IMC Convoy loses escorts but escapes pirates

Date: 160310
Planet: Tatooine/Naboo System/Ord Mantell
Region: Farpoint Valley/Nova Orion Station

Story: (Written by the Galactic News Agency, Ramona doesn't write IC).

Yesterday the Intergalactic Mining Corporation, encouraged by the recent success in fending off pirates through escorts, hired more escorts for their weekly ore convoy from Farpoint Valley, Tatooine to Nova Orion Station, Ord Mantell. Two freighters, Captain Sive'a Allande's YT-1300 "Light Ray" and the "TTC-Tencilia", a YT-2400-class light freighter piloted by Captain Grymnyr, were escorted by an X-Wing piloted by Aerik and a Vaksai heavy fighter piloted by Volatore, later joined by a TIE Oppressor.

The convoy encountered a series of difficulties, starting with delays at launch even before the ships gathered at the Tatooine orbital station. The "Light Ray" then suffered engine trouble, needing in-flight repairs on the way to the hyperspace jump point in the Tatooine system.

Trouble then struck when due to a flight computer glitch Volatore's Vaksai lagged behind when the rest of the convoy jumped to the Naboo system and was promptly attacked and shot down by a pirate raider while still in the Tatooine system.

Things got worse in the Naboo system, at Kylanthia's Whim, when a pirate V-Wing spotted the convoy. The remaining escorts engaged the ship and managed to stall it, then shoot it down, but were then faced with three more pirate interceptors, among them an Imperial deserter in a TIE Fighter, and both escorts were shot down after a brief fight.



Their sacrifice had allowed the two freighters to get out of sensor range though, and hiding in the Naboo system the convoy managed to evade detection by the pirates while their hyperdrives cooled down.

The "Light Ray" and the "TTC-Tencilia" then succeeded in returning to the Kylanthia's Whim hyperspace jump point while still remaining undetected and jumped to Ord Mantell, where they quickly docked at the Nova Orion Station to deliver their cargo.

IMC shares rose 2 % at the Coronet Stock Exchange following the news.