seem to be transporting," Yisk smiled, his battle droids stepping up behind him menacingly. "Now, if you'll be so kind as to surrender your weapons, we won't have to start killing anyone."
 
"You heard the man," Sheppard said as he allowed the blaster to be taken from him. "We're not here to stir up any trouble."
 
"Good man!" the pirate captain cheered. "I'm rather civilized and would hate to have to clean blood out of everything. Now, show me these suits of Mandalorian armor. I have yet to see Beskar with my own eyes after all, and I hear it is quite the material to work with should you be able to acquire it."
 
"Alright," Sheppard sighed. "I'll take you to the suits, but I want my crew and ships left alone."
 
"My good man, I do not wish to take secondhand scraps of ships, my own is enough for me. I desire the armor, and then I will leave you to continue on your journey."
 
"There a reason you split my ships up among your own?" Sheppard asked.
 
"To prevent you from getting any clever ideas," Yisk smiled, the image making Sheppard recoil on the inside. "We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt after all."
 
Sheppard opened the door to the cargo hold, revealing two dozen Mithril suits powered down and upright, guns slung and holstered for effect.
 
"It is a different design than I am used to, I must admit," Yisk said as he poked one of the suits and tried to push it over. "But it is possible that these are older than the current designs the Mandalorians use, and even if they are not made of Beskar they should fetch a good price on the markets."
 
"Just take them and leave," Sheppard snarled. "You're already leaving me profitless here, just be done with it."
 
"I shall instruct my droids to begin removing the suits from your other freighters," Yisk put his arms in his billowing sleeves. "Now, you and your crew shall be joining me for dinner, it would be most vexing to me should you refuse."
 
"Fine," Sheppard bit out. "It looks like we get to eat here for the evening," he glanced at the crew and made a subtle hand gesture, causing them to relax a bit. "I assume we'll be allowed to leave once the meal is concluded?"
 
"Of course!" Yisk announced. "I am not a barbarian. I am merely a high-risk trader of rare and priceless artifacts."
 
"Get on with it, Sheppard," Paige muttered into the comms device. "We're stuck until these droids have parked us in the main holds."
 
Sheppard nodded, seeming as if he was agreeing with Yisk.
 
"Now, come quickly, there is much to do!" Yisk moved down the ramp, his robes and droids following him and encircling the group of volunteers. "My droids will unload your ship and ensure that it is refueled, you will not lose all of your funding over this, I cannot continue to conduct trades with you if you are not able to continue on this route in the future, after all."
 
"I'm not sure I'll be continuing on this route given the dangers it seems to possess," Sheppard said as he glanced backward, seeing the droids struggling to carry some of the Mithril.
 
"Those things are remarkably heavy aren't they?" Yisk commented. "I must say that your crew must be extraordinary to be able to move all of them and keep them in position for so long."
 
"They're valuable," Sheppard shrugged. "And my people are very good at what they do."
 
"I see," Yisk hummed. "I suppose we shall find out what value they fetch."
 
"I guess you will." Sheppard shrugged.
 
"Now, where was I?" Yisk asked. "Ahh yes, I was going to give you a tour of my latest acquisitions, one must always use the chance to enhance their reputation. I'm sure you understand."
 
"Reputation is important," Sheppard agreed. "Many things rely on having a solid reputation after all."
 
"So you do understand," the Neimoidian waved a hand and the door opened ahead of him. "Now please, enjoy my collection. I assure you, it is of the finest taste and quality."
 
"Don't kill him yet," Paige said. "We're being positioned at the end of the room you just entered if I'm reading the layout of the ship right. Once he reaches the end, we'll be in a prime position to strike."
 
Sheppard tapped the mic taped to his twice to acknowledge and then continued walking behind the Neimoidian, his hand continuously twitching for the small handgun that was hidden on his person.
 
"Just hold out a little bit longer," Paige calmed the other man down. "We'll get this bastard. You just have to wait."
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Chapter 15