Fifth Times the Charm (cancelled )

[Callidus Thorn]

Did some testing, and came to the conclusion that RRF renders death by Hammerhead almost inevitable, I've decided to restart from chapter 2 without it.

Chapter 1

Bounty hunters. Most people can't even mention us without sneering, as if just speaking the name of our profession has somehow demeaned them, or that our existence is a personal insult to them. And yet when they need someone taken out, for revenge or justice, we're the first ones they try to hire. Because the police can't chase a criminal across seven sectors through the territory of two other races, while nobody bats an eyelid if a bounty hunter does it. We risk our lives, frequently getting justice for the family of a victim, and we're still considered to be just another kind of scum, a necessary evil.

So why am I a bounty hunter? Because the pay is good, I'm my own boss, and I get to make my own hours. Although to be honest, I'm beginning to tire of the whole thing. The universe is getting more and more dangerous. Now even two-bit pirates can get hold of corvettes or a Carrack, the Xenon are an ever present threat, the Khaak are purple psychopaths, and ever since the Terrans turned up relations between the various races have never been so strained. And if it's not enemies trying to kill you, ever since the new M8s rolled off the production lines, there's always the chance of being caught in the backblast of a nuclear enema administered to a passing pirate. End of the day running solo is just going to get you killed, especially if you're line of work has you going up against powerful foes.

And that's before you consider the kind of enemies I make in my line of work. I've had to get a new identity three times now just to avoid the various hit squads out for revenge, and that doesn't come cheap. And that's before you consider the loss of earnings, due to being unable to trade on your reputation anymore. No, I've got to start putting together a team, move into larger ships, make myself harder to take out that way. Of course, someone in my line of work can't just fly to a shipyard and order up a carrier and a few dozen fighters, so I'm going to have to do this the hard way, one salvaged or stolen ship at a time.

So here I am, sitting in Wretched skies with a brand new identity, a little under 150k credits, and a pretty good fighter.

Assets
Falcon Prototype
4 25mj shields 3 PRG 4 EBC
144,086 credits

Rules
Dead is Dead
No reloads
No buying ships at shipyards
No buying weapons, shields, missiles, or ammo
No repair laser
Damaged ships cannot be used until repaired
Cannot install jumpdrives on anything smaller than a TM

Exceptions:
Starting ship is a Falcon Prototype equipped with a jumpdrive. Since it's a prototype I'm going to say this makes it built in and therefore non-transferable.
Boarding pods can be bought

Scripts/plugins/mods
Cycrows cheat package
Improved boarding
NPC bailing
Salvage commands and NPCs
Salvage claim software
PSC01 cockpit mod 1.32 (without tint)
Vanilla malt gamestarts
one of the tubeless complexes mods
Pure X gui
Terran marines
Operation Loki
Project Sleipnir
ATF outpost capital edition

Gamestart: Bounty Hunter from Vanilla Malt Gamestarts

Chapter 2

If there's one thing I've learnt from pirates it's that until you're caught, it actually pays rather well, if you know what you're doing. Annoyingly enough it seems to pay better than bounty hunting, which is why they get M6s with custom paintjobs, not to mention henchmen. Seeing as that's the sort of set up I want, more or less, I think I'll take a leaf out of their books about how to get it.

First things first however, I'll need to boost my rep with the Split, since I'll be operating out of their sectors for now. The idea is to build up some capital targeting the Boron, who consider me an antagonist, before moving east through Paranid space to the pirate sectors north of there, where I have more freedom in my choice of targets. To that end I've started with a taxi job, which will let me map a few sectors, letting my jumpdrive come into play, while earning some credits and boosting my rep. I'll also be on the lookout for any Teladi offering work, since I'll need to get in their good books, even if it's just to get access to their territory. As I'm passing through The Shallows I pick up a nice bargain, a second hand Buzzard Hauler for 63k, and it's in pretty good condition, so I should be able to make a profit there.

I've noticed that most of the stations down here aren't very well supplied, so I could probably make some money by trading, although that would mean getting hold of a freighter and a trading system extension first, but it could be worth my time. With that in mind I head for Barren Shores, looking for targets of opportunity, meaning any poorly armed or shielded fighters, and any Boron flying non-Boron freighters. I'll still target Boron freighters, but only to sell, Boron ships aren't too impressive for the most part. I actually got my first capture before I even got there, a Dolphin super freighter XL, only slightly dented. A short stint in Barren Shores lets me add a pair of Barracuda Vanguards, getting a pair of HEPTs from one of the Barracudas and a pair of 25mj shields from the other, so pretty good going so far. I've also knocked over a couple of Boron convoys giving me five non-Boron freighters, as well as a further 75mj of shields, 3 IREs and a docking computer, so once I get a trading system extension I'll be able to get a couple of freighters trading remotely.

I'm really beginning to loathe the Boron. I get that they're only freighter captains, but some of the gutless wretches were emptying their holds before I even got through their shields. And half of them bailed. I was so disgusted by their lack of backbone that when a military Hydra began to pursue me, I turned round and gave him four barrels of EBC 'til he exploded, just to vent my frustration at Boron captains. It looks as though the only way I'm going to get a trading system extension is by buying one off the Teladi, and they don't trust me enough to grant me access to their core sectors, so I can't get one yet. And until I get one I can't start trading. I've now got 12 25mj shields, equipped to various beat up freighters, and as of yet nothing I can do with them, and ten freighters, 3 of them Dolphin super freighters, all of them formerly Boron.

This is getting ridiculous.

Assets
Falcon Prototype “Renegade”
4 25mj shields 2 HEPT 3 PRG 4 EBC
10 assorted freighters in various states of decrepitude
128,697 credits

[Triaxx2]

I like the idea, though I'd rethink that selling immediately on reaching the shipyard sort of thing. Nine times out of ten you've not got the credits to repair a ship on returning to the shipyard.

[Callidus Thorn]

Well since I've got NPC bailing set to allow capital ships to bail, albeit rarely, the idea was to stop me hoarding battered M6/M7/M7Ms until I could repair them. I'd originally intended to apply to rule to both capped and salvaged ships, but this is the first time I've managed to cap an Angel, so I'm only applying it to salvaged ships.

[Triaxx2]

Don't worry about it. I've been using it for a long time, and so far, I've only had four capitals bail. All M1's except for a Split Elephant. Two OWP's and a Colossus in Xenon 472.

[Callidus Thorn]

I wasn't sure how rare the bails would be, but if they're that rare then I might as well just ditch that rule completely.

*rules edited*

[Triaxx2]

Yeah, and that's with all the bail modifiers for big and huge ships cranked to the max.

In any case, I can't wait to read more.