Intelligence Summary #3: Pursuit of the Ivory Bantha

Stardate: Wonday, 065-130 ABY/Tarsan Intelligence Service (TIS)

Subsector: Shannekam

DST-3's Mission to Zenya, Preliminary Situation Report (Sitrep)

After the Merantan Affair, three new members joined DST-3:  Rican Vranos and Coden (both human), along with Thege Kli'Klotaz (a Durosian).  Ambassador Eleonora Heraud ordered the team to locate Damathon Cohain, son of TAg Market's CEO, Thasallah Cohain.  Damathon was reported to be on the planet Zenya, inspecting TAg Market's sea food processing facilities in the Tau Tau Archipelago. 

The team made a hasty lift-off from the Stedmonton Starport on 052-130 ABY.  (See Intel Brief #2, for the reason of the rushed departure). 

On Senday, 057-130 ABY, Shuttle #147 dropped out of hyperspace and entered the Zenyan System.  Within a few hours, the team discovered the wreck of the Ivory Bantha, a YT-1300 transport, owned by the Cohain family.  The ship was dead-in-space and tumbling within a small asteroid field near the 4th planet.  After after detatching from the hyperdrive ring, Cad So Billes successfully piloted the shuttle through the field and tethered their vessel to the hulk.

The team's soldiers, Vranos, Coden and Klotaz donned vacc suits and boarded the Ivory Bantha, via the tether.  While one member was stricken with space sickness due to the zero gravity conditions, they managed to engage and neutralize "two dozen" battle droids found on board.  Once the team reactivated the ship's power plant, they downloaded part of the ship's log. 

According to the partial data recovery, the Ivory Bantha was attacked by an armed, but unmarked, Type-A merchant vessel.  (The origin of this vessel is unknown since it did not emit a transponder signal).  After the  Ivory Bantha was crippled by a salvo of heavy blaster fire, battle droids stormed aboard, intent on capturing the crew.  Damathon and the surviving crew members activated self-destruct charges as they made their way to the escape pod. 

DST-3 determined the escape pod's course was set for a return to Zenya-3, the only habitable planet in the system.

Note:  According to TIS analysts, it is highly unlikely the members of DST-3 encountered two dozen battle droids they claim were on board the Ivory Bantha.  A more accurate account of this incident will be made, once the team returns to Tarsus and is debriefed.

As Shuttle #147 began it's final approach to Pierson Station, it was nearly intercepted by a flight of TIE fighters from the Zenyan Restricted Zone.  The TIEs were driven off by a flight of X-Wing fighters from the Pierson Station Security Force, before an actual interception with the shuttle could be made.  No weapons fire was exchanged during the encounter.

When the team made planetfall, they were met at the landing pad by Penelope Pelletin and Adoko, the administrators to TAg Market facilities and Pierson Station's starport, respectively.  Due to jamming activities originating from the Zenyan Restricted Zone, the early warning systems on Pierson Station did not receive any distress signal from the Ivory Bantha, nor detect the escape pod landing within the Tau Tau Archipelago.  After the team briefed the administrators on the situation, a search was quickly organized.

Two days later, with search and rescue (SAR) assets fully committed, Ms. Pelletin asked the team to conduct a search of Gadnek Island.  Since the island is considered sacred to the Tau Taus and is home to dangerous wildlife, a member of King Gethen's bodyguard was assigned to the team as a guide. 

Note:  DST-3's sitrep was transmitted via subspace radio, prior to their departure for Gadnek Island.  Since these signals take five days to reach Tarsus from Zenya, the results of the search efforts on Zenya are unknown at this time...