Starpath: Scoundrels of the Interstellar Highway - Thread 2 - Games

Frosty got up in his bed with his gaze still fixed on Jag. "...Fine. Enter."

[QUOTE]"It's good to see that you and your crew are safe at least Captain Caine."[/QUOTE] "Yeah. We did take a few casualties, but Hestia is tending to them along with your medical team. Any longer out there and we would have ALL been casualties...Did the Sparrowhawk deliver the Archive successfully?" said Taylor.

Bucky does what she's been doing a lot recently. She begins to pull the Muramasa back together with whatever help or tools she can get. She misses the days when she could hang with Valk or Janos, or when she did more than just tune engines and grav-plating. It's funny. She came out into space looking for a new life, but all she's gotten is more of the same. Head down, work harder, do everything faster. [I]Be the miracle worker you were built to be.[/I] "Yeah, just sucks when that doesn't leave you time to make friends." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hariim, for his part, drifts in peaceful lucid coma-sleep. Upon his body's incapacitation Hariim shut off his primary nerve trunk connections and retreated into his mind. He is -effectively- paralyzed and devoid of his senses. But inside, his brain is busy working away at what data he was able to yank out of the Vulture's tech. Hariim himself is... gone in a sense. Upon initiating his mad gambit, Hariim had to shift his mental state, but in such a way that is similar to walking through a one-way door. He sacrificed just a few neurons and axons in his frontal lobe to purely logical functions. In essence, he exchanged personality for processing power. If at any point Hestia scans Hariim's actual brain tissue and implant functions she will notice that his mind is not only a great deal more connected and powerful than the average cyborg's brain but that it's all been specialized either through logical progression or heuristic reaction. Hariim hasn't just augmented his body. He has [I]modified his mind[/I] when it has suited him. Amygdala activity is minimal, meaning that Hariim's baser desires, instincts, even emotions have been deadened. Worryingly, it looks like some of the cybernetic portions of this crucial part of the brain have been given over [B]almost entirely[/B] to aiding those parts of the brain that deal with problem-solving and critical thinking. He's rewired a core part of his whole brain architecture to perform better at his job! This "man" has modified his own base humanity, and in the process become something far scarier. He's become transhuman. His heart may beat like a regular person's, but then he might not need it for long. He might not need anything identifiably human for very long at all at the rate he's going.

Jag give him a subtle nod back before carefully opening the door and closing it while walk into the center of the room. "Pilot Frosty, let me apologize for my absence during your....Capture, I was within deep meditation and this individual, the one known as...Moloch..His presence, it had my mind stuck within a trance but now...I see that you bare scars of his dark arts far closer then anyone else has. I I'm again deeply sorry for my failure but with your aid. We can assuredly prevent any such circumstances from ever taking in the first place. And will be able to change the future to your favor. Just let help you, that's is all I ask."

The look on Frosty's faced turned sad for a moment as he listened to Jag. "I just don't understand. The crew had many opportunities to force Moloch back, and they let him take me away instead. I trusted these people, Jag. I had thought they would stand for me, just as we all ought to stand for eachother. I suppose this is what happens when your crew is made up of backstabbing mercenaries, greedy terrorists, and bastard convicts."

Jag took a few step closer towards Frosty, lying it's glaze onto Frosty weary face. "Our crew, has.....Let their most basic emotions of empathy cloud their judgement. While our new Captain Taylor is a strong individual, I fear that she still holds on too dearly to these....Restrictions. Nevertheless, I'll show her the path towards to being an more capable, independent individual who will in future put the many over the few. This is why I'm here, Frosty, to aid individuals like yourself. As you are my comrade, I entrust you ever time I walk out onto those fields of war to safeguard my safely, my every life is put into you hands. There is no closer bond then that of two solders. I do regret my weakness for failing you before, I will not do so again. And if fortune favors me, I will use whatever discipline I must to ensure that the crew that will fully uphold that eternal duty to their fellow brothers and sisters. That includes you too, Comrade Frosty."

"I certainly hope so, Jag. It means a lot to me that you came to tell me this, though the crew's betrayal is not all that is troubling me right now." Frosty sat up in his bed. "Were you there when Taylor allowed Moloch to join the crew? There is something even more hideous about that man other than his sole presence, and I honestly believe she is making a huge mistake letting him onboard... Would you like to know everything I saw when I came to my senses, when that man brought me back to life?"

"Of course," Jag muttered while knelling down to frosty eye level, "If I'm going to help you, then I need to know everything I possibly can about this...Individual that you can share with me, Frosty."

Frosty leaned forward a little and looked at the ground. "I apologize in advance for any hesitations... What I saw was enough that it made me never want to have my memories back, now that I know who I once possibly was. What I saw was part of my past, who I am and what kind of person I probably could have been... It was nothing pleasant. When I came to my senses, it was on this strange planet that was inhabited by this race called the Artisynth. They showed me I was one of them, that I was of the same flesh and blood as they, and that Moloch along with several others believed I was the key to giving their leader back. During my stay, I saw such horrible things..." Frosty tried to hold his composure as he described what he had seen during his time on Karbala. Though, he was getting increasingly nervous as he began speaking about CoG's ceremonies, and their sacrifices, as well as Moloch leading them. "...Moloch and other higher ranking members of my race held ceremonies where they would bring out captives and torture them, kill them, and sometimes even [I]eat [/I]them. Oh, did I mention they were also deeply religious? They held these ceremonies and rituals to appease their god, their 'Allah', their pride. They believed they were the chosen of god who were the only ones allowed to have dominion over all other life... I did free a captive they had, however. One that they were planning on torturing on the top of an altar. They weren't very happy about that..." When he concluded with freeing the captive and how one of the sorcerers smashed his face in as punishment, Frosty looked straight into Jag's face. "I don't know, Jag. I don't want my memories back. I don't want to become one of them. And I'm afraid that's what Moloch wants to do." (( going to bed here ))

[QUOTE=Infab;51305107]"Yeah. We did take a few casualties, but Hestia is tending to them along with your medical team. Any longer out there and we would have ALL been casualties...Did the Sparrowhawk deliver the Archive successfully?" said Taylor.[/QUOTE] Checkered nodded. "Both Archives are secured; sanghvi operatives on Sirgas handed theirs over roughly half an hour before the Sparrowhawk produced yours. When you have the chance, you should report to your commander. He was instrumental in helping us locate your vessel after your link with the Aurikha was severed." Meanwhile, Haz received an initial evaluation of the Muramasa's condition, and the news wasn't good. Technicians from both Argos and CoG had weighed in to their superiors on the extent of the damage, and their consensus was that, while the Muramasa might still be flight-capable, it would never see combat again without becoming a real-life ship of Theseus. With an expert eye, the Argos team had actually managed to identify the original manufacturer- Nguyen-Ride Aerospace, a truly obscure human venture which briefly produced ships during the first Kanad-Sanghvi War. Neutral states had been panic-buying warships to satisfy the security dilemma of the day, with frigates and corvettes being the most desirable patterns. The ongoing tear-down revealed stamped parts dating back to 2367, presumably the year the ship was launched. A quick search of the serial number revealed its true past: that it was commissioned for sale on Rigel to a human/khergian private security firm which went bust before its delivery, and that it sat in customs for more than two years while litigation proceeded. The ship eventually went to auction and was purchased by a citizen of Sol in 2370, with an addendum that included the ship's original name, "Ashen Star." A citation for illegal modification had been written by the Itaran Port Authority in 2375, specifying that its missile battery was installed too closely to the crew tunnels. Two years after that, the ship was reported stolen, likely by pirates. The Sol System Government later impounded the "Muramasa" in 2382, but a different, fake serial number embedded into the ship's computer managed to fool the authorities. The ship was then purchased at auction again, and a new title was issued to the Terika-Belladonna Company. The complete history of the vessel had finally been revealed, in its twilight hour. It would be able to carry the crew back to the Aurikha, but what use would it be if it could no longer sustain a fight? --- [B]Summary of the Prologue:[/B] On January 8th, 2385, the Muramasa, a ship belonging to the Terika-Belladonna Company, docked at the lunar trade port of Virtue in the Sol system. Under the directive of the company's first lieutenant, Rask Vor'Pangn, the ship took on a rookie crew and departed for the eastern border planet of Itara, an isolationist agricultural state which has recently been occupied and placed under control of the Kanad Collective's Black Fleet. Their unmet employer, Yanim Terika, supposedly awaited them there, having stayed behind from a previous mission in order to assassinate a public figure named Kupro Kupra. However, en route to the planet, the new crew was informed that Yanim had not reported on the success of her mission, and had likely been captured. The rendezvous soon became a rescue mission, and Rask was forced to lead an away team to assault a city police department in an effort to locate Yanim. By the time her location had been determined, the local authorities were already in the process of turning Yanim over to the kanads, who wished to prosecute her as a terrorist. Rask then lead the team to intercept and recover her. Meanwhile, Neasha Kyral, the company's second lieutenant, lead a ship-based crew into combat against the Black Fleet itself, helping to delay Yanim's extradition and clearing a path of escape for the crew. In the end, the new crew recovered Yanim and escaped the planet with only a single casualty, inflicting severe losses on the kanads and the native tetrian collaborators who assisted them. [B]Summary of Chapter 1:[/B] After a brief stopover at the Albitsky Asteroid Field, the Muramasa crew traveled to Prospera, a gambling Mecca in human space. Yanim had learned that the kanads were using a security agreement with the tetrians to manipulate the flow of the interstellar food trade in hopes of causing a shortage in vulnerable border states. The human factions had boycotted tetrian goods out of suspicion of this intent, but the kanads were successfully skirting regulations by selling to the human crime syndicate "the Mafia," whose throwback aesthetic shaped the resort planet Prospera into a corrupted cyberpunk Las Vegas. The crew was ordered to find a way to sabotage the F-Max Grand Prix, a major sporting event that the Mafia was attempting to fix for a massive profit. Yanim hoped that the syndicate would negotiate if brought to heel, but the reality was far messier. After bribing and assaulting key racers and Mafia figures, the crew entered its pilot, Owen Jackson, into the Grand-Prix. Owen, a former race driver, managed to pull off an upset victory despite rampant Mafia efforts to cheat the race in favor of their patsy. As a result, recently-ascended Mafia leader Donatello was assassinated, and two of his sons became rivals in a mob war. Meanwhile, Red, the mysterious Argos contact with which Yanim has worked in the past, appeared on Prospera to offer the crew a job. Richard Briggs, an YsCom official who sought war against the flagging trade conglomerate Tri-Enterprises, was due to be assassinated. The killing was meant to look like an accident, but after Tri-Enterprises' Asset Protection PMC intervened, kidnapping Briggs, the crew was forced to assault them directly and killed Briggs in the process. The crew then traveled to Mars, entering into another contract with Argos to retrieve a pair of unexplained devices from the planets Sirgas and Voyak, where war was threatening to break out at any moment. Although the crew had just saved the east from a food crisis, they would have no time to rest as they brought their guns directly to the front lines. [B]Summary of Chapter 2:[/B] By January 18th, the Muramasa had arrived at Voyak in pursuit of one of two mysterious Archives. The crew had taken a vote to decide whether the sanghvi or the kanads would be better collaborators to recover the second of these devices for Argos in a complicated quid pro quo deal, and had chosen the sanghvi. Their job was to destroy a missile defense base operated jointly by the UGC and Black Fleet forces at Dyatiq, which would signal the sanghvi on Sirgas to capture and return an Archive. The crew would then assault Yovek Airbase, a Black Fleet stronghold, to recover the second Archive. The activities of the first day ended in failure- Frosty, the crew's resident starfighter pilot, was shot down over the planet's capital city, and two away-team members, Amy and Valkyrie, were taken out of action during an assault on Dyatiq which was ultimately aborted, and which required Yanim to hastily purchase another ship and crew to rescue the first. A second away-team, meant to recover Frosty's body, instead encountered a strange mystic named Moloch, apparently belonging to Frosty's unknown race who had recovered the body instead, and restored it to life. After bringing this stranger back to the Muramasa, a standoff between Captain Yuga Shuur and Moloch resulted in a crew mutiny and Yuga's replacement with Taylor Caine, a human mercenary. Meanwhile, Rask used the opportunity to increase his power within TBC, becoming the operational leader in charge of the Muramasa's mission while Yanim was busy courting buyers for the company's new weapons division. Rask worked with Checkered to develop a new plan: the crew would use airstrikes to disable key radar stations around Dyatiq which would leave the base unable to distinguish a real attack from a false one. The new sister ship, the Cataract, would carry out the false attack. This plan required special bombs produced within the capital's industrial district, which were driven out in a dangerous high-speed chase on the freeway. After the crew's harrowing escape from authorities, they learned that the Archive at Yovek had been stolen. The thief was another human mercenary, Jason Bradley, fresh off the allied ship Sparrowhawk, whom had been captured by the Black Fleet while attempting to locate the Muramasa crew in search of a new job. Jason escaped imprisonment and stole the Archive after overhearing of its importance. The Muramasa crew thus only had to rescue Jason to recover the Archive, but this was no small task as he had attracted the fury of the Black Fleet preemptively. The crew achieved this aim and then bombed the radar stations, successfully executing the arrangement made with Argos. Upon fleeing the planet, however, the crew was attacked once more, this time by the Death Vigil, which also wished to obtain the Archives. However, despite practically destroying the Muramasa, the Vultures weren't able to locate the Archive, as the device had been handed off to the Sparrowhawk for delivery in a shell game gambit. The crews now return to their leaders, aboard the massive carrier Aurikha, which had been gifted by Argos as partial payment for the operation. Things have changed- Yanim is secretly suffering from a terminal nerve disease which had previously urged her toward violent acts, but she can no longer bare the immense guilt that her decisions have leveled upon her. Rask views her as a liability, and wishes to be rid of her. The crew has suffered immensely from poor leadership and lack of resources, and the ship has been torn to hell. All of these critical factors have converged as a result of the great rush to recover the Archives, and yet no one within the company knows exactly what they are... But they will, and soon. [B]Chapter 3[/B] [video=youtube;tFyLe-LXyiw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFyLe-LXyiw[/video] Rask shuddered as he received word of the crew's survival. He wanted to run the company, even if it meant disposing of Yanim in the near-future. But that would be pointless if there was no company left to run; the mission was all-important. Besides, if Yanim had awoken to news that the Muramasa had been destroyed and the Archive lost, she might have tossed him out of the airlock. Rask didn't like his odds of winning a fight with the Boss himself... he might be able to win, but anything involving a chance of death greater than one-in-ten was no good. ...And Frosty was back. [I]Good,[/I] Rask thought. [I]Maybe the return of our prodigal son will distract from how close things came to total failure.[/I] He sat back in his chair and felt an enormous weight slide off his shoulders. He could rest soon. --- Ryvik sat in the seat of his shuttle craft, rocketing toward the northwest quadrant. Having a tip of the Aurikha's whereabouts, he was certain that Yanim was operating from a distance, at Seloveha, in direct contradiction to Black Fleet reports that she was present on Voyak. He correctly ascertained that her rumored presence was merely bait to help her team in its mysterious but sinister goals. However, he had taken too long to depart Mars; by the time he would arrive, Yanim and the Aurikha would be long gone, and no one from SULP was about to give him details about the wanted fugitive Terika... But there was another lead which weighed on his mind: another report of the doppelganger which had helped cause chaos on Spirra. This time she was seen on Prospera. A better photograph of this impostor's face was beamed to his tablet, and he was disturbed by the similarities to his sister's familiar features. Did she have a clone made of her at some point? It would certainly complicate matters. Until he had finished investigating his best lead, he couldn't devote any of his attention to it, so Sargeant Zhesid would be in charge of finding her. It could be difficult, however, now that the Madness was nearly over. The Black Hats were nearly wiped out, and so less deals could be brokered for information. Ryvik shook himself out of thinking about it; there were more important things to think about. For example, what sort of deal could be made with the King of Seloveha? As Ryvik understood it, he was dealing with a sort of rebellion on his planet, and was willing to compromise- fertile ground for the expansion of kanad influence... ((Send me your stat updates via PM.))

Vakarus opened his eyes. He started to look around the medmay and could immeadiately feel his entire body ache. However aside from the pain caused by his injuries, which he ignored, he could sense a evil mind. He sensed the crew, Yuga and Jag in particular, but he could also sense the heretic and his poisonous presence. [I]"Heretic!"[/I] The Vakr warrior flew up from his bed and grabbed his staff. He rushed past Hestia and out from the medbay. Blue psionic energy pulsated throughout his body and caused the energyblades on his staff to look like they were burning. Vakarus marched past Yuga's and Frosty's room with heavy steps and stopped outside Moloch's door. With a armored fist he knocked three times.

Jag let out a sign from it's neck as it looked down on Frosty, knowing that the soft-carbon had suffered much during it's tour on this twisted world of 'Karbala'. "Frosty...Thank you for telling this, I'll make sure to keep my glaze over this 'Moloch' individual for the time being. Making sure this individual does not compromised you, the crew or our mission during his time aboard this void vessel. But alas, You must remain ever vigilant in the face of this individual's efforts as they seemed to focused around you, Frosty."

Yuga walked out with her into the corridor with her coat on her shoulders, cap clipped to her belt and steadying herself on the scabbard. She limped towards Vakarus, "I would spare my energy if I were you, Va'un. It appears the crews newest employee is not in his quarters. And confronting him will accomplish nothing, Caine has already allowed his presence on this vessel and participation in operations." she said with a neutral tone. She walked past Vakarus towards the cargo bay, "Walk with me. We have matters to discuss."

"I'll try, Jag. But it's not looking good right now." Frosty turned away from Jag and covered himself in his sheets. Janos' message appeared on his datapad, and he decided to read it before he resumed his nap. 'To hell with him.' he thought. ---------------------------------------------------- Moloch was standing around in the cargo bay, looking at all the many things the crew had. Several things were unorganized, and since he's more than likely going to keep coming back in here, he may as well spruce the place up a little. He was spending his time trying to organize everything, with special treatment going to medical supplies, stacking them near the door so he could quickly take them.

Vakarus looked at Yuga then back at the door. He took a deep breath and calmed down. "Naturally, Yuga'ayrin." The Vakr warrior left the door and followed Yuga. "What matters needs tending?"

Yuga walked with Vakarus by her side, "I shall depart as soon as we make port. If you are to come with me, I suggest you refrain from further dabbling in these current affairs as they are only a distraction." As they entered the cargo bay Yuga noticed Moloch and frowned, "He is of their concern now. And like I have informed you, individuals akin to him pay their debts in due time." She turned to look up to Vakarus, "The people who gave you this opportunity seemed to have strayed from their intended path. Association with them have nothing more to offer you. If you intend to take me up on my offer is entirely up to you and I have taken the liberty to transfer some additions to your finances. 20 million galactic credits to be exact. Though I am afraid that you will need more than currency to mend the rifts your past has created." she explained in a formal but familiar way. She motioned for Vakarus to follow her as she headed for the cargo ramp.

Moloch noticed the two blue-skins enter the bay. [I]"Greetings, [b]captain[/b]."[/I] he said with quite a clear mocking tone.

Vakarus nodded and bowed. "I am most grateful, Yuga'ayrin. I can assure you that I will not dishonor your house or family. I intend to repair all damages I caused in the past." The Vakr warrior ignored Moloch completely and continued to folllow Yuga.

Taylor reboarded the Muramasa as the repairs were being conducted, passing Moloch and Yuga/Vakarus as she headed first to armory to change out of her armor. Then, she headed to her quarters, where she grabbed a shower, then changed into more comfortable clothes. Next, she hunted for János. She needed to know more about this 'Moloch' person so that she'd know who she was dealing with. Frosty would be next, as she needed to know what happened to him after Moloch took him.

Moloch, not intent on leaving Vakarus out, also spoke a greeting to him. "Greetings to you as well, blue one."

"I'll let you be then, Frosty." Jag said while turning it's glaze over to the doorway, taking a few steps out of his room. "Just tell me when you need to talk again, Frosty." Jag said before departing fully out of his quarters and into the hallway.

Vakarus looked at Moloch. "Stay out of our way, heretic."

"[I]Do not worry, I had no plans to interfere with your business. And do [B]not [/B]call me a heretic. That's not nice.[/I]"

Yuga looked at Vakarus, raising an eyebrow. She then turned towards Moloch, squinting with a feigned friendlyness, "I'm surprised you would recognize proper authority on this vessel. Can I be of assistance to you, zealot?"

[I]"Oh, nothing. I merely wanted to express my greetings to you and your my crewmember here. By the way, thank you for allowing me to depart with my friend's body. Thanks to the crew's and your efforts, he now gets to live another day. I have not expressed to you my gratitude yet, have I?"[/I]

The repairs were going smooth. The ship was starting to look like its old self again. Alex had spend some time looking around, observing the repairs in the armory. He couldnt shake a feeling though. Something about Frosty seemed off. Like something was eating him. Maybe he could do something for him. What do they do in the holovids in these situations? Play a sport? Could work. Sparring might no be the best choice given his condition. He went to the gym area and looked through whatever sports equipment they had. Well this could work. After a few minutes Alex knocked on Frosty's door and opened it. Holding a football. "Hey buddy. Wanna shoot some hoops?"

Frosty unburied his head from the sheets to look at Alex. Then at the football. "Alex, I don't think you [I]'shoot hoops'[/I] with a football. That's not how I remember sports, at least. Either way, I'm not feeling well right now. Could you come back later, please?"

Yuga furrowed her brows, "Spare me the lecture's, Heretic. Perhaps it be in your interest to adjust your attitude, I hear you are not particularly liked with the crew." she said with a more stern but still neutral tone.

[I]"That much is indeed clear to me and I have planned accordingly, but apparently it was not clear with you. Otherwise, you would still be the captain."[/I] snarled Moloch in response.

"Well, I never got to play with any of the other kids growing up, so I don't know. But if you are feeling like shit, I'll let you have your rest."