> Pratikaya's four hospitals report having exceeded the capacity of their critical response wards with over five thousand casualties tallied across the city since the attacks began shortly after dawn today. Authorities haven't provided figures on deaths, but unofficial estimates range as high as six hundred. The Royal Medical Service announced the deployment of six mobile field hospitals, which are normally only seen at large natural disasters. We're told they will be operational in two or three days. In the meantime, disaster response units are already arriving in the city. Some of our sources speaking on background have indicated conflicts between prefectural and royal authorities which could explain the delay in getting the field medical centers up and running.

- Katoshi Amaki, Akushima correspondent

ICNN

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41:03:30 GrS

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As the view from the Chimera's cockpit turned to the blackness of space, Lyra punched up all four of the ship's engines, pushing them as hard as she dared. "Anything?"

Shin monitored the ship's systems from the copilot's seat while Reiko ran sensor sweeps at the gunner's station. "Nothing on ranging sensors, but I'm tracking a radiation trail consistent with ion drive plumes." Terrible anxiety paled the engineer's round face. "It's strong enough to have been from the ship I saw leaving but..."

She let out a shuddering sigh. "I can't be sure, Lyra. What if I'm wrong? Sera-sha could be..." Her eyes filled with sudden tears.

"Listen to me, Rei." Lyra subjugated her own blossoming trepidation, sliding into the serious look and sharp command tone of an Imperial officer. "I know you're scared. I am too. But we're no good to either of them if we let ourselves go. That hit you got on Sera's comm is our best lead. Hold it together, for her sake. There'll be plenty of time to go to pieces after we get them back."

Reiko nodded and sniffled. "A-alright. Thanks, Lyra."

"Can you get a heading off the plume?"

Reiko tightened the scan and fed the data into the navigation system. "Try that."

"Got it," she said, glancing at the readout. She did some quick math in her head. "I figure we're ten or twelve min—" She was interrupted by an incoming comm signal on a Customs hailing frequency.

Lyra keyed her comm. "This is Lyra Nimor aboard the freighter Skipjack Chimera."

"Miss Nimor? It's good to hear your voice."

"Renosi?" Lyra was relieved and annoyed at the same time.

"Yes it is. I've brought help."

A man with an unmistakable core-worlds accent spoke up. "This is Captain Franz Indrus commanding the Customs cruiser Korvis."

Off the port bow Lyra could just make out the square array of sixteen drive nozzles that uniquely marked a Carrack-class light cruiser. "Welcome to Inusagi, Captain Indrus." Lyra detailed the current situation. "We're sending sensor log data with a target ship's drive signature. If you max out the sensitivity on your RGQ seventy-nine narrow field detection array you should—"

"Information about the detection capabilities of Imper... New Republic vessels is classified, Nimor. If you're in possession of—"

Lyra cut him off. "I did eight years in Customs, Indrus. I know the specs on every model in the fleet and I don't need some core-world factotum—" She stopped at Shin's mild frown and took a deep breath. "Our crew members are out there, Captain, unaccounted for and most likely prisoners, or worse. If they were yours, wouldn't you be trying to get them back?"

"That kind of insubordination would have earned you a week in the brig, Nimor."

"I had a couple of COs who thought so too, sir." she admitted. "Guess it's a good thing I'm a civilian now." She bit her lip and shared an abashed look with Reiko and Raga. "Look, we've had a rough morning but we're the good guys. Officer Renosi must have convinced you of that or you wouldn't be here."

There was a long pause. "She did. Against my better judgment."

Indrus sounded perturbed but he didn't cut the channel, so... Point to us, I guess. Lyra tried to sound more solicitous. "Thank you, Captain. The cutter we tracked launched planetside from another ship that might be cloaked. If the ship they're heading for is stealth-equipped, you're going to need every bit of sensitivity you can wring out of your detection arrays."

"Understood, Nimor."

"We're going to keep chasing that cutter, see if we can draw them out."

"That could be dangerous."

"Maybe, but if there's a chance our people are out there, I'm not letting them go."

Nearly on cue, Tetris screeched an urgent whistle.

"Sensor contact!" Reiko exclaimed right after.

"We see them." It was another voice on the comm, a woman this time. In the background Lyra heard the klaxon sounding the call to combat stations.

"Them?"

"Multiple contacts. Four, no, five starfighter-scale. One larger."

"That's our mothership," Lyra guessed. She watched her tactical scope for a few seconds. "Looks like the fighters are trying to screen it, probably so they can bug out. Where do you want us, Korvis?"

"Nimor," Indrus's voice came back over the speaker, "Regardless of your previous service, you're a civilian in a civilian ship. You don't have any role here."

"Yes sir, but we're going after our people regardless, so we might as well work together. I know your pursuit and interception protocols and I have a team aboard with Republic and Imperial military training that can make entry onto the Zephyr mothership."

She glanced at Shin, looking sheepish, but he only responded with a grim nod. "I'm not asking you to protect us, just keep their fighters busy and get a tractor beam or two on that main ship. We'll take care of boarding and try to disable them for you."

"I don't know, Nimor."

Lyra scowled. "If we fail, you haven't lost anything, and if we succeed, you get to interrupt a major drug ring. Come on, Indrus, I'm just asking you to do what you'd do anyway."

There was a long silence on the channel before he came back on. "Alright, Nimor, you get your way. This time." Then after another pause, he said, "You're a pain in the ass. I can understand why you never made it past ensign."

Lyra started to tell him exactly what he could do with his understanding, but another look from Raga made her reevaluate her approach. "I prefer to think I was persistent, sir, but I can see how it might seem that way."

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"Get into our sensor shadow, Chimera. We'll close to tractor range with the target vessel and get you a shot at a Zoraster Eye-poke. Lieutenant Eccleston will coordinate with you."

A slow smile spread over Lyra's face as she maneuvered the freighter. "Aye, Captain."

"What's a Zoraster Eye-poke?" asked Reiko.

"Something we used to do when we went after well-organized pirates. You get in close, blind their sensors, then execute a forced dock and send in the subjugation team."

"Sounds a little like some of the boarding actions we used to do in Razorclaw. How do we blind their sensors, though?"

The pilot frowned. "We'd usually start with jammers and pound them with ion cannon fire."

Reiko mirrored her expression. "The Chimera doesn't have jammers, but..." she tapped a few controls, then grinned. "Taz bought some T Thirty-three plasma torpedoes. Uncle Shin and I can reconfigure one to alter its radiant flux. It should have a similar effect."

"Do it, and let everyone back there know what's happening."

Lyra settled behind the Korvis's aft quarter as the cruiser began exchanging fire with the approaching starfighters. She tapped out nervous rhythms on the control grips while the seconds cycled on the chrono. With nothing to keep her distracted, all she could think about was Taz and Sera, and what they might be facing.

Reiko's appearance at the back of the cockpit broke her out of her nerve-wracking worry. "The torpedo's ready, Lyra." Seelam and Eshna were right behind her.

"Thanks, Rei. You and the others can stay aboard while I—"

"No way!" protested the engineer. Fear and defiance blazed in her dark eyes as she turned back to Lyra. "I'm coming with you to get Sera-sha and Taz!"

Shin added, "We will make entry with you indeed, my lady."

"Look, Uncle Shin, that bluster about having a boarding team was just so that Indrus wouldn't deny me outright. I can't ask any of you to go. We have no idea what we're going to find."

"That is true, but your companions are our honored guests and you are our precious Lady Lyra. For that reason alone we will accompany you." Behind Rei, Eshna and Seelam gave her sober nods.

Lyra's reflexive scowl melted into gratitude. "Thank you, all of you. I'm truly in your debt." She nodded to Reiko. "Give them whatever we've got in the arms locker. Then everyone prep for docking. It's likely to be a rough ride, so strap in back there."

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Franz Indrus stood on the raised area at the back of the command deck, his polished black boots reflecting the stark light. He issued orders in a crisp tone that commanded attention. "Launch half of the TIEs to intercept. Make ready the forward tractor beams and rig for starfighter combat. Helm, close to tractor range. Sensors, get me an ID on those ships."

A chorus of 'yessirs' sounded through the speakers as the command staff executed their captain's orders up and down the Korvis's four bridge levels.

The subtle vibration from the sixteen engines and her big ionization reactor increased. "Your information about the involvement of the Zann Consortium had better be solid, Officer Renosi. I don't like wild mynock chases."

Naktiya's smile showed her predator's teeth. "I think the appearance of those fighters backs me up, Captain. But even with that, I'm pretty sure Miss Nimor and her friends wouldn't have asked for my help if they weren't sure of their information."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, she doesn't like me very much." She tapped a finger against her chin. "I can't really think why, though."

"Maybe you rubbed her the wrong way, yeah?" suggested the dark-skinned man standing to Indrus's right.

"I guess it's possible, Ranger Naveen," she said, adding a dubious-sounding meow. "But I don't think so. Everyone likes me!"

"I'll bet it's your winning personality that convinced Sector Chief Tulavorassu to give you that plum assignment on Lantillies," quipped the older man. The heavy braids of graying black hair bobbed a little when he flashed a wry grin at her.

Renosi's smile receded a few degrees and her ear tufts twitched. "Dried up old creche matron," she grumbled.

Indrus scanned Lyra Nimor's service record on his datapad. "Multiple postings over eight years without a promotion. Hardly surprising with that attitude of hers. An unremarkable career," he concluded, handing the pad over to his yeoman.

The Special Enforcement Officer chuckled. "Unremarkable careers keep the wheels of the galaxy turning, Franz."

Indrus just grunted.

"In any case, the Zann Consortium's connection to Breeze distribution in the Rim has been hard to nail down. If there's a Zephyr ship or two out here that we can tie to the drug ring, it'll be more progress than we've made since we started this op, yeah?"

Franz recognized the truth of it, but didn't acknowledge the man. "Sensors, report. Any IDs?"

"Probable aspect match on the snub fighters, sir," came the voice of the female ensign in charge of sensor operations, two decks down. "Cascade-class."

"I'm not familiar with those," admitted Naveen.

Indrus's yeoman punched up the specs. "It's a light fighter designed by Hoersch Kessel at the end of the Clone Wars but never adopted. Pirates love them. H-K claimed the plans were stolen, but..."

"Black market. Gotta recoup all that R&D money somehow, yeah?"

"And the larger vessel?" Indrus called out.

"Sphyrna-class, though it looks modified, sir. Transponder code says she's the Ammon Night, registered to Tyber Zann Transshipping Company, out of Lasertii Minor."

Indrus harrumphed. "Not even bothering to hide it."

"If it's one of Zann's, you can be sure they'll have added more armor, plus a couple of other surprises," Naveen said.

"We'll see." Indrus tapped a button at his command station. "Eccleston, status of Nimor's ship?"

"They signal ready for the Eye-poke, sir."

"Very well. Comm, hail the Zann ship. Let's offer them a chance to surrender before we have to bloody them."

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Doriisha stood beside Anais Sykes on the Ammon Night's bridge watching her broad-winged Cascade fighters close with the TIEs that had launched from the pursuing cruiser. The gold-haired Sykes frowned and crossed her arms as she took in the scene through the semi-circle of viewports and glanced at the tactical displays from time to time. "That's a New Republic ship!" she seethed. "How the hell did they know we'd be here?"

"Not sure, ma'am," answered the former Rebel naval officer. "Maybe just coincidence?"

"There are no coincidences in my experience, Captain."

"No ma'am," agreed the tall Falleen female.

Anais pursed her glossy red lips. "The demonstration we unleashed on Inusagi's been going since sunup. Maybe they called in reinforcements."

"I thought we were paying the locals to look the other way?"

"People can take only so much of that when their city is burning," Sykes mused. She'd need to spend time rooting out the weak links and eliminating them when this was over. Much as she wanted to forget about this mud puddle of a planet, she knew Inusagi was going to be a lynchpin in their plans, probably for years to come.

"Possible," Doriisha agreed. "Naboo's close enough to get a ship here in time. Enarc and Alui, too. Doesn't matter, though. Our fighters are more than a match for those TIEs, especially these days. The cruiser outguns us but they don't have missiles or torpedoes. We just need to stay out of range until we reconnect the main reactor output to the hyperdrive." She looked at her XO, a blue-skinned Twi'lek. "Fortaigne, keep us away from their tractor beams."

"You've got it, Skipper." The man's lekkus flicked as he issued orders and the ship began turning.

"How long?" Anais asked.

"Two minutes until we can jump."

Sykes tapped her opalescent nails against the scrambler vambrace. "I need to report to my father. Let me know when we're ready to jump." She turned to leave.

"Incoming hail from the cruiser, Captain," called the communication officer.

"Let's hear what they have to say."

The hiss of the carrier wave came over the speaker. "Ammon Night, this is the Customs cruiser Korvis. Withdraw your fighters and heave-to for inspection. Comply immediately or we'll open fire."

"Orders, Madam Sykes?" Doriisha queried through a scowl.

"Can we hold them off until the hyperdrive is ready?"

"Most likely, though we might lose some of the fighters."

Sykes tugged at the hem of her short jacket. "Acceptable, under the circumstances."

"Comms, cut the channel. Helm, make hyperspace calculations for Kaliida Sh—."

"Captain! Another contact on an intercept course, closing fast."

"ID?"

"It doesn't match anything in our database. Some kind of transport, maybe."

"Show me, Narvil."

The man tapped at his panel and her command display showed the ship running hard right toward them. Doriisha's mouth curled. "Some fool cargo lugger wants to be a hero. Morash, get them out of my sky."

"Yes, Captain," acknowledged the Ammon Night's gunnery officer.

"Ma'am! Missile lock!" cried the young sensor officer, a surprised look on his face. "Torp—"

Doriisha's "What the—" was drowned in the blare of warning tones that coincided with a blinding flash through the viewports. She squeezed her eyes shut and threw up her arm against the overwhelming brilliance. Narvil shouted a warning a few milliseconds before the Ammon Night shuddered. The sound of an explosion reverberated through the hull, and the lights stuttered before failing. It took a moment for the auxiliary circuits to cut in.

"Status!" ordered the captain.

"Proton torpedo impact, ma'am!"

"Source?"

"The inbound ship, Captain!"

Doriisha didn't flinch, but her green skin suddenly turned bright scarlet. "Where are they now?"

"Ma'am, sensors were scrambled by that plasma blast. We're resetting them."

Morash pointed. "The Customs cruiser is inbound, Captain."

She looked at Sykes. "I'd rather stay and fight like the old days, but... Helm, immediate escape course. And someone tell Engineering I want the hyperspace motivators online NOW!" She grabbed the cold steel guardrail in front of her as the ship shook under the first shots from the Customs cruiser. "Sensors, find that transport. Aft missile pod, target the Korvis and open fire!"