[QUOTE]"Captain, this is the away team. We 'ad a uhhh...situation on the dropship. That Wilson fella got wasted proper by one o' them cloakin' cunts. Tell the boss we got our new employee on board as well as this bloody box o' hers. An' ya better tell 'er that this payout 'ad better reflect the fuckin' workload, a'right?"[/QUOTE]
"I know, I know...Mad broadcasted the whole thing to the Muramasa." she responded back. Another fucking casualty. And one which could have been avoided. Fuck. She shook her head before switching comms over to the Cataract to inform their captain of their loss. At least Jag gave that commando what was coming to her.
After informing the Cataract's captain of Wilson's death, she switched to communicating with Rask. "Sir, we have Jason and the Archive. We lost Wilson, the dropship pilot, to a commando. Yuga and Vakarus are down, but are being treated in the medical bay. Amelia is standing in at the guns, and Alex is standing in at navigation. Proceeding to finish the Op."
Hariim gets the dropship on track as best he can. He tasks a daemon to run diagnostics on the dropship, just to make sure the commando's bullet didn't hit anything else vital. While he's at it, he links into the Muramasa's systems and sensors to make sure their flight path is clear.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucky has crashed. After continuously working so hard for so long, she took over a table in the remains of the mess hall and ate about twice of what a normal human might call a large meal; she now rests in a food coma while her processors convert the food into energy and usable materials. She ought to be awake in a few hours, but for now, she is dormant.
Rask sat alone on the Aurikha, his hand gripping the exposed side of his head which was throbbing with an intense headache. The operation was extremely messy and he would soon be fielding complaints from both Captain Sharpe and Yanim for all the repeated, unnecessary mistakes. Well, they were more than [I]just[/I] mistakes... People died, after all, but disregarding any respects for the dead, Rask knew he was going to have to answer for those poor decisions before the bodies were even cold. He didn't think it was fair, since he had only provided the tactical outline of the mission, and had no involvement in picking the targets. It was the crew's idea to attack the Batakya instead of the sanghvi, and all this suffering was the natural result of that decision. At every step, the crew - those reckless, unprofessional nobodies - chose the most difficult, reckless, and least rewarding options available, and then dumped it into his lap with the expectation that Rask would make things work.
He snapped out of his train of thought, remembering that Taylor had just contacted him. Taking the comm in hand, he replied, "I hear you," before taking another long pause to consider whether he even had anything of value to offer in the way of advice. "The sanghvi are attacking the planet now, keh. Those missiles could be launched at any moment, so get a move on. You know what you're doing." He shook his head. So what if some people died? They could be replaced, no matter what Yanim seems to think. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if a few of them quit their jobs at TBC after this mess, and what do you do with quitters? You replace them. On the other hand, Yuga was among the seriously wounded, and given that she was practically the only one on the Muramasa that held any value to the company in Rask's eyes, he sorely hoped he wouldn't need to replace [I]her.[/I]
[quote]Rask, this is Sharpe. We've lost Wilson, and I'm about ten seconds from voiding out our contract, understand me? I sold you my ship's services, but I'm not a butcher, and my crew aren't just pieces of meat. I should have spoken up when Rey ended up in the medbay...[/quote]
Rask spaced out as the Cataract's captain berated him. This never would have happened if the crew had just stuck to the sort of business TBC was best at- piracy, sabotage, and bounty hunting. It never would have happened if Yanim hadn't given the crew the freedom to pick their enemies when such a choice made such a huge difference to their survival chances. It was suddenly clear to him that while he had been made a leader in name, he wouldn't truly have the power to salvage the company's criminal future, the only future it was ever entitled to, unless he were to take full control. No more sitting idly by as Yanim further stretched the company's resources into matters it had no business dabbling in. No more "galactic revolution."
Rask replied, coldly, that Wilson would have proper burial arrangements. Stretching out his back, he quietly imagined removing "Terika" from the company's name at some point in the near future.
---
In fact, Yanim was awake, but just barely. Lying in her bed, she tossed and turned with the fear of death's specter reigning over her. She said a prayer to no one in particular, asking for years with which to work toward her evolving goals, years with which to find peace that she had never known. If there were only months left, what could she do with them? She explored many possibilities in her head. She imagined developing some new type of bio-augmentation, one which would never degrade like all the rest... But if she were to fail, would there be any time left to make amends with her lost friends or family? She also imagined a suicide mission- plunging into the atmosphere over Ébo city on Kanadys and slamming a stripped down ship straight into the High Council itself, just like she had done with a remotely-piloted ship on Zeruel two years prior... She shook herself, as the thought was ridiculous and childish. She was sick, and so in all likelihood she would just die in her bed, but every fiber of her being resisted the horror of such an end.
And then there was the company. Time was running out to turn it around, and despite her desire for personal redemption, she couldn't devote herself entirely to those matters without first addressing the leviathan monster she had created with Harken Saw's money. It was set to grow into something great and sinister unless she were to commit it to a path of reform, not just in theory, but in earnest. But there was no expertise to draw from; if she wanted a company motivated to do good, she needed people who were the same way, and Rask was practically the opposite. Neasha was good-hearted alright, but when had she ever been motivated to do anything? Perhaps she should strip the company down before attempting to build it any further.
She reached her conclusion. The future of Terika-Belladonna lie not in her hands, nor Rask's. Her task, the one which she would need to address in whatever time was allotted to her, was to find and empower someone better than herself. The dream of galactic liberation still twinkled in her mind's eye, but for once and for all, she realized that it was not her destiny to carry it out.
---
There was a strong wind, kicking a flurry of snow into a vortex which settled all over Ryvik's clothes as he leaned against the railing near the parking lot. A dozen vehicles, some wheel-based and others meant for flying, decorated the pavement with the bright colors of human consumerism. Reagan, his assistant on Mars, emerged from the diner with a pair of black coffees in to-go cups.
"Has the call come through yet?" she asked, setting the drinks down on the handrail before taking out a cigarette and lighting it. Ryvik barely looked up from his comm device.
"The general's busy."
"You said that an hour ago."
"And it's still true. He has a lot on his plate. Things have been getting... difficult... for our project." Reagan gave Ryvik a skeptical look, prompting him to explain: "See, we operate under the auspices of Vizier Yredik Rozel. He's the one in charge of the government, but the legislators in the High Councilcan cause all sorts of delays and budget cuts if they're united well enough. And, well, we've got this problematic Councilor, Bikrata Vor'Pangn-"
"A troublemaker?"
"Exactly. But she's a popular one- the Vor'Pangns view her as their senior representative, and she's got clout with trade unions all over Kanadys. Even the lowbloods love her, because she pays them lip service... anyway, she's been calling for an inquiry into General Vorokar's office because he's one of the newer generals and he's been spending a lot of money on a handful of cases, especially mine."
Reagan smiled as she took a sip of coffee, helping to stave off the chill of the Martian north. Korolev Station was beautiful at night. "In that case, I'm glad I already cashed my check," she joked. Ryvik didn't react, and so the smile disappeared from her lips. "So what's going to happen, anyway?"
Ryvik shrugged. "We sent an agent to her home today. It apparently went bad; I don't have the full story, unfortunately. So now the Council is calling an emergency session, and, I assume, the general's there to testify."
"Are you worried?" Reagan asked. Ryvik took a long time to respond.
"...Yeah." For a while, the two simply stood and drank coffee, while Reagan occasionally took a long drag from her cigarette. Finally, Ryvik broke the silence again. "You know, he's like a father to me."
"Who? ...The general?"
"Yeah," Ryvik said. "I didn't really know who I was until he found me. He's taught me, given me tools to succeed in life. My real father never did that for me. I was struggling because no one could show me how to be an adult. Maybe that's the big difference between me and my sister. She didn't have a good role model to take after."
Reagan rolled her eyes, bored by Ryvik's rambling. The latter could sense her waning interest and broke free from melodrama. Standing more upright, he adjusted his collar.
"That's why I'm worried, anyway. I don't think the general deserves this sort of harassment, and I don't want to be reassigned. I want to finish this job."
---
At the center of the dark chamber, the holoprojector recreated the events which had taken place earlier that day. Bikrata, followed by three lowbloods from the Municipal Custodial Services, were walking through the luxurious halls of the Council Resort, home to the most elite political figures on kanadys. The hired muscle and the drone which was filming the whole incident were gathered in response to a tip from building security which warned the councilwoman that someone had paid a bribe to enter the building illegally. She had been waiting for this moment.
The door slid open, and the figures disappeared into the shade as they entered the private compound. There was a sudden shout, the sound of toppling furniture and broken glass as something fell from the wall, and then, the hologram went bright, as someone had finally turned on the lights, revealing a chaotic scene- a Blackjacket from the GKVR, being held down by the garbage collectors as Bikrata stood nearby, her old and bony hands clutching a boot jack as an improvised weapon.
"[As you can see, my esteemed colleagues, I have taken every precaution to ensure that State Security's attempt to intimidate me was recorded in full, so that there can be no denying it.]" Bikrata, sitting at her desk at the edge of the circular chamber, crossed her arms as the hologram flickered away and light returned to the chamber. "[As we have seen many times in the past, the inner workings of the SS are often a mystery, consuming vast resources, producing few tangible benefits, and bullying those who dare to ask questions. I present to you, General Vorokar Vor'Pangn, regretfully of my own kin, who may possibly embody those ill traits better than any other ranking officer of the third bureau.]"
"[The unlawful entry into your quarters is unacceptable,]" Vorokar replied from a seat closer to the center of the room, reserved for guests of the council, "[however, I did not order, nor can it be proven that I ordered, that man to be there.]"
Councilor Ryagakh Rozel spoke up, "[this is not an arraignment, General Vorokar-]"
"[-as if you had the right-]" the general interrupted.
"[-nevertheless,]" Ryagakh said, raising his voice, "[the aim of this council is to weigh the validity of a full inquiry, including audit and subpoena [I]on suspicion[/I] of misfeasance or, as this video certainly suggests, malfeasance in the line of official duty.]"
"[And I would remind you,]" the general countered, "[that if such an inquiry were to produce evidence that you deem worthy of charges, that the High Council is specifically forbidden to press said charges against an officer of the GKVR unless expressly granted permission to do so by the Vizier.]"
Bikrata spoke again, "[Sir, if such evidence is found, this council would be likely to act in unison regardless of Vizier support, whatever avenues of action that entails.]"
"[Madam, we are at war.]" Vorokar replied, smugly. "[Should you take action which threatens the citizens of the Collective in a vain attempt to compel the Vizier to hold an officer of the law accountable for minor transgressions-]"
"[We are at war,]" Bikrata declared, "[which is exactly why the Vizier would know better than to challenge the combined authority of the Council on this issue, as our support is critical to the war effort. Consider your own contributions and tell us you are confident that the Vizier will support you to the point of detriment-]"
Vorokar slammed his palm against the desk, "[who are you to declare the value of my contributions? The rebels I seek to capture have the potential to turn battles against us, my dear. And when we lose enough battles because we cannot control the flow of subversive elements, we will lose the war, mark my words!]"
Sevrig Sidikan, the senior of his clan, stood from his wheelchair for the first time in months at the council chamber to chastise the general- "[and who are you to declare yourself unique and irreplaceable? I've known ten men who have held your position in my years, and at least five who were more proficient and less arrogant, by far!]" The councilors backed up the elder, jeering at the general, when an envoy interrupted the proceedings.
"[If you will pardon the interruption - excuse me - pardon the interruption... the sanghvi have landed forces on the ground on Voyak. The UGC is spearheading defense of the planet but we're receiving reports of major sabotage. Defenders are saying that our anti-siege weapons facilities are less than 40% operational, with Kimo, Cratag-Latahg, and Dyatiq missile bases having been attacked and neutralized by foreign elements.]"
"[It sounds like my services are needed somewhere else,]" General Vorokar grumbled. "[Would you be so kind as to not waste my time any further?]"
"[Your services were needed before the sabotages occurred, General,]" Sevrig replied, sitting down slowly. He pointed to the envoy. "[Young man, I'm assuming you just came from the headquarters of the Black Fleet,]" he said, to which the envoy nodded. "[With such weakened defenses, what is their recommendation?]"
---
The Muramasa landed briefly in the desert just outside of Vohmdash. While the crew assisted Bucky in setting up the final repairs which would prevent the numerous holes in their ship from leaking atmosphere once in space, the two other ships and the dropship Cascade all landed nearby. In the process of exchanging crewmembers once more, returning Wilson's body to the Cataract and so on, the sky above suddenly erupted into a dazzling, if not unnerving display of lights and sounds, like fireworks, ringing in the end of the world. The UGC, the kanads, and the sanghvi were at war once again, and Voyak was the very first battle of what would soon become a historically bloody conflict. The Black Fleet, which had devoted so much in the way of resources to stop the Muramasa crew now blatantly ignored the impromptu powwow of mercenary ships in the desert as they charged against the real enemy in the skies.
The ground was literally thumping with each impact as sanghvi kinetic weapons, barely the size of refrigerators but traveling at massive speeds, were destroying entire city blocks in Vohmdash from orbit. UGC and kanad missiles intercepted some, but not all, of the landing vessels which streaked through the sky toward innumerable destinations. The largest missiles in the region, those housed at Dyatiq, had been wasted- shooting at the ghosts created by the Cataract, obligated through a lack of vision, all thanks to the Muramasa's firebombs. From the point the ships left the site of Jason's stand on the hilltop, the crew had been working in an almost trancelike state of autonomy, and Amelia could barely even remember pulling the trigger on the firebombs that destroyed the vital tracking stations used by Dyatiq.
It was also impossible to know how many civilians would die because of the lack of those weapons, but now, under the blanket of war, the crew received confirmation that the bargain had been upheld.
[quote]Muramasa, this is Checkered- the sanghvi have recognized your contribution at Dyatiq and are proceeding to deliver the second Archive to us. We will be wiring you your reward shortly: 5 Billion credits.[/quote]
It seemed like a lot of money at first, but then the crewmembers, those who weren't too shell-shocked to do the arithmetic, began to realize that the money would need to be split up among about 30 crewmembers across two ships, with some money taken out for extensive repairs and medical expenses. The company itself would be taking some off the top, too. By the end, each crewmember would be taking home roughly 120 million credits. Still, this was nearly double the pay they received from the Prospera mission.
The best news was yet to come, however:
[quote][B]INTERGALACTICA - SHOCK AS UGC/KANAD FORCES CALL FOR VOYAK EVACUATION[/B]
Just hours after a show of unity which was broadcast around the galaxy, the UGC and the kanad High Council have approved a plan for general civilian evacuation of Voyak, a total shock to the international community. According to the joint statement, "Voyak has been chosen by the so-called Sanghvi Mantle as the battlefield on which their motley force will perish decisively. Because of the intensity of the expected confrontation, civilians must evacuate to a safe distance." Military experts have contacted INTERGALACTICA with skepticism regarding the situation, claiming that Voyak was not designed to be defended in this manner. Some go as far to suggest that this move indicates a major change in strategy from the kanad perspective, and could signify major shortfalls in the original defensive parameter around the border planets.
The UGC, Black Fleet, and other contracted forces will be coordinating the evacuation over the next three days, beginning with urban areas and then fanning out into the countryside.[/quote]
[video=youtube;URjX4Fye1Pg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URjX4Fye1Pg[/video]
Toothache had to be dragged into the Cataract before liftoff, as he had become a blubbering mess, so happy to know that his children would be airlifted out of Vohmdash. He didn't believe he would ever see them again, but just knowing that they might have a chance to grow up somewhere outside of the cesspool he had grown up in, it gave his heart wings.
Rask confirmed to the crew that their money was being passed through minutes later, as the ships began to take off once again, planning their route through the mess of orbital combat. As planned, the Sparrowhawk took possession of the Archive, and chose to waive any payment from TBC in exchange for free repairs aboard the Aurikha, once the ships reunited. This was planned to take place in Ayr space the following day. The engines thundered as they climbed above the rainclouds, the darkened wasteland around them disappearing into the haze. It was a clear night above the foul weather, the stars shining brightly and hopefully. Any one of them could prove to be a new home for the refugees, as it was obvious, even without Toothache saying so, that no rational living thing would ever consent to returning to Voyak if it has experienced living somewhere else.
And minutes after that, the ships had joined the stars up there. They were so small and inconsequential, it seemed, compared to the massive ships which were pummeling each other for the sake of capturing a worthless and polluted rock. They left it all behind.
[B][Mission Complete][/B]
Meanwhile on the Death Vigil stealth operative[URL="http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/masseffect/images/1/11/Mass_Effect_Normandy_SR2.png/revision/latest?cb=20091227112049"] ship[/URL], "Starving buzzard". The Vulture crew were preparing for their mission to retrieve a package requested by the Executor. The nature of the operation was different from the usual stealth ops, as it required an assault on a military base. For this reason, Archangel had requested that his team be trippled in size to secure victory. The ship itself was large enough to house 30 men of the vulture squad and the maintainece crew, while 3 of the Death Vigil fighters, scythes, were providing support.
"Hey uh, Arch. Got a message. It's from the "Executor's man" and it's about the package." Specter spun around in his pilot chair. "Package is moved. And not where we want it. Strike team is sent to retrieve it. Failed. Package is no longer obtainable. Proceed to plan B. Sending you information on your target now." The last part he said while looking at his commander with the same look he's been giving him ever since the asteroid base. A combination of annoyance and frustration and a bit of smugness somehow. "What do we do now, fearless leader?"
Archangel looked over the new information and looked at his crew. "Looks like we're switching gears then. Alright, gather up. And listen to what Papa Gabe has to say for once!"
Specter was surprised by that last part. "Did you just brake your name rule?"
"Yes, I did. I need to make sure you pay attention to this. Now perk up your ears and keep that black hole of inteligence you call a mouth shut!" With that he turned to the rest of the Vultures. "Alright listen up. The intial plan to infiltrate the base and secure the package is out the window. So here is what we're gonna do. We proceed with plan B. We dont know who these people are. We just know that they are working for one of our enemies. We'll find that out later. The plan is as follows. Under the executor's instructions, we are going to retrieve what is rightfully ours and in the process, give our enemy a bloody nose. Not a crippling hit, but a blow that will demoralize them. Whoever they are, they will carry that message back to their supperiors and on and on."
Specter began to rubb his temples as the instructions were given out to him. "Give them a bloody nose? The fuck is he thinking? Just hit them and wipe them out! What are we supposed to do? Just harras them with strafing runs?"
Archangel continued like he was uninterupted. His robotic voice becoming more and more 'human' as he continued. "That means there will be no killshots. Aim to wound and maim. But don't kill! Well, maybe kill one or two. Put the fear of God into them! Make them regret they stole from us! Remind them that their lifes can end at any moment and that we chose to let them live! Plant that idea into their heads. From this day forward, we decide if they live or die!" The men on the ship had gathered around their leader. Listening intently as he raised their spirit. By the end of it, each one was ready for battle. Ready to strike on command. "Now, vultures 1 to 15. You're with me. 16-20. You're on ship duty or reserves, should the unlikely happen. Scythes, I want you to keep your distance and cripple the ship's engines when ordered. Specter, I don't want a repeat of that asteroid. When I give the command. You. Hit. Them. Understood?" Specter nodded. "Good. No hesitation."
Specter spoke up. "Yeah I get you, what is this thing anyway? You havent said a word about it."
"That is on a need to know basis. You and the rest of this team-"
"-dont need to know. I get it." He spun back in his position. "I'll just sit here and make sure we don't end up as space junk. Aproaching target in 3...2...1..."
[video]https://youtu.be/bfskFravnWM[/video]
The ships exited hyperspace as they came near their target. The ship known as the Muramasa. Archangel observed the ship as they were getting closer. He was unimpressed with what he saw. Or he would be, if he had genuine emotions. These are the people that stole the Archive? He continued to observe the ship. Trying to calculate all the possible ways that this crew could surprise them. There was one last bit of information he needed in order to decide. "Specter. Open up a communications channel. I want to speak to the captain. Maybe get them to surrender"
"Are you for real? What was that speach back there?"
"Don't question me. Just do what I tell you." Specter begrudgingly did what he was told. After a few moments a message requesting contact with the Muramasa was send. Lets see if they would answer.
Maddox sat down at the bardesk and sighed before opening up a bottle of good ol' terran whiskey alongside a smaller bottle of tequila which he then mixed into a small glass.
"Cheers, Wilson." He said as he raised the glass before drinking the shot.
Maddox grimaced. "I had forgot how heavy this stuff was."
[quote]Meanwhile, within the Foxglove Region.[/quote]
A pirate vessel witnessed something impossibly [I]massive [/I] creep around within an asteroid field right outside the no-go zone. Wanting to check out whatever it could be, it made it's way past all the space debris in the area towards it.
"Boss, I'm telling you! It's no SDF ship! It got no SDF markings or nothin'! SDF ain't got no business bein' out 'ere anyway!"
"It sure looks a bit different, but I ain't taking any chances! Get our guns on them, now!"
"Boss, wait! He tellin' the truth! I got their signal right here! Get an ear of this now..."
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvINn-qsg4o[/media]
"Sure don't sound like no tongue I ever heard, boss."
"Hmm..." The pirate captain thought to himself. "Keep our guns pointed at them, but bring us in closer. If they aren't SDF, then I think I would like to have a little chat with these folks."
It wasn't until they pulled in close to this mysterious thing, which turned out to be [url=https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/51361672/Shaitan.png]CoG's flagship[/url], did they realize just how massive this vessel was. However, their captain was still eager to talk to them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the area surrounding Artisynth space, where their territory ended and pirate space began, the Shaitan glided out of the dark and into the light as it prepared to warp towards Voyak. Moloch patiently watched as the countdown to warp steadily decreased. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. [B]2[/B]. [B][I]1[/I][/B]...
But nothing happened. The Shaitan didn't warp anywhere. CoG's flagship remained there out in the open, putting them at risk of discovery. One of the bridge crew stood from his seat. "Ah... Lord Moloch?"
Moloch, annoyed that someone or something dared interrupt him take Frosty to his friends, slowly but surely placed his hand under his hood and gently onto his face, rubbing it firmly.
"[B][I]UGH!! WHAT... is it?[/I][/B]"
"A nearby vessel wishes to speak to us. It appears to be a pirate ship of sorts. Do we respond?"
"[I]Only if I am able to make this as short as possible. Open up communications.[/I]"
On the screen was [url=https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/51361672/Samalsh.png]the infamous Captain Gobukhan[/url], displayed in all his glory. In response, their ship was sent an image of Moloch's covered visage. If only they could see the angry scowl he was giving them underneath his hood.
"Hey now! Looks like we haven't been picking up space crap on the signals after all boys!" He said while his men looked on curiously in the background.
"[I]Yes. Greetings. [B]What is it?[/B][/I]" spoke Moloch rather bluntly.
"So, I wanna get this out of the way first. You ain't SDF now are you?"
"[I]No. We despise Sol and the SDF.[/I]" said Moloch even more bluntly.
"Good, good! I guess this makes you a bit like us pirates, eh?"
Moloch had no response to that.
"Ok, ok I get it. Not much of a talker now are you? Well I can tell from all the creepin' and secrecy that you people ain't exactly lawful, so I've got a proposition for you. You wanna hear?"
Moloch shook his head. "[I]Yes.[/I]"
"Listen closely now. If your lookin for the biggest score you'll ever be a part of, then get your boys over to Rooks Nebula. You'll know why when you get there." The Samalsh grinned, "Tell em Captain Gobukhan sent you, ya hear? Maybe then we'll see if you boys are really as spooky as you pretend to look!" he concluded with a smug grin and closed the transmission.
"[I]No thank you.[/I]" Moloch turned to the rest of the bridge crew. "[I]Go on. Proceed with the warp. Mr. Frosty's friends are eagerly waiting for his return.[/I]"
Something big was going on in the renegade quadrant. Something that required all pirate groups to gather together. Whatever it was, Moloch wanted no part of such thing.
Hariim finalizes his reports for the captain and gets settled into the mess hall. He makes himself some sliders, and cracks open a pack of beer to sip on. He seems distracted while he goes about his tasks, almost as if his body is working on muscle memory or autopilot. He does ask Maddox a question though: "You think I frakked up in the drop ship? Training took over, and I worked on auto-pilot back there. Dunno if it was the right thing."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucky awakes with a silent start. The ping relayed into her audio processors is sufficient to wake her up. She smiles, a little drunkenly, when she sees 120 big ones neatly slide into her account display.
"Baller."
A raindrop fell from the sky and crashed straight into a small puddle on the metal ground, creating several rings which slowly expanded outwards. Suddenly a boot crushed the puddle as a skinny man rushed through the alleys of the Upyri homeworld Nyx.
With a gun in one hand Garth ran as fast as he could, for each meter his eyes quickly glanced behind him. "You're not taking me!" He yelled before firing off two shots, waking up some hobos in a nearby container. Behind him was a dark figure which elegantly evaded each of Garth's poorly aimed shots.
Garth looked infront of him and instantly he felt slightly calmer; at the end of the alley was a red metal door. Heavily reinforced and with text in several languages discouraging possible visitors it was also the only way Garth could evade his pursuer.
He looked over his shoulder. Empty. He began chuckling like a madman.
As he reached the door he banged three times. "It's me! Garth! Let me in!"
A small hatch was opened, revealing three red alien eyes which inspected Garth closely. The hatch then shut close and the door was opened up. A pair of green hands pulled the rat-like man inside.
"Where the hell have you been!" Yelled Huroz as he pulled up a knife next to Garth's neck. Garth held up his hands. "Whoa boss! Chill! The deal was a no-go, that bountyhunter you've been talking about showed up. I had to bail."
Huroz tightened his grip on the knife. "What bountyhunter?" At this point the other fifteen gang members had gotten up from their seats inside the room and had formed a semi-circle around Huroz and Garth.
[i]"Iron, boss."[/i] Replied Garth calmly.
Huroz widened his eyes and so did several of the gangmembers.
"Please tell me you managed to lose him." Said Huroz. Garth scratched his head. "He uh, followed me down the alley. Don't worry though, I outran him before I got to the door.
"You led Iron [b]HERE?[/b]"
Before Garth could answer, someone knocked on the door.
Huroz didn't hesitate and neither did the rest of his gang, immeadiately they began to open up hidden gun caches inside furniture and the walls. In a matter of seconds the gang had armed themselves to the teeth, aside from Garth who was still only armed with his pistol.
All eyes turned to the door as Huroz motioned for Garth to respond. The rat-faced man slowly approached the door on shaky legs.
He leaned in close and opened up an inch of the hatch. "Who is it?"
[video=youtube;88rqxeLC6-4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88rqxeLC6-4[/video]
The door was suddenly sent off its hinges, breaking poor Garth's right arm in the proccess as he was tossed across the room next to the heavy door.
Cold air turned into a thin layer of fog as it entered the warm room, fog which surrounded the [url=https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71236376/Starpath%20RP/Iron.jpg]heavily armored figure[/url] that had entered the room.
"Drop your weapons." Said Iron with a dark voice.
The gang was frozen in place untill Huroz growled angrily. "What are you waiting for? [i]Shoot that motherfucker![/i]" While they did indeed fear Iron, the gang feared Huroz even more as they all knew how he reacted to disobediance.
All hell then broke loose as ballistic, kinetic, laser and plasma weapons opened fire...
... Only for Iron to dodge the hailstorm of weapons fire in the last second. Instictively, he pulled out a gun from his right thigh holster and fired two shots which killed two of Huroz's henchmen.
"Get into cover for fuck's sake!" Yelled the increasingly more nervous gangleader as he dived in behind a flipped-over table.
Iron on the other hand rolled over to a worn couch before quickly popping up and firing off yet another salvo from his handgun.
Huroz grimaced as yet two more of his henchmen collapsed onto the floor.
"Fuck you and your stupid-ass mask!" He yelled as he blindfired with his rifle, forcing Iron to dodge once more as the couch was torn into literal pieces.
A particularly brave henchman, which was more or less a walking mountain of muscles, threw away his gun and pulled out a big machete while another two of his fellow criminals backed him up with a shotgun and a submachinegun. Iron pulled out a energy blade and severed the machete in half before delivering a powerful uppercut punch, knocking out the muscly henchman before he had even registered the events played out infront of his eyes.
The shotgunner grinned and pulled the trigger which released swarms of alloy buckshots which were quickly deflected by Iron's two wrist shields. Realizing that his shotgun was useless he attempted to swing it at the bountyhunter like a club which failed as his opponent ducked and delivered two quick blows to the shotgunners ribs.
He gasped as the air left his lungs before collapsing onto the dirty floor. The SMG henchman, a slim Upyri with white hair and high-tech NewGen sunglasses, grunted with a angry tone before firing off roughly a hundred kinetic bullets from his hip.
Iron didn't chance it and kept dodging to the side, creating a trail of bulletholes across the back of the room. He grabbed a holodisc from a nearby table and threw it into the surprised face of the SMG henchman who was caught off guard by the attack which broke his sunglasses.
As he ripped them off from his face and looked up Iron's two boots impacted which instantly broke the upyri's nose while also sending him straight into the wall.
Iron swung around and was met with the remaining henchmen all standing in the open with their guns aimed at him. Huroz smiled. "Waste him, boys."
Right before the henchmen could finish off the bountyhunter which had knocked out most of the gang, a disc grenade collided with Huroz's face. The henchmen turned around just in time for the flashdisc to detonate, blinding everyone but those already knocked out and Iron who leaped forward in a powerful shouldercharge which knocked down half of the criminals still on their feet while the rest were finished off with a series of quick kicks and punches.
Huroz shook his head and slowly got up. "D-did you... Did you get him?" He looked up and saw his own reflection on Iron's mask.
"No." Replied the bountyhunter. Huroz rolled his eyes "Shit."
-----
Lex chuckled as she walked up to Iron with her hands in her jacket. Several upyri SWAT officers ran past her to assist their colleagues next to the bountyhunter.
Iron was standing next to the blown up door and next to him were three rows of tied-up criminals, including Huroz, sitting with their knees in the dirt.
"I almost feel sad for them." Said the broker as she inspected the sorry crew of lowlife criminals. Iron grunted. "They tried their best."
"I'm sure they did." Said Lex. "Listen, while you have no doubt been raking in quite the buck it's time for you to move on to bigger fish."
Iron looked at Lex. "Go on."
"We got a new client, some kanad, who wants you for some crew. There's alot of credits involved."
"You know I work solo." Said Iron as he inspected his handgun before holstering it."
Lex laughed. "True, but you're the BCB's best asset. I haven't read all the details but the mission involves alot of travelling. It'll be like paid vacation for you."
"Paid vacation?" Asked Iron with a chuckled.
Lex shrugged and smiled. "Point is, you can still do other contracts. Only difference is that you'll sleep on a ship full of strangers. Hell, maybe one or two of them could be turned in for some cash. Or in worst case; you could learn something." Said Lex before tapping Iron on the shoulder. She began to walk out from the alleyway while upyri police officers ran back and forth.
"When?" Asked Iron.
Lex turned around. "As soon as possible."
[QUOTE]"I had forgot how heavy this stuff was."[/QUOTE]
"Best not to go too heavy, you know." said a voice behind Mad, before a large, close to empty bottle of vodka was set next to him on the bar. It was Taylor, wearing different clothes and her military cap. "Might slow your weapon stripping time." she continued, cutting him a glance before turning and heading towards the door. Her face was just a tad red, basically telling just how much she had been drinking. It didn't seem to bother her, though, as she was still walking, talking, and apparently thinking straight.
She left from the bar, passing through the mess hall. She gave Bucky a pat on the shoulder, and a simple "Fucking fantastic job, Buck." before continuing on to the medical bay. She briefly stopped there to check on Valk, Amy, Vakarus, and even Yuga (as much as she despised her, she was still a member of the crew.) She still blamed herself for getting Valk and Amy incapped.
Finally, she proceeded on to the bridge, where she simply sat down in her chair and pulled out her holotablet. 120 million credits had been deposited in her account, giving her a bit of a surprise. She divided it like she always did, half for her, and half for her mother's account, before slipping the holotablet back into her pocket. Shortly afterwards, there was a sudden ping from the console in her chair. They were apparently being hailed by the largest ship of four that just warped in nearby. She pulled up the ship onscreen with a few taps on the console, and noticed the large Death Vigil emblems on the side.
"Oh shit." she muttered aloud. Why the hell is Death Vigil here? She tapped the intercom and spoke to the crew of the Muramasa. "Guys, we've got 4 Death Vigil ships parked nearby. And the big one is hailing us." she said. Well, lets see what they want. She flipped over to comms and answered the hail. "This is Captain Caine of the Muramasa."
Hariim strides onto the bridge just a few short moments later. He pulls up the holo table's displays and immediately begins preparing to initiate electronic warfare with the Death Vigil's ships. "Reporting for duty, Cap. Standing by to initiate EWAR. Orders?"
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Bucky groans and grumbles as she gets up to her feet. With much frustration she hauls herself down to the engine room, already warming up the systems she knows still work. She runs some tentative diagnostics on those parts of the ship she isn't too sure can stand up to punishment.
The comms were quiet for a few seconds. The silence was broken by a robotic sounding voice. "Captain Caine, of the Muramasa. Allow me to introduce myself and my collegues. We are the Death Vigil Vultures. If this is the first times hearing about us, then we have done our job well up untill now."
On board the Buzzard, Specter had leaned in closer to Archangel to listen closesly to the conversation. Taking down mental notes of everything he thought was of interest. "My name is none of your concern, what is however is the object you retrieved from Voyak. It belongs to us and we want it back."
Markus barged into the bridge, dressed in his dirty camo trouser and boots but with clean tanktop on for a change. He walked over to the chair and leaned on it, giving Taylor a frustrated glare, "Look 'ere, luv. We got the bloody box an' we got paid for it already. 'And it over to the fine gentlemen 'ere cause this wasn't part o' the fuckin' job description", he whispered between his teeth.
Maddox shook his head at Hariim. "You did the right call. As much as I hate to lose someone on the team I'd rather lose one than the entire team at once."
When Taylor passed by Maddox simply smiled and held up his glass.
A few minutes later the message came through on the intercom and Maddox followed Hariim onto the bridge.
"This ought to be good."
Taylor cut Markus a look, then responded to the person on board the Death Vigil ship as she held up a finger towards Hariim. A signal to wait.
"Regardless if the object is yours or not, we're not just going to hand it over. We were paid good money to retrieve it, and we fought and bled for it. So we fully intend to deliver." she stated. She glanced up at Markus and Mad as she finished her statement.
Maddox nodded understandingly. He was still carrying his rifle in its sling, he grabbed it and loaded a fresh magazine. "No rest but for the dead."
Hariim remains on standby. While he's at it, he uses the telescopes and passive thermal sensors on the Muramasa to take a good long look at the ships arrayed before the Muramasa.
Using these, he begins to pick out weapons and maneuvering thrusters and external communications systems in an attempt to gather useful information for the Muramasa's gunners; should a firefight be necessary.
Markus frowned and straightened himself out. He glared at Taylor, "Gotta lotta loyalty for a 'ired gun, dontcha missy."
He looked around at Maddox and Hariim, "'F ya want my say in things, yer all fuckin' nuts. Brainwashed with SDF shite so's ya got soap leaking out yer ears. Ain't long for the mercenary line o' work with this attitude."
He walked out of the bridge, bumping Maddox with his shoulder on the way out, and headed to the bar.
"I advice listening to your soldier, captain." Archangel continued. His voice again switching to less robotic to more organic. "I am giving you a rare chance. Surviving the Vultures, unharmed. Something very rare. Last chance, Caine. Surrender the Archive, live and do whatever you want. Or live long enough to regret the second option. You have two minutes to decide."
As Markus walked off Maddox grunted. "Come back when you've grown a spine, convict."
He turned to Taylor. "Whatever you decide, we're with you."
Taylor muted her end of the comm for a moment, looking up at Mad and Hariim before glancing back in the direction that Markus had walked. "I'm not some kind of fucking [I]scumbag[/I] that thinks taking the money and running is the best option. When I take a contract, I fucking finish it. To. [I]The.[/I] [I][B]End.[/B][/I] I'm not someone like him or Valk. I actually [B][I]HAVE[/I][/B] the balls to [I]do my fucking job.[/I]" The booze was talking. Normally, she would have just ignored Markus' statements, but not this time.
She paused for a moment, taking a breath. "Well, we have three options. We fight, surrender, or try to warp out of here...actually, make that four options. We could lead them into the fighting between the Sanghvi and Kanad fleets in orbit, then warp out while they're distracted. Opinions?"
"Clock is ticking."
Maddox sighed. "I say we let Hariim pull some EWAR tricks then we'll warp the hell out of here."
"I saw we do a few options at once. I can do all I can while the Muramasa makes for the nearest hot zone. I think these spooks will be reluctant to follow us. We will want to put as much power into shields and engines as possible if we do this." Hariim replies, already reducing the runtimes his own personality usually occupies to free up space for the digital war he's likely about to wage.
"Make sure Bucky has sufficient notice. Her hands will be full."
Taylor nodded. Better than fighting four ships at once. She flipped over to her intercom. "Bucky, charge the warp drives. We're probably gonna have to make a jump under fire." she said, before switching back to her comms with the Death Vigil ships (which were still muted on her end.)
"Hariim, do your thing. Mad, get on the guns. Alex, start plotting a course for somewhere far from here. We're gonna make a run for it. Take us through the nearest hot zone, and [I]lets get the fuck out of here.[/I]"
Maddox sat down at the gunner console and primed every missile available and charged every gun. "Locked 'n' loaded, Cap."
((Might want to have all the energy put into the drives and shields. Less shooting, more protection and running.))
Alex nodded and started charting up a path for the ship to go through. Even if every instinct he had told him not to, he trusted Taylor with this.
[I]Back on the Buzzard[/I]
Archangel shrugged. "I tried. Are they actually trying to flee?"
"Yes."
"Amazing."A slight chuckle escaped Archangel's helmet. Specter felt a chill run up his spine. Since when does he do that?"Alright, this will be simpler. Scythe 1-3 you have your targets. Cripple the engine. Specter?"
"Yes, boss?"
"Fire the EMP as soon as the fighters connect with their targets."
"They will get caught in the blast, you deranged gearhead!" Specter yelled against his better judgement.
"Acceptable losses."
(Lets see if the crew is lucky with the rolls)
Hariim lets loose on the hostile ships. He starts by slipping into their computer systems. He lays low, gets a feel for things for a split second. Though for his quantum computer-aided mind that split second is an eternity; long enough to get an idea for what he can do. [Roll to see which systems will be most vulnerable to power surges or scrambling?]
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Bucky swears up a storm while she throws as much power to the sublight drives and warp-jump capacitors as she can while pulling sufficient performance from both for what the crew is trying to do. They don't make 'em for this!
The smaller Death Vigil ships rocketed toward their target, locking on to the Muramasa's engines from multiple angles and unleashing their weapons. The Muramasa, already wounded from its battle against the Black Fleet just hours prior, wasn't ready for the ambush, but the crew hoped for the best nonetheless.
Scythe 1-3:
CH Estimate: 1/4
[B]Actual: {4, 4, 2}[/B]
2 Rolls Passed.
1 Roll Failed.
The weaponry of the three enemy ships raked the twin engines of the stalwart corvette, sending shudders throughout the vehicle. The ship lost a significant amount of power in seconds as the engines sputtered and ground to a halt, with flames erupting within the crawlspaces. The failure left them figuratively dead in the water. But before they ever had a chance to respond, the Buzzard attacked with an EMP to seal the deal.
CH Estimate: 3/5
[B]Actual: 1[/B]
Roll Failed.
Bucky had instantly responded to the cut-out with a rerouting of all available power to shields, which was harnessed by the bridge crew immediately to perfect effect. The EM device detonated just ahead of the ship's nose, but a bolstering of the shields just in time at the right location neutralized the effect. At first, it was hard to tell whether it had worked, as the lights went out in the bridge of the Muramasa, but this was a literal brownout of the electrical systems from running at over capacity- as soon as the reactor core was able to supply current again, the computers emerged from their momentary slumber, accompanied by power and lighting all throughout the ship's interior. The three Scythe ships were disabled by the friendly fire, leaving the larger ships staring each other down. There was no running from this fight, but the crew wasn't about to let the Muramasa get boarded.
It was a ship vs. ship battle, and now the Muramasa held the initiative, with all weapons primed to fire!
Hariim was next to act, pre-empting the imminent shootout. Having infiltrated the enemy's network, he now worked to find the Buzzard's weaknesses. There must be some way he can lend an advantage to his team via the digital front...
CH Estimate: 4/7
[B]Actual: 6[/B]
Roll Passed.
Even before he was fully aware of what he was looking at, Hariim began to deploy his malicious software into the enemy's system, and it paid off when it turned out he had correctly identified their targeting systems. The Buzzard would have a harder time maintaining lock on the Muramasa now. Suddenly, very suddenly, this was beginning to look like a fair fight.
[quote]Muramasa, this is Checkered. We're aware of the current situation and we are sending backup. Hang in there as long as you can![/quote]
[B]8 Turns Until End of Battle[/B]
Hariim speaks in a monotone, even robotic, voice. He looks pale, like something is [I]off[/I] with him. Even his usually-glowing cybernetic left eye is dark. "Captain. Buzzard targeting systems scrammed. They will have difficulty maintaining lock. Continuing efforts."
Hariim doesn't give the enemy crew time to react to his opening shot, and immediately begins to infest their engineering stations with as much malicious software as he can muster as a distraction while he himself starts to work at their main reactor's control systems. He intends to force the reactor into surging the Buzzard's bridge computers in the hopes of knocking key stations out of operation.
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Bucky roars in frustration and tries to salvage what she can of the Muramasa's crippled drives. The upshot to this is that since the plasma engines are down, they don't really need much power at the moment. She diverts the freed up energy to the warp drive's jump capacitors.
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