castle games and gifts, llc

[starhawk]

12/28/09 Week 29

We had just gotten to 0624 Asden/Keiar Subsector/Reaver’s Deep about 10 hours ago. 2 hours after that we had gone over to that slimy Gowachin Marshall Parando’s office after abit of chow and drink break to see if there were any fast marks we could pick-up for some quick pocket change before trying for any big fish. That Marshall’s aid/ receptionist Jil was sure attired nicely in a low cut red mini-shirt dress top thing with buttons on down and accenting her well endow bosom was these 2 additional buttons. Too bad she was 50 or so, abit old for me. She noted us on her stylus and electronic pad and then sent us in to talk with the Marshall. We.., Oh sorry our group is “The Clariton Booters”, a lower middle range Bounty Hunter team named after our previous leader Festor Clariton. He had died on our last venture when he fell into a vat of amphetamines drowning 7 months ago after we had finally captured and brought in Ramer, hurting his syndicate severely. The new boss is/was 2nd-in-Command by the name of Croaker, another of those frogger Gowachins and almost a dead ringer for the Marshall; he is a great scrounger and as you know, either makes the cut or not. The rest of the group is Gambi the Hiver, brains of the group and ohh Ya..then there is Shella the Looker, a human gal and sure sweet… sure like to see if my pistol would fit in her holster. And then finally there is me, I am Bruce the Bruiser, human muscle. We had succeeded with capturing Cirus the Slayer, Cidy the Hubby Doer and finally Gruff the Aslan cannibal thus gaining a minor reputation and bringing us up a small notch on the totem pole of our profession.

7 hours ago we had made an easy 2000 Cr bringing in Slippery Joe, a local thief easily found with our experience and contacts. He was at this really different tavern/restaurant in the sector called “The Aqua” aboard the orbital docking port above Asden. If I wasn’t so busy collecting coin I would have loved to spend a few periods in that liquid joint, especially with that mermaid Cassandra.

Croaker and Shella had disappeared 6 hours ago after going to meet a snitch by the name of Saners. I was watching the orbital bazaar from a 3rd floor vantage when I saw the 2 acting abit strange. Neither was following standard protocol of watching their back, avoiding taggers, etc. It got weirder because Croaker was dressed like the Marshall and even had a badge like him. And darn…oh she sure looks good…was Shella looking really hot in a version of Jil’s red number. They were making a bee-line towards the docking and refueling berth’s. I followed to find out what the heck they were up to, especially after not contacting Gambi or myself since you see, they were not responding to our team’s comms cept Gambi.

“So it looks like our minions are doing our bidding.” sez Silhouette 1.”Well after you injected them with that bi-virus and then demonstrating the timed result on that rat-thing, by the way what was that? Anyway sure convinced them to go after those 2 marks then meet back at the non-existent revendouz point afterwards. What a horrible way to die.” says Silhouette 2. “Ya to bad, though sure was fun putting that left bosom button-cam on our Jil-wanabe, cute gal. Well not much choice on their part. Wasn’t convinced we had a pair of marionettes until we gave them that control drug and issued their instructions and geared them up. For abit there, thought they were going shot to us until we told them that they were on candid camera and our other partner was watching and with us dead so were they. They studied their holograms well and might even be able to kill the marks given their profession. Well in the end they die, but not sure what effect the bi-virus will be in that Gowachin since they do have a weird metabolism. He might just die prematurely anyway.” Silhouette 1 says “Ahh to bad, at least 2 obstacles will be removed. Shame about the girl though. Guess we will see if our Intel is correct or not.”

I wonder why Croaker and Shella are attired the way they are and heading to dock 7? After obtained a good vantage, Bruce sees that the 2 are heading to a docked Aslan patrol cruiser being refueled. They look like their going to do some sort of custom inspection aboard that ship. Maybe I will try and sneak aboard behind them, give them some back-up if needed. Hope the hatch of that ship is not state-of-the-art, at least then I will have a chance to board and see what the heck is going on.

The time is 1300 hours and 3 ½ Days since the ”Ihatei” left 722 New Covenant/Keiar Subsector/Reaver’s Deep, still at 3.5 parsecs from Asden. We (Horace <Chris>, Aiden <Aaron>, Kath’les <John>), Meerla, Ta’saris (Meerla’s Soarlyaki Soarlifeil), Sharya (Hroasyakh) and Duncan (Xsaleen – Jeff and Kreger – Little Dave were in their cabins fast a hibernating) had dropped out of jump and had been in a Ghost form (except Ta’saris )as the ship was FTLing before Ta’saris brought us to dead-in-space stop. We did not have enough fuel to finish our jump either to target of Asden or back to New Covenant. We did not know enough about the FTL yet to trust it. And now we are hearing an Aslan distress beacon “We..are…..attack…damaged….Vargr Corsairs!”. What to do? How is a ship at this location? How/why are Vargr Corsairs here?

Horace, Kath’les and Meerla discuss and decide to try and find out what is going on with the distress beacon. Cautiously maneuvering towards the beacon they find a 2000 ton Aslan freighter named “Scar” with at least a half-dozen weapon hits. She is venting fuel and power seems only localized and minimal in the bridge area. Horace calls the available crew together and issues orders. “Boarding party (Horace, Kath’les, Aiden, Claw) to use one of the alien shuttles to go forth and board the other ship. Meerla, Ta’saris and Sharya stay and are ready to maneuver and fight as needed. Duncan please come up with a plan to get that freighter’s fuel into our empty tanks. At which point, “Aye Laddie, I be hav’n idea. Could ya be taking over a suction tube ther now?” “What” asks Horace. Duncan explains “ I would be hav’n a vacuum tube made from 20 gel escape pudds modified by e’alien shield device creating a hollow…” “Ok, just tell us when it’s ready and how to attach. We are down some 76 tons of fuel” says Horace. All get their gear and report to their duty station.

Horace pilots their alien shuttle over watching for anything out of the ordinary and beyond as he circles the freighter looking for the best spot to land. Meerla reports nothing on screens and there seems to be 6 life forms, 2 injured in the bridge area of the freighter. The freighter has 2 turrets knocked out from beam hits, engines and possible power plant and maneuver have been holed and there is large hull breech where freight seems to be escaping from. Horace decides to land near that large hole and enter the ship there. Kath’les is given the task of taking the portable airlock since he has powered armor on. Aiden and Claw in vac suit take 6 gel escape pods in tow that are aboard the shuttle. Horace leads the way in the bright and shinny red, yellow and silver Knight’s armor. All have lights and weapons on the ready.

The boarding party enters the breeched hull avoiding various loose crates and cargo. They make their way cautiously towards the bridge having to pass additional cargo bays, stowed away properly. The freighter is quite and dead as a coffin. There does not seem to be any aboard, either crew or attackers. Finally they are in the hallway outside the sealed and low powered bridge. Horace raps on the hull and hears a faint reply from within. He has Kath’les connect the portable airlock and they open the hatch with weapons ready. Inside they find an old known face, another human and 4 Aslans. One of the Aslan and a human are injured. They are given First Aid while the old face by the name of Derringer, Captain of this disabled vehicle, is asked what is going on and how did he get here? It was some 21 runnings or so ago that we last saw you back on 0921 Dunmarrow/Ea/Reaver’s Deep Sector and that Imperial Scout base that blew-up. Horace realizes something is up when he sees Derringer blinking at him. They ultimately see that each of the freighter’s crew has Slaver explosive collars on that start making a count-down to explode. Everyone assists on bridging the release on the collars and take off. Once all removed, Horace goes and throws them all into a nearby unused room off from the bridge, where they exploded, causing no other injuries. Derringer quickly says that the Vargr are near-by and were remotely monitoring using this ships internal cameras. Horace goes to warn the ”Ihatei” but as they watch where she was off to starboard, she disappears as incoming fire brackets the empty space. The vacuum tube can be seen adrift, cut in two from beam fire from the Vargr. Appearing on the portside firing, the viewers see a camouflaged grey and black Vargr Corsair take hits. The Vargr tries to fire back but the ”Ihatei” has disappeared again, then re-appeared off from the freighter’s bow. Again firing and hitting the Vargr ship. The Vargr decides it can’t handle this strange Aslan ship and must report it’s combat findings, running but not before taking a fighter aboard. Derringer mutters to himself ‘Interesting ship, this ”Ihatei”’.

The ”Ihatei” goes on overwatch awaiting the return of her crew and guests. Captain Derringer thanks them for rescue and the medical aid rendered to his injured crewmen. He says he escaped barely in time aboard the last scout ship at the Dunmarrowian scout base before it blew-up. He was chased by 2 Salxsss fighters but was able to avoid and send for help and was rescued. He then wandered abit before acquiring this job of captaining this Aslan freighter ("The Scar") bound to Asden but they had problems because their jump fuel was impure and they had miss-jumped short. Then they were attacked by the Vargr Corsair killing 9 crew and injuring 2 before they were boarded and enslaving the rest with their Slaver Collars. The Vargr locked us in the bridge and left back aboard their ship heading off and away then you all showed up.

Horace has the freighter crew put into the 6 gel escape pods and they are taken out from aboard the alien shuttle and then over to the ”Ihatei”. Captain Derringer discusses with Kath’les, Horace and Meerla what can be done with his freighter, a vessel of the Delgado Trading Company. It is decided that the ship’s 200# black box will be recovered along with e-mail memory module, Ship’s Log, Crew Book and Ship’s manifest (1004 tons cargo: 60% pharmaceuticals, 30% textiles, 10% raw paper) and the hull with be sealed and ship will be closed and secured. ”Ihatei” will take 76 tons of impure fuel fro the freighter and salvage 15 tons of adrift pharmaceuticals and call it even for crew rescue and transport fee to Asden. There the freighter crew would be offloaded and seek aid for their adrift and disabled ship. The 5 freighter crew except Derringer will be placed into low passage once the 2 injured crew are taken out of Auto-Doc. Captain Derringer aggress and is also introduced to Duncan. “Interesting” Derringer thinks.

”Ihatei” spends 1.3 days refining her newly acquired impure fuel and then makes the jump to Asden after leaving New Covenant some 2 weeks ago. Upon entering the Aspen system, Meerla comms the orbital docking and fueling station, requesting a berth and fuel. It is granted and they are charged 40K Cr for all. They are told to enter Berth 7 and they comply.
Derringer and his crew are off-loaded along with their gear and equipment. Derringer thanks the ”Ihatei”, then goes and comms a message to the Delgado Trading Company regarding their freighter and it’s status (some cargo loss and adrift), arrange a tow, crew status, e-mails are sent and have Ship’s Log, etc are sent to their company. After this Derringer says “I need to go send another comms.”

Fueling is going well when there is a hatch doorbell. Kath’les, Horace and Meerla go to answer the ring. It is the orbital facilities Marshall Parando along with his aid Jil, come to inspect ship for any contraband. “Just a minute.” as all the crew go to arm themselves. The hatch is then opened letting in the curious Gowachin Marshall with hip-pistol holstered and his gorgeous assistant, electronic pad and stylus in hand. Marshall Parando asks to talk to someone in charge and then shown to the bridge. Horace and Aiden lead them to the bridge and to the waiting Kath’les, Meerla, Sharya and Claw. They pass Ta’saris who watches as he prepares another delicious meal in the ship’s common galley. Aiden notices something strange with Jil’s left bosom button but not sure what it is. He steps back and into the galley then privately comms everyone as to his observation.

“Greetings crew of Ihatei! I am Marshall Parando and this is my assistant Jil. We have come aboard this fine day to see if all is in order per your IFF and that there is no contraband aboard.” He moves near a monitor with hand up accidentally knocking his badge off hitting the monitor that temporary scrolls some lines of script then goes dark. “Oops! Sorry.”: then bends to retrieve his badge. Horace meanwhile accidentally steps on and breaks the badge then retrieves it before the Marshall. Horace can see wires and circuits within then hands it back. “Whats with the internal circuitry?” asks Horace. The Marshall replies that it is/was his electronic authorization for office electronic access matters. Jil meanwhile hands her electronic pad and styles towards Meerla and Kath’les to see if all ship’s information shown is order. Kath’les says “It is.” Horace come over to check and takes a good look before smiling pearly whites at Jil’s bosom. He realizes the button is some kind of camera.

Marshall Parando and Jil turn and leave the bridge saying “All seems in order.” As Marshalll Parando passes Xsallen’s cabin with Horace behind and Jil to his right, Jil slaps stumbling with high-heel slipping off. She pushes twice on Xsaleen’s door as she re-foots the shoe and turns right dodging and rolling into the common room. Her electronic pad is now some sort of flat SMG which she fires into the open bridge hatch missing Kath’les, Claw and Sharya but Meerla goes down. 2 compact-like pieces seem to be on Xsaleen’s door which explode throwing the crumbled door inwards. Marshall Parando is wheeling trying to face Horace with pistol drawnbut Horace is faster and fires causing the frogger to drop his pistol un-fired. Horace advances and kicks the downed figure’s weapon away.

Before Jil can complete her roll, Ta’saris is up and over the kitchen flipping towards her. Aiden and Claw fire at her; Aiden hitting her. Sharya is on Meerla to protect and aid. Kath’les rushes out towards Xsaleen’s cabin which is smoking from within. Ta’saris completes his flip and brings a hand strike right on Jil’s right side neck KOing her. Ta’saris comes and takes over for Sharya, who then rushes to Xsaleen’s cabin. Claw moves toward the cute and downed Jil. Aiden moves toward Horace and the downed frogger.

Ta’saris gathers up the bloody Meerla while Kath’les and Shrya check on Xsaleen who was almost been cut in half by the blown door. They pick him up in bloody sheets and along with Ta’saris, take their mortally wounded crewmates to the Auto-Docs just in time.

Jil is disarmed by Claw who takes the SMG with 15 of 30 rounds still in magazine, stylus knife with some substance on it, earrings and small holograph of Xsaleen. The bosom button-cam is taken to Horace. Horace rolls over the frogger who is spewing a light green ooze from his mouth and is dead. Horace recovers the pistol with 10 pink needles still in it’s magazine, a hologram with Xsaleen’s picture and 2 similar shaped charges that blew Xsaleen’s door off. Aiden hands the bosom button-cam to Horace who crushes it. Ship’s alarm goes off with an intruder at the hatch. Aiden rushes off to deal with the threat. He finds a huge figure trying to open the inner hatch inside the closed airlock. Aiden opens the outer hatch suddenly sucking the figure out and into the orbital docking wall. Aiden watches as the figure falls leaving a bloody smudge on the wall, then it gets up and hobbles around the corner to a hatch back into the facility.

Kath’les picks up the gal’s body and takes her down to ship’s brig with Claw and Aiden who tells all of what happened at the hatch. As they watch a buzzing noise is heard, then the gals body starts contorting as a strange metallic worm skitters bloody from her body heading away. Kath’les gravity lances the thing dead. The girl is dead and the dispatched drill vibrator has 2 exposed and explosive parts not detonated with wires hanging. Horace shows all the gear to Duncan. Horace pushes one of the holograms switches right, erasing all photos contained.

Duncan says the ring is some sort of security hatch overrider, earrings form into some-sort of garrote. The weapons and explosives are military-grade in his opinion.

“Well darn it was a newer hatch security! Got myself injured for that little effort. Wonder what Croaker and Shella were/are doing aboard the Aslan ship. Well somebody aboard the ship caught me, but I got free. I think I will go get Gambi and we will go and see if the Marshall might know what is happening.” thought Bruce.

Silhouette 3 says to Silhouette 1 and 2: “Well it looked like Croaker and Shella expired so a cold trail there. It looks like a pretty good chance that they got their Marks. So the Intel was good.”

Time is less than 5 hours in 0624 Asden System/Keiar Subsector/Reaver’s Deep, still re-fueling ”Ihatei” and 2 comrades in the bakers. Now what?
_________________
kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

1/11/10 Week 30 (Day 71)

It’s morning at 0624 Asden/Keiar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep aboard ”Ihatei” and the hatch bell is ringing. Everyone gets up to see whats the matter and find some old insect dude trying to deliver a light fighter and shipboat. “Someone called Kath’les (John) in thar? A delivery from a Cap’n Xsaleen fer ya! Just got to sign and it’s yours!”

After abit everyone (Kath’les, Horace (Chris G,), Aiden (Aaron), Claw (David)) finds that Xsaleen, Meerla, Ta’saris (Meerla’s Soarlyaki Soarlifeil), Sharya (Hroasyakh), Kreger, and Duncan are all gone except a few items: Leaving 1x ½ ton containers (with 1000 jewelry), 1x portable man-sized super heating units, 10x gel escape pods, 1 ton of alien hull particle material, 15 tons of pharmaceuticals, nuclear damper, black cube, 50M Cr and a note; everything else is gone including “The Vessel” and the manikin.

“After much discussions and deliberations with Meerla, Sharya, Ta’saris, Kreger and Duncan; we have decided to try and leave taking all the pack hounds and troubles away from you all. If you would take a look at the good holograph picture on me, you will find by switching the other direction left, there is a picture of Meerla and capable of storing more pictures. Obviously we were the targets and actually did get hit and almost died except by the intervention by all of the fine crew you are. I can no longer endanger you and Kath’les’ new ship and therefore have decided on this route. I hope you are able to forgive us and can make due with the funds I have left you along with the fighter and shipboat I have sent. We will be needing the rest of the funds for another ship and to complete the Mission. I will send the balance and abit extra when we complete the mission. Take care my comrades, crew and friends! You will always be in my thoughts and heart! Honor be with you and Good luck to you and be well!

Signed: Hrokhm/x-Commandant Xsaleen, Siylakht Meerla Tlaukhu Earleatrais and Yorl of Fteirle Htoifteirlakht, Sharya

PS. Aye yu all be well now. I will be mes’n ya, especially Horace thar Ladddie! Duncan.

There is also another e-mail and it’s from Derringer. It says that if your interested, there is a 10% recovery fee for the large freighter “Scar” back to Asden; that would amount to about 58.4M Cr. The group decides to go for it.

Another e-mail is for Aiden: “You have 17 days left! Tic Tock.” “Shoot” says Aiden.

Horace and Kath’les put out a feeler to hire a re-fueling auxiliary and get a bite after about 23 minutes. The captain of a vessel by the name of “Pati’s Cake” (600 ton 5-man crew auxiliary capable of hauling 319 tons of cargo or fuel)is willing for 2.3M Cr plus fuel bladder and fuel costs. They agree and pay half plus 200K Cr for the bladder and all fuel. Captain Pati is told to meet them at the specified jump-point at 1800 hours. All is agreed and he signs off.

Extra crew is decided on and a posting for a ship engineer for 2000 Cr is put out along with job for 2 cargo loaders with any extra skills each for 1000 Cr. After about 20 minutes there are 3 applications for ship engineer:
Riley – sweet and cute human female with Engineer 3 rating
Gredo – male prey mantis like insectoid with Engineer 2 rating
Olar - hiver male with Engineer 2 rating
They hire Riley and tell her to report docking birth 7 at 1500 hours.

After 10 more minutes 4 hits for the cargo loading positions come over. There is:
Danzi-Boyz – male Zhodani with rating 3 Cargo Loader
Grrrer – male Vargr with rating 2 Cargo Loader
Rurrya – female Vargr with rating 2 Cargo Loader
Dunner – Aslan male with rating 2 Cargo Loader

All say have other skills and would like to discuss the position at first opportunity. The 2 Vargrs are hired and told to report to docking birth 7 also. Time is alittle after 1000 hours.

Aiden and Claw are still cleaning up the mess still laying about (Marshall Parando the Gowachin frogger and his human assistant Jil). Kath’les and Horace are going to the bazaar to get spare ship parts and a few extra vac suits and some other miscellaneous items. All will stay in touch comm-wise. Kath’les goes and gets his battle suit on while Horace dresses in ninja armored fatigues and they head out.

Once exiting the the air-passage from their ship’s hatch to the entrance dock to the “Asden Heaven” orbital facility they head up to the 2nd floor balcony and take a cab for 10 Cr asking for ship parts and armament. The cab driver takes them 2 miles down towards the Marshall Office that has big sign saying “Marshall Wanted for Hire”. The driver says that Marshall Panrando and his human assistant were found dead in their offices this morn. “Really?” says Horace and Kath’les. They get out seeing a very large human straddling the balcony wall in front of the Marshall’s Office. He watches them and Horace notices he has a large bulge under his right arm, some kind of weapon.

They take an elevator down to “Barthalamu’s Ship Parts” and go in. After abit of haggling they purchase 6 tons of ship parts for 79K Cr and have them delivered to ”Ihatei”, docking berth 7 as soon as possible. They then go over to “Repon’s Suits and Prospector’s Gear” shop and haggle over a human and 2 Vargr Oloks (vac suits) for some 21K Cr. They notice they are being watched by a couple of humans. Horace sends Kath’les back to the ship with vac suits and to ready for the incoming ship parts and hired crew while he heads to the “Death Shop” to purchase a Gauss pistol and some ammo for himself. The shop is run by a Jamaican from old Terra. There is lots of smoke coming from within as he enters, almost coughing his lungs out and getting a fine buzz. He greets the brother and asks about a Gauss Pistol. The shop owner by the name of Brother Tobias throws him a small bag with a pinkish grass contained and says “Sure Mon! I be hav’n a nice one fur sure. Have a smoke.” He pulls out an 11 inch barreled weapon looking more like a sawed-off shotgun than a Gauss pistol. He shows 4 different types of ammo to Horace: knockout round, high explosive, Dum-Dum and flechette rounds. Horace orders 500 of each then asks the price. Brother Tobias sez: “For a Brother it will be 2200 Cr and 100 Cr for the grass!” Horace pays him and asks when it can be ready? “For sure Mon, say 1500 hours. Anythang else Mon?” Horace comms and Claw requests 1000 rounds of special SMG rounds, a picture is sent and shown to Brother Tobias and he says military grade. Brother Tobias says “ For you my Mon? Say 200 Cr for 1000 rounds and we be her for ya at 1500 with the rest.” Horace pays him and asks if there is a back way out. “Sure Mon unless you want to be partying now? Anyway through thar.” Horace declines on the partying but takes the exit which when open is dense various colored smoke even more potent that before. All kinds of brothers are smoking and having fun with da ladies. Slowly making his way back further, Horace finds a back door with 2 armed brothers guarding and they let him out into an alley corridor off from the bazaar. Horace takes an elevator up to the balcony and heads back to the ship sure no one is following until he hears gunfire behind back at the shop. He hurriedly makes for the ship.

Kath’les with suits in hand heads back towards the ship but notices he is being followed so he elevator ups to the balcony level and takes a cab. He notices a Hiver on the opposite side on a hoverer keeping pace but just abit behind. Once arrives to the dock berthing area, he goes down and exits back aboard the ship. Turning and looking up some 300 meters or so is a Hiver in an observation overlook over the docks. He goes aboard the “Ihatei”.

Horace arrives soon after and also goes aboard the ship but not before noticing the same Hiver.

Soon a hatch bell rings! Looking at the ship’s exterior monitor Horace sees a huge human with weapon on hip and a Marshall’s badge on chest in a air corridor to the ship’s hatch. He signals to everyone “Red Alert” and they drop what they are doing and head to join all in the common room and galley. Everyone is wondering who he is and what he wants? Horace heads to the hatch to see who fellow is.

“I am just Marshall Bruce and I would like to talk to you aboard or in my office at the end of The Bazaar, your choice. Horace hides his gun as everyone else does and they let the large muscular man aboard and take him to the ship’s common room where everyone is waiting.

“So I am here trying to figure out what happened to Marshall Parando and his human assistant Jil?” No answer is forth coming so he continues: “Well I know they came aboard here and never got off. I trailed them and then tried to get aboard to aid them but a diligent crewman (he almost seemed like he was looking at Aiden when he said that) ejected me from your airlock causing me to discontinue that effort. Anyway they never showed back up yesterday.
I suppose they are dead? Right.”

“Well we can show you what happened to them.” says Horace as he selectively brings up edited * showing Croaker and Shella attacking the crew and wounding Meerla with a strange SMG while blowing Xsaleen’s cabin door with some kind of explosives and frogger trying to turn to attack Horace with a pistol with pink darts before being shot and succumbing to some strange oozing out of his mouth.

Bruce sez “Nasty! Well they were 2 friends posing as the Marshall and his assistant. They disappeared about 6 hours before you showed up here at this orbital facility. I was watching out for them in The Bazaar when I spotted them dressed up like the Marshall and Jil heading quick to your ship. They acted really strange, disregarding standard protocol and operating procedure for our kind of work. You see they were part of a team by the name of “The Clariton Booters”, a Bounty Hunter group consisting of myself, Gambi who is a Hiver, now my deputy and probably who you saw in this facilitie’s dock overlook but now manning this facilities weapon systems, Shella the X-Cutie and our X-leader Croaker. Any chance I could collect their bodies?”

“Well they have been disposed of. But we do have something could show you. Kath’le you mind?” says Horace. Kath’les deposits the bloodied and smashed drill vibrator with exposed explosives in front of Marshall Bruce. “Nasty! Said it was Shella.” As they watch as if some sort of timed reaction, the blood instantly carbonizes. “What was that? Something in the blood I would have to say. Anything you all caused?” asks Bruce. “Nope” says the group.

“Well I would like to get their bodies and do a check. Guess I will have some more questions for you. You going to be around for awhile?” asks Bruce. “Yes after a salvage.” Says Horace.
“Good. Be seeing you then.” Says Bruce as he leaves. The crew see some of the facilities weapon systems resume normal pointing after Bruce leaves the ship and goes back aboard Asden Heaven.

Horace readies around 1440 and heads off to “Death Shop” to see and collect items from Brother Tobias. As he approaches the shop there are huge amounts of multi-color smoke coming from within. He enters and Brother Tobias tosses a small bag of pink grass to him and says: “Yo! Greetings Brother. Ya back for more and stuff? You be followed when you left earlier. The body is in the alley about 10 meters down. Some mon trying to hurry bout you and need no ask’n. Here is your piece and ammo.” Tobias places a large box on the counter for Horace, his 11 inch Gauss pistol with 2000 assorted rounds and extra SMG 1000 military ammo, large bag of pink grass and 3 smaller ones. Horace takes it and readies to go. “Hope ya be well and here som more dat stuff fer friends.” Tobias tosses 3 more small bags of pink grass to Horace. He thanks him and heads back to the ship watching for tails but does not see any.

Once aboard Horace gives Claw his ammo along with a small bag of pink grass and stores the rest of his goodies. The hatch rings and it’s 1500. The caller is the cutie Riley. She is welcomed aboard and becomes confused as both Horace and Kath’les tell her where to stow her gear, being given a cabin of her own. She complies and is told Horace is the XO and Kath’les the Captain. All turn as the hatch bell sounds; it is 1510.

Checking the hatch, it is the Vargr female Rurrya. She is alittle late because there is some kind of altercation going on in The Bazaar. Marshall Bruce is H2Hing with some 8 individuals in front of the “Death Shop”. She is given a cabin and told to stow her gear. She does and fills in with a few more of her qualifications: Small craft pilot, Mechanic 2 and Vac suit qualified. The hatch bell rings again, now 1540.

Checking the hatch, it is the Vargr male Grrrer. He has a wound to his upper left shoulder and says there is a big fight going on in The Bazaar and that is where this human cut him but is dead now. The Vargr is wearing a medium length sheathed blade. Kath’les eyes him and turns so his blade is also visible. The Vargr straightens in case this is a challenge. Kath’les says “So you know the blade also?” “Yes I do, says Grrrer seeming to about to challenge Kath’les but backing down since he is uncertain of the hierarchy at this moment, “and few other things like H2H, ship weapons, Mechanic and Vac Suit.” He tells the female Vargr to stow his gear but Riley intervenes saying Rurrya is helping her with the engines. Riley tells Kath’les and Horace she really wants to go see them, can she? “Huh, huh now? Please?” Grrrer is shown his cabin and told to stow his gear. The 3 new crew are formally introduced to Captain Kath’les, XO Horace, Pilot Aiden, Gunner Claw and all are informed to their duty stations. Riley and Rurrya go ahead and check out the engines.

Horace announces there will be an All-Hands-Meeting in the Common area at 1700 hours.

At 1700 all meet in the Common area and told of their mission to g salvage the large freighter “Scar”. The ship has been damaged and must be repaired and re-fueled then jumped back here to it’s rightful owners. They will revendouz shortly with another ship at jump point and begin their journey. Man your stations and ready for jump.”

Horace takes the pilot station on the bridge and informs port authority they are going underway and undock and depart. Horace comms Captain Pati hearing background scuff and people being told no more drinking for they are now on the job. Horace gives new jump coordinates to Captain Pati and informs they will be jumping at 1900 hours. Both “Ihatei” and “Pati’s Cake” arrive at the jump point and Horace gives them the jump location to the “Scar”.
They jump.
_________________
kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

1/18/10 Week 31 (Day 71)

Both “Ihatei” and “Pati’s Cake” arrive at the jump point and Horace gives them the jump location to the “Scar”. They jump. Time: 1900 Hours.

All crews train, take their regular shifts doing ship duties, study and private activities. Claw learns unarmed combat from their new Vargr shipmate Grrrer, After agreeing that anything goes and it is 1st blood or ear bit, Claw is is KOed in 1st round and receives his bloody ear bite.
Slightly less than 7 days go by when the exit jump alarms begin. Everyone (Kath’les – John, Horace – Chris, Aiden – Aaron and Claw – David) takes their posts.

The “Ihatei” has jumped right near the large Aslan freighter “Scar”. Moments latter “Pati’s Cake” exists jump space nearby. There are no immediate threats nearby.

Kath’les and Aiden will remain aboard the “Ihatei” while Claw will take the light fighter out 5K km and circle the area trying to give early warning should any threats be detected. Claw only reports a few cargo containers floating alone. Horace commanding the shipboat with 6 tons repair parts, will take Grrrer the male Vargr, Rurrya the female Vargr, and Riley their cute human female Engineer aboard the Scar. “Pati’s Cake” will assist with it’s grappling arm with unloading ship parts from shipboat into the freighter as well as refueling the “Ihatei”. Engineer Thompson from “Pati’s Cake” coordinates with Aiden aboard “Ihatei”. Aiden mumbles to himself: “Now where have I seen Thompson before?”

Horace lands the shipboat, magnetically locking near the freighter’s holed cargo bay #4 and has Grrrer and Rurrya go a open cargo bay, removing the last installed net and secure the cargo loose in the hold. Riley readies a remote power cable from the shipboat while Horace takes it through the hull breach and finds a conduct aboard the freighter to plug into to give temporary localized power. Once power is going, Horace has Riley come aboard and escorts her down to the freighter’s engineering to access the damage to her power plant, maneuver and jump drive. Once area seems secure, Horace goes to check out the fuel situation aboard the freighter.

Riley reports repairs will take about 22 hours for the engines and hull damage; Horace meanwhile asks “Pati’s Cake” to arrest “Scar’s” pitch and yaw and then to give a slight forward momentum after which he purging the freighter’s contaminated fuel. “Ihatei” and Claw report bluish streamers from the rear of the freighter as the fuel is jettisoned and freezes solid. Once complete, Riley asks Horace if they should check the fuel tank integrity. He agrees. After doing this, it is found there is a slight crack in part of the fuel tanks. Horace then goes and repairs the fortunately found crack. Once completed, Horace has “Pati’s Cake” refuel the freighter and accompanies Rurrya the pilot of the shipboat out to a 15 ton cargo container (pharmaceuticals) adrift in space recovering it and has himself brought back to the “Scar” then sends her off back to dock with the “Ihatei” and taking the 15 tons of cargo aboard.

Suddenly Aiden screams over the intercom that he sees incoming shadows off aft and starboard. They are ECOMCOMed Vargr vessels, running slight and dark some 25K KM: Cosair, tanker/transport, assault shuttle and 3 fighters coasting in towards the large Aslan freighter. Horace orders “Pati’s Cake” to run for it. Claw asks permission to engage the Vargr fighters but instead is ordered to make for “Scar” and land on the hull and secure there, hop out and get aboard. Riley is ordered to get “Scar” ready for immediate jump to Asden. Kath’les readies “Ihatei” for maneuvering while Aiden mans one of her weapon turrets.

The Vargr launch missiles and fire lasers at “Ihatei”, “Pati’s Cake” and Claw’s fighter. The laser fire miss “Ihatei” as she dodges and cast sand. “Pati’s Cake” is hard to hit hiding behind the large freighter as she runs to clear for jump back to Asden. Claw’s fighter is hit twice, losing maneuver drive but just touching down on “Scar’s” hull. Aiden fires destroying 3 incoming missiles and the shipboat maneuvers docking aboard the “Ihatei”

Kath’les readies “Ihatei” to jump once the shipboat is secure. Aiden continues popping sandcaster, firing missile and laser at the Vargr. Impacts can be seen on the Vargr Corsair and 2 more missiles are shot from space. The “Ihatei” jumps.

“Pati’s Cake” makes it clear and jumps while the Vargr bear down on the “Scar”. Claw exits the externally coupled fighter just as the ship jumps. Momentarily he is disoriented but maintains his footing making his way to airlock and safety aboard the freighter. Finally aboard, Claw says hope never do that again. He joins the “Scar’s” temporary crew of Horace, Riley and Grrrer.

After 7 days, “Scar” exits jump space. Riley has had to continuously repair and keep the power plant and jump drive in constant repair as they were running. ”Scar” hears general system announcement and she joins “Ihatei” already in Asden star system. “All ships are ordered to dock at Asden “Heaven” Orbital facility and crew’s are to remain aboard until a health and safety inspection is completed and clean bill of health is obtained. Failure to do so will result in detention and possibly heavy fines by Imperial forces supervised by local authorities.” There is a Imperial Strike Cruiser (Arakoine Class), hospital ship, tanker, 4 escort ships (Agashacum Class Destroyer) and lots of fighters.

30 or so minutes latter, “Pati’s Cake” joins them. Horace call’s Asden SPA asking for authentication and clarification. The ship receives an electronic signal from the Imperial Strike Cruiser after which the “Ihatei” internal sensors detect an infestation of Thammasan Shield Bugs, something like 8-legged cockroach that scrape at the hull, laying down a layer of hull metal and making them hard to detect with internal scanners. If left unattended, decks and pipes will be festooned with sticky eggs, which will soon hatch thousands upon thousands of hungry metallic insects placing all in for a crisis and up as a menu item. Riley comms Horace asking what kind of signal was just received? Seems main computers aboard all 3 ships registered the signal. 2 Imperial fighters take escort positions on each of the 3 ships and guide them in for berthing at the orbital facility.

Once docked, Horace contacts the Aslan freighter owner’s reps and they inform him that they will come aboard the “Scar” after she has been inspected by an Imperial Health and Safety Team. Once the ship has been checked and inventoried, Horace will be paid for the recovery effort.

Inspection teams come aboard all 3 ships. The inspection aboard the “Scar” is done in about 40 minutes, receiving a clean bill of health. Aiden latter tells Horace that was abit fast and should have taken longer. The inspection aboard the “Ihatei” takes about 3 hours. Horace pays “Pati’s Cake” their last half for services rendered and Pati says call again if need them. “Thanks and out!” Horace contacts “Scar’s” owner reps to come on aboard. The light fighter is removed from the hull and readied to be placed aboard “Ihatei” once her inspection and clearance are given.

2 shipowner reps come aboard “Scar” and provide credentials to Horace. He provides them with a ship manifest of items aboard and then takes them on tour. They make notes on the repairs and ship contents and compare to electronic documents they have. After 2 hours they are satisfied, have him sign for authenticity/voucher and then they provide Horace a Credit Card with 58.4M Cr on it. Aiden takes his leave bringing Riley, Claw and Grrrer with him to the “Ihatei” which just completed her health inspection. Once aboard Horace asks how the inspection went? He is told they lingered along time taking readings in the cabin where “The Vessel” and the manikin were and also in Duncan’s work areas. They were showed about a half dozen specimens of Thammasan Shield Bugs supposedly found aboard the “Ihatei”.

Horace and Kath’les pay their temporary crew and then cut the funds for recovery of the “Scar”. Aiden, Claw, Kath’les and Horace get 14.25M Cr each. Horace and Kath’les discuss the temporary crew and ask Riley and Grrrer to stay on formally. Rurrya the female Vargr leaves. After they agree, Horace has them load the light fighter aboard and start repairs on it.

System news announces the arrival of an Asaln Task force into Asden System consisting of a Weakhto Battlecruiser, tanker and 3 escort vessels (Pocket Warships).

Email is checked and there is 1 for Horace, 1 for Aiden and 1 for Kath’les. Marshall Bruce would like to talk to Horace at his office. “You have 3 days! Tic Tock” for Aiden. “Greetings from Fleet Admiral Lakht Ktiskheao of Khaukheairl Huiha’s Battle Force. If you get a chance would like to pass on a few words from Fouheh Dalagnarko to you.”

Horace, Kath’les, Claw and Grrrer head off to Marshall Bruce’s office taking a cab on the balcony level. They enter and Deputy Gambi waves them through into the Marshall’s office. Entering, Bruce greets them. He shows a recording where Croaker and Shella go into The Aqua and never come out. He says all additional footage was wiped-out except a new installed camera not part of the regular network showing 2 employees from Helstrom Mining Company going into the Marhasll’s office about the time that the Gowachin Marshall Parando and his assistant Jil were killed. Additionally the bodies of his former team members Croaker and Shella were recovered from facilities trash banks and tested and their blood was carbonized like the fake Jil’s blood on the vibro-drill. Anyway he dismisses them saying if they hear something to let him know.

Before they leave, they ask Bruce about the Imperial Health and Safety Inspection deal. He says they came in about 4 days ago (3 days and 11 hours) claiming there was an outbreak of Thammasan Shield Bugs traced to hear. They came in to help eradicate the infestation and track down the source and they looked forward to working with the local authorities at their expense. There have been incidents with Imperial forces taking shore leave but nothing he hasn’t handled. With the Aslan’s showing up though, there might be more incidents hopefully nothing escalating into something bigger. At that point comms from Gambi saying some incident with Imperials and Aslan’s occurring in the Bazaar. “Well gotta go so excuse yourselves out please!” They leave followed by Marsahall Bruce to deal with things below.

Back aboard the “Ihatei”, Riley is doing maintenance and has Aiden assisting. She asks Aiden about the IISS (Imperial Interstellar Scout Service). The ship hatch bell goes off announcing someone is outside the ship. Aiden goes and checks finding the same ole insectoid Postman by the name of “Xzigat”. “Gotcha package fer an Aiden”. Aiden opens and takes the package as the ole insectoid heads back to the office. Aiden shows the no return address package written by Aslan hand to Riley who notices a very slight bulge. Aiden asks if they can X-ray the package or such and Riley sez sure. Once they do this it, appears to be circuits, battery, wires and some other material. A Bomb?

Aiden takes the package down to the shipboat additionally taking a repairbot with him and goes out about 1K km from the “Ihatei” then has the repairbot go with the package another 10 km then checks package by unwrapping and it promptly explodes. Aiden calls into the Marshall/SPA describing what happened and asks to revendouz at the Post Office to see what was going on, Marshall Bruce acknowledges. Aiden then comms Riley saying he is OK and she says she is glad and that he is heading over to Post Office once gets back to the “Ihatei”.

Aiden meets the Marshall at the Post Office and they ask Xzigat about the package. He says well this guy came in and asked it to be delivered no questions asked to Aiden aboard the “Ihatei” in docking bay 7 for 100 Cr. I said OK and closed to do that. The camera should have his image which it does. The Marshall takes it to go run a check on it from his office. He will get back to Aiden on this. Xzigat asks Aiden if wants a job at the post office? Aiden declines and leaves, heading back to the ship. As he leaves the post office, he sees the Ship Parts place and decides to go in and checks about buying a another repairbot finding one older and less sophisticated technology (about twice size of the old one) and 6 tons of ship parts for 90K Cr. He has them sent to the ship with big Ogre of creature trundling off with them in a big red wagon. Aiden decides to go up to Marshall’s office to see if Bruce has found anything. As he exits the elevator near the Marshall’s office, he accidently bumps into a tall thin dark bearded and mustached long haired human wearing a laser pistol or did the guy bump into him. Eitherway the guy says “Watch wear your going you clod!” Aiden says “Sorry” then the guy says “Well not good enough and steps back several paces and then readies to draw his weapon but Aiden is faster and his aim true and drops the guy. Aiden immediately puts his pistol down realizing being that near to the Marshall’s, ther is no way his shot was not heard. Sure enough Marshall Bruce appears and heads his way saying: “I saw what happened on the cam, pointing up to one just outside his office. I will take this guy into the jail and see if he makes it in the Auto-Doc and then to Doctor Bill’s if necessary. Get your gun and head back to your ship.” Aiden dos that and leaves.

There is a lot of system chatter as the Imperial Task Force leaves Asden System only 2 hours after completing is inspection of the “Ihatei”. Lots of Aslan chatter is over circuits about how it seems Imperium left quickly after their task force showed up. Pretty funny.

Aiden gets to the ship first and tells everyone of whats been happening and what he has found out. Riley backs him up on the package occurrence. The Ogre with red wagon drops off the repairbot and 6 tons of ship parts. After Horace tells Aiden about the “Scar” inspection time, Aiden tells him he believes this whole thing has been some kind of Imperial INTEL operation costing billions. The crew ponders what next, either Scooby-Do or leave? Time is Day 1 1600 Hours (Day 85) over 0624 Asden/Keiar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep aboard ”Ihatei”.
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kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

1/18/10 Week 32 (Day 85)

Time is Day 1 1700 Hours (Day 85) over 0624 Asden/Keiar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep aboard ”Ihatei”.

Kath’les has gone to see Fleet Admiral Lakht Ktiskheao aboard the Khaukheairl Huiha’s Battle Force’s battlecruiser “Weakhto” and to hear words from his father, the Fouheh Dalagnarko. Claw has received an e-mail from an old Army friend asking if he could meet and talk? Aiden has 2 e-mails, 1 from Marshall Bruce saying give him a call and one regarding re-upping with IISS. Riley has commed Horace saying there is a strange computer program running on the main frame.

Claw calls his buddy saying lets meet at “Food and Goodies” just of The Basaar say an hour. He leaves and catches a cab on the balcony then takes an elevator down and goes into the restaurant/deli. He spots his old friend Hojan the One Tooth, wolfing down a canary live. He joins him and orders a couple for himself. Hojan asks if Claw wants to sort of reenlist acting as eyes in the field reporting on Vargr and Imperial activity? Claw says sure why not and is told he has his old rank and given an Ident Card which allows him to draw on his pay each month. He is also given a number to send reports to. Hojan pays for their meals and then takes his leave. Claw heads back to the ship and files a report on Vargr encounters to date.

Aiden takes a cab on the balcony level to Marshall Bruce’s Office. Upon arriving, Deputy Gambi ushers him into Bruce’s office. Bruce tells him his dueling buddy did not make it and he got strange readings from the Auto-Doc so he took the body down to Doctor Bill’s and jas not received anything as of yet. Secondly Bruce has received some information regarding the would be “Post Office Bomber. The guy is some Imperial x-CEO by the name of Sabastine Clomer. Recently he sold his entire trillion credit company, took all his bank assets and disappeared just after his daughter had died in some kind of spacecraft crash accident. Several individuals said he seemed crazy and bent on revenge on someone he felt was responsible for his daughter’s death. Know anything about it?” Aiden is not sure what to say, so he says “ I will have to think and get back to you on this.” “Well meet me down at Doctor Bill’s Popper” off The Bazaar alittle latter so maybe we can hear something from the Doc.” “OK” then Aiden leaves. Coming out of the Marshall’s Office, Aide sees “The Aqua” off on the right of the balcony level and decides to check it out. He walks over to it.

Standing in front of “The Aqua”, Aiden takes it in and the mermaid I the window beckoning him to enter. He reaches out to the doorway seemingly filled with a thick liquid and feels water. Not sure but ever the X-Scout he enters almost feeling like he is dying as he drowns breathing in the liquid oxygenated water. Picking himself up and finding himself still alive but now immersed in the liquid, he sees tables and booths seemingly floating at different levels along with strange lighting. A hand reaches out taking his and it is the mermaid Vera talking to him in the strange liquid. She says “Let me show you around.” After a circling of the rather large facility, she places him in front of the central bar and smiles at him asking: ”Well is it a drink or would you like to go to some grotto for some fun?” Aiden decides for now it is a drink and Vera leaves him but saying she will return latter. Aiden is not sure what or how to drink here so he asks the merman bartender whats good and strong? He is told why not a Rainbow Sea and after a nod, gets a rainbow layered drink with straw handed to him. Not sure how to drink it, Aiden draws on the straw almost gagging as different colored streamers exhale out his noise and mouth. After abit of disorientation, he turns and sees someone familiar at a floating table and heads over. It’s Jeremiah Amor an old IISS scout buddy greeting him. After awhile his friend asks if Aiden is going to re-up with IISS and he says he is. “Well then your promoted 2 ranks and here is your Ident Card to draw on your salary each month. There are a few questions would like to ask: 1) Know the whereabouts of Xsaleen? 2) Know anything about or the whereabouts of Solomani named Duncan Kyle Urquhart? 3) Know anything about a “Vessel”, it was an alien artifact stolen from Imperial Archeologist named Dr. Jonathan McKensey. 4) Know anything about a strange alien material used on “Xsaleen’s Chariot’s” hull. 5) Know anything about an Imperial Scout that was sent to New Covenant then somehow instantly returned where he had come from? 6) Know anything about “Ihatei” possessing alien teleport drives? 7) Need any reports on any Vargr or Aslan incidents or sightings. Anyway you can send monthly reports to the following address. See you and by the way, the drinks, food and any entertainment are on me.” Jeremiah farewells and leaves.

Vera reappears and asks Aiden “Is there is anything else he would like?” Aiden decides enough for 1 day so asks to be shown out. Vera smiles but there is some sadness in her eyes and then takes Aiden to the entrance where he plops out of the liquid and immediately falls to the ground convulsing and gagging for air. After helplessly couching up tons of liquid he is able to start breathing again and elbows himself up. After a time he is able to get to his feet and most of his gear has dried, he heads back to the ship.

Horace and Riley have been busy tracking down the strange background running program on their main system. “Well I would say it is a military job and probably Imperial from the circumstances, trying to get data from us.” “Any chance to get rid of it and set-up a one-way access data area aboard our ship?” asks Horace. “Well I could probably do it but it would mean shutting the whole ship LAN down for about 40 minutes and purging then rebooting from scratch. Probably another hour or so to create another node on the LAN and make it a one-way data repository.” “Do it.” Says Horace. Riley goes to work. In about an hour she is ready to install the special system. Claw comes to help her, appreciately she scratches behind his ears and sez “Thanks”. She has Claw crawl under the main deck laying a one-way fiber-optic from the main system to the new data repository. But before connecting Kath’les radios he is coming back aboard so they await the docking of the shipboat then kill power to flush the Imperial program. Aiden heads down to meet Kath’les.

After abit ship power comes back on-line and the main computer and 2ndary systems on the Ship LAN purge then re-boot coming up fine with the rouge program eliminated. Riley tells Horace “Everything is Nominal!”

Aiden peers down at the shipboat docked expecting Kath’les to exit but instead sees a red 88 painted on top of the shipboat. “Oh Frack!” then comms intruder alert to all the crew. Horace comms back “Whats going on?” and immediately heads to shipboat bay. Arriving he sees Aiden looking all around as well as abit frightened. They carefully go check the shipboat and find it is on some sort of overload countdown and is unable to be flown away. Horace has Aiden open the bay and they push the shipboat out and away, dropping towards Asden proper. Horace pushes off the descending shipboat back towards “Ihatei” and comms Marshall Bruce letting him know whats going on so Aslan Battle Force does not go all crazy or anyone else for that matter. All of sudden shotgun shots are heard of the comms.

Horace gets back aboard and is immediately taken to Aiden’s cabin where a male Vargr’s legs can be seen stretched out from within. It’s Grrrer and he has been shotgunned in the upper left shoulder. Aiden and Riley are taking him to the Auto-Doc. Further within Horace sees Claw flipping over a humanoid minus a head with Grrrer’s short sword sticking out of his back. Claw is holding a shotgun pried from the dead figure’s body stretched slightly under Aiden’s bunk. “Seems this guy made his way from the shipboat and got into a fight with Grrrer, shooting him then unfortunately for him not finishing off the Vargr who got up wounded and tossed his blade in his back and then caught him here in Aiden’s cabin shooting his head off point-blank with shotgun. That package on the bed seems to be what he was trying to get in here. There was also this comms device.”

Aiden glances at the package on the bed seeing it has 88 all over it. “We need to get this off the ship now.” He takes the comms device and package and Horace and Riley head to missile bay where a missile is emptied of it’s warhead and the meowing package is placed in it’s place. Aiden and Horace re-load the missile. Horace calls SPA warning of the emergency and soon to be explosion. Claw in turret fires it towards deep space and away from the Aslan Battle Force then laser detonates it. “Well no more meowing from that!”

Aiden gives the comm. device to Riley to look at and she sez it’s a remote detonator. Touch it or answer incoming call and blewy! Aiden goes down where the body was a sees a explosive device under the bed. He removes it and sez what to do about it. Riley looks at him then the bomb and pulls a wire then runs down toward the Common area and yells back “I think it is defused! But you should take it apart to be sure.” Aiden does.

Marshall Bruce shows up at the “Ihatei” getting a report and has Aiden help him body-bag the headless body and they go to Doctor Bill’s. Horace also gets Grrrer ready and all head except Claw and Riley, to Doctor Bill’s Popper. Once there, patients Aslan, Ursa and Human leave as the Marshall and extras bring in a dead body and one almost. The hamster assistant Rosieta has Horace place into one of the patience rooms and she goes to work on him. Horace watches and once satisfied, he goes to listen about the bodies from Doctor Bill with Marshall Bruce and Aiden. Doctor Bill says these are expensive clones from a original person.

Time is Day 1 2300 Hours (Day 85) over 0624 Asden/Keiar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep.
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kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

2/1/10 Week 33 (Day 86)

Time is Day 2 0500 Hours (Day 86) over 0624 Asden/Keiar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep aboard ”Ihatei” (Kath’les – John, Horace – Chris G., Aiden – Aaron, Claw – David) docked at Asden “Heaven” Orbital Facility. Kath’les has an e-mail, Horace has 2 and Aiden has one. Claw and Aiden are on watch.

Claw notices on the exterior monitors a suited multi-armed ( 8 ) individual walking the exterior ledge that goes down the docking berths. Once he nears the ”Ihatei”, he reaches up and touches her then continues on. After abit down to starboard, near berthing dock 4 the lights cut and something large and black docks. Then individuals can be seen silhouette-wise unloading various crates. After about 20 minutes all is complete, the black shape recedes the lights come back on. Still monitoring the black silhouette, Claw sees a strange blue main drive kick on once far away from the Asden Orbital Facility. Claw goes and awakens Aiden to take his shift and shows him the recordings of the multi-armed individual and black shape then goes off to bed. Aiden goes and checks the hull outside where the multi-armed figure touched the ship but finds nothing. Aiden tries to review the large black silhouette to see if he can identify what sort of ship it was, but is unable.

Horace’s emails are from the Death Shop from Brother Tobias asking to talk about doing some business. The second one is from Doctor Bill’s hamster assistant Rosieta saying Grrrer the Vargr will be released about 1000 so expect him and he should still get some rest. The Aiden’s e-mail is from Marshall Bruce letting him know of another dead clone of the Imperial x-CEO Sabastine Clomer that was found in the alley near the Death Shop. Kath’les’ email is from a executive nurse Emily Ratchet for injured x-executive Aslan 60 year-old employer Rufus Pike now confined to a grav-chair as a result from a Vargr space attack and wanting to pay handsomely for a drop-off at New Covenant.

Claw sends an e-mail to his old army friend Hojan the One Tooth about what he has seen on the Vargr space pirates that we fought while saving the crew on the “Scar”. Lets him know that they were attacked by them and describes the types of the warships that were there and the location, how long ago it was and how they fought us. Also let my friend know that in my possession, have a SMG that was taken off a bounty hunter who was human female and a partner a frog that tried to kill the Captain at the time. The SMG looks like a computer pad that can send E-mail and it turns into a SMG that can fire a 30-round clip. Also obtained a ring that can open secure ship hatches and a pen that turns into a knife with poison in it. A computer virus attacked our ship and think is was cased by the Imperial Navy that also boarded our ship when we jumped back in. The virus tried to run or take over are ship and we had to shut down our ship to get the virus out. I would also like to see if it’s alright to let my Aslan captain (Kath’les, ihatei of Khaukheairl Huiha (Clan)) know what I am up to and I would like to give him half of what I earn for ship slush fund while I'm working for the Hlyueawi Huiha.

Riley starts working on the jump drive. She climbs in the turned off drive with feet wiggling in the air and throws 1st one dead large Aslan rat then another. Kath’les and Horace come check just in time to take a nest with 3 dead Aslan rat babies. Horace tells Riley “Next time as permission because we want to be able to get away quick.” “OK but she should give abit more now!” sez Riley as she brings it back on line.

Kath’les contacts executive nurse Ms. Ratchet (she is tall and thin, dark haired and not the prettiest gal around) for details and background check dossiers (39 year old nurse has over 20 years of nursing experience and been employed with Rufus Pike for about 2 years). This done, she says that her employer Rufus Pike has heard of “The Prophet” and his healing abilities on New Covenant and would pay 4M Cr for both their passage and drop-off. Kath’les agrees and sez for them report to the ”Ihatei” in berthing dock 7.at 1500 Hours. The 1st half of payment is given to seal the deal, 2M Cr.

Horace takes Claw and they head over to The Death Shop to see what Brother Tobias is wanting. Once they come in, Brother Tobias thanks Horace for coming and tosses each of them a small bag of pink grass. Brother Tobias says “Brother James would be wanting to talk to you now! Office in the back! Who be yer friend now?” “He is Claw and a crewmate. He is OK!” says Horace. Tells them to go ahead spreading blanket to let them pass while various colored smoke drifts out from behind. Both go ahead then stumble as the colored smoke has an effect.

Within is a large party with Brothers and various gals, some even alien; the Sisters. They get asked to join a side-party but say “We are suppose to talk to Brother James.” Brother Henry points off to the rear and right of the shop. They stumble that way knocking on the door they find. “Be com’n in now would ya!” sez a deep booming voice from within. They enter with a large Brother behind a desk. There is no smoke within. Once in the see he has a rather large gun aimed in their direction. Both Horace and Claw carefully remove their weapons placing them on a nearby table so discussion can be more comfortable.

“What you be needing Brother James now?” asks Horace. “I need 10 tons of supplies, 5 weapons and 5 drugs, brought to a Brother Osiris in the asteroid belt of Hrou System. How much?” sez Brother James. Horace calculates and sez 1.5M Cr! “OK” sez Brother James tossing him a signaling device saying “Activate this at following coordinates in this system for pick-up. Then activate at these coordinates in Horu asteroid belt to get pick-up from Brother Osiris.”

Grrrer the Vargr reports back aboard the “Ihatei” wearing a large bulging band aid on the left shoulder. “Ready for duty!” he sez to Kath’les.

Brother James also tosses a big bag with pink grass with red in it to Horace. “Have fun and join the party outside.” Horace then Claw pick up there weapons and leave. As they exit Sister Rashel and Sally Mae take them to party. After time disappears, the multi-colored Horace and Claw stumble back to the “Ihatei” having had to much partying. Time is 1430 Hours.

Horace and Claw reboard the ship and Kath’les can smell the smoke on their multi-colored clothes, skin and fur. “Whoa what have you been doing?” sez Kath’les. They say they would taking a shower then reporting back for briefing. Once everyone gets back together and describe goings-on the “Ihatei” readies. It is decided that they will hit New Covenant first then Horu after that. Time is 1500 Hours and there is a ship’s hatch bell that goes off signifying visitors. It is nurse Ms. Ratchet with her employer Hamel Pike. Kath’les welcomes them aboard and shows them to their cabins and then tells them the common area and galley, told ship rules and restrictions (such as engineering, turrets, etc) and should they be needed the vacsuits and escape modules.

Once all is ready the “Ihatei” radios PA (Port Authority) gains clearance and frees from berthing and heads out to the revendouz point. Once there Horace uses the signal device Brother James gave and shortly a blacker-than-space silhouette slides in nearby then turns lights on. Aiden says “It’s a Pirate Corsair!”. Armed humanoids in black suits begin unloading and preparing 10-ton container to be loaded aboard the “Ihatei”. Once container is secured aboard the black ship turns lights off and disappears off in the distance then a blue main thruster is seen as it accelerates away. “Ihatei” readies for jump to New Covenant then initiates.

Various training commences amongst the crew. It is noticed when Grrrer the Vargr continues unarmed combat training with Claw, his shoulder ban aid shows blood. Horace orders him to take it easy. Alarm bells commence warning exiting of jump shortly. All are warned and ship exits and immediately there are TAS (Traveller Aid Society) warnings that New Covenant is a Red Zone. New Covenant SPA (Star Port Authority) immediately signals “Ihatei” and says “Welcome it has been 32 days since we last saw you!” They are given a flight corridor and landing coordinates to berth on New Covenant at the star port. They comply and arrive planetside after about 2 hours after arrival. Once landed they find Nurse Ratchet, Aiden and the shipboat gone. Riley is immediately asked to come check the ship’s systems and she does. After about 10 minutes she informs all that the ship’s security systems have been overridden and seems the shipboat launched and went down into the swamp section of “The Run”. An Adapt is immediately requested so that the kidnapping and status can be reported.

It is Day 1 1720 Hours (Day 93) once back again on 722 New Covenant/ Keiar Subsector/Reaver’s Deep. Now what?
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kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

2/8/10 Week 34 (Day 93)

It is Day 1 1720 Hours (Day 93) once back again on 722 New Covenant/ Keiar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep aboard ”Ihatei” (Kath’les – John, Horace – Chris G., Claw – David) berthed at Star Port in Star City. Aiden has been kidnapped by Nurse Ratchet (believed to be either a clone or the real Sabastine Clomer; aka “88”)using their shipboat and it landed in a 20 diameter area of the swamp section of “The Run”. Their crippled passenger is given to SPA (Star Port Authority) for questioning and care. He pays the remaining 4M Cr for their taking him to New Covenant and apologizes for the mess his nurse has caused. He does not understand why and what has happened.

All crew Kath’les, Horace, Claw, Grrrer and Riley gather to discuss the situation and try to decide what next to do. Riley informs that she used 2 tons of ship parts to repair light fighter while in route to New Covenant. Kath’les wants to get some supplies and request assistance from Keo and the Aslan Enclave south of “The Run”. Horace will get 2 airrafts and the rest of the crew will get gear ready so they can go after Aiden.

Kath’les calls the Aslan Enclave asking to speak to Keo but gets Barisa who says “Hi! What can I do for you?” “Need to talk to Keo ASAP.” says Kath’les. “He will have to call you in ten, some pressing business.” After 10 minutes, Keo indeed calls back. “What can I do for you Kath’les?”

Kath’les tells Keo he needs a Strike Team and Keo can come also. Need to go into the swamp area of “The Run” and rescue Aiden who has been kidnapped by a mad person. Keo says have an Aslan couple familiar with the swamp and another plus himself. We will be over in about 20 minutes unless you want to park here.” “Good idea, we shall fly the “Ihatei” there and take off from there.” Says Kath’les.

Horace has the 2 airrafts loaded aboard the “Ihatei” and goes and answers the ship hatch bell, it’s the Adapt and the one the group knows. He greets all of his fellow New Covenants (Kath’les and Horace) and then asks to Claw, Grrrer and Riley. “They are new crew, but what is important is Aiden, a New Covenant, has been kidnapped and little is know other than he has been taken to swamp area in “The Run”. The Adapt closes his eyes and seems to be meditating then says he is alive, in a cave and within a 10 mile diameter area which he shows on a map. “Let us know how else we can help if you need.” They thank him and he leaves. They then request clearance from SPA to fly out of the Star Port and the right to scan “The Run”? Permission is given but they are warned that “The Run” has anomalies that will inhibit their scanning getting strange results even from space with visual scanners. They take off and head to Aslan Enclave. Horace ask Riley if she can handle the ship and fly it and come as cavalry if called? She says she can. Everyone gears up and readies.

After landing, the 2 airrafts are unloaded and Keo and his 3 Aslan teammates (Male with light armor and gravity lance, female with portable Auto-Doc and Sniper Rifle, lastly another Aslan male with armor and auto-shotgun with extra magazine) join Kath’les in his ceremonial battlesuit with gravity lance, Horace in Ninja suit and gauss pistol, Claw with flak vest and weapons and finally Grrrer with laser pistol, shotgun and medium blade. They discuss options and arrive at a plan. They will fly NAP as much as possible first towards the mountainous area and use it as cover then turn come across the derelict alien spaceship barren area flying low over the woods then down and through the swamp entering the 10 mile diameter zone from the south west. Keo and his team mount up in one of the airraft with the female Aslan piloting and “Ihatei” crew in the other with Horace piloting. They lift and head west turning into the mountains of “The Run”.

As they make their run across the mountains a huge dark flying serpent shape lifts trying to pursue them but not able to catch them, burst a huge fireballs that sails towards them but falls short expiring. Next they drop NAP across the barren area caused by the huge alien derelict coming towards rising forest. Cougars and packs of Dire Wolves can been seen amongst the forest lines and barren area. The 2 airrafts raise to follow the forest canopy and then as pass that area, again drop to NAP coming into the swamp.

Immediately alarms commence on both airrafts as a missile lock-on occur. There is a whoosh as a seemingly unguided missile passes between the 2 close flying airrafts. Flying lower trying to mask their signatures the culprit is seen to be some sort of unmanned but spacecraft dropped anti-aircraft pod with scan dish revolving trying to seek them out but unable. They continue on trying to gain knowledge of the designated areas layout and composition and defenses as they cut across the area coming under missile attack twice more from more missile pods similar to the first. Unfortunately Keo’s airraft is hit glancing on the 3rd missile but still under control and able to keep up with Horace’s. It is decided to crosscut the area again and try to composite the readings to see what the area contains.

As the 2 airrafts fly their next crosscut, they come under fire again from more missile pods but again the strange direct fire rather than homing type. The second pass allows the gleaming of the area. There are 4 large islands, 2 peninsulas attached to main land areas and 5 smaller islands. There is found to be 20 of the missile pods, all acting as strangely as the first; scanning, locking and firing direct fire missiles. There are 3 more near misses when it is decided to land on one of the larger islands to the north seeming to have the most rocky outcrops. Once landing nothing is found so they take flight again and head for the center smallest island.

They land and disperse looking for some sign. They move forward in skirmish line looking for sign, suddenly Grrrer turns back to the airrafts running and firing his shotgun hitting some hovering white-gray cylinder hovering above the land. His fire is echoed by the 2 shotgun Aslans of Keo’s crew. Their fire keeps a combat drone from firing it’s weapon at them or the airrafts. Finally it explodes from an armor piercing hit from the sniper Aslan female.

More fire commences from the front from Kath’les, Horace, and Claw as 2 combat drones humming fly in at them from the front. One combat drone losses flight and lands but continues to fire. The second is suppressed unable to fire allowing the rear firing group to turn and reinforce fire at the new threat. A 3rd combat drone appears and fires hitting Grrrer squarely and he goes down. “Darn gun magnet!” thinks Horace and Kath’els. The female Aslan rushes to Grrrer to get him in her portable Auto-Doc. She gets help from her Aslan partner and they take Grrrer back to the airrafts and lay him aboard. The female gets up near him while the male Asaln returns firing as he rejoins the front line.

The immobilized combat drone is hit by armor piercing rounds of Horace and it explodes. The 2 remaining drones approach but one is suppressed unable to fire from concentrated attacks by Kath’les and the shotguns of 2 Aslans and Claw. The other misses and it’s energy bolt flies between and past Kath’les and Horace. Keo is running fast and jumps slicing through the other combat drone. Taking a moment, all seems clear and quiet, but then there is more humming as 3 more combat drones appear out of the ground ahead.

It is Day 1 2230 Hours (Day 93) again in “The Run” on 722 New Covenant/ Keiar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep.
_________________
kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

2/15/10 Week 35 (Day 93)

It is Day 1 2000 Hours (Day 93) again in “The Run” on 722 New Covenant/ Keiar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep when Aiden (Aaron) awakens and looks around seeing he wears only a breech cloth and hangs in a large cage suspended from roof of an open cavern some 10 meters from the floor. Executive Nurse Ms. Emily Ratchet, a tall 39 year old and thin, dark haired and not the prettiest gal around and still dressed in her white uniform is loading a 12 ton 3 fined 25 meter tall rocket with a cockpit and a large red “88” painted on it. What Ms. Ratchet has just loaded is one of those 200 year old Z-Bomb Planet Killer pods into the now closed cargo area of the rocket. Aiden can see his name fancily written as the pilot just below and along the cockpit. Nurse Ratchet starts fueling up the rocket as Aiden watches and finally goes off through the open hatch of the “Ihatei”’s shipboat. Aiden can see 3 passages-ways going off to the NNE, NNW and SSW. Coming into the chamber from the NNW is a 6 foot by 2 foot diameter cylinder with a weapon sticking out of the side and hovering a good foot off the floor seemingly some sort of anti-grav momentum system. A combat drone.

After awhile and only after the combat drone leaves, Aiden starts rocking the cage to see if he can bring it down and he does. Only slightly brushed and still alive, he grabs a rock and bounds loose a freed bar of the cage and then squirms out. He then darts to cover and hears warnings, lock-ons and comments about “That’s it! Take them down!” and decides to run for it. A combat drone comes in from the east passage trying seemingly to patrol the area. Aiden tries to get to better cover but is seen and tries to make a run for it but there is a hum and the lights go out for Aiden.

It is Day 1 2230 Hours (Day 93) again in “The Run” on 722 New Covenant/ Keiar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep when 2 fire teams consisting of Kath’les (John), Horace (Chris G.), Claw (David) in one and Keo, 2 other Aslan males in the other see 2 combat drones that are approaching and just rose from the ground some 50 or so meters ahead. The Vargr Grrrer that was wounded is back aboard the unharmed airraft near the still smoking one being taken care by the female Aslan sniper medic.

As the 2 combat drones proceed to attack the 6 in the front line, a 3rd combat drone appears from the east and joins in. Both Kath’les and one of Aslan hit the left most drone with their gravity lances immobilizing it. Horace gauss guns it with AP round causing it to be immobilized; Keo closes on it to finish it off with his enhanced claws. The middle drone is hit by shotgun fire from Claw and the Aslan male with auto-shotgun knocking it about so it is unable to move or fire. A hyper-sonic round passes through them to slam into the combat drone in the middle but it does not penetrate. The 3rd and east most drone approaches and fires but misses.

Keo closes on the immobilized drone to left and finishes it off. The middle drone fires and drops Keo but in turn is blown up by a AP round from Horace. Everyone turns their attention to the approaching east combat drone firing gravity lances, shotguns and the like. The drone fires but misses and is blown apart by the concentrated fire. The Aslan female medic pronounces Grrrer has expired and the Auto-Doc needs to be used on Keo. Horace, Kath’les pick-up Keo and take him back to the good airraft. Grrrer’s body is taken and placed aboard the less functioning airraft. The female Aslan medic aids Keo.

Horace and Claw go scout ahead while the rest remain on guard while Keo is being worked on. They find an open chamber some 30 meters in diameter and the floor some 30 meters below. Passages going off to the north, east and SSE can be seen below. It is decided to take the good airraft below into the cavern and leave the now awaken Keo guarding it while group checks out the rest of the tunnels. They all board the airraft and float down landing.

Aiden awakens finding himself strapped down in the cockpit aboard the one-way rocket. Outside the rocket, a male seeming to be Sabastine Clomer ( aka “88”) laughing and saying “Well Aiden hope you like your one-way trip! Want to start the count-down or should I? Guess I will. Bye!” The male figure lowers himself and then the ladder he was using and goes to enter the shipboat it seems to Aiden, though hard to see that direction since cockpit faces NE. Aiden hears over the PA, “Count-down starting! 10…” Aiden begins to frantically look around to see if there is any way to get of the situation. He sees the control panel has wires ripped out and there is not flight control or joystick. Also Aiden finds both wrists are bound as is his feet and has harness and seatbelt on. Aiden notices he is on a ejection-seat but wires are loose there also, so may not be functioning.

Horace and Kath’les decide to check out the tunnels. While that is going on both the Aslan males go and guard the north and SSE tunnels. Horace leads the search to the south where they find another chamber, also open some 30 meters in diameter with a tunnel off to the SSE. Off from this chamber is a tunnel going to the SSW. At the end of this is a large chamber some 60 meters in size and open some 40 meters in diameter or so and 3 tunnels, one to NNW, SSE and SSE can be seen. Within can be seen a large rocket some 25 meters high with a cockpit containing a strapped in Aiden. A large red “88” is painted on the side. The rocket is venting mist as if ready to lift off. Then a large “9..8..” can be heard in a male’s voice and then Aiden’s voice saying “Wonder what I can do with all of this?” From the NNW tunnel comes a drone hovering into the chamber and making a circling patrol of the chamber going behind the missile to the west.

The group decides to enter and try and get Aiden out. Horace and Kath’les race towards the shipboat. The sniper positions to cover as best she can from the tunnel NNE. Claw tries to come around the rocket from the SE and spots the drone and fires. The other 2 Aslan males approach the rocket from the east then squirt to the north side towards the shipboat. They see the drone and start firing, both hit disabling the drone. Horace inside the shipboat followed by Kath’les, find nothing except a monitor that shows the position of 20 missile pods in the swamp. The countdown is now at “7..6”. They try to communicate with Aiden and see that they can. Aiden tells them that he is trapped in and there is Z-Bomb in the cargo-bay of the rocket.

In the meantime Aiden tries to loosen one of his wrists and succeeds but it is bleeding. He uses the blood to lubricate the other wrist and then pulls that one free also. He starts trying to work on the control panel to see if anything can be done. Countdown is “..6..5”. Kath’les hurries to the SSW tunnel and makes his way down it. Claw tries to raise the ladder and get to Aiden. Once up he tries to punch through the Plexiglas of the cockpit but is unable. Horace tries to search for some kind of control aboard the airraft but finds nothing so powers the shipraft in hopes of stopping the rocket. No luck. He calls Riley to power up the “Ihatei” and to head high over “The Run” to possibly help. Horace calls New Covenant SPA to let them know there is a rocket with a Z-Bomb on it and they need clearance to try and prevent its use. They give permission and offer any assistance. Horace says need to talk to The Prophet now! Once connected the Prophet talks and asks questions of Horace. Horace tells of Sabastine Clomer ( aka “88”), Aiden and the clones and various attempts they have gone through. The Prophet asks many spiritual questions and details on clones and it is determined either a clone or the real Sabastine is in a coma in a hospital in Star City after he successfully made it through “The Run” but was almost dead from T-Rex bite. “He is a New Covenant as you and maybe the reason not able to see and help against this Sabastine. Stop the Z-Bomb from causing any grief to New Covenant please!” The countdown is “..3..2..” Aiden frees his feet and connects wires at the control panel and starts getting read outs from the previous dark monitors.

Kath’les reaches a 30 meter diameter chamber where sits another shipboat with a red “88” on it. A figure can be seen in the cockpit and the hatch is sealed on the shipboat. Kath’les attacks the cockpit trying to get at the man, it looks like Sabastine. Kath’les’ gravity lance rips and rattles through the hull and into the figure causing red blood splattering all over the cockpit windows. Kath’les then gets the hatch open and looks for some sort of remote control to the rocket. Kath’les sees some sort of remote device in pieces sturn around the cockpit. The PA announces “1..LAUNCH!”

Back in the large chamber where the rocket and rest of the group is, flames and smoke burst forth from the rocket tail knocking and burning several. The rocket lifts building up Gs and starting to rattle and shake Aiden around. Aiden gets in the cockpit seat and then connects his ejection seat wires making it function but there is no parachute. He lets the rest know that readouts show the missile programmed to hit the Starport to the east. He will try and steer the missile into an orbit and give more time to do something. Aiden’s voice is stressed as the Gs pile on. Aiden starts reaching towards the control panel but the Gs are to much and his hands and arms slam back on the arm rests of the seat. Aiden can feel the heat from the engines as starts to rise up and out of the cavern climbing for the heavens and not wearing much for that matter.

Horace gets on the radio and has Riley intercept the shipboat coming up out of the swamp and “The Run” then make for the rocket also coming out of the swamp. The missile pods open fire at the high flying “Ihatei” but it is to far away. Horace powers up the shipboat and tells everyone else to get back to the airraft and he lifts and makes way to intercept the rocket and “Ihatei”. Dodging several missile shots from pods in the swamp, he is able to get free and heads at full speed to the intercept point. Horace is able to reach the “Ihatei” first and gets taken aboard, docking! Horace makes his way to the bridge and Riley continues to meet the rocket in low orbit. Horace replaces Riley in the pilot seat on the bridge and has her head down to engineering and the docking doors of shipboat but get Aiden off 1st. Riley has an idea and asks Horace to get as close as possible to the rocket. She exits the ship and jets over to the rocket carrying 3 rescue gel pods and something akin to a tooth paste tube. Riley signals the freezing and air diminishing Aiden to get away from the Plexiglas where she squirts toothpaste in a circle and then presses the gel rescue pods down and on. The Plexiglas seems to melt and air starts venting but is stopped as the gel rescue pods seal the breech and Aiden climbs into one. Riley grabs him so contained and they make their way back to the “Ihatei”. The plan is to try and grab the rocket with doors then take it into deep space and release. Once back aboard and making sure the frostbit and oxygen starved Aiden is the Auto-Doc, Riley informs Horace and he then successfully pilots to the rocket and with Riley’s help they grab the rocket and head towards deep space.

After 2 hours they reach the asteroid belt and decide to let rocket fly into them. Worrying about the immense blast Riley decides to suggest enclosing the ship in a black globe and readies to get the black cube set-up to be powered up. Aiden shows up dressed and better from the Auto-Doc and helps Riley by making a timer to cut power after the blast has dissipated. Riley says to set the timer for what he thinks best and he does. Riley tells Horace to vector towards the asteroids and then release the rocket and then they will vector back towards New Covenant and then black globe and hope able to ride out the blast. They implement the plan and all goes black.

After 15 minutes the blackness discontinues and massive ball of light can be seen dissipating. Many asteroids have been destroyed but New Covenant is intact as is the”Ihatei” and most everyone (not Grrrer) are alive. They head back to New Covenant and notify SPA of the SITREP. Horace tells Aiden to get in a turret so they can make way back towards the swamp in “The Run” and take out what missile pods need to so they can collect the rest.

The “Ihatei” makes for “The Run” and vectors into the swamp where awaits the rest of the group, 2 airrafts and another shipboat as well as a couple of bodies needing pick-up. Several missile firings latter and some 8 missiles pods destroyed, all have been taken back to the Aslan Enclave to the south of “The Run”. Keo along with his fire team are thanked for their assistance.

It is Day 2 0200 Hours (Day 94) back on 722 New Covenant/ Keiar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep and out of “The Run”.
_________________
kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

2/29/10 Week 36 (Day 94)

It is Day 2 0200 Hours (Day 94) back on 0722 New Covenant (A5579DE-9)/ Keiar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep and out of “The Run”. Aboard “Ihatei” is Horace (Chris G.), Aiden (Aaron) and Kath’les (John R.) and their Chief Engineer Riley.

Claw sends a message to his friend in army friend in the Hlyueawi Huiha (Clan), who acknowledges his message. A return reply denies Claw permission on going after Sabastine Clomer ( aka “88”) formally or in any official capacity. He is reminded that he is Hlyueawi while captain is Kath’les, he is of the Khaukheairl Hiha and ihatei (2nd son) even though he is Aslan. As for personnel time, you can do whatever you want as well as use your own funds. As for your resumed military duty, you have your orders and that being on the reporting of Imperial and Vargr activities you encounter or become aware of. “Good Luck - Hojan the One Tooth of the Hlyueawi Huiha Army.

Riley asks Kath’les on Hazard Pay since the recent knowledge of the demised Vargr Grrrer? Kath’les sez there is and she would get that should she be involved with any. Riley quickly reminds Kath’les there were missiles fired at the “Ihatei” she flew just recently. Kath’les sends 5K Cr to Grrrer’s contract account along with news and details of his loss.

Horace with Kath’les knowledge proceeds to put their shipboat, damaged shipboat, 15 tons of pharmaceuticals on sell at the Aslan Enclave. They obtain 18M Cr for these. Horace further purchases a COVA Sealed airraft for 1.2M Cr for the ship. Kath’les buys a couple of extra gravity-spears and several shock globes.

Horace then talks to Riley about installing physical locks on the ship’s 2 hatches, 2 docking bays, Engineering and the Bridge. A debate ensues between Kath’les and Horace as to how many keys should exist and who should have them. It is decided that Kath’les the Captain will have one and the XO, Horace.

The “Hatei” then departs heading after a few more hours to jump point and on their way to 0923 Hrou (D200579-/Ea Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep. Ship Watches and training are scheduled and around 7 days the ship alarms warning that exiting jump is about to occur.

The “Hatei” exists jump space about 10K km from Horu’s sole asteroid belt. Sensors pick-up 2 ships approaching from in-system and hailing. “Ihatei state your business here!” They are 2 police cutters of the Serpent Class and logos show them as United Corp Police. Horace decides to BS them, saying they have been hired by Yadda Yadda corporation to scan the asteroids for minerals. They are told any actual mining will require a permit that can be obtained at any of the 6 independent corporate orbiting facilities. The 2 police cutters wish them luck and head off. They proceed into the asteroid belt after ensuing the cutters are out of range.

Horace then triggers the signaling device that Brother James gave him back at Asden “Heaven” Orbital Facility. Soon a return signal is given a camouflaged Gazelle Close Escort Class ship comes out. Brother Osirus welcomes the “Ihatei” to Jamaican Posse II and then in his bright yellow vacsuit helps Horace unload 10 tons of weapons and drugs that was sent from Brother James. has Various colored suited figures assist getting the cargo aboard the Gzaelle Class vessel. Brother Osirus then asks Horace to take back 10 tons of “minerals” back to Brother James. Horace agrees and then they transfer a 10-ton container on the “Ihatei”. Brother Osirus says “Good-Bye” and reboards his vessel and they depart leaving the “Ihatei” to fend for herself.

Needing fuel, the “Ihatei” heads in-bound to see what kind of refueling they can obtain. They choose McCoys Mining orbital Facility to refuel at. The operators seem to be some sort of Hillbillies with a space-suited mascot goat that climbs around the “Ihatei” hull when they dock. 60K Cr less and fueled up, the “Ihatei” heads off and jumps back to Asden System.

On arriving back at Asden, they are hailed by SPA (Marshall Bruce) saying “Welcome back.” They dock at “Heaven” seeing 3 other ships berthed, a Vargr scout, a human scout and a Helstrom Mining medium sized belter. Horace, Kath’les and Aiden depart the ship leaving Riley to take care of things. As they come out of the airlock in the alley ring outside the Bazaar, the hatchways close and they are plugged into darkness and a voice says “So your dealing in goods?” On the wall is projected them talking to Brother James then pictures of Horu asteroid belt. “You need to join the Shadow Syndicate for 10M Cr.” The lights come back on and the hatches rise. They head on in.

As they make their way through the Bazaar,view sees the girl floor show inviting them to participate; some furry waterboy offers to sell water to them; exotic blades for sell, pets for sell; human fellow offers to sell them 10 miracle water vials for 1K Cr and other vices such as spirits, smokes and drugs. Finally a midget clown by the name of Zzeros comes up and laughs and heads on in to “BeBob’s Bar”. The group heads in and decides not to stay when they see several male and female midget clowns running and providing the entertainment in the place. They head straight for the “Death Shop“ to see Brother James.

Entering the Death Shop, Brother Tobias tosses Horace a small bag of green-blue vegetation and says “Brother Horace howz it hag’n?” Horace replies fine and need to talk to Brother James.” “Who be your friends?” “Shipmates”. “Go’n back.” Horace takes Aiden and Kath’les past the raised blanket into a multi-colored smoke filled den where various Brothers and Sisters are parting. Both Kath’les and Aiden start coughing and stagger as if hit by a wall from the 2nd hand smoke. Horace leads them back to a rear office checking his weapons on a large table outside a door that he knocks on. Aiden and Kath’les do also, barely able to handle the strange smokes. A booming voice says “Come’N!” Horace enters followed by the other 2. The room is completely clear of smoke and a large Brother James sits behind a big desk, hands low. “N who be dees?” Horace replies “Kath’les, Captain and owner of the Ihatei. Aiden, Scout and Gunnermate of the Ihatei.” “Welcome friends of Brother Horace.”

Horace informs Brother James of the late delivery to Brother Osirus at Horu and off the police cutters. “There be no Police at Horus.” Says Brother James. “Hmmmm!” Horace tells Brother Osirus sent 10-tons of “minerals”, Brother James tosses a 1.5M Cr card to Horace and says to deliver the “minerals” same out-bound place to same with signal device Horace has. He then tosses each of the 3 a small bag with green-blue grass within. “Now be my guests and party!” They leave and encounter 3 lovely Sisters, Salley Mae takes Kath’les while a sweet looker named Ginger disappears with Aiden. Horace decides to escort 2 honeys off disappearing into the smoke filled den as did his buddies.

At around 1500 Hrs, Horace un-entangles himself and departs leaving his buddies for abit. He heads over to “Food and Goodies” for some water, coffee and food. He then heads off to “Bounty’s and Bonds” meeting Gerry (Human) behind a caged window armed saying “What can do you for?” Horace explains need to find information in the sector for one Sabastine Clomer. Gerry says ok 15K Cr and info will be made available in 3-7 days. Horace pays the bill and then asks to acquire an office. Gerry suggests either seeing “Gather” for a cheap joint or “Fancy Slim” if want something expensive. Horace looks up “Gather” who is on portside of “Heaven” and landlord of various apartments and such on 10 levels about 100 rooms per level know as “The Gathers” and either cheap rooms or offices. She turns out to be some ½ snake humanoid; and it’s the lower half. Horace rents out a small office with comms gear for 12 months paying 15K Cr. Standard lease, pay for 1st 6 months and only get back whats left for last half depending on when terminate. He goes back to Gerry and gives him his office contact number for information found. Its now about 2200 at night and no word from his friends, so he heads back to the Death Shop and goes in.

Horace finds Kath’les and Aiden barely and helps stumble them out. Both Kath’es and Aiden have strange colors on their skin and hair. They also smell of various aromas and smoke. Once out, Aiden wants to go back in and say bye to his cutie named Ginger. Horace says “NO! We have got to get back to the ship. It’s not fair that Riley has been on Watch this long.” While Kath’les and Aiden are on the Bazaar floor for this, Zzeros the midget clown comes up and sits on Aiden’s chest and asks if they want to hear a joke? “Sure” they say. The clown fires back: “What gets a scout high/off? A hot rocket between his thighs!” Zzeros then runs off. Horace gets them up barely and takes them back to the “Ihatei”.

Back at the ship a distressed Riley takes a look at “The Boyz” and says “Gone long enough?” Aiden starts telling her of this cute gal by the name of Ginger. Riley leaves to Engineering in a huff. There is a comms message for Horace from Death Shop. It is Brother Tobias saying that Horace’s friends left some of their stuff behind and he has placed in a packet and it is waiting for pick-up. Aiden says he will go back and get it and take a moment to say by to Ginger. Horace orders him and Kath’les to bed and will take care of it.

Horace heads over to the Death Shop and grabs the packet and heads back to ship for some much needed sleep. Opening the packet he finds a couple of items of Kath’les’ and Aiden’s along with a black backed card showing Ace of Spades on the front. Aiden keeps dreaming about Ginger.

Horace decides to voice a greeting remotely at the office and on so doing finds there is a message waiting. He listens and it says “Don’t forget the card” in the same voice as the one that mentioned the Shadow Syndicate.

It is around 2200 Hrs aboard the “Ihatei” berthed at “Heaven” orbital facility above 0624 Asden (D443500-7)/ Kelar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep
_________________
kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

2/29/10 Week 37 (Day 107)

It is around 2240 Hrs aboard the “Ihatei” berthed in dock 7 at “Heaven” orbital facility above 0624 Asden (D443500-7)/ Kelar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep. There is a Vargr Scout in berth 2, Human Scout in berth 4 and Medium Belter of the Helstrom Mining Company in berth 5.

Claw (David) receives a package at the ship’s hatch. Upon opening it he finds a black 12 inch diameter by 1inch thick platter with a simple twist control on top weighing about 15 pounds along with a note which says: “This is to be placed then upon the Vargr Scout in berth 2 then turn the twist control on top will activate the magnetic bottom. Should you decide not to do this your discontinued service in our army commences. From your Hlyueawi Huiha (Clan) Army buddy.” Claw first modifies his vacsuit color and to appear other than an Aslan the suits up placing the black disk in a shoulder bag and exits the ship seeing someone moving about on the “Ihatei” exterior hull topside. After taking a careful look he sees it is Riley doing maintenance wielding on the ship’s hull. He looks about seeing the exterior catwalk in front of the berthing docks goes the entire length and decides based on the lighting it would be hard to see one approaching the underside of ships beneath this assuming cameras are watching from the orbiting facility as well as the Vargr; just like the “Ihatei” exterior cameras do. He makes his way cautiously beneath the “Ihatei” moving below the catwalk slowly and carefully. After awhile he is just out from the Vargr Scout so he prepares to move underneath and takes out the black disk and moves out. Once below the Vargr Scout he places the disk against the hull bottom-wise and turns the control and the disk is magnetically adhering to the scout. Claw heads back the way he came going back aboard the “Ihatei” and corrects his vacsuit to the way it was.

Horace (Chris G.) decides to get up hearing Claw about in the common room galley getting a meal, it is about midnight. He says “Hi” and then goes to the bridge noticing someone is out on topside hull and sees through the monitors, it is Riley wielding the hull. He sees the Vargr Scout pull out from bay 2 and start an outward bound course possibly for jumping. After awhile Horace drifts off still tired from early day smoke and partying.

Somewhere around 0200, Horace awakens to the sounds of yet another person in the galley; this time it is Riley apparently done with her maintence. Seems Claw is off to sleep. Horace watches various monitors when at 0210 he sees a burst of light far outbound. “Strange” he says, “Wonder what that was?” Aiden rolls over in his bed dreaming of Ginger from earlier the previous days and drifts into a deeper sleep with a smile on his face.

Somewhere around 0700 Horace awakens with the whole crew eating in the galley. He gets up to get a bite also. Kath’les, Claw, Aiden are talking and eating. Riley comes up from engineering to talk to Kath’les.

Riley wants hazard pay after thinking about what had happened to their Vargr crewmate Grrrer. Kath’les gives here 5K Cr since it is also payday for the hired help. Riley says she is going ashore to take care of a few things: some shopping in the Bazaar, maybe some cloth, business at the Interstellar Bank & Trade, check in at The Guildhouse, get some replacement ship parts, restock for the galley since it lacks a woman’s touch, a bite of good “food”. Kath’les and Horace agree and she departs since she has been cooped aboard for awhile and they decide they like her to stay as crew.

Kath’les and Horace decide they need to hire some more crew so they decide a medic and perhaps some strong arm fellow. Horace will make a trip to the Death Shop, stop by The Guildhouse and maybe check at the Bounty’s & Bonds to see if Gerry has had any success. Claw asks to go with him. They all leave armed and ready.

Once exiting the air chamber between the ship and “Heaven” they go into the alley between outside hull and the wall containing the Bazaar, known as the Alley-Way. The doors shut and light goes off and they hear a familiar voice saying “decided to join the Shadow yet?” The lights go back on and hatchways open both ways. They shrug and go into the interior of “Heaven”, the Bazaar. To the left is The Guildhouse and just to the right is Bounty’s & Bonds. They go ahead and enter The Guildhouse finding a reception room with some individuals sitting, a terminal, person behind a window watching and a hallway down which they hear laughter, talking, gaming, smoking and drinking. The window person asks if they need help? Horace replies “Looking to hire on a couple of crewmates.” “Well in that case please list your needs on the terminal over there. Standard dossier will available once you obtain a list of qualified personnel from your inputted needs. Once you select and a contract will be drawn up, the individual will be notified and get in touch with you for details, then you can both work those out then sign the contract.”

Horace contacts Kath’les and they decide to input for a medic. 2 hits result: 1) a Hiver, 2) a Droyne by the name of “Qeritz”. They decide to checkout the Droyne dossier which says medic 3 but uses no weapons and does not believe in killing only saving. They agree and select him.
The next selection they vibe for is some sort of merc. They get 4 hits: 1) Zhodani named “Draker”, 2) Aslan by name of “Taral”, 3) Vargr by name of “Valfer”, 4) Human by name of “Sergeant Bester”. The dossiers on the Aslan and Human read as following:

1) Taral:
a) Race: Aslan
b) Trained: H2H, Arty(Man Portable), Energy Pistol, Turret, Medic,
Explosices, Grav Pilot.
c) Service: Special Forces, NCO (once was an officer) 6 years, 25
missions (All successful)
d) Traits: Left Cybernetic eye from war injury against the Vargr.
About 7 foot and muscular.
2) Sergeant Bester:
a) Race: Human
b) Trained: H2H, various weapons, Turret, Explosives, Grav (bike),
Boarding Action
c) Service: NCO/Officer
3) Valfer:
a) Race: Vargr
b) Trained: H2H, various weapons (rifle, pistol, sword), Turret,
Explosives, Grav/Wheeled vehicles, Boarding Action
c) Service: NCO, Deep Strike Team

They decide to contact Taral.

Next Horace and Claw head over to talk to Gerry at Bounty’s & Bonds. Gerry tells them nothing yet but will leave message at their office when something comes in. They leave and head over to Death Shop. Arriving they are greeted by Brother Tobias who tosses a small bad of blue-green grass to each. He asks “What can I do you for?” Horace tells him interested in sawed-off shotgun. Pulls out 2 nice cases: one mahogany and the other a rosewood one. In the mahogany ones is a 14 gauge sawed-off shotgun with 10 cartridges. The rosewood has similar but sawed-off nicer and it is a 12 gauge. Horace decides on the 12 gauge. He asks about the cartridges and is told: 2x pointed AP rounds, 2x green swirling in transparent top are poison gas, 2x pink rounds are anti-hull with acid, 2x flachett, 2x “00”, 2x KO. “We may also have some gray cartridges that are teargas ones.” Horace buys the 20 gauge and gets extra cartridges. They also get some grenades: 25x HE, 10x fragmentary, 15x smoke, 30x stun, 20x teargas ones. Claw asks if can vist the “Den” and possibly Salley Mae but Horace says no. Just then a hand reaches through the blanket to the “Den” and hands a perfumed note with lipstick kiss on it to Claw and Ginger asks him to give it to Aiden. “OK”

Qeritz calls and signs on. He asks to their medical facilities or should he bring his own? They say they have 2 Auto-Docs. He suggests a Sick-Bay for 12K Cr. They agree and he will bring all the equipment and install it. After when he should show to the “Ihatei”, he is told 1500. He asks if earlier is ok to get things installed? “Yes.”

Taral calls and signs on but asks for 1000 Cr advance to take care of apartment lease. His left eye is silver and a cut scare is vertical across the eye socket. He is sent the money and he says he will report sharply at 1500.

Back aboard the “Ihatei”, Qeritz shows up around 1400 with several crates. He immediately asks where the “Sick Bay” is to be? He is shown a spare stateroom. With help from Riley and others he gets the Sick Bay up and running around 1700 Hrs.

Meanwhile ship hatch alarm notifying someone outside. After checking it is an Aslan named Taral promptly at 1500 Hrs. He has several long tubes, a long weapon case and duffle bag. More weight than most could carry and still moving with cat grace and stealth. He asks where to unload and bunk. He is surprised when given a stateroom to himself. He asks if there is to be a ship tour and is he to know any ship and crew details? Kath’les says: “I am Captain and pointing to Horce, is the XO, Aiden, Scout and Gunner. Claw navigator and pilot. Riley is chief engineer and Qeritz is our medic.” Kath’les and Claw can see Taral visible size up Claw but no challenge is issued. At that moment Qeritz comes out of the new Sick Bay and Taral looks abit surprised to see a Droyne but does not say anything other than nods acknowledging all the crew. Kath’les takes the 2 new crew for a ship tour. He introduces them to Riley who sez “Ahh I like Qeritz. He’s cute!” Qeritz gives her a dead-pan stare. Once they arrive to the COVA Sealed Airraft, Taral asks if they plan on arming the vehicle? Kath’les and Horace ask what type of weapon? Taral says he recommends 2 probe drones and remote controlled/manual smart rocket launcher. They agree and Taral asks Claw if he would assist. He agrees. They get busy. Taral makes a call and 30 minutes latter 2 rather large Aslan Mercs seeming to know Taral show up with weapon gear. The bill of 40K Cr is given to Kath’les while Taral and Claw install the new equipment on the airraft. The 2 Mercs leave.

Kath’les and Horace decide to head for a new system 0926 Lestrow (C798764-8 )/Ea Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep. They depart “Heaven” orbital facility at 1900 making way for jump point.
_________________
kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

3/08/10 Week 38 (Day 108)

The “Ihatei” departs “Heaven” orbital facility at 1900 heading towards jump point for the new decided system 0926 Lestrow (C798764-8 )/Ea Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep. But before they (Kath’les – John, Horace – Chris G., Aiden – Aaron, Claw – David, and rest of crew Riley, Qeritz, Taral) leave, an agreed upon delivery must be made.

Deviating from course to jump point, the “Ihatei” makes it’s way to an unoccupied region about 50K km from jump point and Horace activates the single beacon. Soon after signal is sent something darker than space closes in towards their location. At about 10 km, visual scans reveal a dark camouflaged silhouette of a pirate ship of the Cutlass Class. 1 km away, a shipboat can be seen emerging and heading towards the “Ihatei”. Horace, Taral along with Claw and Aiden get the 10-ton container of “minerals” ready for transfer. Once the shipboat is close, Horace and Taral get it out of the cargo bay and work it over to the shipboat where black humanoid figures take it within. The shipboat heads off and docks aboard the Pirate Cutlass which departs slowly and quietly. After a time, a blue main drive can be seen and then nothing. Time is about 2220 Hrs.

The “Ihatei” heads to jump point and then jumps for Lestrow. The crew sets-up a training schedule enroute and Qertiz runs a physical on the whole crew. A few anomalies are identified in some of the individuals and these are reported to the Captain Kath’les and XO Horace. The anomalies are elevated enzymes in Aiden showing he has been mentally touched by some psionist, likely Ginger. Aiden and Claw show drugs still in their system from recent partying. Claw also has some sort of fleas from infested rugs or such. It is decided to make the medical computer independent of the overall ship network and in Sick-Bay; additionally a special physical key lock with 2 keys are given to Qertiz and the Captain. Taral constantly maintains a physical regiment in training. 7 days latter jump exit alarms start and “Ihatei” emerges into Lestrow space and then heads to the nearest gas giant descending to start scooping hydrogen for processing and refining. Immediately a TAS signal satellite message is received: “Alert! Alert! This is a Red Zone. Travel prohibited. This is a TAS Alert Message.”

Aiden is manning the sensors when he detects something large and moving fast from below towards the ship. There is a a physical and audible smack as the ship actually killers from a heavy strike. Horace, Riely, Aiden, Claw and Taral rush to area after downing vacsuits. A large stingray like creature is seen to move off away from the ship with part of it’s tail missing. Claw goes and pilots the light fighter and launches to try and protect the ship as well as do a quick fly-by to localize the strike and a quick visual on the damage. Claw spots a wiggling black object that breeched the hull. Aiden and Taral rig-up and exit the ship to check exterior damage. As they arrive into the area beneath the portside wing a 8 foot by 2 ½ foot diameter black and broken off tail can be seen sill wiggling and sticking into the ship.

Riley and Horace localize the hull strike from the interior and find a breeched fuel compartment under the lower portside wing. Riley cycles the fuel out as best and tells Horace an internal compartment inspection and clearing will need to be made. Horace and her go into the compartment finding a large barbed 12 foot wiggling section. Also there are a few hydrogen crystals around from remaining vapors freezing. Riley tries and cleans up these placing them in a sealed container. Horace meanwhile uses his ninja blade to cut 20 barbs holding the tail from within. Horace checks and takes about 5 large hydrogen crystals from the tail.

Outside the ship Aiden and Claw rig a cable around the still wiggling tail and attach to the light fighter piloted by Claw and successfully pull and release it away from the ship and fighter. Claw redocks the fighter. Aiden and Taral seal the breech and re-enter the ship. The ship has 80 tons of fuel only.

It is decided to try and jump to 1125 Earlo (D242102-7)/ Ea Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep to try and make repairs. Upon trying to ready for jump, jump grid integrity is compromised. Riley along with Aiden suit up and exits ship to do repairs. After an hour and returning back aboard
the ship, another attempt is made to jump. It is successful and in 7 days with crew continuing training, the ship exits jump A ship is detected 30K km away, it’s a human scout. It is heading in to land at Earlo starport. “Ihatei” calls SPA and request landing at the starport. “Granted and land on Pad-3 South.”

Upon landing Riley begins repairs. The ship also undergoes refueling. In the meantime Claw takes his leave and heads south to the communication facilities. Once Claw reaches the facility, he pays to use a com-booth and sends a message off on the humanoid scout perched on Pad-1 North.

Kath’les in battledress heads off ship to go roaming. They find a library but find nothing of import. After checking with Claw, they meet-up. As they head further into the rougher northeast of the town, 2 individuals one thin and other large head to intercept them from front. Behind are 2 others, and there is 1 on each roof-top just behind on the left and right. Kath’les and Claw turn back towards the ship then run to building that was left. The figure that was there is gone. A rifle shoot rings out, but it just splats on Kath’les armor. They return suppressive fire at the rifle on the right building atop. Kath’les tosses one of his shock globes back towards the thin and heavy man and with a dust cloud burst, they go down. Claw unleashes a hail of bullets from his SMG-pad putting down the thin man that was raising.

Kath’les tosses another shock glove towards the closing 2 humanoids from the rear knocking them down. A weapon appears from the building they are near with the previous roof-top man now down but he misses. Aiden kills him with a well placed shot. Claw fires a burst on the raising figures from the rear dust cloud, they fail back and cease moving. The group heads back to the “Ihatei” and board. SPA is alerted that they leave and the “Ihatei” departs.

Kath’les and Horace decide to head for a new system 1327 Vincit (C8987A9-8 )/Ea Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep. The “Ihatei” reaches jump point after almost 2 hours travel. Time is about 1600 Hrs.
_________________
kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

3/15/10 Week 39 (Day 123)

Kath’les (John) and Horace (Chris G.) decide to head for a new system 1327 Vincit (C8987A9-8 )/Ea Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep. The “Ihatei” reaches jump point after almost 2 hours travel; time is 1400 Hrs and starts transit.

The crew (Kath’les, Horace, Aiden – Aaron, Claw – Dave, Riley, Qeritz, Taral) train and do routine maintenance as 7 days go for the transit. Claw informs Kath’les of his Hlyueawi Huiha (Clan) army reinstatement and his reporting of Vargr and Imperial activity. Riley asks Aiden about his “Ginger” note but gets no satisfactory answer.

Alarms for coming out of jump sound and all the crew take stations. The ship exits and now is about 2.81 Hrs out from Vincit. There is almost no asteroid belts at all, just a few beyond. There is a Serpent Police Cutter at 60K km requesting IFF from the “Ihatei” and asking their business. Horace replies they are here to refuel and after they check out are told to contact SPA and go in to refuel.

Horace lands the “Ihatei” at south most landing pad as instructed. North north west in the distance can be seen a fenced off additional small spaceport from this larger one, some kind of Imperial base from the looks of it. Kath’les meanwhile arranges refined refueling for a cost of 60K Cr. A robotic arm extends toward the “Ihatei” to start when there is a massive explosion spinning the “Ihatei” 30 meters counterclockwise towards the north west some 405 degrees from original heading. Alarm lights and warnings erupt all over the ship as crew are thrown about. Kath’les hits his head blacking out. The ship lists abit downward starboard seemingly a strut bent. Smoke and flames can be seen through the bridge outside. Alarms say fires and ruptures are in the internal docking bay used by the light fighter. Over the comms Riley can be heard saying “What the heck was all that? Running ship wide diagnostics to determine damage. Everyone suit up as quick as possible. Will report ASAP.”.

Horace releases his pilot seat harness and goes to check Kath’les. He notices Qeritz is making his way slowly into the bridge with portable Medikit and still getting his Droyne vacsuit on. Horace calls SPA and reports the blast and fires asking for emergency aid.

Aiden sees Taral putting on his vacsuit as he arrives to suit-up also. Claw is just arriving to do the same. After Aiden is suited-up he heads down to lower deck to check the reported docking bay fires and ruptures. Taral is heading towards the bridge to help. Claw goes and grabs a fire extinguisher and heads to where smoke appears to be coming from internally.

Horace sees a suited-up Taral come in bridge checking to see if all ok. Qeritz tells Horace to get his vacsuit on and then report to Sick Bay after that. Taral looks outside, then turns and helps Qeritz get Kath’les to Sick Bay.

Sirens can be heard coming from without as emergency starport vehicles arrive. Foam starts covering the windows putting out smoke and fire. The now suited-up Horace heads to Sick Bay finding Kath’les is alive and well, soon to be out of the Auto-Doc. Taral and Horace leave to check on the ship.

Aiden gets to a Repair Bot control and has it enter the fighter bay full of smoke and flames. After releasing Halon and several fire extinguishers the fires go out. The light fighter is slammed up against the starboard side of the hanger with a wing piercing having rupturing the fuel cell beyond. Aiden has the Repair Bot seal the rupture then vents the smoke and Halon from the hanger. From the looks of it, the fighter is a mess also. Claw shows up seeing if need any help after having put out numerous smaller fires. “Nope” says Aiden.

Horace and Taral exit the ship to assess the damage from without. There are about 6 emergency vehicles stationed around the ship spraying foam covering everything. In the distance, 3 more emergency vehicles and 2 large tanker trucks are approaching. The whole lower starboard-side of the ship is blacked and drooping for what little can be seen from the foam fire-retardant.

Outside the ship, Horace and Taral begin reviewing the damage. Aiden and Claw join them. One of the tankers begins siphoning off the foam while the other tanker positions presumably to siphon off fuel from the ship as needed. Qeritz calls Horace reporting Kath’les can now “get out of his Sick Bay!” Riley comms saying have fuel cell ruptures so she needs workers inside and out to seal before any of the self-sealing fails. Aiden comes back aboard while Claw goes to help from the external. Taral seemingly sees something and asks permission from Horace to approach where the damage seems worse. Horace goes to head off the Fire Marshall along with his 2 aids to give Taral a moment. Taral goes and does reviews and surreptitiously takes a residue sample of the caved in blown area under the “Ihatei’s” starboard under wing.

Horace confers with the Fire Marshall and his 2 Aids. He asks what happened and sends his 2 Aids to look over the area to see if they can start making sense of the mess. Taral comes back to Horace asking permission to go aboard to see if he can help? “Granted” says Horace, “But report if necessary.” Taral nods his head in understanding. The Fire Marshall goes to look at same area that Taral had been. Horace was going to join him but sees a speeder coming their way from the Imperial base. He awaits it to see who is coming.

Riley comms Aiden coordinating her diagnostics with his internal inspections that he started. Riley says there is a rupture in another fuel tank adjacent to the one ruptured from fighter wing. He is told he will have to go inside the liquid hydrogen filled fuel cell to find it. Riley in the meantime will be emptying the fuel cells as best she can into the other cells. Aiden goes into the filled cell and finds the rupture and coordinates with Claw without and they seal it so the fuel can be siphoned off by the fuel tanker outside. All goes well.

Outside the Imperial speeder has halted and exiting is a Lieutenant Commander named Jason Alexander who greets Horace and says he came after seeing the explosion and render any aid if required. Horace thanks him as the Fire Marshall approaches. The 2 exchange pleasantries and ask Horace if the LTC Alexander can assist by having a look at the “Ihatei”? Horace says ok. The 2 go over and review the damage. Eventually the LTC comes back and sees looks like someone caused it rather than an accident. He also tells the Fire Marshall that it would appear to be the starport’s fault for the incident. He leaves heading back to the Imperial base.

Claw coordinates with Aiden and Riley and has the external fuel tanker attach it’s lines so that fuel can be siphoned off the “Ihatei” as needed so repairs can be made. Everything goes good there.

Horace talks again to the Fire Marshall who says they will coordinate with “Ihatei” to right things. His Aids will access things then get in touch with “Ihatei” and work out repair, cost and other details. Horace then goes back aboard to hear what Riley and Taral have to report.

Upon coming aboard Horace can hear Qeritz saying “You want to use the Sick Bay scanners to do what Taral?” Horace pokes his head into Sick Bay and tells Qeritz to assist Taral in whatever analysis he is doing. Taral looks at Horace and tells him that he should have a report in about 10 minutes since he has such wonderful help as Qeritz. Qeritz quiets down and asks how he can help. They begin analyzing the sample Taral took from outside.

Horace looks in on the bridge and finds Kath’les there; head all bandaged up but looking OK except for the obvious head-ache. Riley comes into the bridge to report her findings and status. Riley tells them that the “Ihatei” has 2 hull, 2 structure, fuel processor, jump grid, ship starboard strut, and 3x fuel cells damaged. Additionally the light fighter and docking bay has been damaged some 40%. Rough cost will be some 2.75M Cr of material needed and 3 weeks 12 Hrs of repair time. Now if there is nothing else, I will begin repairs right away but please give me some help!

Horace begins to fill-in Kath’les with the rest when Taral shows up with Qeritz. Taral sez: “With Qeritz’s excellent help we have been able to determine that there was a manmade explosion initially that caused a burst at the fuel coupling junction then the secondary as the hydrogen fuel was exposed to the dense yet oxygen atmosphere. If the coupling would have been made more complete and the atmosphere more oxygenated, there probably would be no ship or “Us” anymore. Anyway I am going on overwatch now to monitor any external activity now. Excuse me.” Qeritz meanwhile goes and checks Kath’les, giving something for his head-ache.
Kath’les says he is OK now. Qeritz says “Fine! If you need more pampering come to Sick Bay.”

Everyone is tired with this hair-raising event and need rest but there is an e-mail for Aiden and one for Claw. Claws message is from his army buddy instructing him to take pictures of the Imperial Base and any ships docked there. Aiden’s message says for him to report to the Imperial Base for a 2-Day mission. Kath’les talks to the Fire Marshall and shares their assessment on the damage but not the cost or repair time, waiting instead for their’s. He is told first three loads of materials would be delivered around noon. All eat and head off to their duties then rest. Taral asks for food to be dropped off to the bridge where he seems relentless in observing everything going on around the ship using external monitors and some jury-rigged algorithms telling various details of things being viewed.

Horace decides to go out in the fringe town and Claw asks to accompany. They head out finding 5 restaurants, 6 taverns, 12 bars and 3 to 4 shops. Claw asks to hit one of the shops, a tourist shop where he buys a camera and is warned to only take pictures of the birds else might have a run in with the local law. Next they stop at a tavern “Southside Joes” where Claw becomes extremely infatuated with a local slimy dish know as snailrats. Horace notices Claw is acting as if it is some kind of catnip. Looking around as Claw buys his 4th dish and orders a big case to be brought to the ship, he sees a cloaked woman who signals him over. She shows him a black card with Ace of Spade on the other and introduces herself as Cleo saying don’t forget the Shadow Syndicate. Horace talks to her for awhile and hears that she is delivering “Singing Plants”. She leaves soon after that, but warns Horace about the ship parts. Horace has to force Claw to leave with his pricy bill off snailrats. They arrive back aboard the ship and
Horace relives Taral late around midnight. Horace drifts off to blackness.

Around 0215 in the morn, Aiden leaves a message for Kath’les and Horace saying he will be gone for 2 days then will be back. Aiden leaves the ship heading south then superstitiously he makes his way ultimately to the Imperial Base to the north north west. Upon arriving he flashes his credentials and told to report to mission ready building. 3 ships are on pads: 1 IISS (Imperial Interstellar Scout Service) Scout, 1 other human scout and a Gazelle Escort. Aiden heads into the mission ready building where is briefed with another scout that are on a 2-day mission outbound to check some large asteroids now in system. They are searching for source of strange signals that went dormant in a particular region of space. They gear-up and board the IISS scout lifting off about 2 hours latter. Transition takes about 5 hours before sensors report a series of large asteroids outbound within the Vincit system. After discussing possibilities, it is agreed that they will explore the largest of 3 asteroids, some 12 miles long. They land in a large crater and suit-up and begin their exploration of the asteroid. After only an hour a secret hatch is found by Aiden and opened. Going within finding hidden tunnels below an, strange machinery is found keeping several beings in hibernation. After exploring for an hour, Aiden sees the contents of one of the chambers and recognizes it! It is Salxsss, the dreaded “Bugs” from the 0921 Dunmarrow/Ea/Reaver’s Deep Sector incident! “Frack!” sez Aiden. The 2 IISS Scouts head back to their ship to report their findings and to ask instructions. They are told to destroy the asteroid and all contained. They take 2 of the scout’s nuclear missiles on a simple 1 wheel cart since the gravity is almost nothing and go back into the hidden tunnels and set the missiles to detonate in 2 hours giving them time to clear the area. Quickly they head back to their waiting scout and lift off heading yet again superstitiously away so none can figure their part in the coming fireball.

2 hours latter a bright white ball shows the ending of the asteroid targeted and all of it’s inhabitants. The scout heads back to it’s base taking a longer route taking around 8 more hours. The scout lands and the 2 occupants are debriefed and both are warned that mission was extremely secret and sensitive, a matter of Imperial Security and there will be strong penalties if any of the details are shared. Aiden heads back round-about back to the “Ihatei”, arriving about 2300 Hrs.

Everyone is awakened in the morn by the early riser Riley, up at least 0700 starting to work repairs. Taral goes to the bridge again, taking over and sends Horace to bed. Horace sees Qeritz checking Kath’les’ head to see how it is, seemingly fine Qeritz kicks Kath’les out out of Sick Bay. With a smile Horace lays in his cabin bed and blacks out. There is also a delivery to sleeping Claw, some case of slimy snailrats.

Around 0900, Kath’les receives a call from the Fire Marshall who discusses details about the cost, time and details about repairing of the “Ihatei”. The first two shipments will arrive around noon and they do.

Horace awakens to some Aslan moaning in ecstasy down in common galley room. It is of course Claw dripping with sludge that he keeps sucking and swallowing from his paws. The first 3 tons of promised parts are aboard and Riley is checking and inventorying their contents as Horace goes to check with her. Finally he tells her to carefully check them once she is starting to assembly them in repairs. He heads back to the bridge and again relieves Taral.
After an hour, Riley comms and tells Horace to come down with Kath’les because she has discovered something. They head down and are informed that should the contents of a crate be put together they will emit a tracer signal. Each crate so assembled will do the same.

Horace asks if mix up the parts would it stop such. Riley says give her abit and she will report.

In the meantime, Horace and Claw head over to the crates place of origin, a warehouse used by Garrington Ships Part Company who gets their parts from 2326 Lldrissar (C995836-7)/Drexilthar Subsector/Reaver’s Deep. There are 7 more crates exactly like the first 3. Horace and Claw go back to the ship. Time is 1500 Hrs on 1327 Vincit (C8987A9-8 )/Ea Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep onboard the “Ihatei”.
_________________
kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

3/22/10 Week 40 (Day 125)

Time is 1500 Hrs on 1327 Vincit (C8987A9-8 )/Ea Subsector/Reaver’s Deep onboard the “Ihatei” still in berth 37 at the starport under repairs. Aiden (Aaron) has disappeared saying he will be back in 2 days.

Kath’les (John) is taking care of contacts and electronic billing with Fire Marshall. The Vincitians have estimate the “Ihatei” has about 4M Cr and 4 weeks of work while Riley has estimated about 2.75M Cr and 3 weeks 12 hours to accomplish it. Kath’les will get back to him on the cost. Horace has an e-mail from the office back at 0624 Asden (D443500-7)/ Kelar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep “Heaven” Orbital Facilities in the Gathers portside low-cost apartments and offices.

Horace checks the message and it is a message from Gerry, the owner of Bounty’s & Bonds. He has tracked down information that Sabastine Clomer ( aka “88”) is spending enormous amounts of credits to operate from the Vargr base at 0521 Janet (B9995AB-A)/ Kelar Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep.

With Horace’s insistence Riley has discovered that putting 1 ton crate of parts together as needed for repairs would cause an emitter signal that someone might be able to follow. The other 2 crates of ship parts turn out to have same ability. Taking parts from all 3 crates and using them will not create a signal. Riley is not sure how Horace might have suspected it but sure

Rather than take a chance Horace and Kath’les decide to try and use a different source of ship parts. So while Kath’les works the politics and keeps tabs on the “Ihatei” with Riley and Taral, Horace with Claw will go search such out. Horace dons ninja suit while Claw arms himself with his camera, ring of security override, pin with paralytic poison, and small 1 inch cylinder that forms into a 4 foot whip. They take the airraft after removing 2 probe drones and rocket launcher.

Kath’les again gets checked by Qeritz about his head. He is ok and avoids the persistent little Droyne heading to the bridge where he finds Taral. Taral shows him some of the changes he has made to the external monitors and controlling software. But this is not the real intent of Taral, he instead shows a couple of things he has found and been watching. He shows Kath’les some kind of OP (observation posts) that have listening gear and telescopic cameras manned each by 2 locals. One is located east and the other west watching the “Ihatei”. Taral says they were set-up about 3 hours ago after he reviewed and focused on his recordings. He also says they look like government men from the equipment and actions in his opinion.

Horace and Claw take off heading over to Garington Ship Parts Company to inquire where the crates came from. They are told they actually came from a Rogan’s storage warehouse and offices on the south east side of the starport, some outfit called Bartholomeus Spaceport Facilities and Equipment operating since about 5 months ago. They leave thanking the manager.

After abit of checking, Horace and Claw find another local ship part company called Kaddies Ship Parts; over on the eastside of starport. They head over and park. They are asked by a 8 year old boy for 1 Cr to watch their vehicle. Horace pays the boy as they go into Kaddies’.

Kaddy is an older woman and abit blump with her family helping to run the business. Horace gets down to business and says they are in need of ship parts and the local government is paying. We need 6 tons right off. Kaddy smiles and says she can arrange delivery of 2 tons in next 40 minutes. She offers to show them her place and they agree. In the back Horace and Claw meet Kaddy’s husband Ben and daughter Joleyn. Joleyn and another employee Belch are working on some kind of interplanetary 40 ton vessel. After this, Horace and Kaddy work out details on 6 tons of ship parts and come-up with 3.6M Cr which are relayed back to Kath’Les who has the Fire Marshall send electronic payment to Kaddy. Kaddy asks Horace to recommend her company to make repairs to the starport facilities if someone is needed. Horace and Claw leave.

Horace calls Kath’les and they talk about what each have found out. Horace sez they will be back latter tonight. Time is about 1900 Hrs.

Around 2100, Horace and Claw land their airraft away from Bartholomeus Spaceport Facilities and Equipment at the Rogan’s storage warehouse and offices. After approaching and checking out the place, they decide the alarms are pretty simple and are easily overcome. After doing this, Horace and Claw find the building’s front offices are fake and all the furniture and office gear have been removed. Within the warehouse, it looks as if a shipboat was landed and has taken off. They find on the roof that the building atop is some kind of comms building with a hiding dish antennae with the important portions of the comms gear, 2 to be exact, removed.
A piece of paper is found in a desk otherwise all is bare. Horace takes it and the 2 leave back onboard the “Ihatei”. Time is about 2300 Hrs.

Horace starts looking at the piece of paper in the bridge and Taral sees this and hands Horace a pair of sunglasses that when looked through shows markings on the paper. Chemicals in the paper from the printing or such, show piece to be rear sheet and markings show Rogan’s warehouse was licensed under Garington Ship Parts Company as Bartholomeus Spaceport Facilities and Equipment. Taral also shows Horace a dark vehicle and silhouette in dark by it. Advanced enhancements by Taral show it to be some large muscular human watching the area.

Aiden also arrives via taxi back near the “Ihatei” and heads home. Time is 2300 Hrs on 1327 Vincit (C8987A9-8 )/Ea Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep aboard the “Ihatei”.
_________________
kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

3/29/10 Week 41 (Day 126)

Aiden (Aaron) also arrives via taxi back near the “Ihatei” and heads home. Time is 2300 Hrs on 1327 Vincit (C8987A9-8 )/Ea Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep aboard the “Ihatei”.

Taral shows Horace (Chris G.) a black car with 2 individuals in the dark to the NNE of the “Ihatei” in the shadows. Perhaps another government listening post. Taral offers to go check it out and see what’s going on. Horace says perhaps latter. Horace also notices some kind of green objects in Taral’s nose and after asking, finds that they are some sort of filter. Taral tosses a pair to Horace and says need to practice wearing them and one must breath in and exhale through one’s mouth.

Kath’les (John R.) decides instead that perhaps Taral should go get rid of 3 more delivered cases of ratsnails from Southside Joes earlier this evening. One of the cases was put into deep-freeze, another was taken quickly by Claw (David K.) to his cabin and the third was opened and almost gone from Claw’s addiction to this strange meal and the even more insatiable ooze that they are kept in. Taral agrees and goes to get ready. Kath’les also decides to have Claw see Qeritz in the morn to see if anything can be done for his addiction.

Taral returns in a grayish suit and has gathered the 3 cases. Kath’les and Horace look at each other because 1 was in Claw’s cabin and the other was with Claw. Taral leaves with the 2 watching the external composite monitors. After awhile, they see one figure leave from the vehicle in the dark then seeing the trunk open on the vehicle and figure within looking around hearing the truck close. The figure gets out checking all around including the trunk as if smelling something really bad.

Next the monitor shifts to one of the government listening post to the west after some 30 minutes. The 2 agents there all of sudden start jumping up and down then slipping and falling as if on some sort of slick substance. Continued watching and another hour has the monitors yet shift again to the other listening post to the east where a similar incident occurs to the 2 agents there. After some 40 minutes, Taral arrives back aboard the “Ihatei”. Horace heads off to bed and Kath’les relinquishes the bridge to Taral who has already changes to ship wear. Before Kath’les wanders off to bed, a written report not older than 30 minutes is given to him and for Horace by Taral who explains one conversation between a Cleo and Kral. The jest of the conversation is Cleo’s wanting to attempt to see if she can get transport and passage for herself and her 3K Singing Plants to 1624 Just (C7487AA-5)/ Ea Subsector/Reaver’s Deep and one of the systems of “Confederation of Duncinae”.

Alarms sound waking everyone! Monitors show Taral is fighting 3 men-in-black outside the port hatch. Horace heads that way with Claw following then Aiden. Kath’les after checking the monitors heads starboard with someone trying to enter there. The time is 0300.

Horace gets entangled with 2 more men-in-black as he tries to exit the hatch to help Taral. Claw plows into one of the 2 men there fighting Horace. Aiden slams through heading towards one man attempting to escape out on the starport tarmac as Taral takes down his 2 opponents. There is a bag on the ground near them.

Aiden charges after the fleeing man and finally catches him and takes him down. After picking-up the guy, he heads back plumping him down along with the other 4. Taral is checking the bag when he picks it up and tosses it as far as he can out on the starport tarmac and yells all to get down. Aiden faces first thinking he saw a flashing red light on the bag.

Kath’les exits the starboard side of the ship seeing a man-in-black holding a bag with a flashing red light. After engaging the fellow in H2H and taking him down, he hears Taral over the comms net that he is getting rid of the bag most probably a bomb. Kath’les grabs his bag and also tosses it as far as he can away from ship and anything seemingly important. He then drops hugging the earth for dear life.

Two massive explosions rattle the ground and the air around all. After getting up sirens can be heard in the distance approaching fast. Horace checks one of the men, now all bound. He finds a pouch which contains a metal black card with black Ace of Spades. He sticks it on the mans forehead. Nine police and emergency vehicles arrive with weapons drawn. Another unmarked vehicle arrives and a government man gets out seemingly in charge and comes forward to talk to the “Ihatei” crew and their bound charges. Kath’les and Horace explain what happened. A police van arrives and 2 ambulances arrive. The 6 men-in-black are taken and either placed into the van or a few in the ambulances. Horace is looking around and sees the Imperial LTC Alexander who waves.

The “Ihatei” crew board along with the G-Man. Qeritz comes checking everyone and asking if anyone is hurt? “Nope.” The G-Man gives the droyne a hard look but does not say anything.

Horace and Kath’les see Riley coming down one of the ladders from upper turrets. The G-Man asks “What is with you guys and explosions?” Horace explains about the Shadow Syndicate. The G-Man tosses Horace a pouch, within is a metal black card of the Ace of Spades. “Keep it as a warning and reminder. When are you all suppose to leave?” Horace looks at Kath’les and they say they were given an estimate of about 4 weeks to repair by the Fire Marshal. “Well you now have 12 days to get off the planet.” He starts to leave then turns and asks the 2 if any crewman has been gallivanting, taking night excursions and leaving trash about? Say to the east and west from here? They say “No” and after he gives them a long hard look, turns and leaves.

Kath’les and Horace go and talk to Riley seeing what she was doing in the ship turret. She tells them that should there have been any problems with the authorities she was ready to aid but she had not activated or swiveled the turret. She again asks about hazard pay and she needs to visit her bank again soon.

2 police vehicles have taken up positions ahead of the “Ihatei” at high-noon (directly ahead) and other at the 6 (behind). Also Taral’s modified monitors show 3 new government observation posts had been established and old ones shut down. Time is about 0400 Hours.

Aiden finds that he has a email from his Mom saying “Miss you and want to talk to you ASAP. –Mom” Aiden goes and asks to leave the ship? Horace and Kath’les are not sure what to say. There is also a email to Horace from Cleo asking if she could talk to him sometime.

Aiden goes and gets ready and Taral has quietly come-up and hands him a gray suit saying “Give it back.” “Oh by the way I am venting ship mist to clear pressure. Might give some cover.” Aiden thinks “Seems Taral was listening to my request to Kath’les and Horace.”

Aiden wearing his new gray loaned suit exits the ship bathed in mist obscuring the police watch as well as himself. Aiden surreptitiously makes his way back to the Imperial Base. Once there he shows his ID and is admitted saying he is desired at the debriefing building. He heads over and uses his ID to enter and finds the same scout he had just missioned with. After discussing his experiences with Salxsss and the 0921 Dunmarrow/Ea/Reaver’s Deep Sector incident. Finally done, he leaves making his way back to the “Ihatei” indirectly.

As if on queue, the ship starts venting mist and he easily gets back aboard. He heads off to bed since it is late in the morn.

At about 0800 Hours, load noises awaken all as Riley continues repairs on the ship and letting all know she wants help. Around 1200 the Fire Marshall calls and says he has heard that the “Ihatei” departure date has been moved up. Anything they need? Horace tells the Fire Marshall “No, and they have been taken well care by Kaddy and her ship parts. The starport and perhaps the entire planet would do well to use Kaddy’s business and experience.”

For the next several days she works everyone as hard as she can; herself even harder. Finally she takes a day off heading to the bank. There are a couple of more emails to Horace from Cleo.

Late at night the 6th day of repairs, Horace gets up and goes to the bridge relieving a haggard looking Taral who seems to be limping abit on left paw and favoring his rightside. He turns and in a raspy voice tells Horace “There is a guest in the Brigg.” “What?” says Horace but Taral just heads off to his cabin passing Sick Bay where a droyne Qertiz head appears watching after the Aslan as he closes his cabin. Horace follows but stops when he sees the spare cabin door closed and locked and scratched boldly across the metal door is “BRIGG”. Horace opens the hatch ready, and within getting up from the bed very slowly is a beat-up Cleo favoring a swollen left shoulder. “Hi there! Since you wouldn’t answer my calls I thought I drop by. Shouldn’t have tried to sneak aboard should have I? Why so much heat around your ship?”. Horace shakes his head and says “Tomorrow” and then has Qeritz who is behind him to go in and see how she is doing.

Time is 0100 Hrs on 1327 Vincit (C8987A9-8 )/Ea Subsector/Reaver’s Deep onboard the “Ihatei” still in berth 37 at the starport under repairs. Now 7 days here.
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kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

4/5/10 Week 42 (Day 132)

Time is 0700 Hrs on 1327 Vincit (C8987A9-8 )/Ea Subsector/Reaver’s Deep onboard the “Ihatei” still in berth 37 at the starport under repairs.

Qeritz requests to Captain Kath’les (John R.) and XO Horace (Chris G.) to have Taral sent to Sick Bay. They agree and go have Taral report to Qeritz who has him bake in the Auto Doc for 26 hours. He has 2 broken right ribs and broken left ankle.

Horace and Kath’les along with Qeritz go to talk to Cleo. While Qeritz works on her left shoulder, she tells them that she came over to talk to Horace to warn of the Shadow Syndicate intention to attack the “Ihatei” and her crew but she was abit late. She tried to board to warn and talk to Horace but got jumped by the ever alert Taral. He must have been trying to capture her alive otherwise she fears that the both of them would not have ending up being banged up, rather her being dead. Anyway the Shadow Syndicate took her ship and said after she had earned 10M Cr they would return it to her for that price. They gave her strict instructions of how she could earn her percentage by doing various trade missions for them. Her current trade assignment is to transport 3000 Singing plants to 1625 Just (C8987A9-8 )/Ea Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep and contact a Jarvius who will complete the sell.

Horace decides to back Cleo and asks Kath’les to take on her transport task. Cleo calls Kral and the singing plants will be delivered in 2 hours. The 30 tons of singing plants arrive around 1000 Hrs. The “Ihatei” then takes it’s leave and lifts and heads for jump point and jumps to 1625 Just.

After about 2 hours in jump there is a resonance vibration in ship’s hull being caused by the singing plants according to Riley. Qeritz is consulted and he comes up with a concoction that puts the plants into slumber.

3 days into jump an alarm rings warning of parasite infestation. Thousands of moths are flying around the singing plants. Horace lowers the pressure and sprays killing thousands.

The ship exits after 7 days from jump around 0800 hrs. SPA is contacted and the ship comes into orbit then lands on 1625 Just around 1100 hrs. Cleo contacts Jarvius and the singing plants are picked up. Some live moths escape in the unloading. Cleo is paid and she gives the “Ihatei” 1M Cr for their efforts. Cleo says she must go to the bank and finish transactions.

Kath’les, Claw and Horace will accompany her to the bank. Cleo, Kath’les and Horace go into the bank while Claw waits in the taxi. As Cleo gets in line to do her transactions, Bank Robbers hit the bank, 1 in front with shotgun and another opening a bag at center table in the bank. Horace is near the table so goes to stop the fellow before he can pull the shotgun. Kath’les goes after the robber to the front while Horace goes for the robber to the rear. The front robber fires at bank guard and Kath’les closes and takes him out. Horace’s succeeds in incapacitating the middle robber but then is hit by a SMG equipped rear robber. Kath’les grabs the guards pistol and fires at the rear robber as he takes incoming SMG fire. Horace mad dashes for the robber to the rear and is dropped by SMG fire. Kath’les and Horace awaken and find the rear robber was downed in the exchange.

Outside Claw hears the gunfire coming from the bank and then sees a fellow across the street with sunglasses get out of car and head to the trunk. Claw gets out of his cab and readies his computer pad SMG. The fellow opens the trunk and pulls a SMG and walks towards the bank. Claw fires and hits the fellow. The fellow is not sure where the fire came from so readies his SMG towards the bank. Claw fires again and drops the guy. As Claw watches, comes around the cab and heads toward the downed fellow. The fellow sits-up and barely missing Claw a truck hits the downed fellow and finishes him off.

Sirens are heard as police and ambulances arrive. Kath’les and Horace are brought out on stretchers to be placed in the ambulances. Claw intercepts asking that they be taken to the “Ihatei” to be taken care by ship’s doctor. Cleo comes out and sez she was able to finish her transactions with a bribe rather than await everything settling down and possibly have the bank closed. They head back to the “Ihatei”. Time now is 2030 hrs

An inspector arrives to try and talk to Kath’les, Horace, Cleo and Claw about what happened at the bank. Qeritz sez Kath’les and Horace are baking in the Auto-Doc so perhaps tomorrow. The inspector leaves having talked alittle to Claw on what he saw and did. After a good stint, all go to their cabins and sleep.

Around 0820 the next day, the Inspector is back wanting to talk to all. It is day 2 on1625 Just (C8987A9-8 )/Ea Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep aboard “Ihatei”.
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kev the rolfs

[starhawk]

4/12/10 Week 43 (Day 140)

It is day 2 on1625 Just (C8987A9-8 )/Ea Subsector/ Reaver’s Deep aboard “Ihatei”. Around 0820 the next day, the Inspector calls wanting to talk to all. Kath’les (John R.) suggests he come over around 1300 when all are up and rested. He agrees.

Claw (David K.) receives an e-mail from his Hlyueawi Huiga (Clan) buddy Hojan the One Tooth and he is requested to obtain a ratsnail sample.

Around 1100 a black Pirate Courser lands at the starport and is seen refueling. The group starts wondering wither they should go and check out the ship. It is decided to wait until darkness falls. Riley is performing standard maintenance.

Kath’les gets a call around 1300 and is the Just Inspector and he will be delayed slightly but will definitely arrive around 1510 which he does. After again questioning Kath’les, Horace (Chris G.), Claw and Cleo about the bank robber he finally tells them that the he has been instructed to thank them from the Mayor and then he leaves.

Cleo get’s a call from Jarvius at the “Ihatei” around 1530 and is offered another load of cargo to transport and sell. It would need to be taken to 1723 Coventry (X565733-2)/Drexilthar Subsector/Reaver’s Deep. The cargo would be 30-tons of a very strong liquor. Horace and Kath’les decide to go ahead and transport Cleo and her cargo. Jarvius is called by Cleo and he informs that the cargo will brought around 1900. She is told 7 days hence that they should meet at following quadrants around 1200 noon and the contact to make the exchange is humanoid by the name of Old Banyon (a holo-picture is provided as to his looks).

Around 1800 a black Pirate ship is seen taking on 2 10-ton and one 30-ton cargo container (about 250 kegs), soon after she departs heading outbound. Guess won’t be visiting the pirate ship.

Around 1820 Horace gets a call that warns him it is a prisoner from local prison and the voice “So is this the “Ihatei”? Guess you killed a couple of friends so maybe I can return the favor someday.”

A transport truck arrives around 1900 with the 250 kegs of liquor and after Taral and Claw assist with the cargo is loaded aboard the “Ihatei”.

Around 2100 the “Ihatei” obtains clearance to depart Just and heads out to jump point and does at 2300.

The crew of the “Ihatei” do their watches and train when the jump exit alarms sound after 7 days transition. The “Ihatei” exits around 0300. The ship moves towards Coventry and scans determining to land their ship in wooded area east of the ruins spotted at the quadrants that Cleo informs them to be their destination. Horace brings the ship down and they ready the airraft. Claw, Aiden, Kath’les and Cleo will be ones departing. Taral shows Kath’les how to operate the remote control controlling the 2 Recon Drones and missile launcher on the airraft.
Qeritz gives them medical kits. Everyone gets geared up (Claw in combat flex and laser rifle, Aiden in Ninja suit with body pistol, Kath’les in ceremonial amour and gravity lance). About 12 kegs of liquor are loaded aboard the airraft. Horace tells them to check in every 30 to 40 minutes before the cavalry will arrive.

Flying almost tree-top, a castle is seen some 10 miles to the north-west with a road connecting it to the village and continuing south. The airraft and her crew land in the woods right near the ruined village about 1/4th of a mile away where they hide it and then approach on foot. Time is about 1000. The 2 Recon Drones scout ahead as the group approaches the ruins. A large hole is seen in the largest of the ruins. Once they arrive, Claw goes to check the hole and finds a “pigpus” which goes after him so he puts it out of it’s misery.

Near noon, a convoy consisting of 6 knights with 20 wagons, each with a driver. There are 3 drivers on the ground. There is an additional guard of 10 spearmen. They seem to be lead by a Knight dressed in gold armor and another dressed in purple with a pointed cap and staff. The riders and wagons have beasts that appear horse and lizard-like.

Once the convoy arrives and all finally meet (Cleo interacts with Old Banyon) an exchange occurs after samples of the liquor are tried by the leader by the name of Lord Vanyon. He gets drunk and passes out. Kath’les goes and carries samples easily in his powered amour. The humanoid in purple looks to be some-like a hybrid natives and some other familiar race, his name is Gravis.

Gravis is asked if he knows of magic and he says “Yes”. He demonstrates by changing Claw into a frog and back with staff glowing.

The exchange is done by 1420 and silver, gold and gems are exchanged for the liquor. The “Ihatei” will fly over and unload the remaining. The cut for the “Ihatei” is about 2,561,867 Cr (out of 49,210,000 Cr).

It is 1500 on 1723 Coventry (X565733-2)/Drexilthar Subsector/Reaver’s Deep (day 148).
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kev the rolfs