Chapter 26: Hunter or Pray
34 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin) - 2 Years before Canon
Sector/System: Bandomeer
Location: Bandomeer Space - Asteroid belt - onboard the 'Wayfarer''
Jack's POV:
If before me flying in space trying to evade those missiles back home could be called choppy, or basic.
Then right now, it could be said I was trained for this. Since right now I'm able to fly so smoothly through this field of space rock.
I hardly had to do anything, and I understood how to have been able to do anything without overclocking the engines, and what I could have done instead.
Now, my engines are damaged, more internally than externally, but still moderately damaged overall, which I need to fix when this is all over.
"This will be one of many chances for you to regain some lost honor, even if you regain it though I'm not letting you go." I told Sera who was my co-pilot at this time
"Sigh, I already said back then, I'm not leaving even if I had not been wearing this collar, you don't have to bring it up again because I already told you everything after that night." I heard her say
"I know, just saying how it is really." I said shrugging
Just when I flew past a large asteroid alarms went off.
"Oh, that can't be good." I said while
"Right behind us, it is that same Headhunter as during our return to Mandalore, and this one is not alone." I heard Sera say.
"Great, whoever it is really has a bone to pick with me." I growled
"Fangs focus on the other Pirate fighters, the one on me is mine, ignore it clean up the rest for now." I ordered.
I knew they would not be happy with the order but to deal with an Elite pilot you need numbers so cleaning up his support is a must.
— — — — —
Onboard the Z-95 Headhunter 'Hunter'
Inside an asteroid field in the Bandomeer system, we can see a large-scale scramble of fighter craft.
One side uses the age-old and well-tested Z-95 Headhunter, while the other uses only a few Fangs-type fighter craft.
Among these Headhunters, one specific fighter kept following a YT Light Freighter launching missiles and firing his two laser cannons.
Inside the cockpit of this fighter sat a young man with blue skin and red eyes, on his head, he sported a pilot's helmet over his black hair, this man being a Chiss.
He was wearing an orange pilot suit used by Republic pilots.
He was intently watching the crosshair beep trying to get a lock on the YT class ship when after a tense few seconds the beeping became a harsh long drawn-out one.
Hearing that tone the man pressed the button to launch missiles.
"This time I will get you!" the man growled, watching as two missiles flew after the YT class freighter
While he flew the YT type ship kept dodging and using the rocks all around to evade and destroy the missiles in the end.
Suddenly he saw a group of Fang class fighters fly passed ignoring him, not even firing a single shot his way.
"Interesting the enemy fighters go for the others… this gives me more chances to kill that bastard." the man grumbled
While the man kept following his target, when he saw all around him small explosions of blaster fire hitting rocks, exploding missiles, and the loss of those of his own side, he kept firing his own blasters at the ship.
['Hunter'… I did not expect you to be part of this foolish endeavor. This is not productive in getting your sister back, and that man is the only one who knows where he hid her away.] A cold female voice was heard.
"Fuck! As if I don't know that Commander! But this is the only time I have this chance!" he said as he saw that he was finally hitting the ship.
But his celebration was cut short when an enemy Corvette showed up.
"Shit! Pulling out now!" he was heard grumbling when he saw a second one come from his other flank
[Do so, you will know why soon enough, now get back to the 'Fortress'.] the cold voice said, somehow giving him goosebumps
"Understood, the others are being picked off anyway… again.." he said flying away
Just when the man flew away he heard the alarm for a missile lock on himself.
"Ha! I won't be so easy either bastard." the man said before performing a maneuver
— — — — —
Onboard the 'Wayfarer'
Jack's POV:
Fucking hell, I thought he finally got me after those blasters hits. Note to self upgrade the shit out of the 'Wayfarer'.
[Have no fear, the Cavalry is here!] I heard from a message that Sera played next to me
As soon I heard this I saw two of the three captured CR-90 Corvettes show up laying down laser fire behind me.
"Fuck, Chuck and Nora… crazy bastards I thought you guys had joined your men on the Kom'rk." I told them over coms
[Kid, we would have wished to, each of us has a skeleton crew of one team, the other three teams are on the Kom'rk.] I heard the gruff voice of Chuck.
"Still thank you for the assist, that fellow has pulled away, don't ask me who it is or why it only targeted me… because I have no clue." I said
[No need to say those words, you are the Heir of the Clan, you gave us a place to call home even if we still have to prove our worth.] I heard Nora's voice say
"Well this is a good start, now let us set course for Bandomeer, all the Pirate ships are about to get in range." I told them, cutting the connection
"Alright Sera, put me on speaker across the ship." I told her and watched her do so.
"This is your Captain speaking, we will soon be arriving at the location. Please prepare yourselves for a nice drop and hard landing. Please note to put tables and chairs back into their pre-flight positions." I said and could hardly keep my laughter in
"But first, taking out this guy." I said performing a one hundred and eighty-degree turn, basically flipping my ship around and aiming at the Headhunter that had been targeting me.
The moment I got a lock I saw him perform a corkscrew downward move, straight between two big asteroids letting him leave scott-free.
"Elite pilot or not… that was a well-timed move, wonder who it is and why he keeps targeting me." I said turning my ship down and around the two rocks
"Not getting rid of me pal, let's see who becomes the Hunter or the Pray." I growled making sure to stay on the fighter's tail.
At the same time I looked at the targeting data and saw it was no longer locking on, so I did what anyone would do in this situation.
"No hiding from me." I pressed the fire button and fired in the area the fighter disappeared in, watching in glee how the fighter used its afterburner after the rock it hid in was destroyed
— — — — —
Onboard of the Z-95 Headhunter 'Hunter'
In the fighter craft in question, the man was not happy about the state of affairs.
"Fuck, should have stayed at the base, the commander was right… again." the man said trying to stay out of the possible lock-on
The man kept hearing the beeping sound and did everything possible to make sure that the beeping sound did not become a single-toned sound meaning a lock on him.
"Annoying bastard." the man growled noticing the YT ship he tried to destroy kept following him
[Do what you have to and get back to the Fortress, 'Hunter' Mandalorians do not forget easily, just try to put some of the big rocks in the way of him, marked a few for you, sending data now.] came the voice of a Zabrak man
"Just hurry up, those shots are getting rather close, hes no longer trying to wait for a lock." the man said back.
While he said those words he used the new data to do a sharp turn left into a steep dive down, seeing the YT class ship following him
When the fighter was close it broke by braking hard and flying to the right
"Haha! As expected, you're mine now." the man said watching the ship brake and turn left evading the big asteroid in question.
Soon enough the man used his afterburner again to turn around and get behind the ship once more.
— — — — —
Onboard the 'Wayfarer'
Jack's POV:
This guy is good, hate to say it about a pirate but… credit where credit is due.
I mean we have been doing this dance back and forth now for close to what? Ten Minutes?
I was to be really honest starting to enjoy myself, and even noticed both Jedi and Rin having shown up not long ago… at least they stayed quiet.
"He's behind us again…" I could hear Sera say
"I know that we have been doing this time and again." I told her in a harsh tone
I'm starting to get annoyed, but I do enjoy myself if I have to be honest, not that I would admit it out loud.
"All others report to be done with the large waves of enemy fighter craft." I heard Sera say when I saw the Corvettes of Chuck and Nora show up again spraying large amounts of fire in the direction of the last fighter.
"Let him leave, we need to assist on the ground of Bandomeer before it is too late." I said watching Sera send word of it
I turned my ship around in quick order.
We will meet again later, I'm sure I hope it will be on the ground where he could eject and survive and I can figure out who it is and why he's so adamant on targeting me specifically.
As far I knew I had no bounties on my head, and even did an odd job for the underworld here or there in between legal trade.
Sure I made some enemies and killed lots, I mean I'm a Mando, not many would walk away annoying one or trying something against one.
After flying for a good while we got close to Bandomeer when a ship turned our way.
"Oh great… never mind." I said, when I saw said ship turn away again
"Shall I send word we are five minutes till entering the atmosphere?" Sera asked me
"Yes please do, the rest of you go take a seat and secure yourselves." I told the two Jedi and Rin
"This way ladies, time to get ready for a bumpy entry." I heard Rin say guiding the two women away
— — — — —
Back on the service of Bandomeer, near the biggest Ionite mines near the biggest mountains on the central hemisphere of the planet, surrounded by large rocky plains with fast deserts on three sides while the final portion was next to a large chasm.
Here it was, many pirate ships had landed a good way away due to the Inoite properties messing with their badly maintained equipment.
From these ships, large numbers of speeder bikes and hover trucks were seen moving towards the mines in question, fully loaded with pirates.
"Hey ain't this overkill? I mean they hardly have anything to fight us. Just two ships should have done the job while the rest could have gotten more stuff and possible slaves elsewhere, right?" a Human was heard saying saying
"Bah! What ya know, Ionite is the best to gain monies from, slaves pale in comparison." a yellow-skinned Trandoshen hissed his way
"It matters not, Ionite first, if time allows we can grab some slaves." a green-skinned Rodian spoke up with a shrug
Just when they were reaching the mines and started their attack joining those already there the sky rained down on them.
Red bolts of fire came around from fighters doing starving runs while large transporters flew over dropping troops from below.
However, worse was it when two Jedi had dropped bouncing the laser bolts back at where they came from before entering the mines every bolt sent back hit a pirate.
All around the place chaos erupted large piles of sand flew up from shots missed, and speeders and trucks wend up in balls of light shooting parts everywhere impaling those too close to them.
When the truck these pirates were on drove straight ahead at a man who had dropped in front of them in full armor.
"Mandalorians!" came a scream before their truck went up in flames from being hit by a rocket.