X Squared: Birth of a Merchant Prince (2) UPDATED

[FourFingers]

"Part One"

Updated below (broken line) -----------------------------------------

Part 2:

"Just great" Lan muttered to himself as he kept an eye on the pirate transports, he was located on the western edge of the asteroid field, away from the sector stations (no surprise there, damn the Teladi). He had this sinking feeling that he had made a very big mistake.

That feeling turned into a plummeting dive when he saw that four pirate ships were heading towards him. His HUD identified them as one Orinoco heavy fighter and three Bayamon medium fighters.

Lan checked his surroundings, the asteroid field lay only 2k away and looked like the only place he could head to if things got awkward. The stations were too far off to be of any use and the gates the same. Maybe they’re not interested in me; Lan thought to himself
“Yea right and the Split smile too much.” He muttered out loud.

Three Bayamon medium fighters with their distinctive cross shape hull, each end of the cross having the ability to mount a weapon and an Orinoco heavy fighter sometimes referred to as the spade due to its shape which was no doubt heavily armed.

Lan waited nervously for them to draw closer, hoping that they would pass by but knowing in his gut that they wouldn't. He placed himself closer to the asteroid field facing the oncoming pirate ships at an angle so his ships nose pointed towards the asteroids placing the pirate ships slightly off to his right.

The psychic ability of his gut was confirmed when he received a transmission from the lead Orinoco and a face which could only be described as villainous came on to his viewer.
The face was that of an Argon male with a beard that looked like a bristling hedge, he sported an eye patch over his left eye and had a visible white scar leading from that eye and disappearing into the beard.

Not a face to inspire confidence Lan thought to himself.

"You have the cargo? Drop it now." demanded the face, his beard adding the emphasis all by itself.

"Am ejecting the cargo now" replied Lan as he flicked through the controls and pulled up his cargo bay. There were nine containers of something which his ships internal scan could not penetrate and just came back as unidentified.
He began ejecting the first container when he noticed that a Bayamon had moved behind his ship. He assumed it was going to pick up the containers he was ejecting.
Lan then noticed the second Bayamon drifting to his bottom right, blocking his route towards the stations.

That plummeting feeling he was experience just went up several notches as Lan realised that the Pirates were not going to just let him go.

"S**t! s**t! s**t!" Lan swore, frantically trying to think what to do. He couldn't do a runner while carrying the cargo as the pirates would hunt him relentlessly and he knew the moment he released all containers he would be space dust.
He had to gamble and hope the pilots in the bayamons were nothing more then common space thugs and wouldn’t be able to carry out any fancy manoeuvres.

"What’s the hold up?!" demanded the pirate as the viewer displayed the animated hedge.
Lan started as he realised he had stopped ejecting, he looked at his readout and saw he had four containers left.

"Damn those soulless money grabbing lizards. This hunk of junk they gave is barely able to fly! Give me a few moments" Lan replied stalling for time.
"Keep ejecting" ordered the pirate, narrowing his eyes in suspicion "you will get what is due when we have the last container." The viewer went blank as the pirate cut the transmission.

Lan ejected a container and waited for the Bayamon to come closer to scoop it up, when he saw its cargo bay doors open and the shields go down Lan ejected the other 3 in quick succession. As the last container left his hold he hit the throttle pushing to max speed and pulling sharply to the left away from the Orinoco and keeping the Bayamon who was scooping the cargo, between him and the second Bayamon.

As the Bayamon was scooping up the first container the other three Lan had released floated into it causing minor hull damage, as the shields have to be lowered to open the cargo bay doors. This caused the pilot to react instinctively and pull away towards the right to avoid hitting the canisters again at the same time putting his ship in the line of fire of the other Bayamon thus providing Lan with the few precious seconds he needed to get his speed to full.

Lan shot towards the asteroid field, glancing down at his radar he saw that two of the Bayamons were in pursuit. One of them was nearing firing range; it must be the one which stayed with the Orinoco as the other one had to fly around his comrade who was now scooping up the last containers.

Lan pulled hard left as he heard the sound of purple death ripping across the intervening space between the lead Bayamon and his ship. A glancing hit from what he now recognised as particle accelerator cannons tore at his shield bringing it down to 70%.
Lan executed a barrel roll while dropping below the bayamons line of sight. He saw the purple flashes of the PACs tear through his last position as he entered into the asteroid field.

“Warning incoming missile” the ships calm voice pointed out.
“Crap!” Lan exclaimed has he pulled past the outer asteroids heading deeper into the field. The proximity alarm started ringing out insistently as the missile drew closer.

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Lan flew in between the asteroids twisting and weaving trying to lose the missile. He had to keep his speed reduced to be able to weave through the large lumps of rock and try and avoid the Bayamon which had also entered the asteroid field.
The fact that he was still alive was due to the difficulty in targeting anything with hundreds of giant rocks floating around.

Lan spotted several asteroids moving together across his right side, he pulled a hard right and flew at them twisting through the gap between them and pulling left while engaging the boost. The missile following on his vapour trail was unable to manoeuvre through the asteroids and collided with one of them sending out shards of rocks and minerals.

Lan breathed a sigh of relief which turned into a startled oath as several jarring impacts rocked his ship. "Warning, shields at critical" notified the onboard computer.
"Give me a break! It’s just not my day" shouted Lan.

He pulled the ship diagonally up and towards the left to avoid the incoming PAC fire from the Bayamon. Weaving around the asteroids prevented the Bayamon from getting a lock on his ship or being able to get a clean shot at his rear.

“You will die like all the rest, this shall be your rocky grave” the grating voice came over the comm’s.

Lan didn’t bother to reply as he had just seen what he was looking for. Banking sharply across a small asteroid he flew towards a large oval shaped one as purple bolts of plasma hurtled across his right hand side. Small jarring impacts notified him that some at least had hit his regenerating shields.
“Shields at 50%” stated the onboard computer.

To make sure he kept his pursuers attention, he opened his comm’s.
“Could you ask your mother to return my boxers? I’d get them myself but seeing as she’s so busy entertaining anything that crawls I thought I’d ask you.”

There came a strangled gurgling noise over the comm’s and a sustained burst of PAC fire racking erratically from left to right.
Lan kept his ship weaving right and left as well as dipping down and rolling to avoid most of the fire.

“Shields at 20%” the computer pointed out.

“Guess he’s a mommy’s boy” muttered Lan to himself as the oval asteroid began filling his cockpit view. As he came within 400m of it he pulled a hard right just as PAC fire slammed into his shields then immediately another hard right brushing the surface of a second asteroid which had floated to the right of the oval one.

“Warning, shields at critical”

The Bayamon squeezed down hard on the fire trigger sending out bolts of PAC fire just as the discoverer pulled a hard right. As the oval asteroid closed in, the Bayamon also pulled a hard right following the discoverer, only realising his mistake as the scarred and pitted surface of the second asteroid filled his vision.

Lan watched as the ship was unable to pull away from the second asteroid and slammed into it with an impact which shattered the bayamon into glowing hot fragments and twisted metal.

Two cargo canisters came floating out of the cloud of debris and dust which Lan then scooped up into his hold. Checking his cargo hold Lan saw that he had pick up 3 wasp class missiles.
‘About time I had some luck’ Lan thought to himself with a show of relief. The missiles would give him a fighting chance to get past the other Bayamon which was no doubt waiting outside the asteroid field.


Part 3

[FourFingers]

I just worked out what that tick thing everyone seems to have..
I thought it was something you get once you've made a certain number of posts.

I feel like im part of the family now!

[pixel]

the actions hotting up !

good stuff

you're a Raymond Feist fan?

[FourFingers]

From 'Magician' to 'adventures of Jimmy the hand'..!

The title fits the plot line!

[Moss]

I just worked out what that tick thing everyone seems to have..
I thought it was something you get once you've made a certain number of posts.

I feel like im part of the family now!

Well that explains why the old Orinoco shape is being used (i'm hoping they will be returning to X2 after a poll held awhile ago, my current favorite ship is still an Orinoco, but I hate the way it looks in X2).

Nice to see the story moving on, I am also wondering if Lans psychic ability will be a growing feature of this tale, I suspect it was just a joke, but I wouldn't mind seeing this ability improve over time.

[FourFingers]

Well that explains why the old Orinoco shape is being used (i'm hoping they will be returning to X2 after a poll held awhile ago, my current favorite ship is still an Orinoco, but I hate the way it looks in X2).

Nice to see the story moving on, I am also wondering if Lans psychic ability will be a growing feature of this tale, I suspect it was just a joke, but I wouldn't mind seeing this ability improve over time.

yea the skull shape front looks a bit out of place, hadn't actualy looked at a close up of the x2 Orinoco untill yesterday just assumed it was the old style..

Your suspicions are correct it was light humour, my paranid character (yet to appear) on the otherhand should be manifesting some unique abilities. being a spiritual race.

[pixel]

From 'Magician' to 'adventures of Jimmy the hand'..!

The title fits the plot line!

Ive just been re-reading the entire lot

[FourFingers]

Ive just been re-reading the entire lot

Damn quality books they are! I'm thinking of putting a character called Tomas in my story.. guess what ship He'll be flying..

Am playing X2 and already i want a Split Dragon!!

[Moss]

"The missiles would give him a fighting chance to get past the other Bayamon which was no doubt waiting outside the asteroid field."

The Orinoco too! or did he forget that one?

Nice chase through the asteroids.

[pixel]

nice, i like the style

[FourFingers]

"The missiles would give him a fighting chance to get past the other Bayamon which was no doubt waiting outside the asteroid field."

The Orinoco too! or did he forget that one?

Nice chase through the asteroids.

Na he didn't forget it, forgeting about a hostile Orinoco is a sure way of ending up as floating particles.

I guess he knows that theirs a bayamon outside for definate as two followed him and no doubt he's praying that the Orinoco had more pressing business else where..

[KiwiNZ]

Very nice! Good fight in the astroid field. What I didn't understand, though, was why he could not outrun a Wasp missile, as previously you wrote his Disco was speed-maxed.

Anyway, very nice read!