Wrath of Laran
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The Wrath of Laran is a Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruiser with an attitude to match its name. The ship was the flagship of the Viskar Pirates for years and one of the more dangerous pirate vessels in the galaxy during that span.
Production
The Wrath of Laran began its storied existence as D672806-A on the production floor of Aleena Automated Industries. The ship was their first foray into the capital ship business. The company had been contracted to make two dozen dreadnaughts by the Aleena Ministry of Defense to serve as the home fleet for the system. Like many other new product launches, D672806-A suffered its share of issues. The onboard AI had to be somewhat hodgepodged together and the weapon systems had to be retrofitted in just prior to launch date as they had not arrived in time. However, the ship did launch on schedule and was christened the Wrath of Laran as a reference to the mythical Aleena god of war and combat, Laran. It served an uneventful two years as part of home defense. It was its career thereafter which earned the ship its fearsome and hilarious reputation.
Repurposed
While making a scheduled trip to dry dock above Aleena for maintenance and light repairs, the Wrath of Laran was hijacked by the Viskar Pirates, a band of roving smugglers and pirates who were looking to elevate their business onto the galactic stage. The hijacking was carefully coordinated with the dock master, who was in the pirate's pay. Having heisted the ship, the Viskar pirates set to work turning it into a proper pirate vessel. They heavily augmented the weapon system and added its signature paint job. However, those changes alone would not have elevated the Wrath of Laran to a galactic icon. It was the changes the slicers made to her AI that made the Wrath of Laran so feared and awe inspiring.
Slicers Work
The slicers for the Viskar Pirates were originally unimpressed with the hodgepodge AI that Aleen Automated Industries had installed. However, as they worked on it, they discovered it was perfect for a pirate vessel. They installed a personality module into the AI and programmed it to interact with the crew like a sentient. This lead to the crew of the Wrath of Laran telling some incredible stories about the shipboard AIs interactions with the crew. They reported it frequently cursed out the pilot when he inputted a course, then edited it too quickly. The AI earned the nickname, "Swearing Jack" because of its porpensity for profanity. Swearing Jack took the name in stride, even editing the names of the computer hard drives to reflect its name. Other stories include the AI yelling at the crew to be quiet because it was night watch during a drunken victory celebration, and making snarky comments about taking damage during combat. The AI was reported to have called a captured bulk freighter an overweight Wampa and frequently mocked the size and firepower of enemy vessels. Once she infamously broadcasted a taunt to a trio of Star Destroyers sent to capture her that "I'll be seeing the Emperor before you do!". The taunts and bravado were not empty noise either. The Wrath of Laran was ably piloted and aided by several smaller vessels. She was as good as her word to the three star destroyers, crippling all three while suffering minor damage to herself.
Pirate Career
The Wrath of Laran elevated the Viskar Pirates to one of the most powerful pirate groups in the galaxy. For nearly a dozen years they harried the norther core of the galaxy, confounding Imperial attempts to put them down. After the infamous taunt, the Galactic Empire actually put the shipboard AI on its most wanted list in frustration. Swearing Jack and the Wrath of Laran would continue to confound Imperial authority for another five years before the pirates made their boldest move of all. They launched a two pronged raid against the Imperial Munitions depot in Castell. The attack was a catastrophic failure. The pirates lost dozens of ships and were forced to retreat to their hideouts in deep space. the crew of the Wrath of Laran reportedly lost count of the number of profanities Swearing Jack uttered during the battle However, the Wrath of Laran was not done. Her crew quickly refitted her for a second strike, this time against a lightly defended Imperial outpost. It was in this attack that the AI uttered its most iconic line of all. While swatting away Imperial Tie Fighters, Swearing Jack broadcast a taunt to the Imperial base. "Let the flies come." It taunted the Imperials. The line quickly fell into popular use as a reference to anything petty or insignificant. The Imperials were less than pleased at the loss of their outpost but the Viskar Pirates were not about to hang around and let themselves be caught. They vacated Imperial space and split up, each sentient taking his share of the plunder with him.
Future
The Wrath of Laran was sold to a small system defense force. However, Swearing Jack made the crews lives a nightmare with his pirate ways. Attempts to slice the rouge AI out of the ships mainframe were unsuccessful. Swearing Jack had been aboard ship too long to be removed. The ship was decommissioned and sold at auction. It passed through several owners, with Swearing Jack making each of their lives miserable. Currently the ship is in the hands of Narmo Colmven, who is regretting its purchase with his every waking thought.
