Jedi Smash Iridium Pirates; 3 Knights Killed
ATRIVIS SECTOR NODE – Sensor reports from the Atrivis sector issued by the Judicial Department confirm that a Jedi task force has thrashed the space pirates of Iridium, bringing an end to their year-long raids along the Atrivis sector routes.
The pirates had been raiding Republic grain and spice convoys, apparently as privateers for nearby Separatist forces. The Jedi were dispatched from Coruscant to begin what was hoped to be peaceful negotiations, but the pirates instead opened fire.
The Jedi taskforce, led by Belsed-Qan Idan and Kit Fisto, consisted of an armed Republic cruiser, the Monitor III, supplemented by six new Jedi Delta-7 starfighters. Idan attempted to parley with the pirates, but the raiding group, which consisted of three warpod pinnaces, two Longprow attack cruisers and five Z-95 Headhunter starfighters, moved to attack.
During the skirmish, the Iridium pirates were able to employ their infamous power gem weaponry to strip the taskforce of their shields. This resulted in heavy damage to the Monitor III, killing four Republic Judiciaries and two Jedi, Dovish Hokken and Yrada Soludisan. The Monitor III was spared destruction by the cover fire provided by the speedy Jedi starfighters.
The Delta-7s quickly disabled the warpods, and the moved in to target the larger Longprows. Concentrated laser and concussion missile volleys dropped the Longprow shields, allowing the Jedi to target the drive systems of the craft. One Longprow was taken intact, but the second was destroyed in an apparent reactor overload. At least 12 escape pods were seen to leave the craft.
During the attack runs on the Longprows, the Jedi fighters were repeatedly harassed by the less-maneuverable Headhunters. One Jedi starfighter was destroyed in the dogfighting, killing its pilot Jedi Knight Aruden Kej. Four of the Z-95s were destroyed with no survivors, though one Headhunter is unaccounted for, but is believed to have succumbed to the gravity well of nearby Vuchelle and burned up on reentry.
The number of pirates taken captive is unknown, though the Monitor III successfully collected all launched escape pods. It is also not known if the Jedi were able to capture a power gem for study.
