Channi's Game - Locked

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Chantelle Du'
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed, 11. Mar 20, 01:33

Channi's Game - Locked

Post by Chantelle Du' » Fri, 15. May 20, 19:50

Having noted the dearth of tales to be read in this forum, I thought I might lead by example and encourage others to post based on my current unmodified game. I hope you enjoy.

CEO’s Sprite. The Military Outpost:

Channi appeared for all intents and purposes to be just another barfly in the Twisted Tulip, the seedy little night club come strip Joint her contractor often used to conduct her business dealings. Which suited her and Riso both as clients would assume Riso was on her own. The night was young, yet the place was already crowded with idiots eager to waste their credits here where both fuel and weed were freely available, for the right price of course. Channi never bothered with the weed, she’d tried it once and found it dulled her senses more than she cared for, and for a working shield that was just asking for trouble. Something was off about the joint tonight, she couldn’t suss out the reason why the hairs on the back of her neck were itching like hell. It wasn’t the two goons Risorius’s client had in tow they were just muscle with all the situational awareness of dog’s smelling a new pile of shite.

No, something else was bothering her, something real close and not in a good way. Moving forward, she casually tapped the take care signal on Riso’s shoulder as she moved behind her, placing herself a couple of feet off and behind the lizards right side where the sense of danger seemed closer, more imminent. Riso didn’t say anything, the sudden tensing of her shoulders told Channi she felt that itch as well. This shouldn’t be any big deal. The client, an Argon core worlder if she was any judge of his clothing choices, wanted the location of an abandoned ship and was willing to pay the right price for the information. No issues with that, Riso had a nose for such information which she hoarded carefully, only passing it on if there was enough profit in the deal. As far as Channi knew she was reasonably honest and had never stepped on anyone’s toes in her dealings. She paid her dues to the local syndicate like any good Teladi. Well, one that wanted to keep her health anyway.

So why the itch? Channi let her eyes move across the people closest to them, keeping her movements slow and steady as though she was looking for a mate in the crowd. Channi almost missed it, there was a big Split standing not six feet from where she was with a small fancy tour name tag on his lapel just like the one the customer was wearing a quick glance showed four others nearby with the same tell. Without saying anything she grabbed Riso by the waist and threw her bodily over the heads of the crowd towards the club’s back door. Rule number one the contractors safety came first always, then using her gathered momentum Channi delivered a round house kick to the fake customers head. He ended up in a twitching heap as she leapt at the two goons closest to him. “Clear” she heard Riso yell as a shaft of light from the door she was leaving by pierced the gloom. Riso would be alright, she knew the tunnels and rat runs on this station better than anyone. She’d even shared a few with Channi on one of those rare nights they had dined out together. With luck they would meet up later at Ch’frts their usual haunt. For now, Channi had riff raff to take care of. The two apes with the client went down as easily as he had, and she hadn’t even got going yet. Who the hell hired snowflakes like that for muscle she had to ask herself as the large Split she’d spotted first came charging straight at her? This one was a bit more professional, no breath wasted on threats or chit chat just went straight for the target, which in this case was her. Nice to be popular… Not. Finally, some decent competition though. Her heart rate doubling Channi let him come close enough to where he was beyond committed jumping upwards and twisting in mid-air out of his reach as he passed underneath, then using both hands knotted together she clubbed him in the back of the neck, a Split weak spot and sent him of to dream land with his buddies. Speaking of which… Yeah here they come, she placed her feet carefully keeping track of them as they forced past the bars other customers to get to her. Normally she would have left them standing but figured Riso would need more than the few sezura the fight had bought so far to get clear.

One of them was reaching inside his jacket, presumably for a weapon. Idiot, that sort of thing would get him shot here. Distance weapons were strictly forbidden on station except for security personnel of course. A twitch of her wrists had her nan chucks filling her palms she stepped forward and smartly gave the idiot going for the gun a lesson in good manners like not to point weapons at momma’s favourite.. Well to be honest, momma’s only girl. Given the right as she saw it to act with full force she laid into the people rushing her, keeping the running fight moving towards the still open door Riso had used as she delivered painful yet non-lethal blows to the wrists, hands arms and legs of the team trying to take her down. Yeah this was a team, it showed in the way they covered and moved with each other in almost perfect synch. Military she guessed by the look of them as she delivered a nose breaking elbow to the woman on the right who had reached for one arm and found the other one in her face. Channi made it through the door and slammed it shut behind her then turned only to be shot several times by more of the bastards waiting in the ally. Her senses and clothes on fire, Channi was relieved to see Riso wasn’t amongst them. Job done, at least ma would get paid Riso was good lik.. was all she had time to think as darkness took her.
Last edited by Chantelle Du' on Sat, 16. May 20, 04:20, edited 2 times in total.

Chantelle Du'
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed, 11. Mar 20, 01:33

Re: Channi's Game.

Post by Chantelle Du' » Fri, 15. May 20, 21:08

Aboard the AS Lector: Docked at the Ceo’s Sprite Outpost.

It was a mess, a goddamn stinking mess and heads would roll for this cockup that was for sure. To say Captain Liom Marvel was furious would be a gross understatement, He had a team, an entire team of so-called experts, special forces detached from the military for this one snatch and grab operation in the ships sickbay and it had taken one, only one local street thug to put them there, seemingly with little effort and who was herself hospitalised on station whilst the Teladi Director herself was burning the ether with demands for answers from him. Answers like why had a Teladi sanctioned private security operative been shot by Argon military personnel on her goddam station. Who was going to pay for the damage caused to the night club and the operative’s hospital bill which was already approaching six figures and growing by the sezura?

The joke was on him of course, the intel they had was bogus. The Teladi information broker was unconnected with his current case and had been chosen apparently at random by the other side simply to draw out a response from whomever the Argon had investigating the missing ships from Cloud base South west. Now he was exposed and likely to be recalled, no doubt to sit out the rest of his career at a desk. All thanks to the idiots the sergeant of marines, the team leader standing the other side of his desk had led on the op.

“Please tell me Sergeant, why your men drew weapons in a public place during an operation that was meant to be carried out with stealth. That was emphasised in the briefing I gave you was it not?” It might have seemed petty but Liom wanted someone else to share some of the pain that was about to descend on him from on high and this Sergeant was going to catch some of it.
“Sir, as I have stated in my after-action report, the subject’s bodyguard was armed, we acted according to our standard hostile contact directives. It would have been better had we been advised the target had retained personal security before the mission started.” Damn he had her there, this girl Channi had never been mentioned in the pre-op surveillance reports. The Sergeant had been obviously around the block a few times as well, her words were chosen carefully to absolve her people of any responsibility for what they would label as yet another intelligence frack up. You’re dismissed Sergeant” he almost snarled.

Elly stripped of her Jacket and stowed it before confronting the half of her team not in the medical wing. “How did the meeting go?” Cher, her nose badly swollen and covered with the heavy tape the medics had used to hold it in place asked. She’d still look like a terran panda when the dressing came off though. That girl had a put a lot of force into that knock down. “About the way I figured it, he backed down when I threw his cockup right back at him.” There was an almost audible sigh of relief from her people, spooks who fracked up were always keen to spread the shit around when things went south on an op that’s why she had never wanted to take this mission in the first place. Still, that was water downstream as her father would say, now she had another obligation to meet. Her team, though she had gotten them off the hook this time knew they had fracked up. Something she would remind them of every training session going forward. Her father had taught her to be a leader amongst her team and she had a duty of care for them and for those they hurt unnecessarily. “Heads up people from this day forward, anyone of you take an unauthorised weapon on a mish, you are off the team is that clear?” Hng’ Tgh you’re with me. She left those still sat at the table too it and went below to get changed. It had been a while since she’d worn civvies and even longer since she had left her weapons behind. Given the shit storm on the station she wasn’t taking any chances though.

“Where go” Hang asked not bothered by the fact she was half naked in front of him?
“Recruiting you big lug, or are you worried about meeting that little fire brand again?”
“Split like, she sneaky” he agreed, which was all he would likely ever say about the tiny Argon woman taking him down in the night club. She just wished she had been there to see it, not halfway across the dock running after that little Teladi, unsuccessfully once the lizard had reached the maintenance shaft access points she had simply vanished.

Chantelle Du'
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed, 11. Mar 20, 01:33

Re: Channi's Game.

Post by Chantelle Du' » Sat, 16. May 20, 03:59

Channi wasn’t dead, that was a tick in the plus column, that she was in the Outpost hospital mind you was a major tick on the downside. The Teladi, though she liked the little buggers well enough would charge you for the air you breathed if they could figure out a way to monitor it. Cracking her eyes open a fraction she saw her arms were dressed in burn gauze. Luckily, she couldn’t see the skin underneath which she was certain had been charred to the bone, damned Split blasters. That begged the question, how had she gotten here and who was going to foot the bill for all this. What she made on a typical job wouldn’t cover the cost of a finger plaster in here, let alone the type of dressings she was wrapped in.

Opening her eye’s, a little wider, she almost managed to laugh when she realised the Teladi nurse in attendance was none other than Riso herself, damn the little lizard was resourceful. She smiled and tried to speak but her tongue was sitting like a huge weight in her mouth, so her words came out as an incoherent mumble.
“Isst better not to speak, Shanni, drugs effective but have side effectsss.” You save Teladi life, I am in debt.” Channi waved that off to be in debt was more a curse than anything else to a Teladi. “No debt, muy job” she managed. Riso brightened at that and carefully placed a small box on the side table. Credits for job” she whispered. You earned. Teladi not know why Argon shoot you. Bad for businessss.”

Channi wondered at that herself, whoever had shot her had done so without a warning of any kind. She wondered for a moment if her father’s creditors were behind it, but that didn’t make any kind of sense. Not to hire merc’s to
Carry out a hit on his daughter, he had she learned signed over the bar and everything else they had owned back in light of heart when they had come for the money owed, his gambling had racked up. She was certain, only her mother having boarded a transport to this outpost with her in tow that same day had stopped him selling his ten-year-old daughter to the Yaki to cover his debt. Last she'd heard of him, when her mother had her divorce papers served, he was doing scut work in Freedoms reach on a casino of all things. Some people never learned.

“There is news Shanni” Riso hissed. “Argon say sorry, big mistake pay reparations. Station Director involved herself has.”
Well that was something but the sad tone to Riso’s voice made her wary. “Antth” she mumbled through sore lips.
“All bills paid but license revoked, she hass made me an offer of employment.” Yeah Channi could see Riso was delighted with that, being forced to work for Demi’s instead of solid credits for the station master. The only license they could possibly have revoked was her own, her security ratting. That was great, simply great, private security was the only thing she knew how to do, and she was damn good at it even if she did say so herself. She had a perfect record to date and had never been a concern to the station security people. Hell, she had often worked with them on jobs that affected their security concerns.

“Station master has proposal and wish’s you to accept.” Okay more bad news. Without her security license she was basically unemployed which this particular Teladi did not allow for her stations residents. No Job, you leave. Simple as that. Channi waited for the hammer to fall and was staggered by Riso’s words the Argon, specifically the same bastards that had just shot the shit out of her, wanted her to work for them. “Please consider Shanni, Argon they have better treatment for your wounds they say they will pay well, end the difficulties your sire placed upon your family, they make many promises, please consider my Shanni I have dreamed of you walking as a giant amongst the stars.”

Things couldn’t get any better, now she was being given advice from a Teladi even one she trusted like Riso’s no doubt weed induced dream. “You takes” Riso insisted “best offers promises.” The only offer was what she meant though Channi let that slide being too drained to argue. “They come see tomorrow, big apologises” Riso promised earnestly. Channi nodded which relieved Riso immensely as her frills showed when they assumed their normal hue of pale green indicating contentment.

Channi must off dozed of at some point as there was a different nurse in her room when she woke. This one was all business and was pouring a foul-tasting concoction down her throat whilst tutting to herself over something in her mother tongue. No matter how bad it tasted the drug worked wonders as she felt her swollen tongue shrink in her mouth. “Thank you” she whispered as the nurse offered her a tumbler with a straw indicating she should drink it. This one tasted of Scruffin fruit and cleared the foul taste from her mouth, giving her a huge energy boost as a bonus. There was obviously more than just Scruffin fruit juice in that tumbler.

This nurse was all business and was soon changing the dressings on her arms, Channi cringed at the mess of burnt skin that fell away with the old dressings then breathed a sigh of relief as the bare tissue was liberally coated with a herbal smelling balm. “Hekkat leaf oil, cleanse’s wounds” the Nurse muttered in faultless Argon for her benefit. They also numbed any pain she might have felt Channi realised, she was barely able to feel her fingers at all and they looked the worse of her injuries. “Held onto fighting sticks even unconscious you did," the woman added "surgeon cut them away. They are no more.”
Channi had a brief flash of a memory, of holding her sticks in front of her as blaster fire had put her down. They wouldn’t be easy to replace, carved as they had been from iron wood on her home world the year she was born, before her father had gambled their happiness away.

She was lost in thought for a while till the Nurse in her Channi assumed normally brusque manner spoon fed her a meal of some sort of meat in a spicy broth it was filling but being fed like an infant was still a little galling.
I didn’t speak to the Argon that day or the next, apparently the Teladi were unwilling to let them on station till I had recovered somewhat from my wounds. I don’t know why, but I had a sneaking suspicion that Riso was behind that little bit of skull duggery, it definitely had her claw marks all over it. I suspected she wanted me to give any offer they might make at least some consideration. Rather than just telling them to frack of the moment they walked in the room as I’d intended to when Riso first told me about the deal they were supposed to be offering. It had better be a doozey of a deal, or I’d go back to plan A.

When the Argon woman arrived, I was surprised to see that big Split I’d poleaxed in the night club with her. He didn’t seem to hold a grudge judging by the upside-down smile on he held as he walked into my private room.
The woman I hadn’t seen before but the way she, moved and carried herself with such assured poise practically screamed she was the more dangerous of the two. They were dressed as businesspeople, which made sense, they hardly wanted to advertise the fact they were Argon military after the debacle at the twisted Tulip.
It was the woman who spoke first to open the conversation. “I am pleased to see you recovering so well Ms..” “Channi just Channi” I snapped without thinking it through. The woman might or might not know about my father or why I never used our family name. “My Apologies then… Channi. I understand your friend Riso has spoken as to the reasons for our wish to speak with you?”

She knew Riso must have or she wouldn’t be here, my thinking was this woman wouldn’t be wasting her time on futile efforts. My name is Eleanor Toren, though my given name is Elly to my friends.” Well that was assuming a lot, that we were likely to be friends anytime soon that is. “I’ll cut to the chase then, and if your friend Riso would care to step into the room instead of loitering just outside the door, it will save you having to repeat this conversation later.”
Riso stepped into the room, looking a bit peeved to have been spotted so easily despite the surgical mask and gown she had been wearing. “It’s your tail scale patterns which gave you away Riso” Eleanor pointed to Riso’s tail which was the only part of herself she hadn’t concealed. “I saw enough of them to recognise you again, when I was chasing you through the station corridors last week.”

Riso glared at her offending tail for a moment before taking a seat on the opposite side of the bed to the Argon, or perhaps I should say, the Terran woman and the Split. Now that was a tale worth the hearing which was perhaps why she had let slip her origins. I doubted this woman ever let anything slip she did not intend.
My having failed to take her bait, the woman carried on with what she had been about to say before Riso had joined the conversation. “As I said I must apologise for the injuries you received, those responsible are being dealt with. The fact that they were nominally under my command, however, means that I am ultimately responsible for the injuries you suffered.” Well that was a surprise, a candid admission of culpability from one of Argons finest no less. I expect there were past Senators on Argon Prime turning in their graves on having such words spoken aloud. “This is a cheque for compensation for the injuries you sustained, all medical bills will, as agreed with the station master be met in full by the Argon military.” I looked at the cheque she handed to me not believing the number of zero’s on it. It was more than I could hope to earn in five jazura. What was the catch, there had to be a catch when people started handing out credit transfer confirmation slips of this size.

“Now as to relocation I have proposed subject to your own and the station masters approval that you relocate to Argon prime to complete the medical procedures you need for the moment. I have engaged a transport to take you and your mother there, just give the Captain a call when you are ready to leave.”

With that she picked up her clutch bag and left the room leaving the Split grinning at me as if he saw something funny I couldn’t quite grasp. “Hng’ Tgh ask why you attack Split first in bar not others.” That was a reasonable question and I suspect the reason he was even here was to get the answer to it. “The others were lazy waiting for you to get me out of the way before they acted. I figured if you went down first that would give my friend here” pointing to Riso with a nod “more time to escape the trap you set.”

He dipped his head a few times as if comparing, my reasoning with his own before replying. “Good strategy, yet real trap was not for you was for us, was Yaki.” With that abrupt statement he rose and left the room leaving me with my jaw almost hitting the floor.

blazermick
Posts: 85
Joined: Tue, 31. Jan 06, 03:47
x3tc

Re: Channi's Game.

Post by blazermick » Mon, 18. May 20, 08:06

An excellent read!

I was enthralled in the story almost immediately and wanted to say thanks and keep going.

This is gonna be a beauty of a yarn based on the teaser intro :-)
Started playing at X Beyond the Frontier and Tension, and I'm still here at X4. Brilliant games until Rebirth and now x4 manages to regain some of the past glory. Lets hope x5 continues in same vein and not another "rebirth".

Chantelle Du'
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed, 11. Mar 20, 01:33

Re: Channi's Game.

Post by Chantelle Du' » Mon, 18. May 20, 09:28

Thank you kind sir,

I will indeed keep going and I doubt they will accept me placing a bet on a race that has already been run. If they did we would both soon be rich yes.

As for the story I am writing it due in part to frustration at the lack of tale tellers on this forum, I am no author but even I can see that to engage in what is after all a single player game one must share ones experiences of playing.


That having been said I do enjoy writing though my skill in such is questionable I merely hope to give others moments of enjoyment.

As for the game itself I made a choice to play it in an un-modified state, the designers I am certain weighted the game carefully so that it required skill and strategy to be successful. Perhaps in time my views on that might change, I do not however think that is ever likely to occur. True, one can with modifications make certain one prevails but surely that only detracts from ones enjoyment in the playing of the game. I will post again soon. As I have intimated whilst I have advanced far in the game a tale is best told from it's beginnings is it not?

Chantelle Du'
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed, 11. Mar 20, 01:33

Re: Channi's Game.

Post by Chantelle Du' » Tue, 19. May 20, 11:34

Needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep that night. The Yaki haunted my dreams as they had when I was younger and first realised what my father intended doing when the Yaki called in his debts. Now the nightmares a ten jazura old girl once experienced had returned with a vengeance.
It was as I was having my morning shower on my last day in the hospital that the thought occurred that I wasn’t that little girl anymore, me and ma had come a long ways since we had left Light of heart. If the Yaki tried coming for me now they had better bring their A game.

I dressed with Lardarius’s help I had grown quite fond of the grumpy nurse who had never tried feeding me the line of bull regarding my injuries the so-called specialists had and who had taken care of me during my stay in the hospital. I think she was more than a little surprised when I handed her my parting gift, a posy of delicately scented flowers that I knew she would enjoy. A lot of people fail to realise just how sensitive a Teladi’s sense of smell really is. Riso had selected the nose gay for me whilst I had been stuck in the recovery room. She didn’t get all gushy on me which was a relief and would have totally busted her gruff persona act, her frills did turn a lighter shade of green than normal when I presented her with the small bundle before leaving though which was a good sign.
I spotted Riso sitting at our usual table when I walked into Ch’frts place. The old split bartender gave me a brief nod letting me know he would bring my beer over shortly.

“You are late Riso” hissed putting aside her tablet for a moment as she gave me a careful hug. “Paperwork” was the one-word explanation that explained my tardiness the hospital wing had me fill out an endless stream of disclaimers before they would authorise my release. “So does your mother know you are here?” The look of shock on Riso’s face as she processed the question was a sight to behold, she wasn’t the only one who could ferret out people’s secrets. Not that it had been difficult, all I had to do was ask myself why a station master, a Director of the Teladi finance guild had come down so hard on the Argon military. It certainly hadn’t been for my benefit which had left it pretty obvious why she had been so enraged with the botched attempt to kidnap Riso of her own damn station. Which had prompted me to dig a little deeper into Riso herself. She wasn’t a clone as most Teladi were. She was a true born, a rarity amongst the Teladi outside Ianamus Zura, the station master actually was her real flesh and blood mother and Riso was a lot younger than she had let me believe, not in terms of Jazura but in comparative age, she was closer to being a teenager than an adult in real terms. It made it easier to understand why her mother would never allow her of station, so her wanting to come with me to Argon Prime simply wasn’t going to happen.

I let her work that out for herself before offering the one possible solution that would stop her trying something stupid. “I have to leave Riso we both know that your mother is probably worried I’ll lead you into all sorts of mischief. However, if I knew of a certain Teladi, one say stationed here with access to all sorts of information, information that could help turn a healthy profit, then we could be partners. Me out there doing all the running about, whilst keeping track of contracts and business dealings. We do work well together as a team Riso” I added as I saw her start to give the idea serious thought.

“This will be a proper business” she asked tentatively as the glint in her eyes returned. “It will, you draw up the contract’s register us as a company and we’ll be equal partners. You might want to include your mother as a director, oil the wheels so to speak.” Riso didn’t flinch at that suggestion which meant she was totally buying into the plan, most Teladi could only dream of owning their own business, it would give her a certain status amongst the Teladi on station to manage such a feat at her age.
The more I thought about it my simple plan to keep Riso safe had a certain appeal that had far greater possibilities than I had given much thought to. With my mind buzzing with possibilities I turned on my own pad and checked the sector chart to see if my suspicions were correct. They were. Strewn across the sector was a list of wares just waiting to be salvaged, all one needed was a ship to retrieve them with it didn’t have to be a freighter either, no something small and fast, with a good sized cargo bay and heavy shielding were more essential than a freighters capacity for this to work in the short term.

Whilst Riso was busy drafting our partnership agreement, I contacted the Dockmaster on the shipyard and within a few mizura I had our companies first acquisition with a carefully briefed pilot racing across the sector to begin working. I’d hired an older pilot one I hoped wouldn’t get any stupid ideas like taking on Yaki or pirates just for the thrill. Those purchases took a huge bite out of that credit transfer, yet it would be repaid tenfold if the pilot I’d hired did her job over properly over the next wozura. Even if she only managed to gather half of what was floating about in the sector right now it would more than cover the cost of the two ships I, or rather we’d bought.

Riso finished compiling what she thought was a fair contract, I skimmed through it as a matter of course, she was a Teladi after all. It all seemed to be on the up and up. I thumbed my agreement and paid the company registration invoice that popped up a moment later.
That’s when I explained why we already owned two ships and were making credits just sitting here. Riso wasn’t slow on the uptake and she was busy crunching the numbers as our Falcon collected them. Thuridus, our newly hired pilot made four trips out into the sector before she had finished salvaging everything there was to be had. I was right, the sale of the EBC’s alone she’d collected more than paid for the Falcon itself. The rest was pure profit waiting to be gathered once we sold on the wares in our freighters hold.
I then spent an hour explaining to her why we needed a satellite network in place both in this sector and the adjoining ones. There was no point sending our Falcon out collecting salvage if a large group of pirates were about to enter the sector. “That’s going to be down to you now Riso, keep that ship safe and earning us credits. Oh, and sell what we salvage as well. In sector at first till we have good enough satellite coverage to know it’s safe to move it elsewhere. Though to be honest I’d rather we just held it here in storage till we have a jump drive equipped freighter available to us, one that has enough speed to stay out of harm’s way.” It will take longer to expand our company that way, but it will be less expensive in the long run.” In time, I expect we’ll have a fleet of fast jump capable ships moving goods for us across the verse, with people begging us to supply them.”

Riso wasn’t stupid far from it and I could tell she was invested in the idea of building the company. She could be a little impulsive though which was why I wanted the stationmaster watching over her in my absence. Besides as stationmaster here she was likely to be our biggest customer till we expanded our operations beyond this sector.
“Well, I guess better get going Riso, you stay safe and keep the coin rolling in ok.” I was startled when she came around the table and gave me a hug. “Do not get yourself killed out there my Shanni and always check the small print in a contract.”
We parted ways on the docks where I headed to the dock where Elli’s transport was waiting to take me to Argon Prime. The two marines standing duty at the access ramp, one of whom ran a quick security check on my credentials then directed me to a steward waiting by the lift at the end of the ships corridor who would take me to my cabin. He didn’t say it, but I got the impression they had been waiting overlong for me to show up.

Chantelle Du'
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed, 11. Mar 20, 01:33

Re: Channi's Game.

Post by Chantelle Du' » Mon, 25. May 20, 18:35

The flight to Argon Prime was uneventful, too be honest that was no bad thing except for the fact I had ma chasing me around the ship treating me like an invalid. Truth was the burns I’d received had almost healed up. Well at least on the surface. There was deeper muscle damage that even Lardarius’s magic healing balm’s couldn’t fix. The only good news I received on the journey was that Riso had persuaded her mother to re-instate my Teladi security licence which meant that I wasn’t dependent on whatever sitch Elli was going to offer me once I’d finished my recovery. She sent a detailed account of the salvage operation we’d started which had exceeded even my expectations. Given our lack of a jump drive equipped freighter, it looked like we’d have to purchase another vulture at the shipyard to store the stuff she couldn’t sell locally. That was okay though because it was just inventory waiting to be sold.

She also sent me a Pic of her new office, one she’d rented on station. Damned if the girl didn’t have a fancy set up with a receptionist to boot. She explained she was still in the information business but was making clients come to her rather than sneaking about on the docks waiting for her bodyguard to throw her across a room again. I nearly wet myself when I read that last bit. I sent back a reply including a few things I’d thought of during the journey and thanked her for keeping me posted.
The only other problem I had during the journey was the fact I was being kept tabs on. Oh, whoever was dogging my footsteps was good. Thing is they couldn’t prevent the hairs on the back of my neck bristling when they got a little too close. So, five days out of Argon Prime according to the Captain I laid a trap to find out who was following me about. I didn’t figure they meant me any harm. I doubt there was anyone on board Elli didn’t approve of, but I was curious. Now the Phantom transport isn’t the verse’s biggest transport but there was one long corridor on board, down on the lower levels where I planned on meeting my stalker, or stalkers whatever the case might be.

Sure enough, once I hit that long corridor and sprinted to the far end, I heard a faint curse from behind me, less than a mizura after I ducked into an alcove by the lift followed the faint sound of the woman judging by what I’d heard of her voice running to the lift.
I smiled when she stopped in front of it and realised it was still on this level. Now, all things being equal with her not having seen me so far and the lift not having moved I should be just the other side of those doors not a metre in front of her. Yeah she figured it out pretty quick which proved she wasn’t stupid. “You’re behind me aintcha?” she asked in a resigned tone, keeping her hands clear of any weapons she might be carrying.

“You got a name, figured we might want to introduce ourselves. I figure you already know who I am. Thing is, I’m not comfortable being stalked.” When she turned around I knew I had seen her before, she was one of the team in the bar who had tried to take down Riso. She didn’t go for a weapon though, so I figured she wasn’t one to hold a grudge. Just as well considering her face looked a bit of a mess. “You might to try some of this for that bruising.” I chucked her a small jar of the Hekkat balm I kept on me for when I washed my hands, which she caught without taking her eyes of me.

“You armed” she asked casually enough whilst checking the contents of the jar I’d thrown her way? “I’m carrying, but I don’t figure I need to be pointing a gun at you. Your one of Elli’s crew I take it?” She didn’t answer the question which meant my guess was on the nose, I let it slide and got to the important part of the discussion as I saw it. “You know anywhere on this ship I can get a decent beer because if I have to drink anymore of that expensive piss they serve upstairs I swear I’m going to lose my sense of taste altogether.”

That cracked her up and broke the tension between us. “Yeah I know where I can lay my hand on a bottle or two of the good stuff” She smeared some of the balm I’d given her on her cheeks before stowing it, then opened the lift doors for us. Instead of going up we went down to the cargo bay levels which made a certain kind of sense if you wanted to stay out of sight. “The woman raised a finger to her lips then ushered me into a crew area I suspect no passengers ever saw on their tours. I ducked through a dimly lit lounge area into a small canteen where she opened a cooler and snagged a couple of beer’s indicating I should make myself comfortable.

She slid me a bottle once she’d popped the cap, I sniffed it cautiously before taking a sip. She noticed that as I took a second longer pull. “You always this suspicious when someone gives you a drink Channi?” I set the bottle down trying to determine if the ale was Argon or Split, judging by its strength I was leaning towards it being Split. Not one I’d tasted before which wasn’t saying a lot. I rarely went out for purely personal social evenings unless it was work related. “Old habits” I agreed. “Working protection gigs taught me to be careful.” Cher just nodded at that for which I was grateful, I wasn’t willing to reveal more about myself till I knew more about Elli’s crew and Elli herself. “So why are you folks watching me?”

“Blazed if I know, Elli wants you safe and sound in Argon Prime, figures she wants to recruit you.”
“For what purpose? I manage to get by on my own have done for Jazura.”
“I noticed, well to be honest it could be because you’ve already proved you can handle yourself. We aren’t military, more like independent contractors. Take this last gig for example. Argon security, they contacted Elli and said they had proof that Teladi you were guarding was selling information to either the Yaki, the pirates or maybe both. They wanted to have a talk with her about her information sources.” That statement just pissed me of, if they knew Riso half as well as I did they would know she would never work for any Pirate groups much less the Yaki.

“Someone didn’t bother to check there was any truth to that before they tried to kidnap her?” I asked.

“Apparently not, the spook running the gig a Captain Marvel if that’s even his real name, said the information was solid. Normally we would have double checked ourselves, we didn’t have the time for that before it was supposed to go down. As it turned out, it was a set up. Someone was onto the spook and they wanted him either to show his hand, get him off their case, or cause a problem with the Teladi. He’s out of the picture now, after this frack up he got recalled back to spook central. No doubt he’ll get a serious ass chewing for what can only be classed as a monumental cockup.”

Yeah, well he wasn’t the only one that had fracked up as far as I recalled those were Elli’s people who shot me, it would be a cold day in hell before I forgot that. I didn’t say that to Cher of course. Riso had often told me that if you wanted more information from a source, even an unwitting one, the best way to obtain it was to sit back and let them think you weren’t interested. I was interested of course I wanted the names of the idiots who had shot me. They might be Elli’s people, but from what I had gathered so far they had broken their own rules of engagement. Personally, I would never trust them. I was going to keep Elli and her people at arm’s length till I knew a lot more about her, and them.

Chantelle Du'
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed, 11. Mar 20, 01:33

Re: Channi's Game.

Post by Chantelle Du' » Tue, 14. Jul 20, 08:18

I must apologise for failing to post more of Channis tale of late.
Unfortunately, despite taking care, I was stricken with this virus that has touched so many lives.

I will post again soon once I am more myself.
As you Americans amongst this community would understand, I believe a suitable phrase would be... This Bitch ain't done yet.
I will post shortly when those who care for me allow that I am capable.

Be well my friends.

Chantelle Du'
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed, 11. Mar 20, 01:33

Re: Channi's Game.

Post by Chantelle Du' » Sun, 26. Jul 20, 21:00

These idiot’s obviously didn’t know Riso. Both she and her mother hated pirates of any stripe with a passion. They disrupted trade at every level in sectors and killed for little no other than because they could.
We finished of our first beers and Cher was kind enough to offer me another. I gave Cher a brief rundown on Riso and made it clear I was her friend. We started talking about shit then I smelt him come into the room. This man was not my friend. He was one of the bastards that had burnt me.
Without even thinking about it, I snapped the neck of the bottle I was holding off on the tables edge and launched it at his face catching him in the eye with the jagged end as I spun out of my seat to take him down. I was busy beating on him when I felt and heard the capacitors of a phase pistol charging at the base of my neck.
“Enough” Ellie said, loud enough to pass through my rage, yeah I suppose it was, dickwads face was a mess and he was having trouble breathing so I let it him go. I let the dickhead fall back to the floor, making sure he was out of it and took my seat back at the table. “I need another beer.” Was my only comment as I heard people coming into the room behind me. Cher fetched me one, her eyes a little glassy looking, I took a long pull on it as I let the adrenaline rush burning through my veins fade. The others dragged dickwad out of my sight which was just as well, I was still feeling a little twitchy.

Sorry the post wasn't longer... I'm sort of tired all the time at the moment, this is just a teaser for where I'm going with this.

Chantelle Du'
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed, 11. Mar 20, 01:33

Re: Channi's Game.

Post by Chantelle Du' » Sat, 1. Aug 20, 03:19

Cher placed the fresh beer in front of me then sat down her eyes following the person behind me. I figured that was Ellie as the others who had been crowding the doorway a moment ago had withdrawn taking the bastard I’d put down with them. “Care to tell me what that was about” Ellie asked as I heard her pour herself a drink before coming to face me at the table?
“Sure, he was one of the bastards who bushwhacked me when I left the nightclub.” That clearly surprised her, was it the fact I recognised him as one of the people that had tried to kill me or that she hadn’t known till now. I was banking on the latter judging by the sudden anger in her eyes. I took another sip of beer waiting for her to workout how she was going to deal with this. If she wasn’t going to do anything, I’d have to take care of the bastard’s myself. It was pretty clear to me now that I had been the target all along, not Riso as I had let myself believe. Well if nothing else, her mom would be happy with that.
Then there had been that Split Hng t’gh’s, the one who had visited her with Ellie in the hospital and his admission that it had been a Yaki snare she had run into. He thought it had been meant for them, their team. Whilst that may have been a consideration for the Yaki, she wasn’t willing to risk her life on it. Then Channi took the next step down the path her thoughts had taken her. If the Yaki had put people into place on Ellies team, they weren’t safe, nor was anyone else aboard this transport. “Elli, why didn’t you jump straight to Argon Prime, this ship has a jump drive I assume since it was built in Legends Home Given that someone wants me, your team perhaps all of us dead I have to question the sense in hauling our asses at a crawl across half the verse like a goddamn tour where all sorts of deniable accidents might happen?”
Yeah, she figured it out in about a sezura, we were bait. I didn’t like the feeling and I was fairly sure she felt the same way. She finished her shot of fuel and snagged a bottle to refresh her glass taking time to think everything through. “What do you think is likely to happen?”
“My best guess is that we have a task force following us say one sector or so away so as not to scare of the Yaki, pirates or merc’s. That means the Captain is in on the plan, which I assume is one the spook had ready for us and has more intel than we do. I’m not good with plans that don’t involve my active participation, they tend to frack up. If I were you, I would get rid of or confine the people the spook strapped onto your team then secure the ship.”

Alan Phipps
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Re: Channi's Game.

Post by Alan Phipps » Mon, 10. Aug 20, 17:38

This tale will be ending here after confirmation of issues relating to the author.
A dog has a master; a cat has domestic staff.

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