CMDR's Log, Stardate 3307.6-14 [009 - Hot Pursuit]
15 Jun 2021Zeton
With the good Diamondback Explorer Mithrandir, The Grey Pilgrim, outfitted for Passenger Transport I bust into the Passenger Lounge in Ohm City station eager to find the droves of travelers looking to spend more than they should to go closer than it sounded. As usual my expectations were far from reality. Truth was, my relatively small vessel was too small for the majority of large groups looking to flee anarchy in the region. My transport prospects were reduced to a small tavern like corner of the Passenger Lounge where the lone travelers waited... and drank.Most of the VIP lone travelers were bigger fish than the level of accommodation I was able to provide. But one man was eager and quickly approached me when I neared. When I got a better look I could see he was sweating and agitated but working to conceal it and very nearly succeeding. He pulled me aside and spoke of his peril in hushed voice. He was being hunted and needed one way transport to a nearby system within one jump. He was willing to pay a very fair price plus a bonus if we could leave quickly and avoid delays. This seemed like exactly like the passenger I was looking for, without inquiring further, I agreed and we turned to set off.
Just as we reached the door to exit the lounge, another man beckoned and jogged up beside me to speak as we continued to walk. In his words, "He liked my no questions asked attitude," he wanted to charter the ship for a longer excursion and would be happy to delay departure until the concussion of my current engagement. He seemed shrewd. Witnessing my quick appraisal of him, he added that he would make it worth my time and quoted a more than generous sum... with that, the Starship Mithrandir was plotting departure course for two passengers.
It took until the ship locks were disengaged for the hammer to fall. My second passenger, who requested to be called Fitz, messaged me on the coms telling me to avoid scans in departure and landing... both himself and our other passenger were wanted criminals in the Federation and if identified the ship would be fired on.
Just my luck... It had to be too good to be true... I should have known better... What am i going to do...
NO... wait... fuck that noise.... I got this. I indeed should have known better, this is exactly what it always was... Time to get the game face on...
Punched the throttle to max, flew out the the station mail slot speeding like a bat out of hell, ejected heat sink debris drifting in my wake. Somehow I found myself in my element. The first jump and cruise to the first drop off was over before I could even register what was happening. Now time to dock again, speed through the mail slot, hit the heat sink ejector to avoid scan, and locked.
After seeing my visibly relieved first passenger off at his destination; rinse and repeat my fast launch process and now the real adventure was ready to begin. Fitz messaged congratulating me on an excellent first run with no entanglements. Then proceeded to send me coordinates for his first location. It appeared to be a tourist beacon on a distant but not too distant system. As we visited each he would perform some scan, I decided I would be better off not to ask about, and then he would send the next location. Easy enough... don't really even have to deal with the Federation until we dock at journeys end.
First location seemed uneventful until we pulled away from the beacon. An attempted interdiction told me more was to come. Fitz messaged with some amusement to say that he was now being actively hunted and that I could make a bonus if I wanted to eliminate this pest. Unfortunately this ship is not outfitted for combat, in-fact I have been thus far flying unarmed. So no... I was unable to take that opportunity...
As we continued on our journey constantly in hot purist from this persistent bounty hunter, or worse, I got lots of practice escaping interdiction and being aware of the local com scanners while doing system scans to avoid getting ambushed. Was my longest journey to date at somewhere over 700 lightyears traveled, stopped counting eventually. The threat of capture made the cruise exciting... dangerous sure... but I was able to handle it no problem.
Deposited my smugly satisfied friend Fitz at his dock of choice ahead of schedule. On top of the charter fee... made a small fortune in the system and planetary scans along the way.
I think I can do this... Who's next!
The black calls me back,
- CMDR ZETON