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

"Alright. We're going to the beach!" --- [QUOTE]Zyrus II[/QUOTE] An hour before the sermon, Stanislav was buried deep in his work. The base was being prepared for any counterattack that may come his way. It was doubtful that the SDF would not try to find him now. It was even more doubtful that they wouldn't attempt to capture this outpost after his incompetent underling barely managed to capture the intruders. But he would welcome his guests with open arms, if it came to that. He wasn't stupid enough to think he could withstand any assault however. He knew full well what Sol could bring to the table. No, this base wasn't designed to withstand a siege. It was designed to strain and waste enemy resources. While they wasted time battling to capture it, he and his knights would just slip through the escape tunnels and start their campaign of terror anew. He had done this several times already and the inability for his enemies to adapt to this led him to believe that God was guiding his actions. Perhaps he was right, or it was arrogance on his part. He pondered if he needed to consult a priest over the matter. As the time for prayer approached ever closer, he stood up from the chair in his office and walked down the halls of the compound. To the left of him was the engineering wing, where the gifts from his new benefactors were being assembled and new devices were created. To the right, was the wing where his personal projects were taking form. From there is where his '[URL="http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/starcraft/images/2/23/Marauder_SC2-WoL_Story1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100814171725"]golems[/URL]' first walked the waking world. He knew that several of his knights had taken up to different aspects of his research and interests. Each exploring their own path. Sir Chandler had been adapting the battle stims to his squad, while Sir Ross had taken great interest in the machines brought to them. It didn't matter much to him. As long as they were loyal to him and to God, that was all that mattered. He stepped outside and looked to the loyal and faithful training and preparing for battle. Their resolve and zealotry filled him with pride and confidence. Whoever was coming to take his home would have to pass through the gates of Hell. --- The chapel was quiet for several minutes now. Many of the gathered there were on their knees, holding prayer beads and praying to whoever was out there listening. The air filled with the smell of holy incense filled the air. A sight that comforted Stanislav. This galaxy had turned its back on God long ago. His own kind had soon followed and yet, here they were. Men, women, soldiers, priest and believers. All refusing to turn to the temptations of those forming the many heads of the hydra they had to slay. The heresy's corruption was growing weaker and weaker by the day. With each passing moment, more and more people joined their ranks to resist. One day they would march on Terra itself. But until that day, he would be content with weakening his enemies through other means. Novitus was already feel the fear of God gripping the hearts of the unjust, it was merely a matter of time and careful planning of his next move to further bring the planet into complete chaos. But that would come later. Now he had his flock to attend to. "Today we pray for those of us who made the ultimate sacrifice. We pray for their souls to make a safe passage to Heaven. Let whatever sins they committed be washed clean and let their spirits find their eternal rest by God's side. But we also pray for those who have been ensnared into the web of lies created by those who would rule them. Innocence stolen from them and forced into heresy without them even knowing. They were undeserving of what evils befell them, but their sacrifice was needed. May God in his infinite wisdom look upon these souls and judge them worthy to enter. For they are undeserving of the cruelest of fates. No! That my children, is reserved for the liars, the thieves of innocence and corruptors that stand on their thrones of lies and misery they inflict on the righteous! Their time will come! Soon the hour of judgement will befall on those wicked demons in human form and we will banish them to Hell! To quote the saint [I]Got tell that long tongue liar Go tell that midnight rider Tell the rambler, the gambler and the backbiter Tell them that God is going to cut them down![/I]"

Karl grinned. "Sunny beaches don't sound too bad." He grabbed his loot and made his way back towards the ship. Nudging Alex jokingly Ira smiled in a flirty fashion. "Do you like bikinis or swimsuits?" Before he could answer she quickly waved at Neasha and Constantine before doubling back up the ramp.

"I'm sure it will be." responded Taylor, glancing back to Neasha, before heading towards the Muramasa II. Valk had already headed back aboard, walking ahead of Ira and the others as she was already finished with what she was doing. Soon enough, everyone had reboarded the frigate. Eve engaged procedures to depart from the carrier, and eventually the crew set out on their way. The frigate floated out of the large hangar, moving quietly away before disappearing into warp shortly after it reached a safe distance from the Aurikha. On the bridge, Taylor sent off a message to Seth, stating that the crew was on their way to Trixina. It'd take at least a few hours at the most, as they were a short distance from the resort world. In the mean time, the crew could prepare for whatever awaited them. Valkyrie found herself at work in the ship's hangar, performing a little maintenance on the crew's new tank. And giving it a few tweaks here and there to improve performance. During her work, she discovered that it indeed used a kinetic based system as its main cannon. Nothing like slinging a big fucking shell at high velocity to blow stuff up.

Seth was catching up on the news when he received the message from Taylor. The day just picked up. He looked up towards the poolside where Karina had laid down to catch a tan. Figures. She was close to getting what she wanted that she was almost going to miss it. Seth wrote a message back to Taylor detailing where exactly to land and when they would come by to greet them. After that it was only a matter of getting ready. The meeting was going to be interesting. [I]3 hours later[/I] Trixina was just a slight jump away from Rigel. It didn't take the crew long to arrive above the resort world. The Muramasa II began to descend slowly through the planet's atmosphere leading to landfall on their chosen ground. As they moved, the ship's sensors picked up that they were being flanked by two fighters, as well as one larger ship. It was the local security force doing their job, making sure nothing would go wrong. The crew was hailed by the captain of the larger ship. "Sorry to bother you folks, we're just doing our job. Our scanners are picking up your signature now and we should be leaving you alone in about...3...2...1. Yeah, you're the ship Mr. Heyman told us about. You're clear to land on dock 5. Have a nice day and enjoy your stay on Trixina!" They were free to move on from here on out to dock 5 where Seth and Karina were waiting for them along with a retinue of a few mercs from each faction. "You look ridiculous in a suit, has anyone told you that?" Karina commented on her partner's outfit. "And you looked even more ridiculous in a bikini, but I didn't say a word, now did I?" he snapped back calmly at her. "Is that why you switched back to your muscle shirt?" She shot him a look of quiet anger, but put that away quickly when the ship started descending on the landing pad. She was waiting for this meeting for a long time. The crew was now on the bright and sunny part of Trixina. [video]https://youtu.be/IvL3DWq43iQ[/video]

The vessel landed with a bit of a thud, coming to rest and powering down before the crew disembarked a few moments later. Trixina was a tropical resort world, with sandy beaches and cool near-emerald waters. Taylor had never really been to Trixina before, so it was sort of a first. Valkyrie had been twice, both while part of a pirate crew. Both had dressed accordingly for the weather and type of planet that it actually was. Taylor emerged, strolling down the ramp with Valkyrie and the others tagging behind. Taylor stepped out into the sunlight, dressed in a cropped black tank top and a pair of long, loose-fitting blue shorts. Muscles and scars from previous conflicts were clearly shown, her physique on full display. At first glance, one would have thought she were a man. She looked about, taking in the view from the landing platform before looking over towards where Seth and the others were standing at the dock. A summer suit? Really? She shrugged off the thought. Valkyrie stepped up next to her, dressed a bit more liberally in a neon green string bikini top and a pair of denim shorts. A cigarette hung from her mouth once again, as a pair of tinted shades rested on the bridge of her nose. Virtually all of her torso and arm tattoos were exposed for everyone to gawk at, along with a few on her legs. "Guessing the monkey in the suit is Seth? Who's the bitch next to him?" she asked, shifting the cigarette from one side of her mouth to the other. "Who knows?" replied Taylor. She motioned for Valk to follow, quietly strolling along in her white sandals. Both were actually carrying a weapon, tucked in the back of their shorts. A simple plasma pistol for Valk, while Taylor carried a larger kinetic pistol she had found amongst the merc weapons they had been given. It was a habit they had both acquired, as merc meetings sometimes didn't go so well. Regardless of the setting. Valkyrie slipped a pair of headphones into her ears, plugged wirelessly into the holotablet in her pocket. She was gonna enjoy her time here while she could, before they got sent off to kill some poor fuck somewhere by these other mercs. Or before the shit hit the fan here. Whichever happened. [QUOTE][video=youtube;OtXiwSCq99Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtXiwSCq99Q[/video][/QUOTE]

Markus walked up next to Valk, his rifle slung over his shoulder and carrying his duffel bag. "Ya been holdin out on me, luv" he said with a chuckle. He looked at both Taylor and Valk and focused on the latter, "Been nice workin with ya." He then looked to Taylor, "You too, cunt. Take care." he said with a wink. Markus strolled right past Seth and Karina, aiming to catch the next ship that was headed back to the Renegade Quadrant. --- Sting walked slowly down the ramp, dressed in the same cloths as before. All though she wasn't wearing her coat or buttoned up shirt, she wore her bandoliers over the rugged tanktop and her hips carried the holsters with all her four revolvers. She was barefoot, and the had tied her bandana over her head instead of her usual way of around the neck. with her dusty hat pushed back, she smiled widely, the blinding sun a welcoming sight to her desert eyes. She took a swig from her newly topped flask and then nudged Ira in her side. "What in tarnation's that there big blue field?" She said, pointing towards the ocean that could be seen waving gently in the mid-day breeze.

Karl was dressed in a pair of shorts and classic hawaiian shirt. When Markus walked past him he waved. "Take care, Ranger." Meanwhile Ira wore a blue summerdress with a bikini underneath. As Sting nudgeg her Ira smiled. "That, partner, is the ocean of Trixina. According to Karl it goes on for miles with islands dotting the surface. As close to a paradise as it can be."

Ravis was among the last to trickle out of the ship, practically blinded by the light of the summery scene after having spent so much time recovering in the medbay of the Aurikha. Rigel was bright during the daytime, but not quite so intensely vivid. And the heat and humidity, beating down on his black fur, felt like a hot, wet towel draped over his head. Having lost most of his few possessions in the wreck of the Cataract, including his other clothing, he was dressed in his company uniform. He immediately made purchasing a new wardrobe his top priority, but he didn't want to wander off alone. Instead, he pulled out an umbrella he found inside the Muramasa and deployed it for some shade before shuffling over to stand with Sting and Ira. He missed his chance to personally say goodbye to Markus, but the two weren't particularly close, anyway. He waved at him from afar. "Yeah?" Ravis said to Ira with a huff, aware that she wasn't actually talking to him. "I'm sure it's nice at night..." --- Captain Vixe was squatting on a short wall, watching the small ships coming and going out of Vostokrebh. The damage from the Muramasa crew's attack had been mostly repaired, and normal operations had long since resumed. However, the losses taken by the batakya in its failed attempt to overrun the mother ship Aurikha had left an undeniable impression on morale. Having seen so much combat during the three days leading up to that disaster, Vixe had been one of the few that had been spared the burden of combat entirely, and had been resting on the day of defeat. Without a new assignment, and no ship to report back to, the captain simply waited the entire week for personal travel to become available again so that she could take a much-needed visit home. Ryvik was also around, but the two avoided spending time together. Now that Ryvik was aware of his status as a clone, it was as if any meaningful interaction was pointless for him, as it would all be washed away. He had spent his weeks as only someone in the closing days of their life does- getting up each morning to watch the sunrise, listening to beautiful symphonic music, and observing the tiniest details of of the day around him as though they were the most important things in the galaxy. He also spent hours in his quarters, accessing any old family photographs and videos he could find on the Collective's internet, nostalgic for what he had given up along the way. Of course, there was no possibility he would be able to contact his mother and father and apologize for his behavior; that was a privilege that only the "real" Ryvik would get to experience. The authorities were very obviously monitoring his every move and keeping him totally isolated. It was only the promise of unique intelligence reserved for General Vorokar which kept him from being murdered by them. Vixe sighed. Maybe it was because of Ryvik's questionable behavior that Vorokar was taking so long to return to Rigel. Perhaps someone had already advised him that returning would be inadvisable, and that the secret information was probably just a bluff. Whatever the reason, it was cruel to keep Ryvik waiting for so long. At least, however, it was over. What Ryvik didn't know, but Vixe did, is that the general was returning aboard the Motchkir, a cruiser. She knew because it was her own ticket off the planet. Ryvik had advised the GKVR not to join the assault on the Aurikha, and they had listened. He swore to them that his release was proof that the new leadership of the company could be negotiated with, and that building a working relationship with Yanim's successors would be highly useful to the agency. He did, however, provide the batakya with loads of information about the carrier's interior, or what little he had seen. In return, they repaired and returned his armor in the condition it had originally been supplied, complete with the bomb in his chest. A technician had made a terrible mistake when speaking to Ryvik about it as well, revealing an important truth. "[Be very careful,]" he implored. "[We don't carry nuclear weaponry at this base, not even the really small stuff like this. Nobody knew what to do with it, so let them know as soon as you get off this planet that somebody needs to disarm and dismantle this thing.]" Vixe perked up after having become lost in her own thoughts. She saw in the distance a Markera Class cruiser, likely the Motchkir, descending through the clouds toward the dreary port, and jumped to her feet. --- Arkadam stood up from the navigation console as the Aurkha began its long warp toward Seloveha, which would take two more days to complete. Neasha turned in her pilot's chair. "Oh, Arkadam, are you turning in already? You've hardly said a word since the Muramasa was here earlier, and, well-" "I'm fine, Neasha," he said without looking back. "No you're not," Constantine countered, annoyed by Arkadam's aloofness. "You just left surgery this morning and you're still nothing like you were before Vostokrebh. If you're really a changed man, that's fine, but we're your friends, 'Kadam. We're here to help." "I feel like lying down," Arkadam said, finally turning to reveal eyes which suddenly looked far more tired than they did when he entered. "But thanks for your concern." He stepped through the door and into the hall, leaving the others to gossip in his absence. But as soon as he was alone in the hall, he shook off the tiredness in his face. His new Y-SX device was feeding him instructions as it interpreted subconscious desires from his damaged occipital lobe, allowing him to experience what felt like free will. The strength of the will was meant to scale with the perceived strength of his desires, but perhaps it was stronger than intended. He had to focus to keep himself from lashing out whenever his comrades annoyed him, and now that he had shaken them with the first lies he had been able to tell since his crippling, he was now alone and free to act on his greatest desire- to see his fiancee again. He set off for engineering.

Alex slowly walked down the ramp. He didn't exactly have summer clothes ready, but that would change if they stayed longer on planet. For now a shirt and shorts combo would do for him. He looked towards their future partners for a second, but didn't say a word. Amy followed down the ramp, similar to Ira, dressed in a summer dress with a bikini underneath and a pair of shades to block out the blinding sun. She practically froze in place when she noticed who was standing next to Seth. Karina Schwarzwasser, the Alpha sister's attack dog. Is this what the motherfucker meant by cleaning her debts? Meanwhile on the opposite side, the two mercenary commanders were looking at the crew as they went down the ramp. "Big one and the skinny one next to her?" Karina asked. "Probably Taylor and Blackwell. There's the Aracaan. She's going to be a wild card." Before he could say anything else, Markus strolled by them both. Not even saying a word "You don't even want money?" Seth didn't exactly care for an answer, instead he turned his attention back towards the crew. "Is that the guy from the wilderness survival show?" "I live on a jungle planet from hell, so I don't watch those. Your guess is as good as mine. Don't know who that other one is or the small one with the umbrella." "I see her now!" Karina sounded excited. She had spotted Koronova. Giving herself a haircut wasn't enough to elude them. Not when the Sisters knew her face. "Stay calm and let me handle this." Seth started to walk towards the crew, his partner following closely. "Good to see you finally make it. We were beginning to wonder if you'd show at all."

Ira glanced at Ravis with a smile. "Glad you could join us Ravis." She nodded towards the ocean. "I'm betting it's even more beautiful at night. Maybe we can rent a VTOL or something." Meanwhile Karl greeted Seth. "Hello! Karl Falksköld, pleasure to meet you Mr. Rollonso."

Sting looked at Ira with slight confusion, "What... what the hells an oh-shen?" she replied before Ravis spoke up. Putting her two arms around his shoulder she jokingly punched him in his stomach, "Looks like we gots to teach these here city boy how to live out hier in the wild. See, all yous gotta do is dig yerself down into the sand, where it's cool, cosy an the perfect place to spring on them sumbitches whos comma lookin for your liqour 'stash." she said, ending on a vindictive undertone as she fished out one of her revolvers "Oh yes, bat-boy. We'll get them sneaky sumbitches real good."

Taylor glanced over as Markus said what he wished, and walked off. Well, there he goes. Apparently couldn't wait to get away from them, just as she had expected. They stopped as soon as they met Seth and the other woman. [QUOTE]"Good to see you finally make it. We were beginning to wonder if you'd show at all."[/QUOTE] Taylor folded her arms. "If there's a chance to get our bounties called off, then of course we were going to show up. I'm Taylor Caine, and this is Valkyrie." she stated, introducing themselves as they had someone they didn't know in their midst. Valkyrie glanced between the two, placing her hands on her hips before speaking up herself. "I'm just here for the fucking money. I'm fine with the bounties I've got." Taylor cut Valk a look, before glancing to the woman next to Seth. "...Who's this?"

"Don't think anyone would be able to pay your bounty anyway." Seth looked towards Taylor"As for her. This is my temporary business partner..." "Karina Schwarzwasser." She cut him off "I'm the current commander of the Nacht Hexen squad of the Alpha sisters and Amy Koronova's handler." Her face turned to a scowl as she looked behind Taylor towards Amy "Or I was until she decided to up and leave her sisters. I just need to borrow some time with her to settle any business between us." "No way!" Amy piped up. "Taylor, I am not getting anywhere near that psycho!" Seth squeezed the bridge of his nose. It was going to be like this wasn't it? "I told you to let me handle this."

Ira chuckled. "I bet you know one or two things about making a good foxhole, Sting. Maybe you can teach the rest of us later." Karl had a concerned look on his face. He hoped that Seth was as competent as Taylor said he was.

"Amy is a member of my crew. I am her captain. You have problems with her, you talk to me." stated Taylor, glaring at Karina. "I don't care who or what you are. Pull a stunt, and I'll break you. I've had [I][B]quite[/B][/I] enough bullshit in the past few weeks." She returned her attention to Seth after a moment. "Anyway, are we gonna stand here and talk or take this somewhere else? Preferably with a bar."

"Threaten me again, captain and you will have more than the Vigil to worry about." Karina hissed out through her teeth. "Karina, that's enough!" Seth had enough of her. "Either behave or our deal is off!" It took him a second but he was calm once again or at least trying to remain calm "The hotel where we are staying at has a bar and is used for meetings like this on the regular. I suggest we just keep this between us three plus the Koronovs, while the rest of our crews take the time off and relax."

[QUOTE]"The hotel where we are staying at has a bar and is used for meetings like this on the regular. I suggest we just keep this between us three plus the Koronovs, while the rest of our crews take the time off and relax."[/QUOTE] "Right. Most of 'em need it." replied Taylor, cutting a look to Karina. She already didn't like her. And if Amy's reaction to her was any indication, she had a good reason to. Valkyrie simply shifted her stance, barely paying them any attention. She didn't care about Amy's past problems, honestly. She was looking out to the water, wondering if she could actually get some surfing in. Taylor motioned behind Seth with a wave of her hand. "After you."

Amelia quickly puts on her swimsuit and swims with all her might until she can't stand on her feet. Porter doesn't change at all as it would obviously kill him. He slowly walks into the water like it's his home, and eventually stays still with just his head poking out of the water. Amelia swims to him, and splashes some water on his face. He returns the favor by sending an incredibly fast whirlpool towards her. She gets splashed around by a torrent of water until she ends up face down ass up on the sandy beach, dizzy as hell. Porter chuckles.

"Alright, those who want to talk work, follow me. The rest do whatever." Seth left the platform, followed by those who were concerned in the matter and others who might be interested. It didn't take them long to get to the bar he mention moments before. The establishment was inside the hotel itself, with a terrace for those who prefered to have their drink outside. Seth guided the group inside, where there would be less chance of a surprise like Vulkov showing up again. Sitting down on a table, they could talk more easy when their drinks arrived, with Seth and Karina on one end and the representatives of the Muramasa on the other. "Let's clear this one out first. Karina, you told me Koronova stole a set of armor from the Sisters as well as a blueprint. You're not going to have her, let's get this straight, but you" He looked towards Amy "You want meanbitch off your back, you have to return what you stole." "Blueprints, maybe, but I can't return the armor. It's gone. Got destroyed a month ago, the captain can confirm it as well as the ship's medical records." "Have you built anything resembling it?" "No." Karina narrowed her eyes towards Amy. She didn't believe her, but if the story would check out, she would probably have very little to go on. "If you hand over the blueprints and pay for the suit, I can get sister Zwilling off your back I suppose. But I doubt you have 15 million credits on hand." The price was grossly overinflated, but she wasn't going to let the deserter off the hook easy. Amy looked to Seth "How much are you paying?" He mused for a second before answering "Around that sum, maybe more." Karina looked at him like she was going to strangle him, but he wasn't interested in her tantrums, she wasted whatever goodwill she had with him because of her outburst. "Now that we're on that topic, I should get down to it. Kids, Sol found your old man. And they want to make sure he doesn't escape to cause trouble later on so they brought me on board." "And you want to use us as bait to lure him out and trap him." Alex finished the plan for him "From one shitshow to the other. While you and your Sol buddies stay in a war room miles away. Figures." "Half-right. I'm not going to lie to you. You'll be bait for him. But so will I. Taking him down will require doing so from the inside and the Trojan method is our best bet for that. At the same time, that base is holding Sol POWs, Creed VIPs and as it's believed to be the nerve center of Koronov's current operations." he looked towards Taylor "That's where your crew comes in. I've been send reports of what you've done so far. And that was you mostly doing it alone. Nothing easy about those and same goes for this mission. But, you do it and you're home free. No UGC bounties, a nice sum of money to see you off and you get her off your back."

"Yes, the armor was destroyed. Amy was almost killed in the process, and needed synthetic skin grafts afterwards. If you need proof, take a good hard look at her skin. As for the debt, I can pay it right now. The plans, Amy can turn those over." said Taylor, swirling the orange liquid around in her drink. A screwdriver, instead of just straight vodka that she had been drinking for the past week. She glanced over towards Amy, then Karina. Then, she looked to Seth. "I'll agree to it if Amy and Alex do. This is their father, and a risk they have to take. Anyway, who all will we have helping us on the ground?" - - - - - - - - - - - - [QUOTE][video=youtube;yDf6eXu47YI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDf6eXu47YI[/video][/QUOTE] Valkyrie had broken away from Taylor and the others, heading off and renting out a surfboard. Minutes later, she was down at the beach, carrying a long silver board as she walked out and into the water. Soon enough, she was swimming, the board beneath her as she moved farther out into open water. She sat up, and looked about. The water was cool, soothing the skin as the sun beat down from above. Kind of relaxing actually. She glanced over and saw Amelia and Porter playing in the water nearby. She's like a little kid almost. She smirked a bit, before noticing a wave was starting to form. [I]Showtime.[/I]

Karina stood up from her seat. "I'll be leaving you to talk about your business and prepare to leave. It's been fun, Seth, but you have a penchant to sour the endings. Koronova, you have until tomorrow morning to present me with what I asked, because this mama bear shit won't protect you." She turned around and left in a hurry. Alex noticed she didn't even pay for her own drink. "To answer your question. You will have full support from my men and from Sol on this one. For once you'll be holding an advantage from the start. But as you said, we can't do anything without them." He looked towards the siblings. "So, what will it be?" "I'm in." Amy said almost instantly. Alex spend a minute or so thinking it over, when he made his decision, he looked at Seth "I'm only trusting you, because Yanim did. Otherwise, I would have walked a long time ago."

"Looks like that settles it, then." said Taylor, drinking a bit from her glass. She then looked in the direction which Karina had disappeared. "...she always a bitch?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked between Seth and Amy.

"Ever since I could remember in training." Amy answered. "She was practically purring like a kitten after she jumped my bones a few weeks ago, so not always." Seth commented before drinking. He then froze for a second, realising something. "The cunt tried to use me."

Having chosen to tag along for the meeting Ira remained quiet. Currently standing next to Taylor she carefully observed the expressions of Amy and Alex as the mission was discussed. As Katarina left she finally spoke up. "I can help with the mission. We could stage a bounty being dropped off." She glanced at Alex briefly before turning her eyes towards Seth. "One of the members on the team is a bounty hunter with quite the reputation, enough for the Creed to see it as legit. Have you heard of Iron?" --- Karl sat down on the sand and let out a deep sigh. It felt good being on a beach to relax, rather than film interviews for three hours straight. After running his fingers through the sand he began to sculpture a classic Human castle, similar to those of the Medieval Age.

Sting, along with Valk, had decided that the offer was good enough what ever it was and had split off to head to the beach. She was down on all six limbs, wagging her tail she hastily dug a pit for herself in the sand on the beach. After some detailing, she had a bench and leaves structured into a small roof. She leaned on the edge and watched Valk, Porter and Amelia. Taking a hearty swig from her she looked out across the soothing waves. "Ain't no way in hell it's all water, thas fo damn sure." she muttered. Taking a seat in the shade of new relaxation, she fished a small piece of paper no bigger than a stamp. She had accepted it as payment once from a terran out in the southern fringe. He had told her she should eat it when she got to a place where the land meets the water and goes on for as long as the eye can see. Shrugging, she tossed the paper into her mouth and got out of the pit to lay in the sun for a while. [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-QN0HUhdc0[/media] After a while, the colors seemed to dance vividly and it seemed as if the wind from the sea was calling her name. She righted herself up, and with lazy eyes she sat and stared out into the great emerald blanket. "hehe... [I]an ocean[/I]"

"She just used you to get to Amy too. And left you with the bill for her drink." responded Taylor. "Pretty much a bitch move." She drank more of her screwdriver, before setting the glass down. "And next time she snaps at me, I'll show her how much of a bitch [I][B]I[/B][/I] can be." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The waves came and went, Valkyrie glading along them with relative ease as she stood on her surfboard. She hadn't wiped out yet, despite having not surfed in a good year or two. She actually considered attempting a few tricks, as she waited for the next wave to arrive. She glanced up towards the sky, noticing a ship was landing at the docks that looked rather familiar. She narrowed her eyes, moving her hand up a bit to block the sun so she could see it better. Then she finally recognized it. "Well I'll be damned." she muttered. A certain bounty hunter had arrived. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [video=youtube;Mzyz2egx_0c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzyz2egx_0c[/video] "[I]But a shot in the daaaark...one step away from you. A shot in the daaaark...always creeping up on you.[/I]" sang Miranda to herself, as she adjusted a few controls on the dash. The gunship slowly came down, till it was drifting just over the landing pad that had been assigned to it. The landing gear deployed, and the gunship finally set down after a moment. She flipped a few switches, tapped a screen or two, and soon enough the gunship was quiet. All that was left was to bump the ashes off the cigar in her mouth. She did so, flicking the cigar as she held it above an ashtray nearby, before standing up. Warm weather on Trixina, so she had changed into something appropriate for the location. Jeans, a simple white t-shirt that read [URL="http://www.sstsuperstore.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/SSTMT004_750x655.jpg"]'BLACK FLAG'[/URL] in big black letters. She needed her revolver though, so she strapped it back onto her thigh as she prepared to disembark. She slipped a few extra rounds into her pocket, adjusted her eyepatch, then set off down the ramp onto the landing pad. Eventually joining her was Lex, whom was still wearing her usual attire. Standard issue Federation jumpsuit and her trench. "I swear, you have no other clothing." muttered Miranda as she glanced over towards Lex. "I dress for utility, not comfort." said Lex, looking down at what she was wearing. "Right...anyway, who are we looking for again?" "Mikhail Korobov. Smuggler. Wanted by Sol for multiple counts of grand theft. Should be around here somewhere, according to the information we gathered from one of his customers." said Lex, drawing her holotablet out of her pocket. "Well, he picked a really nice place to hide out, I have to admit." responded Miranda, exhaling a puff of cigar smoke. They began walking, heading towards the dock as Lex typed away on her tablet. Meanwhile, Miranda continued looking around. They had parked just next to a rather large frigate, which dwarfed her gunship. considerably. Who the hell owned that thing? She took note of the emblem painted on the side, simplistic in nature. Probably some PMC company. The planet was often used as a neutral merc meeting ground. Lex finally looked up as they walked. "Well, we could try one of the local hotels. Show his picture around and see if they've seen him anywhere." "Right. I'll follow you." said Miranda, with a bit of a shrug. They walked a good ways, before stepping into one of the nicer hotels. Inside, Lex asked around as Miranda strolled around a bit. She then noticed a few familiar people sitting inside the bar area. ...Ira? Taylor? She raised her eyebrows, before strolling in. "You look odd without that bulky ass armor on, you know that?" said Miranda, as she strolled over to their table. [editline]2nd December 2017[/editline] (never saw the other posts get posted. :V)

[QUOTE]She just used you to get to Amy too. And left you with the bill for her drink.[/QUOTE] "She caught me in a moment of weakness. I was out cold for a few days after a fight with the Creed and...Oh my god, that's how my brother ended up with her sister." He held his head in his hands, realizing he had made the same mistakes as Varn "I have to talk with father about this, it sounds like a genetic weakness." "Or you were just both attracted to violent psychos." Alex commented "Plenty of that fish in your pond." [QUOTE]One of the members on the team is a bounty hunter with quite the reputation, enough for the Creed to see it as legit. Have you heard of Iron?[/QUOTE] Seth looked towards Ira "He's with you? Surprised he hasn't tried to turn you in and live off of the bounty for the rest of his life. Then again" He looked towards Taylor for a second "He is one of the Mad dogs. Can't put a price on loyalty." he tried to drink again, when he heard a familiar voice behind him. [QUOTE]You look odd without that bulky ass armor on, you know that?[/QUOTE] He looked forward for a second and noticed Amy getting visibly excited. After setting the glass down he turned around to confirm his suspicions. "Is my good eye going to shit or are you really here?" Alex simply leaned a bit towards Ira "I think she might just blow your cover to him."

Ira stared blankly in an awkward fashion for a brief second before regaining her composure. She slowly turned towards Miranda. Alex whispered in her ear. [i]"Shitballs."[/i] She glanced at Taylor and made several brief, subtle, quick nods towards Miranda. [i]Abort! Abort![/i] Ira then let out a sudden laugh. "Can't agree with you more Ms. Caine, the Captain sure loves her heavy armor suits!" She said while gently elbowing Alex. --- Karl, shielded by two rows of sand walls and several impressive castle spires, also made out of sand, [url=http://www.dvorak.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/stare.jpg]stared intensively[/url] at Sting as the Human-sized scorpion lady began to mumble about oceans from her sandpit. Slowly his head descended down behind the brown surface of the sand walls.

After Sting released him, Ravis had a number of questions for her, but she quickly got busy doing other things and he was too shy and too uncomfortable to ask them. He simply nodded, laughing nervously, until she let him be. Now free to do as he wanted as everyone scattered about, he traveled the long sidewalk away from the landing pads and approached a taxi idling near the embankment. "E-Excuse me," he said to the cabbie, "know any place I can get some... swimming clothes?" The driver turned around, giving him an incredulous look. "Look around you, kid, you're at the beach. Everywhere you look, they're selling food, drinks, souvenirs, or swimwear. And sometimes they're all in the same building, with a hotel upstairs." "Uh, okay, uh, wow," Ravis said, looking up and down the long strip of colorful buildings, wondering where to even begin. "Thanks," he said sarcastically before wandering over to the largest and gaudiest of them all, the so-called Galaxy-Famous Sandy Randy's Surf Store, a towering building designed to look like a stucco sand castle. Walking past the loud outdoor speakers which were blasting old rock music, he stepped in to find the interior to be equally tacky, with fake palm trees and creaky "boardwalk" floors, a giant fountain with a waterfall, and a million different cheaply-produced but expensively-priced souvenirs all stamped with the company's logo dotting every open surface. The actual clothing was all pushed to the edges of the building, and the surfing equipment was on the second floor. "Hey, welcome to Sandy Randy's! Can I help you find anything?" an employee asked, practically ambushing the lirya with a painted-on smile. "Oh, I, uh... I need... clothes?" Ravis replied, uncertainly. "What kind of clothes?" the employee replied, excitedly. He pointed toward one of the elevated platforms to Ravis's left, and then back over his shoulder with his thumb, and then off in the opposite direction, rattling off all the different departments. "We got the branded men's up there, Sandy Randy stuff down there - hey, did you want specifically Sandy Randy-made products? They might be a little cheaper - and over there we got more branded men's but not really surf stuff, that's like collared shirts, shorts with liners, you know, the kind of stuff you'd take fishing, next to it we got shoes, flip flops, and sandals, and upstairs we've got kids sizes in case you need something with a smaller waistline - and you just might, I mean, you look pretty skinny - and that's gonna be over next to the bathrooms and that long walkway over there that overlooks everything, that's where we got more Sandy Randy shirts and hoodies and jackets, all hanging there under the handrail. We've got three sets of stairs and the elevator right over there, and customer service down in that corner back there..." Ravis felt sick to his stomach.

[QUOTE]"Can't agree with you more Ms. Caine, the Captain sure loves her heavy armor suits!"[/QUOTE] Miranda raised an eyebrow at Ira's laugh and statement. She never understood Ira's constant need to wear a mask to hide her identity. Especially when both she and Taylor didn't wear the stuff. Miranda just never gave a shit if the enemy knew her identity or not, because they'd usually end up dead or behind bars. And whatever they sent her way, she dealt with accordingly. Still, she went along with Ira's little ruse. "Yeah. She does." she said, before looking to Seth. [QUOTE]"Is my good eye going to shit or are you really here?"[/QUOTE] "In the flesh." she said, with a smirk. "How've you been, Seth? Been a while." She took the cigar out of her mouth for a moment after stepping up to the table, exhaling some smoke through her nostrils. Taylor spoke up a moment later. "Hey, mom." she said, which Miranda replied to with an affectionate "Hey, baby girl."