Flight from Coruscant

Flight from Coruscant
Date of Scene:	02 February 2024
Location:	Orbit of Coruscant
Synopsis:	Khalo pursue Caine and Ellari as they leave Coruscant with Revara.
Cast of Characters:	271, Ellari Zin, 251

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Caine Von'egel (271) has posed:
It is time.

Time to finally leave the cursed heart of the Republic, and return to the Mandalorian sector of space so that Revara could be rightly reunited with her father at the Bastille of Thyssel.

And yet, the young baron is not yet completely in the clear. Though aboard the Veracity's Blade, he is injured, and not exactly among friends. Not only this, but the ge'hutuun Fett is likely hot on his tail, or if he isn't yet.. soon will be.

Caine drags himself to the cockpit, barely able to stand. "Let me fly," he hisses, "you don't know a damn thing about this vessel..."

Ellari Zin has posed:
    Ellari rolls her eyes. What a brat. "Fine," she says, getting out of the pilot's seat. "If you pass out once that Fett idiot catches up to us, you're taking the blame for any damage he does to -your- ship."

Khalo Fett (251) has posed:
That. Fucking. Bastard.

Ellari and Caine are running for it. Well, less running and more pursuing their task. The Veracity's Bladd cuts through space with no small amount of urgent intent. They think they're safe. Secure. Fortified.

But they forgot Khalo Fett is one of the most feared Mandalorians alive for a /very/ specific reason.

He's stubborn as hell.

Their radar starts to go off. He's far off still, but he's after them. Worse yet, he knows exactly where they're going.

It's a simple craft, armed and agile.

In fact, Khalo is hailing the Veracity's Blade.

Caine Von'egel (271) has posed:
The young baron glares daggers at Ellari. "I -won't-," he hisses.

When the comm console lights up with Fett's hail, he sets his jaw and settles into the pilot's chair, trying to maintain his dignity despite his injuries. "Ignore that," he says to Ellari. "I have nothing to say to him."

Then he presses the yoke forward and engages the ship's sublight thrusters. Hopefully they could reach hyperspace before Fett reached them.

Ellari Zin has posed:
    Ellari shrugs and settles herself in to one of the turrets. "You know maybe you should think about going somewhere -else- besides Mandalore, first? We could get her--and you--medical attention, and then once you've both recovered we can return to Sundari. At the rate we're going even if we make the jump he'll know exactly where we're headed."

Khalo Fett (251) has posed:
They're not answering.

Good.

The craft accelerated after the Mandalorians as they try to escape. A gauntleted hand seems to start to activate the weapons system....

A few warning shots are fired, notably around the vessel. His intention is clear.

He opens a channel...

"Khalo to Black Krayt...lock onto my coordinates and rendezvous." Khalo gives the order.

...it's about to get crowded.

Yet he maintains fire. They had time to negotiate.

Diplomacy has failed.

Caine Von'egel (271) has posed:
"Dammit!" he growls. "That... bastard," he snarls.

"Fine," he acquiesces, "We can head for... Alderaan. It's close by, and still Republic space, but not Coruscant, at least."

However, they've got to shake Khalo first. "Like hell I am," he mutters, and puts the sublight thrusters into overdrive, hoping to outrun the other Mandalorian.

Ellari Zin has posed:
    Ellari arches a brow at him. "A Von'egel, acting rationally. How rare." she remarks. "Perhaps there is hope for your family yet."

    She notes the warning fire. "Trying to bait us into making ourselves the aggressors. Don't fall for it."

Khalo Fett (251) has posed:
Khalo is gaining.

Quickly.

He's not quite catching up to the pair of Mandalorians, but holy shit can that craft /move/. The Veracity's Blade is one hell of a ship, both ships pushing their engines, both ships moving swiftly. Khalo knows he has to find a way to cripple the ship without outright destroying it...

But how far are his pponents willing to go to survive? To live?

His hands reach for the weapon controls, eyes narrowing behind that helmet.

Caine Von'egel (271) has posed:
"Shut up, mir'shebs. I don't need you to state the obvious," he snaps, cursing under his breath im Mando'a.

They've managed to stay ahead of Khalo, but just barely. There's a lot of civilian traffic in Coruscant orbit, which makes things... difficult.

But no matter. He tries to press forward, in hopes of getting into the clear so they can jump to hyperspace...

Ellari Zin has posed:
    Ellari smirks. "Ah, I'm sorry Caine. You're right. If anyone knows your family's failings, it's you, I suppose."

    She sighs. "He's gaining on us. Are you sure this thing can't go any faster?"

Khalo Fett (251) has posed:
Khalo is gaining.

Quickly.

They might not be able to break atmosphere before Khalo Fett manages to catch up to them. He's still shooting at them, though he's still intentionally missing. Is he trying to bait them into combat? Blind them by shooting in front of them rather than around them? Force them to try and do reckless maneuvers and endanger themselves?

There's supreme focus.

No more trash talk. No more threats. Do or do not.

Khalo pushes more on that thrust, trying to get even closer!

Caine Von'egel (271) has posed:
He suppresses an urge to just strangle the woman on the spot. But no, not here, and not now. He needs her on his side, even if he doesn't want her to be.

And then they're neck to neck, racing towards the atmosphere, and the young baron decides enough is enough.

"This is absurd. Enough chasing each other's tails," he growls. "Shoot him!" he barks at Ellari.

Ellari Zin has posed:
    Ellari doesn't move, though. "You said it was obvious he's trying to bait us into becoming the aggressors, and that we shouldn't fall for it." she points out. "Let him fire the first shots. Are you afraid your ship can't take it?" she questions.

Khalo Fett (251) has posed:
Perhaps the ship can't take it.

Perhaps it can.

But alas, it would appear as though Khalo is not willing to play around with his prey. Suddenly, that craft is /significantly/ closer. At least, close enough to have Caine Von'egel start to lose his composure ever so softly. But, no fire is sent Khalo's way.

No aggression.

Finally.

A single bolt leaves the ship, trying to clip the Veracity's Blade in the wing. Enough to scorch the surface perhaps, but he's not trying to cripple the ship to such an extent that Revara could be harmed.

Caine Von'egel (271) has posed:
The young baron is readying a scathing retort for Ellari when the Veracity's Blade shudders, taking a hit to her left wing. A wisp of smoke goes up, disappearing into the atmosphere. They had been -so- close.

Caine releases an ungodly string of curses in Mando'a. "He will -pay- for that!" he rages.

Completely abandoning his post at the helm, he rushes over to Ellari, and moving in front of her, grabs the yoke for his ship's cannons. He opens fire on the Black Krayt...

Caine Von'egel (271) has posed:
"Who cares at this point?!" he rages. "He is making a fool of me, and I will -not- have it!" They had been -so- close to making into the atmosphere, and despite the fact that the Black Krayt's shot goes wide, he releases an ungodly string of curses in Mando'a.

"He will -pay- for this!" he rages.

Completely abandoning his post at the helm, he rushes over to Ellari is and grabs the yoke for his ship's cannons. He then opens fire on the Black Krayt...

Ellari Zin has posed:
    "Ugh," Ellari grumbles and ends up trading places with Caine, inserting herself at the pilot's seat this time. "How you've managed to even survive this long is a mystery..." she mutters, beginning to engage in evasive maneuvers now that the Krayt seems to have started actually trying to hit them.

Khalo Fett (251) has posed:
A deep frown touches Khalo's face.

"Bout time."

He growls softly, though he could tell that Caine must've been getting angry if he was trying to shoot to kill already. Bout time that little shit starting firing back. Yet, as Khalo flew, those bolts starting to ping against his fightercraft. Worst case scenario, he'll have to peel off. Yet, all the same, he keeps his eyes ahead of him, even through the fire and flame.

And Gods willing, he can hit their engine.

Caine Von'egel (271) has posed:
Caine seems to be barely aware that Ellari is even talking. He's gripping the yoke of the cannons with a death grip, as if it were instead Fett's throat!

He opens fire on the Black Krayt and a few shots land, but the last two go wide. And then he glances down at one of readouts and realizes that the fuel cells for the laser cannons are running at 5 percent...

He would not win this fight. Not today. But this won't be the last time he sees Fett. And he'll make sure of that.

"Get us into hyperspace," he says to Ellari, glancing around, "as soon as we're clear..."

Ellari Zin has posed:
    Finally, he sees something other than red.

    "Yes -captain-." Ellari says dryly, just as they clear the atmosphere. She keys in coordinates for Alderaan...and off they go! The Veracity's Blade's hyperspace engines hum to life, slowly building in frequency until it zooms into the blackness and disappears into the void.