[TC] FROM NOTHING, A Rogue's Tale - Book I [COMPLETED]

[Scion Drakhar]

All righty then. Just so you all know what's going on I'm going to tell you. I have loaded an earlier savegame, costing me about 5 hours of gameplay and forcing me to abandon the chapter which would have been posted here. I tend to post about a day or so behind my actual gameplay. Now I don't know if the problem has been solved or not. I did experience a single crash since loading the earlier save so I may have to simply accept having a gremlin. As a result, although I would normally eschew the use of salvage insurance in a DiD game I've been forced to start using it. I promise I'll be honorable.

Please forgive the lack of polish in the following chapter. I just finished it and like I said, normally I hold back a day or so to allow myself to go over the writing once or twice to edit grammar and eliminate typos and the like.

At any rate, without further ado:


9. A Very Profitable Day

768-05-02 14:53
Well, um, I didn't quite get that Paranid over to the pirate base. You see I was passing this Split, see, and I checked his hold and the guy was carrying nearly 200 wasp missiles and I sort of, well, decided I wanted 'em. There was only one problem. This Split, right, he wasn't flying a freighter. He wasn't even flying one of those pussy M4's. He was sat in a Mamba and he kinda took exception to me being a bit pushy about those Wasps. Now, he was lightly shielded and only had a single High Energy Plasma Thrower to defend himself with … and all those wasps which he did start using after a while. I'm still here, though, so he obviously didn't kill me. He did manage to nick me with some HEPT fire, though and it did sorta knock out my shields and manage to singe my hull a bit. Nothing too serious, mind you, but aah, well, it kinda knocked out my cargo life support system. Yeah. So.... you can imagine what happened to that Paranid. I didn't bother looking into that crate. I figure it's a bit gooey in there and I just ate so … I just kicked it out of the airlock. It's too bad, really. I was looking forward to watching that SoB get humbled through the generous use of electric prods and high pressure water hoses. On the plus side that Split turned out to be a bit twitchy. I didn't get those wasps but I did get:

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l55 ... 4/NICE.jpg

Ooooh. So what do I do with this?

768-05-02 16:21
So, I've been hard at work. I've decided I like Boron Military Transports. I mean what's not to like, right? Unarmed freighters carrying really tasty goods through pirate sectors. They're sorta like free meals. Why they send these guys out without so much as an escort or a pop-gun to defend themselves with I have no idea. I'm not complaining mind you. I've been profiting rather heartily from the Boron Military's oversight. Also, while I've been terrorizing the trade lanes I've had my new Demeter “Beggar's Solace” selling Spacefuel to the pirates. My new Mamba has made it's way to the shipyard in Ceo's Sprite for repairs then down to the EQ in Company Pride where I've completely tricked it out with the best engine, rudder and cargo bay plus a whole bunch of the goodies I've managed to accumulate through my illegal activities, including a pair of PACs, 4 MDs and even a pair of Pulsed Beam Emitters (PBEs) I picked up from this Split who had five of them but was rather determined not to let them go. I managed to convince him to drop two before he, aah ... yeah. Exploded.

Anyway, I've now got a fully equipped heavy fighter! Now I've just GOT to take her out for a spin.

768-05-02 16:34
Well, I have to admit going at about a third the speed of the Kestrel is a little disappointing. It just seems to take forever to get anywhere now. On the other hand I do have ten times the shielding and a LOT more firepower which is rather nice. Ok, so that's a bit of an understatement. I feel both much more secure and very dangerous in this thing.

So. I've been out hunting more targets of opportunity. Nopileos Memorial was kind of a bust. It seems to have picked up an entire Boron Battlegroup what seemed to be pirate hunting while I was busy tricking out my new Mamba:

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l55 ... Borons.jpg

That was a Galleon by the way. So, seeing as Borons are currently my favorite targets (cuz they don't shoot back) I decided to try my luck elsewhere. So, Danna's Chance doesn't seem to be a good hunting ground for lack of traffic and Hatikvah's Faith is just a mess so I'm gonna cruise on down to Desecrated Skies.

768-05-02 16:34
Oh my. This is interesting.

I don't know what made me do it. I mean a Paranid Passenger Shuttle doesn't exactly hold much in the way of loot for me but I just couldn't help myself. I scanned 'em and saw that there were nearly thirty Paranid on board and I just had to mess with 'em. So I opened up with the PBE's and in no time flat that Paranid pilot bailed. I'm assuming he was trying to save his own skin by abandoning his charges. It was, however, a rather amazing bit of astronomical congruity and perhaps a fair bit of instant karma as well. See, he jumped out of that shuttle just as I was hurtling by and … well. Let's just say I'm grateful for shielding on this thing cuz otherwise that'd be just hell to clean up. In either case I found myself in possession of a new ship. It wasn't empty either.

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l55 ... Hermes.jpg

Ooooh. Maybe I will be paying those slavers a visit after all.

768-05-02 16:47
My my. This is turning out to be a very profitable day.

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l55 ... erseus.jpg

The only question now is, how do I get it back to anywhere safe? I've already given my jumpdrive to the Hermes.

768-05-02 17:24
Right, so I've been following this Perseus with the intent of keeping the random Pirate from blowing it to bits and giving orders to the rest of my ships … remotely. Oh wow. I just love the sound of that. “The rest of my ships.” Phew. Ok. So, I've had that Hermes fixed up and then sent it to the Pirate Base in Hatikvah's Faith. While that was going on I sent my Hot Rod hurtling across the universe to fetch another Jumpdrive. Tag Along has been, well, tagging along behind me hoovering up everything I can get these traders to drop, which has been rather substantial. I do believe I've found my true calling.

Anyhow. I just had this Perseus dock at one of the SPP's here in Third Redemption and the Kestrel is on it's way to deliver it a jumpdrive. That should get it up to the Shipyard in Ceo's Sprite for repairs or sale, depending on what I decide to do with it. I'm obviously not sure yet. It is a pretty little ship. Looks kind of dangerous and a bit evil, which I have to admit is suiting my disposition lately. I'll have to look over all of it's stats to see whether it's worth keeping. In the meantime I'm heading up to Hatikvah's Faith. I really want to be there for the introduction of these Paranid into their new lives as slaves. I don't know where it comes from but I really do hate them. The very idea of their torture and suffering just sets this furious glee running through my blood.

768-05-02 18:37
You know it's strange. I never really thought of myself as sadistic but watching those Paranid getting beaten and collared was satisfying in a way that I can't even describe. Those pirates have it down to a science too. In no time flat those 24 Paranid Passengers became 24 Paranid slaves. Heh heh heh. My slaves. Oh my, what a turn my life has taken.

So. I'm jumpdrive equipped again. Hot Rod is sitting at Terrcorp HQ with another one for my next acquisition. The Perseus is at the shipyard in Ceo's Sprite, where I still haven't decided what to do with it. I'm not hurting for money right now so I don't need to sell it, but I also don't really know yet if I want to fix it up. Maybe if I cozy up to the Teladi a bit more I'll get a clearer idea. I don't know. Right now I'm thinking about taking a respite here at the pirate base. They do seem to have a lot to offer the weary traveler. Heh heh heh.

Assets:
1 x Mamba “Mac the Knife”

1 x Perseus 61%
1 x Kestrel “Hot Rod”
1 x Caiman Hauler “Tag Along”
1 x Demeter “Beggar's Solace”
1 x Vulture Tanker “Gas Station”
1 x Hermes “Slaver”
2,102,109 credits
+ assorted goodies

[Vim Razz]

You're back! Took your blasted time there, didn't ya?

[Triaxx2]

Awesome chapter. See, sometimes going back is worth it. Even in DiD's, I like to keep a few what-if saves.

[Kirlack]

Welcome back Scion!

I'd keep the Perseus, they make pretty good wingmen if you kit 'em out right, and with those bloody three eyed freaks on hand for merc training chances are you'll need a wingman :-p Hell, I'd sign up for the job and you'd only have to pay me in Meatsteaks and space weed

[Triaxx2]

Oh no you don't. I'll take the job for nothing but some energy cells.

[Scion Drakhar]

You're back! Took your blasted time there, didn't ya?

My apologies. I've been working on getting this computer to co-operate.

I'd keep the Perseus, they make pretty good wingmen if you kit 'em out right, and with those bloody three eyed freaks on hand for merc training chances are you'll need a wingman :-p Hell, I'd sign up for the job and you'd only have to pay me in Meatsteaks and space weed.

Oh no you don't. I'll take the job for nothing but some energy cells.

Consider yourselves hired.


10. The Price of Grand Ideas

768-05-03 05:18
Oh. Good. Morning!

Aaah, I had a very pleasant...and very educational...evening last night. These pirates sure do know how to party. They're a bit crude, especially the mercenaries. These guys jump out of perfectly good ships to board and capture other ships. It's an extremely dangerous job and they tend to die in droves. So I guess having the approximate lifespan of Argnu cattle makes good manners somewhat superfluous. They're a lot of fun, though, and turned out to be the source of some thought provoking information. They definitely got ME thinking. Which wasn't exactly what I was trying for last night. I had other activities in mind. But I couldn't seem to help it. Boarding and capturing ships. It got into my head … like a seed … and I ended up asking a lot of questions and even woke up this morning thinking about it.

Boarding and capturing ships. It's interesting. Very interesting. From what I was able to gather the act of boarding a ship is actually something of a science, or maybe an art form. None of them actually used those words. They're not exactly a philosophical bunch, these mercs. But I could sense it, you know. It was like another piece of that puzzle I can feel sometimes but never quite see fell into place. So, apparently there are a few different ways to go about capturing a ship. The most straightforward is to suppress a targets shields and kick the mercs out the airlock of a passenger transport or corvette. They then EVA over to the target, break out the plasma cutters, cut through the hull, board the ship, kill or neutralize everyone on board and finally hack the computer core to take control of the ship. One can see how this is an occupation for the suicidal. There are techniques, though, some of which are rather sophisticated. Apparently there's a way to neutralize a target's weapons, which obviously makes the act of boarding a bit safer for the lunatics jumping out the airlock. It involves the use of Ion Disruptors, ironically a weapon developed by the Boron, which can short out shields and weapon systems. Now, apparently, the BEST way to deliver the mercs to target is with a missile frigate and boarding pods, which eliminates the somewhat dangerous and often suicidal jumping out the airlock bit. Now I don't have a missile frigate and although I do possess a pair of Ion-D's that I picked up from some unfortunate freighter or another I don't have a ship that can mount them. I also don't have any mercs, but I do have a transport. I found it being used as a passenger shuttle by a bunch of Paranid last night. So all in all I've found my mind chewing over a lot of food for thought.

Boarding and capturing ships. That would definitely be an act of piracy. One could argue that right now I'm not really a pirate but merely a highway robber. I think today I'm going to hire some psychopaths and see about putting together a boarding team. I'm also going to keep a lookout for a ship that'll mount Ion-D's.

Boarding and capturing ships. Interesting. Yes. Very interesting.

768-05-03 06:31
Bloody hell! These apes are expensive!

Alright let me breathe for a minute. So I found a few of these meatbags that are exceptionally good fighters and a few that have potential. It starts with contracting their services. That runs about 50-200k per guy depending on his experience and the survivability ratio the bioscanner kicks out. On top of that they need to be trained. Apparently you can't simply take a can opener to another ship and likewise taking over a ship's computer is a bit more complicated than hitting 'control-alt-delete.' So, despite these guys being gung-ho piratical lunatics eager to jump out airlocks to kill (and probably die) in the name of capturing ships for me they don't really know how to do it. They need to be trained to use a plasma cutter. They need to be trained on the weakest parts of a ships hull and where to cut to actually gain access to the airlocks. They need to be trained to override security systems to move through the ship. They need to be trained to bypass firewalls and hack the central core. They need to be trained in the engineering of a ship so they don't accidentally short out the life support and so I have more than a bullet riddled hulk left after they're done with the whole shock and awe thing. So … I need to have them trained and THAT'S where it gets really pricey. Now I had over 2 million credits when I woke up this morning. After hiring ten of these goons and getting only the six most dangerous of them training I have less than 50k! They better be bloody worth it.

I need to go make some more money.

768-05-03 08:16
I'm not doing too well on the money front. Not terrible, but not grand either. Through extensive bullying of the trade lanes I've managed to accumulate enough ill gotten gain to get all of my mercs into training and even have a little left over, enough to buy a cup of coffee and a pack of breathmints, anyway. On the other hand I've managed to convince several pilots that they were indeed in imminent danger of dying if they remained in their ships and have accumulated several more slaves, heh heh heh, and these:

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l55 ... acuda1.jpg
http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l55 ... guard1.jpg
http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l55 ... acuda2.jpg

Which leaves me with some decisions to make. Now the Barracudas will equip those Ion-D's but are otherwise rather unremarkable ships. Both of these Perseus' are rather solid, though. If I could equip them properly and maybe find some like minded lunatics to fly with me ... well, it might be nice to not to be flying around all alone. It is kind of scary out here:

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l55 ... opers2.jpg

I've been watching these things terrorize Hatikvah's Faith for the last half hour for instance. They are really quite scary. They seem to fly with a single mind, moving together like a flock of birds. It'd be rather beautiful if they didn't pack lasers and the inclination to shred everything what moves. So far anything that's gotten within several kilometers of them has been dissected with a rather immediate efficiency. Somebody should really do something about it. Although, following along at a safe distance has allowed me to scavenge some nice missiles …

768-05-03 08:38
Well, the Split showed up a little while ago with a Raptor M1 and a Tiger M7 and finally dealt with that group of Khaak. While they were about it I was busy convincing another Paranid to let me have his entire cargo and his ship. It was about as perfect a robbery as I've ever committed.

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l55 ... 4/Kea1.jpg

He even had a pair of CIGs that I think may solve the immediate cash flow problem. That problem being that I don't have any.

768-05-03 09:24

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l55 ... /Ships.jpg

My my my. I didn't expect that Kea to be worth so much. I may have to take a closer look at it to see what makes it so valuable, especially considering it's in the worst shape of the bunch. I also wonder if it may be in my best interest to foster better relations with the Teladi. Considering they're the only ones I feel safe selling these stolen ships to it might be in the best interest of my pocketbook to have them think really nice things about me. In any case I have to decide what I'm going to keep and what I'm going to sell. I know I'm keeping at least one of those Barracudas, for now anyway, as they'll mount the Ion-D's. I also really do like the idea of having some backup out here. It's not a destroyer, but some extra guns sure couldn't hurt.

Assets
1 x Mamba “Mac the Knife”

2 x Barracuda 74%/76%
1 x Kea 54%
1 x Perseus 61%
1 x Perseus Vanguard 71%
1 x Kestrel “Hot Rod”
1 x Caiman Hauler “Tag Along”
1 x Demeter “Beggar's Solace”
1 x Vulture Tanker “Gas Station”
1 x Hermes “Slaver”

1,459,593 credits

[Triaxx2]

Ooh, a nice 'Cuda. Dib's on the 76% one!!

Great story.

[Scion Drakhar]

Ooh, a nice 'Cuda. Dib's on the 76% one!!

Done.

Ok, I need ship names from the both of you, or do I just call them Kirlack and Triaxx2?

Also, I'll do the best that I can with what I've got, but for when I can actually equip them properly do you have preferred kits?

[Triaxx2]

'Ripjaw' And no preference on guns. Just as long as they shoot.

Oh, and I just got an Aran in only 48 jumps.

[Scion Drakhar]

So as I was writing I realized that I actually need a bit more than what I asked for. In addition to the above I need your character's name, race, and anything else you'd like to tell me about yourself. Mind you, Paranid are generally unwelcome lest there be some rather extreme and mayhap amusing extenuating circumstances. I do have an open mind but you'll have to convince me.

So, in short:
1. name and race
2. ship name and preference
3. prefered kit
4. anything you'd like to tell me about your character that may find it's way into the story.

I think that's it.

Cheers.

P.S. Triaxx2 that sounds very impressive but I'm afraid I'm at a loss. I know the Aran is the Goner supercarrier but that's about it.

[Triaxx2]

Ea't s'Quid, Split

Barracuda 'Ripjaw', eventually something in the 40megawatt plasma range. Errr... M6/7.

Guns. Lots of them.

Likes to kill Boron. Really likes to kill Boron.


The Aran is the one which only appears randomly in the unknown sectors generated by the Unfocussed Jumpdrive. And it's capable of docking a capital ship.

Some people have gone over 200 jumps before seeing one. And it's pretty...

[Deeparth]

Eddison Terran
Hyperion 'Phoenix'
Anything that can create a second big bang.
A spoiled brat with a kind heart. Dosent like to get drunk and hates smoking. Likes to make one hell of a bang. Very fast reflexes. Loves to explore. Always in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[_Zap_]

Z'ptt - Split
Likes to fly Tenjins, Mambas or any other not-boron/paranid ship. Preferably Yaki ships. Name? Ferron
HEPT, maybe PBE if you got some to spare. ISE (or Ion-D? maybe bad if you hit your teammates.) in the turrets are quite cool for missile defense... but no paranidish loud-exploding guns.
give him this 15k dmg missils you pick up from most m4 which english name i don't know... or wasps or whatever you'd like him to shoot with.

He likes the fuel. (if you give him some) He worked long time for the Yaki and is familiar with their ships. As proud split he doesnt like borons, but he shares your attitude to kill paranid wherever he can. he got into some trouble because of this, but why he doesnt like em he wont tell. maybe its his secret, maybe it was the fuel...
Some call him mad, others think hes just crazy. but he can fly, if hes not filled up with fuel.

[Kirlack]

Pilot: Ps'y Ct'ic (Split)
Ship: Perseus will do (but a Tenjin would be my first choice ) named Triskelion
Loadout: Mix of PBEs and PACs (maybe a pair of HEPTs for heavier targets), with PACs in the turrets. Not a huge user of missiles but some mossies for missile defence would be appreciated.

Ps'y is a wee bit mental, he'll take on an Ares and escort in an Eclipse (and win!) and he smokes, way way too much. Enjoys watching big targets getting cracked open under heavy fire (there's something pretty about those fireworks, ya know?).

[Scion Drakhar]

Hyperion

I'll keep you in mind, but it may be a while before I have a Hyperion ...




11. Friends in Low Places

768-05-03 14:48

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l55 ... Mother.jpg

Oh, yeah. I could get used to this. Sleeping quarters. A kitchen. Room to walk around. A BATHROOM! A BLOODY BATHROOM! Yes, this is a definite improvement to peeing in my EVA suit. It's the little things, you know? Phew! I'm tired. I guess killing a few dozen people wears on you... even if you don't have a conscience … and here I always thought of myself as the “Good Guy.” I guess I'll have to let that one go.

Right. So I decided to work on becoming a bit more popular with the Teladi. The thought was if I could improve my notoriety with them I might be able to haggle the prices for the sale of that Kea and the repairs on the other four ships a bit more in my favor. It worked, but the things I found myself doing to curry their favor … Originally it was just the relatively safe cargo pick up and delivery runs, some military transports and some quick taxi jobs. Apparently a good taxi is highly valued in these parts because it was earning me notoriety fairly quickly. It was aggravating, though. Too many of these idiots want the comfort of a passenger transport and don't bother to mention that when they're posting in the “help wanted” section of the comm and mine is parked on the other side of the universe at the Acquisition Repository pirate base. So I was taking two or three steps forward and one step back. Also, while I was about this, I noticed that there are a lot of folks looking for somebody to kill somebody else. Yeah, apparently assassins are highly sought after … and get paid better than taxi drivers, a LOT better. So, being that I'm now in possession of a ship with the ability to pull that sort of thing off without me being reduced to the spilled contents of an ashtray I decided to try my hand at it. Well, I seem to have a knack for it. I spent the afternoon hunting down and killing unsuspecting pirates. I've discovered I even have a method. I like coming up behind them, hurling a bunch of missiles to deal with any escort that may interfere and then handling the actual execution up close and personal. These Mass Drivers are exceedingly effective for the job, too. Whether my target is in a Buzzard or a Hades bomber these MD's rip 'em to shreds. I have to say: ammo that bypasses shielding makes for a quick kill. So after a few hours of this the Teladi have warmed up considerably. Hell, they like me so much now they're even willing sell me a destroyer … you know, if I had a hundred million credits to spend on one.

one of these days …

I was, however, able to sell that Kea for nearly 3 million cred, even banged up as bad as it was. That, plus the rather substantial bankroll I pocketed from ending lives netted me enough to repair and outfit the other four fighters and this baby. Home sweet home for the time being. I've got one of the Barracudas, “Overload,” set up with the Ion-D's and PACs for the purpose of disabling a ship I'm targeting for boarding ops. It's docked at the Company Pride EQ for now. The other three are docked here at “Mother” and ready to go. Now I just need pilots for 'em. I think I'm going to cruise on over to the Hatikvah's Faith Anarchy Port and check out the pubs. I could use a drink and maybe I can start tracking down some fellow lunatics willing to join me in some general misbehavior.

768-05-03 23:48
Oh wow. What a day. What a NIGHT! I did say I was looking for misbehavior, right? Well I found it. I found it in spades.

I docked at the Anarchy Port here in Hatikvah's Faith and then took a nap. Then I cleaned up and went looking for trouble. Now the night life here at the AP is pretty impressive and it's always night time out here so the party never stops. There are pirates coming and going all the time. Wild parties in every bar. Drunkenness and indecency everywhere you look. Fights happening almost constantly. Yeah, it's a wild place. Hell, the only ones that didn't seem to be having a good time were the Paranid. I'm guessing having fun just isn't in their genetics. So, anyhow, I didn't know what I was looking for but I wasn't finding it. I found myself talking to a lot of bartenders but very few pilots. Eventually this Argon fellow pointed me toward a pub on one of the lower levels called “The Last Chance.” I didn't really like the sound of that but something made me decide to check it out anyway. In retrospect I'm pretty sure I was getting set up to be rolled and if things had worked out differently I may have actually gotten jumped. Things didn't go that way, though. Things didn't go that way at all.

I got off the lift and the first thing I noticed was that it was a very dark level. Even the lights that worked were flickering somewhat desperately. The Last Chance was within eyeshot, though, and I started heading that way. I was just passing a dark intersection when I caught one of them out of the corner of my eye. There were at least four and I'm pretty sure I was about to get mugged. My hand dropped to my blaster and I heard movement behind me … and then something happened. I mean HAPPENED. All of a sudden I start hearing the explosions of phase fire and a whole bar full of people start screaming and diving for cover. It was coming from The Last Chance. In just a few seconds the passageway was full of people running for their lives and whoever my would-be muggers were they apparently decided this was the wrong time to try and take me and disappeared back into the shadows. I was about to grab somebody to ask what was going on when I hear an entire volley of phase bursts and the glass front of the bar explodes out into the passageway.

Now you'd think that I would do what everyone else in their right mind was doing and head the other way, right? Wrong. Curiosity got the better of me. I drew my blaster and crept up to see what the hell was going on in there. As I was doing so I heard more gunfire and the sound of a whole lot of glass crashing to the floor. There was also the sound of some Boron whining. It wasn't the standard “We live for peace” nonsense either. This was more the “oh god oh god I'm going to die” kind of whine and made a whole lot more sense. Whoever this Boron was he was crying out to Menelaus in a very bubbly way that suggested massive injury. This Squid was toast.

So I get to the door and, keeping as low as possible, took a peek into the pub. It was a bloody mess. Confetti that used to be tables, plates, glasses, wall coverings and a green mist that I'm pretty sure used to be a Boron was floating in the air throughout the bar. There were three Boron and one Paranid in various states of dismemberment littering the floor in front of me. One of them was the poor sap crying out in his death throes. Beyond them was a low wall that was getting repeatedly hammered by phase fire. As I watched I saw another Boron lung up and try to take aim at something in the room behind the wall I was crouched beside. His head was instantly atomized. Green goo splashed all over the tables behind him. I heard the unmistakable … and extremely uncommon … sound of Split laughter, followed by a rather imaginative obscenity regarding the ancestry of the whole Boron species. This was then followed by more phase fire tearing at the wall that Boron was just hiding behind.

Taking a risk I peaked even farther around the wall. I saw a Teladi bartender huddled in the wreckage at the end of the bar. He was trying to plug a charge pack into a disintegrator rifle but couldn't quite get it. His hands were shaking too bad. Behind the bar was nothing but shattered glass and warped metal. I looked all the way around and what I saw rather amazed me. In the center of the room was a young Split with a phase pistol in either hand. He held the guns low at his hips and was quite happily blasting the hell out of that low wall while taunting whatever Boron remained hiding behind it with truly creative insults. Sitting at a table behind him were two more Split. One of them had a mostly empty bottle of Spacefuel in one hand and a blaster in the other, which he was using to gesture, rather foggily, at the destruction in the room while making some point I couldn't hear to the other Split at the table. This last Split seemed as serene as could be and seemed to be savoring a cannon sized cigar while wreathed in smoke. It wasn't a cigar, though. Even from 10 meters away I could smell the weed. As I watched he rather lazily poked at a floating piece of debris the way one might a balloon floating by and seemed utterly intrigued by the way it floated away from him. Then he looked me dead in the eye, smiled, and winked. Just then that Teladi bartender poked his head from around the end of the bar and the Split with the bottle of fuel casually blasted a hole in the floor in front of him sending him scurrying back into hiding. This for some reason I found absurdly funny and started to laugh which got the attention of the other two Split.

For a VERY long heartbeat they stared at me and I at them. A moment later the young one with the phase pistols started to laugh and took a couple more shots at the wall covering whatever remained of what I'm assuming was a good sized group of Boron. Then the one with the bottle gave me a “come here and sit down” gesture with the tip of his blaster. I snatched an unopened bottle of fuel off a table on my way in, sat down and in between volleys of phase fire and the yelps of the cowering Boron we proceeded to get to know each other. The kid with the phase pistols introduced himself as Ea't s'Quid, which may or may not be an affectation. Just watching him he sure does seem to get a kick out of giving the Squid reason to grieve, though. The drinker is Z'ptt. He's quiet, but even through the haze I sense a piercing intelligence. As it turns out he's the one who shot the Paranid, who apparently wasn't a part of the initial conflict. Z'ptt was just in a bad mood and shooting the three-eye made him feel a little better. I understand perfectly. The smoker calls himself Ps'y Ct'ic and all I can really tell about him, besides his love of the weed, is that he likes to laugh at the same things I do.

As it turns out these three are in rather desperate straights. They had come down on the same transport from Thuruk's Beard to join up with a Pirate Clan that was making it's way to Hatikvah's Faith from Atreus Clouds when it ran afoul of the Paranid Military and got itself decimated. Thus leaving these three stranded, penniless, and without any work. They had set up camp in “The Last Chance” nearly two days ago and hadn't been doing much besides trying to drink or smoke themselves away from their misery. It wasn't working and they were just about out of money … which is when the Boron showed up and the fireworks started. So it really didn't take much convincing on my part to get them to come down and take a look around. Ea't immediately claimed the Boron Barracuda, for reasons I believe only make sense to him. Perhaps he just likes killing them with their own ships? The other two were a bit more reserved and each settled on one of the two Paranid ships while talking about something called a Tenjin that I've never heard of before. Apparently it's some sort of badass Yaki heavy fighter. I don't know. I've got what I've got and they have work. So, they're settled in and tomorrow is tomorrow and I guess we'll see in earnest how this works.

It feels good, though. It feels like a fit. It feels like another piece of that puzzle ...

Assets
1 x Pelican “Mother”
1 x Mamba “Mac the Knife”
1 x Barracuda “Overload”
1 x Kestrel “Hot Rod”
1 x Caiman Hauler “Tag Along”
1 x Demeter “Beggar's Solace”
1 x Vulture Tanker “Gas Station”
1 x Hermes “Slaver”

My Fellow Miscreants:
1 x Barracuda “Ripjaw” (Ea't s'Quid)
1 x Perseus “Triskelion” (Ps'y Ct'ic)
1 x Perseus Vanguard “Ferron” (Z'ppt)

4,111,196 credits

[Jawms]

Wow.. your creativity is amazing.. Tell me, are you/planning on/already completed a course in creative writing?

[Nathancros]

name Lucifer Argon mother, Terran Father*so a sort of halfcaste*
Paranid Persues Sentinel named "Ma Mort D'ami"
HEPTS and PBE's if pos,
Lucifer has seen atrocities, sense of humor has grown a little thin, enjoys the irony of destroying the paranid in a paranid ship, will do what the boss says, Born and bred military man but is down on his luck, so is working for money..
Hopefully i get a place in ur crew XD

[Kirlack]

Moo hoo ha ha

Nice one Scion, can't wait to start seeing combat reports from your new squaddies

Jawms makes a good point, have you done any kind of craetive writing course? I only ask cos I'd like to do one myself, mebbe work as a journalist or something.

[kgkosio]

Excellent chapter!

[Triaxx2]

Awesome introduction.