ajsarge wrote:I will SO fly that advanced disco.
Just slap some IREs, shields, a bay full of wasps (if it can take them. about 60-70% launch rate) and I'll be set.
"Razor's Edge" for a name.
Many moons ago you requested a Sabre. I don't got one, but I do have a Cutlass on the way which is about as near as (ish).. Interested or you happy with the Disco?
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125 - Widget
Back on some much deserved shoreleave and the answer machine is crammed with requests from my Terran contact trying to get in touch. I dunno, if it's not one it's the other..
Production is still running smoothly I'm pleased to see. the Teladianium shipments are moving steadily to the Hub for Mahi Ma to allocate as he sees fit and the chips from the microchip complex are being shuttled to a waiting TL in the hub sector. After the sad loss of 'Mockingbird' I don't fancy losing anyone else, especially carrying such a high priority shipment so I've decided to semi-forgive 'Gulargambone' his last indiscretion and allocate sufficient funds to bring his Dragon up to scratch. His mission will be to act as a high-security courier shipping chips to the Hub, from there they'll be transferred to a waiting TL via freight shuttle. This should in no way be considered to be exculpation tho. The nice leather seats are going, to be replaced by some uncomfortably hard plastic ones for the forseeable future until I'm satisified he's learnt his lesson fully.
Action Jackson gives me a most disapproving look when we finally arrive at the Heretics End Orbital Outpost, I guess he doesn't like to be kept waiting, but since they took their sweet time telling me what was going on with Capt Pearle I can't say I'm too bothered. Besides, strictly speaking I'm not on his payroll anyway so he can lump it. Pearle himself has finally surfaced from whatever debriefing room they've had him shut up in and he's being packaged off with us on a new mission to try and track down the source of these AGI ships the Terrans are getting in such a fluster over. First stop, Family Zyarth as having decided the Argon aren't the culprits Terran Intelligence is now picking on the Split. What's the betting in a couple days they change their minds and decide it's some universal domination conspiracy led by a Boran/Paranid alliance funded by Teladi venture capitalists?
Anyways, arriving in Family Zyarth and it's all quite quiet. Certainly no obvious indication of a massive Xenon manufacturing plant, although to be fair if there was one here I think they'd probably be concealing it at least a little anyway. Pearle wants to monitor traffic in the area so we've brought along a few Navsats to boot out the airlock at various points along a route he's outlined. They'll float about passively monitoring the sector for whatever it is Pearle is looking for. Requesting a couple more in nearby sectors to spread the net takes us up to Family Ryk and the first thing to spark any interest for me since we set off as I can assure you watching Pearle stare into his little monitoring device widget is remarkably tedious. Finding a solitary Panther tho..
http://dbbr17626.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/steve/125-1.gif
.. is definitely of interest, especially when subsequent sneaky scans indicate that not only is this light carrier completely devoid of any fighters whatsoever..
http://dbbr17626.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/steve/125-2.gif
.. but it's also not massively well equipped in the anti-fighter department. Once we're done with Pearle here I'll be back in force with the boys as, while it's not the best-looking ship by a long stretch, a light carrier might be useful and I seem to rememeber the techs looking over those PALCs we picked up in K-841 mentioning the Panthers weapons systems being PALC compatible..
For now tho whatever Pearles little monitor widget thing does it's apparently busy doing it as he's found something and wants us to head back to Family Zyarth. Arriving he points out a number of freighters near the centre of the system that we need to scan as he reckons one of those is the source of the signal and what do you know, his little widget hits paydirt as the third freighter we scan turns out to be carrying jumpdrive components. The freighter captain, realising he's been rumbled, tries to make a run for it but it's too late, he's in range and a few shots across his bow encourages him to rethink his plans for the day. Just need to capture the freighter now and.. uh-oh, company!..
http://dbbr17626.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/steve/125-3.gif
Q. Bane of my life!.. usually. Not today tho it seems as the Q turns out not to be here in response to our actions but a purely coincidental visitor and it chooses to go for the TL that we're here to locate. Conveniently that results in the TL's defensive wing been annhilated and as the TL tries to make a run for it that gives me time to put Pearles latest crazy notion into effect and sidle up to the fleeing TL pretending to be the delivery freighter it was expecting. Inbetweeen Purple wing and 'Preemptive Shrike' moving to intercept the Xenon force..
http://dbbr17626.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/steve/125-4.jpg
.. and the TL being distracted firing back at the attacking Q it completely fails to realise we're not who it thinks we are, so in addition to transferring the jumpdrive components across Pearle tosses in a tracking device. Sneaky!
With it's freight acquired the TL doesn't stick around and jumps out someplace, but with Pearles tracker on board we should be able to locate it again relatively easily. Apparently all we need to do now is head up to Ocean Of Fantasy to meet up with the Odin assigned to this mission, plug in Pearles monitor widget, and the Odin will be able to determine where the TL is currently holed up. Cool. Wait, what's that? We're getting a transmission?..
http://dbbr17626.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/steve/125-5.gif
Oh, you star!
Time: 10-18:57
Credits: 5,587,004
Teladianium: 66,873
Ore: 450,000
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