The Living and the Damned - Part VIII
24 Dec 2017Jellicoe
Deep Space, Somewhere in the Pegasi"So what did you get from the computer core?" Stannis Jellicoe asked wishing once again that his first officer had just a slightly greater sense of urgency.
"Less than I'd hoped." Claude Marsaud replied frowning deeply, his eyes still fixed on his display. "There's nothing useful from the space fight at all, they don't seem to have even managed to lock on before their engines were shot out but what there is from the boarding action ties in with that badge you found, see." Holo-fac footage appeared over the table showing a huge man in black battlefield armour leading an advance up the Python's corridor, completely imune to the pistol fire of a woman in green overalls guarding a door at the far end. Claude froze the film and zoomed in on the armoured giant, the emblem of the skull clearly visible on his helmet and breastplate. Jellicoe and Vik exchanged a concerned look.
"There is some good news, relatively speaking of course," Claude continued. "Computer play from time index 7:23... stop." Claude highlighted a blonde figure being dragged from her cage by a black uniformed trooper. "Magnify and enhance."
"It's her!" Kira gasped.
"Facial recognition software gives a 97% match. She and the others were taken, the two slaves that died were killed by ricochets from their own guards, Viktor doesn't seem to hire the best." Claude finished.
"So the good news is she's still alive, the bad news is that Black Omega have got her." Jellicoe summed up, tugging his jacket into place as he did when tense.
"You know these people?" Kira asked.
"We've had a brush with them," Jellicoe replied, smiling without humour. "Black Omega are a criminal cartel based in the Pegasi, they describe themselves as 'military contractors' but they're into anything that'll turn a profit."
"Not the kind of people you can threaten then?"
"No." Jellicoe replied gravely. "Viktor Kuznetsov is a jumped up plastic little nobody, cock of a dunghill no one else cares about, these people are in a different league altogether, even Delaine watches his step around Black Omega."
"Money then?"
"Probably our best bet. The biggest problem is going to be finding her at all, they don't keep records of slaves identities just the number they get in and sell on, and believe me it's in the thousands."
"Can Claude hack their systems?"
"Probably not." Claude said, his frown deepening. "Their computer security's very good and even if I can crack it the records probably don't exist beyond how many were sold where and when, maybe if we're very lucky who bought how many."
"It's a start and gives us something to work from," Kira said decisively. "Get started on it." Much to Kira's annoyance Claude looked to Jellicoe who nodded with a grin.
"Have any of you thought to check what's going on in the Pegasi right now?" Vik asked, his bright eyes twinkling. "We may have some unexpected allies." He worked his console as every eye turned to him and a holo-fac news broadcast replaced the paused battle aboard Viktor's ship above the table.
"The Galactic Railroad are reported to be escalating their campaign against slavery in the Pegasi and are specifically targeting the Black Omega cartel." The reporter said excitedly. "In a series of seemingly coordinated strikes in the Wongo system on Black Omega assets the Galactic Railroad claim to have 'liberated' many hundreds of slaves and have vowed to continue with their campaign until what they term this 'vile institution' is brought to an end. Black Omega have declined to officially comment on the latest attacks fuelling speculation that their recent war with the Nijkas Gold Crew while ultimately victorious was much more costly than admitted."
"We need to meet these people." Kira said, hope shining in her eyes.
"We do," Jellicoe replied. "But we don't go in blind. Vik I want a tactical report on the situation in the Pegasi, particularly Black Omega and how much this war took out of them. Claude I want everything you can get on this Galactic Railroad, for tomorrow afternoon please gentlemen."
"What would you like me to do with my other hand?" Claude Asked deadpan.
"I'll let you know." Jellicoe said with a grin. "We'll reconvene in ten hours, I suggest everyone gets a couple of hours sleep."
"Ten hours later the same six people resembled in the Resolution's briefing room, La'Niyah had the bridge and the ship continued on a circiutous route towards Tjakiri.
"What have you dug up then Vik?" Jellicoe asked his tactical officer.
"On the face of it not much has changed." Vik began in his deep, melodious voice. "The Pegasi's still the same patchwork of clans, gangs and cartel's it's always been. Black Omega have grown significantly since we were last here but seem to have had one or two difficulties of late."
"Such as?" Jellicoe asked.
Vik's face creased in thought as he carefully chose his words.
"It's hard to say for certain, like all these firms they're very secretive so much of this is based on rumour and hearsay but it's all I've got to go on. Back in December they launched an invasion of HIP 072, it should have been a cakewalk but the first attack was a disaster. They regrouped and took the place in the end but there were rumours of discord in their ruling council, someone called Azalea Constantinetsu seems to have got a lot of the blame for the initial failure, certainly she wasn't in command by the end. Then there's the war with the Nijkas Gold Crew, it was supposed to have been an annexation without a shot being fired but something went wrong and it turned into a very bitter and difficult campaign."
"How?" Kira asked.
"Nijkas didn't stand and fight. They fought a guerrilla campaign that caught the Omega off balance, at least at first, and it led to a much longer costlier struggle than they were expecting or were prepared for, and again there are rumours of disputes at the top."
"How badly has it weakened them?" Is it why they've not dealt with this Galactic Railroad?"
"It won't have helped them but they were still prepping to invade another system when this Railroad appeared so it can't have been that significant."
"So what's your best guess?" Jellicoe pressed.
Vik took a deep breath and thought deeply. "They started out as a pirate firm, aggressive and expansionist; they're used to attacking - raiding, invading, taking what they want. Now they're having to defend what they've won and there's no profit in that kind of warfare, the mercenaries and freebooters who flock to you when you're offering plunder and booty don't want to know when all you're giving them is glorified guard duty so their regular forces are stretched and having to fight a war they're not trained or prepared for, and if there's dissent among their leaders it won't help either."
"If they need ships it might give us a card to play." Jellicoe mused. "What about this Azalea? Could we use any discontent she might be feeling?"
"She's dead. Killed in the Nijkas war."
"A member of their ruling councils killed?"
"Killed in a raid on her home system is the official story, which sounds dodgy as hell to me." Vik replied. "More likely a high level blood letting or paying the price for her failure in HIP 072 if you ask me."
"So we're walking into an A Grade bloody mess? Wonderful." Jellicoe said. "What have you turned up on this Galactic Railroad Claude?"
"Almost nothing. They appeared out of nowhere a few weeks ago saying they want to end the slave trade starting with the Pegasi, since then they've caused a lot of trouble - raids on slave shipments, holding facilities, helping any faction who'll abolish slavery."
"Alright who's behind them?" Jellicoe asked smiling. "Federation? Alliance? Princess Smurf?"
"As far as I can tell nobody. There's usually a trail even if it's deniable but here there's nothing, just a group of pilots doing something they believe in."
"If they're rescuing slaves they might just have done our job for us. Make contact and see if their leader'll meet me."
OOC this contains some speculation by the characters about events in the game and other peoples logs that are or maybe wrong, this is quite intentional as this part of the story is a group of people trying to work out what is going on through a particularly opaque mirror to unravel a very complicated set of events so any errors in their thinking are almost certainly meant to be there!