Chapter 67: Space Privateer Extraordinaire
The game SWTOR was expansive beyond what everyone had ever thought possible. Factions were a massive system that was recently found, a way to effectively create your own system, your own hyperlane empires or even your own Galactic forces.
It had all started with a single man sharing that he was able to manipulate the politics within the Jedi council to effectively create an enclave of Jedi on the planet of Alderaan. This move had sent shockwaves through the internet as many popular streamers began attempting to form their own power blocks, most unsuccessfully.
The original player who had found this all out quickly showcased the ability to order starships from space docks on Coruscant along with the ability to purchase basic blueprints for construction. Whether there were unique structures was heavily debated and rumoured, scammers attempting to bait people into purchases of fake blueprints.
And it was this discovery that lead to Spiff creating the single most influential aspect of his own, and his group's efforts to buy an entire planet.
"His Majesty's Profit-Seeking Fleet! Turn starboard and direct all fire on the pirate fleet!"
"AI! AI! CAPTAIN!" Hundreds of voices echoed that single phrase from SpongeBob as turbo-lasers laying ventral under the three Centurion-Class battlecruisers projected several lances of plasma at sub-light velocities.
To Spiff, the admiral of these privateers, the darkness of space was castigated by the radiant bolts of energy. Another salvo fired as the ship hummed in energy consumption. Transparisteel in the bridge section gave a clear view of the entire engagement, the frigates and corvettes of the pirates caving under the pressure of three warships.
He sipped Yorkshire tea whilst watching his imperial crew move around and monitor several interfaces. Red lights dully refracted off of the silvered metals that made up the command deck, officers interrupting this display as they walked between sections. personally Spiff stood above these areas, standing in front of his spiked command chair.
His get-up was the most ridiculous element of this entire ship, being that of a 17th century British Admiral... Golden chains, cuffs and medals strewn across his uniform as blackened polished boots shone just as vigorously as any of the lights throughout the room.
"Admiral, we are detecting small cornau radiation readings. It seems we have visitors emerging from Hyperspace admiral."
"Very well. Cheeky sausages, perhaps we shall have to teach them a lesson also?" The officer looked confused and just turned back to the console, conversing quietly with the crewman manning the station.
"The identification beacons confirm that they are transports for the Sith Empire."
"Hail them."
A tense few seconds passed before a beep identified that they were now broadcasting a message.
"Imperial ships, this is the admiral of His Majesty's Profit-Seeking Fleet! Surrender now and shut down your engines, or we will be forced to destroy you." He waited a few moments for a response but was left hanging as the ships shut off their power and now hung stagnantly dark within the void of space.
"That turned out well..." His words were further enhanced by the surrender of the Pirates as their emergency beacons were switched on. Their power systems were wrecked and decimated, entire sections of their armoured hulls torn off and wrenched into scrap heap.
Spiff smirked widely as he ran his fingers over his handlebar moustache, the cheeky British colonial grin spreading into his body language as he looked at the newly conquered pirate fleet as if he had just gained much more than scrap.
"Time to arrest them lads, then we'll take everything they have!" Shouts of agreement spread over the voice channel as all of the players in the fleet revelled in the feeling of re-enacting their ancestor's actions.
...
Spiff had done so well for the last few days of pirate raiding that the entire group of streamers, called the 'Hyperlane Hustlers', had gotten halfway to their goal of buying a planet as a base of operations.
Under Spiff's command over 100 vessels had been commandeered, with over 200 having been stripped for materials and sellable commodities. These 100 conquered vessels were skeleton crewed and mostly used as storage vessels on the planet.
These storage vessels housed everything from naval ammunition and components to food, water, metals, circuitries and in some, full ship components. As it was, they were gaining hundreds of thousands of credits from salvage operations, the durasteel and transparisteel themselves totalling 80% of those credit earnings. Fuel was the next big thing also, they were never running out of fuel for jaunts into the stars as each pirate ship in the Outer Rim of the galaxy seemed to be running Hypermatter, Tibanna Gas and surprisingly, Coaxium. Each could be sold for a mint price, but they were also exceedingly useful for the streamers as their ships used these resources on a daily basis.
The streamers hid their ships upon this planet, using Corellia and Nar Shaddar as staging bases for missions and other ventures. Emma in particular had wiped out entire gangs on Nar Shaddar and was using their people to steal from other cartels to funnel into their project. Ned was continuing his missions, going to Tattooine, Alderaan and Balmorra to gain Republic standing and to increase his rank within the military, his hope being that he could use himself as a liaison between their faction's world and the Republic.
Markiplier was doing smuggler things... Earning money through smuggling dissidents from the Sith Empire to their new world for some pretty credits. He was also working with Emma to secure trade lanes between their world and Nar Shaddar, an almost impossible task given the shadiness of the entire world.
Jack, well, he was the one organising the purchase, his influence with a certain senator allowing them the opportunity in the first place. It was heavily rumoured that he had slept with said senator, the feature having been exposed to almost every adult in the game as porn videos were made from game capture... Whilst many also partook in said ventures.
...
Other factions were rising through the galaxy as the Republic and Sith Empire were in a cold war of sorts. Operatives, one of the most popular classes in the game, were riddled with quests left right and centre as they were sent on exotic missions unendingly. The only downside with them was the nature of the class itself, being locked within the Sith Empire as an agent for, well, forever, as far as anyone knew.
But this single-minded focus lead to many of the most powerful players in the game being operatives. The highest levelled Operative was currently 50th level, exploring worlds and missions on Oricon, Manaan, Rishi and Yavin-4.
One such player called 'Sky' was currently positioned above a jungle tree-line on the edges of an uninhabited temple. The world sweltered in heat and bristled with the wildlife that were so plentiful on force-drenched worlds. Sundown was painting pink and purple hues in the atmosphere above as the sights of his sniper filled with the humanoid head of his target.
"Boom." A superheated spear of Tibanna gas cauterized the air in proximity as it effortlessly punctured the skull of Human man. "Headshot." He began packing his sniper with alacrity as below the figures surrounding the dead figure lit up crimson lightsabers and began shouting.
His speed was impressive, a real life sniper would have been proud to see his work, as he quickly strung the weapon over his shoulder, folded, and sprinted his way towards a bug-out ship that he had landed before. Blaster fire signalled the need for his retreat despite Sky already fleeing the area. His work was done and now he could return to Dromund Kaas to re-gear and potentially purchase some equipment upgrades.
Imaginations were destroyed however when he noticed the client to his mission taking off in his own fighter, mad laughter screaming out from the ship.
"Hahahahaha! Now you won't be in my way anymore, Sky!" He sounded like a Disney villain.
Sky sighed and pulled a remote from his jacket, pressing the red button in the centre as a countdown started. Laughter was replaced by worried cries as the client struck the controls in anger and worry.
"Good night Commander, hope I get your position..." His expression went wide-eyed as two blaster bolts shot from the ship as it sundered into a ball of flame and plummeted into the jungle below, the two bolts flying past Sky as he pulled out a nicotine stick, activating it before sighing deeply.
"Fucking Sith Empire..." His annoyance was interrupted once more by the shouting of Sith behind him, their lightsabers making an obvious humming noise.
"fuck... Fuck my life... The shit I do for money." He began sprinting for a reserve craft he had sent down before he took this mission, a droid waiting for his arrival.
"COME BACK HERE SCUM!"
"Nope...! Nope, nope, nope!" He scrambled down the side of the mossy temple, his feet slipping several times as he began a Monty Python level chase scene down to his ship.
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