Alan Phipps wrote:@ Kirlack: Nice story but grateful if you would use links or thumbnails rather than embedded big pictures. Well done and thanks.
Awww, do I have to?
Ok, Ok, links from here on in
There you go though readers, blame Alan for my lack of multimedia goodness (joke Alan, we all appreciate your efforts
)
@ Nathancros, I will be looking to sign up pilots as and when I have ships to spare. There'll be a roster of all my unpiloted ships at the end of each chapter, so if you're interested just holler
And the reasons for the title will become clear if/when I reach Yaki space
Scion Drakhar wrote:MOAR!
By your command...
Chapter 02: Action & Consequence...
So, having scouted around OmLy for anyone else wanting rimes for a good price I'm bitterly disappointed to discover that nobody does. Seems those two fellers over in Treasure Chest might have been lying to me. If I were armed I might be tempted to head back over there and gut 'em both, but I'm not, and I don't much fancy beating two guys to death with their own boots...
Well, alright I do, but it's not really practical now is it?
Instead, whilst harbouring thoughts of dire vengeance and bloodshed I make for the west gate into Nyanna's Hideout.
Now, it's not often folks'll comm the likes of me, especially when they're trying to sell off the ship they're flying. So I were quite surprised when I rolled through Nyanna's east gate to be immediately commed by this guy.
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/8224/x3screen00002.png
I tell you what, if I'd had the cash I woulda snapped it up. It might only be an M4, and hideously over priced, but it's a damn sight better than floating around in 'Good Intentions'. As it was I were about 573k short, so I meandered across the sector. You know, I kinda like Nyanna's. It's a nice wide sector and there's no goop, which is always a bonus. Being right on the border of Teladi territory there's a fair chance I might come across a weed runner making for the local pirate clans. If I do and they get shut down by the Argon authorities there might be some left overs. More profits for me. Sadly, it's a pipe dream. Never mind.
The downside to Nyanna's then, is how spread out the stations are. By the time I'd picked 'em all up even on the periphery of my scan range, I'd been in the sector for over an hour. Still, it's nice to know I'm not the only scum in the system.
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/5193 ... n00004.png
Hmm. Might be worth my while investing in a cargo life support system. Once I get a ship what can actually scare folks outta theirs of course. And some credits.
So, I dock at the trading station and look around the flight deck for anyone wanting my last few rimes. This one joker makes an offer, but the money just weren't good enough.
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/8749 ... n00005.png
Nah mate, I'll hang onto them until someone can gimme at least close to full price. I might have taken the fuel off his hands to be honest, but I figured getting caught red handed trying to smuggle fuel across Argon space wouldn't do my 'keep a low profile' theory any good. So instead I undock and start rolling for the east gate towards Scale Plate Green. Teladi territory might offer me up a few more opportunities. Besides, once I get that far I can trade openly with the lizards. Cos let's face it, the Teladi don't give a shit who they deal with, as long as you ain't hurting their profitsss. Hmm. Note to self, keep the Teladi on side for now.
As soon as I drop into the sector I pull up outta the trade lane and take a good long look south with the vid gogs. Scale Plate Green borders Xenon space and since I got no weapons and might just be able to outrun an asteroid I consider it prudent to be sure of my course before I go any further. The sector looks to be clear of any hostile contacts, so I push on. As I pass by the trading station though I gets a call.
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/7321 ... 00007l.png
Hmm, a Jaguar Hauler. It's only an M5 but it's Split so it'll be speedy, if under shielded, and will also be able to mount weapons. I think I might have dribbled some at the thought of being properly armed again. It's over in Treasure Chest and with a shade over 3 hours to return it should give me a bit of room to be mischievous. Not that I was ever going to be returning it. Yeah. I'd kinda made the decision to steal it as soon as this Teladi tells me where it's at.
So, I rolled back across Nyanna's into OmLy and finally Treasure Chest, where I find my new ride sitting a few clicks offa the west gate.
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/5886 ... 00010h.png
Well now, would you look at that? 493m/s top speed and even at just 44% hull integrity it's already faster than 'Good Intentions'. Oh yeah, I'm definitely keeping this one. It might even be fast enough to get me all the way home. If I'm careful. We'll see.
Hopping out of the Ranger I mosey over to the the Jaguar and take ownership. My space suit pings a message at me, so checking it on my wrist monitor I can see it's my soon to be ex-employer telling me to return the ship to the trading station.
Uhm...yeah....no. I need it, and you're a lizard. Frak off.
I start welding some of the worse torn up parts of the hull so they kinda resemble smooth metal again, and transfer my software off of 'Good Intentions'. Then I send the ranger back up to Elysium where it can do some remote trading for me whilst I see what other trouble I can get into. With the hull patch complete I hop into the cockpit and fire her up.
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/5531 ... n00011.png
Kinda pretty ain't she. I do like Split ships. Needs a name though. Ok, left hand stick, right hand throttle...
Oh yeah! Now we're moving baby!
Yeah...at 140 m/s. Far superior to 'Good Intentions', but still pitiful for an M5. Still, I should be able to make some money, even with the bugger all capital I have, by running cells around Elysium, as long as the free traders don't cut in with one of their bulk freighters. With a bit of cash in my pocket I can get some speed upgrades and then hopefully we'll be in business. With this in mind I head back into OmLy with the intention of running some missions for the lizards. A bit more cash coming in would be good and raising my rep with them is a must if I'm gonna be buying weapons and shields. But then I get a call from this guy...
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/3547 ... n00012.png
...and 28k is just too much to pass up. I knew it were risky taking a covert op in a ship what can just about keep up with a slow M3, but I weren't gonna pass on that kinda cash. As it turned out the Split I were meant to tail were flying a Hermes, so speed wise I was ok. He's over in Treasure Chest so I nudge the controls back the way I just came.
The Hermes immediately comes up on my scanner so I start heading for it and take a look around. There's a Buster Sentinel for sale...
http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/4276 ... n00013.png
...but I'm woefully short of cash so that's a no. If I can get to this Hermes and follow it to it's destination in time then sure, I'll be back for it.
Hmm.
As it turns out, I think that Split were on to me from the moment I entered the sector. He cut his engines as soon as I got within 18km and just sat there. So I sat, just behind a rock, waiting for him to move...when all of a sudden he just vanished. No explosion, no flash of a jumpdrive, nothing. Nada. Frak all. He were just gone.
Now, I'm none too happy about this for three reasons. One, I ain't never seen a ship just vanish like that, never. Two, I ain't gonna get paid for following him and three, I'm now getting a very mouthy message from my employer.
Riiight. Like I can be held accountable for disappearing ships...
I need to get myself a new blade. Maybe a phase pistol. Bastards!
I'm just about to cross the event horizon back into OmLy when I gets a comm from this feller wanting to sell his Discoverer. He only wants a touch over 11k for it and it's in pretty good condition, but I ain't got the money for it. Shame really, as a Disco would be much more useful to me right now than this here Jaguar. Being able to carry M class cargo means I can take passengers, and there's some good money to be had in playing the taxi driver to folks. Plus I'll be able to fit it with a Triplex scanner. Hoo boy. That'd be nice. Next time maybe?
Once I hit OmLy I gets a comm from another feller wants to sell his Pericles. I know, an Argon trying sell a Paranid ship in Argon space...and he really expects to sell it? In truth I would have taken it, just to give me something with a bit of bite, but he wanted 27k and I'm still skint. That disappearing Split screwed me big time. Might have to rectify that little issue after I get home.
Pushing through into Nyanna's then I come across two of my Yaki brethren. I resist the urge to comm them and say hello just in case it blows my cover. Besides, they're only flying Fujins and are currently taking a beating from a pair of OTAS Escort Solanos.
http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/4083 ... n00018.png
I watch in feigned horror and mild amusement as they get taken apart by PRG fire. Poor bastards. They didn't even leave me any salvage.
There's nothing else going on in Nyanna's of any interest, so I decide to risk flaunting my newly stolen Jaguar in Scale Plate Green. As it turns out the lizards are pretty good at losing ships. Seems there's a Discoverer Vanguard waiting for someone to go pick it up over in Heretics End. I consider it for about a second. I've got over 2 hours left to return this Jaguar, and like I said a Disco would give me better mission options. Thing is this guy wants it back inside of an hour, which probably won't be enough time. If I had money for engine upgrades then maybe, but I don't. But I want the ship. Cursing at having to turn back on myself again I spin the Jag round and make for the east gate. A fairly quick cruise back across Nyanna's and then I'm into OmLy and heading north.
Circle of Labour is just green goop and boredom for a few minutes, before I'm through the north gate and into Heretics. Which is when I suddenly realize that Brother Kalvin was in fairly tight with the Terrans. According to his ID he's considered a 'Regional Representative'. Hmm. I might be able to trade safely up here too. That'd expand my options a bit.
I grab the Disco Vanguard and tell it to dock at the nearest station before heading back south. Seconds after the ship docks at the local Rimes Fact I get a message from my Teladi employer. He's not happy. Tough. It's far more valuable to me than the 9k odd he were gonna pay me to bring it back. This little stunt though, costs me a bit of rep with the lizards. I'm now a 'Profit Liability'. Not really what I was aiming for. Still, I do now have three ships, even if one's shortly to be under surveillance and another needs to be returned in an hour.
(sigh)
By the time I get back to Scale Plate Green I've only got about 30 minutes left on the clock. I figure that's just long enough to scout PTNI a bit and get back down here in time to return this ship, if I decide to. So I head through the north gate and get a decent look around the western side of the system, including the shipyard, EqD and trading station, before dropping back through the south gate.
Still undecided what to do about my ships I dock at one of the oil refineries and take stock of the situation. I've 17 minutes left to return this Jaguar or not. If I don't my rep with the lizards will take another kick to the nuts and I might lose docking rights to their sectors completely. As it stands I'm not allowed to dock in core systems. If I keep the Jag I'll have to deal with the police, but I'm in SPG and the whole sector's full of rocks so that shouldn't be an issue.
Dilemma.
Assets:
'Good Intentions'
Jaguar Hauler (soon to be under surveillance?)
Disco Vanguard 42% (under surveillance)
16,489 Credits
Time: 768-05-01 06:32