"Bro, I gotta tell you, if you're ever feeling thirsty you HAVE to visit the Mid Rim. Seriously, just in the last few months I managed to add quite a few notches in my belt, I've almost lost count of the names! Just check out this long list:

Alexandra Edirson
Casara Do'laran
Feraunsa Bluo
B'twuri Osa
Ghrafubi Reld
Bertni Cidaura
Aphrasoni Hivamrea
Nia Co
Orianna Brotoni
Trenavi Okeromda
Ser'ana Iviaka
Eurasla Muer
Ilana Nerasvu
Eli Sivana

I'll be heading there this weekend along with some friends, you should come and bring some of yours too for a big party!"

This...strange message was intercepted by Nighthawk while monitoring for information regarding rumors of a coordinated pirate attack against the Brotherhood.

Initially written off as one of numerous personal messages sent through the Holonet that the crew had managed to receive, until Azler noted that the message was incredibly vague for a private message specifically requesting a meeting. It requested the "bro" to bring friends and meet up, but didn't mention a location, only the Mid Rim and this weekend. These factors adding in with high cost of the message didn't help its innocence either.

Insisting a check of the names be run, it was discovered that only a few of them were actual names.

Rereading the beginning of the message and picking up on the phrasing, it was determined that the "count" previously mentioned was likely used somehow.

Within a short while, it was discovered that all the beginning letters of the first and last names were either long enough to contain the numerical equivalent of the letter or it wasn't even close.

Example:
Alexandra Edirson
B'twuri Osa

A = 1, the first letter being A. E = 5, the fifth letter being S. B = 2, the second letter being T. O = 15, the name not being long enough to fit in the letter.

Using this principle, the Nighthawk crew managed to decipher the message:

Assault Obredaan Cortosis Mines

Knowing the time and the location thanks to discovering the BCC, or Booty Call Code as Azler described it, the crew were able to relay the information to the Brotherhood and boost the security of the mines within time to easily repel the pirate raid.

AGV Nighthawk
Unknown Region
Recon Patrol
38 ABY

The Nighthawk exited hyperspace and quickly cloaked. A binary star cluster with only minor planetoids and an asteroid belt. The hours passed as the crew conducted scans on the nearby asteroid belt and planetoids looking for any signs of activity. The DIA tracked a pirate group that struck Giletta Spaceport, days earlier to the system. Suddenly the communications console sprang to life. A message of unknown origin was being transmitted to a mid-sized asteroid. The communications officer activated the deciphering protocols and contacted the Captain.

“Captain, we have intercepted a message.”

“Where is it coming from and what does it say,” Cortel asked.

“We don’t know yet, ma’am, but it is being transmitted to a mid-sized asteroid within the belt,” the communications officer replied.

“We need to know where that message came from and what it says ASAP, Ensign. I am sending Chief Erinos to oversee this process.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Celahir entered the Communications/Intelligence Silo.

“What’s the situation?”

The young ensign cleared his throat, “The normal protocols aren’t working, sir.”

“Transfer the message to my station.”

The Chief wasted no time, but the code was proving difficult to crack. After two hours, he realized that the communiqué was being sent with a counterpart encryption. Celahir spent the rest of the night working and reworking the protocols. Arcia entered the silo.

“Report, Chief.”

Erinos handed her a datapad, “It wasn’t easy, but I’m very good.”

“Excellent work, Celahir.”

The Captain looked at the report.

From: CZ-6L
To: CZ-6J
Protocol: 4v88mc2s-9gwvvb-1907

**Message Begins**
Draxius,

Your attack against the spaceport was acceptable. Your credits have been transmitted. We require that you perform another raid on the Dajorra system. Secundus, the third planet in the system has a large military installation. With the heightened risk of this task, we will double your normal payment.

Vintac

**Message Ends**

“Where did this message come from?”

“That’s the problem. It came from within the Dajorra system. I can’t get us any closer than that,” Celahir said.

“We need to find out who this Vintac is.”

Sight Nortorshin
7640

Story in G-doc, link set to view only

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yU-0tVzKWB6U2y7BN1Gd64bEEU33u7E7oaDtK-y-5mc/edit?usp=sharing