Elite roleplay: Off station

The damage was quite bad considering the Hand had only hit a Cobra. She finished unbuckling the mag-boots and pushed the throttle up with her elbow as she bent down in her chair to remove the heavy footwear. It was, as always her own fault. A few tonnes of self-mined Void Opals would be great for bargaining, and the mysterious informer had asked for 10 tonnes to be left in the docking bay at Citi Gateway.

Lambast had intended to mine what she needed and a few more tonnes to bargain with. Shady types did like their “untraceable” currency. It didn’t matter that she had draws full of Imperial Promissory Notes, one charge federal bankers credit sticks, and finely cut gemstones in colour-coded bags all of very high value. The customer has to pay what the seller demands in this circumstance.

The mining had lulled Lambast into that peaceful headspace where she just kept doing the job in front of her, and before she knew it, the limpets were all used up, and the hold was almost at capacity with Opals. Instead of heading back home and rearming the Hand for combat, Lamb just jumped away towards the Inara system. Without the hull reinforcements, ramming was a very bad idea.

Hollys’ monotone voice echoed in the empty cockpit.

“Well that’s a turn up for the books enn’it. I got a message from Otto”

Holly was an old AI. Lambasts’ mother had salvaged it from a decommissioned mining ship she used to lease. The COVAS Leo had replaced the old Holly AI decades ago, and it had taken quite a lot of money to bring Holly up to COVAS standards, but old slow Holly was like a member of the family and to Lambast, worth the aggravation.

“Thanks Hol, put him through” Lambast tossed a boot into its locker. “Wait a moment; I don’t know anyone called Otto”

“Yes ya do. You know, Otto. No hair, blank face and a huge black body. Well it was last time I scanned it”

Lambast tugged hard on the second stubborn boot and tried unsuccessfully not to picture a bald man with no face and a large black body.

“What in Aislings’ stars are you blithering on about now Hol?” Lambast hooked the heel of the mag-boot on the nav-com and heaved hard. “I think I’d remember a chap that looked like that”

“Ottos not a bloke, he’s Kaisla’ AI. He’s got a message from Kai for ya” Lambasts’ knee struck her in the nose at the mention of Kaisla’s name. The mag-boot was still firmly on her foot. “Otto and I are catchin up while I decrypt the message. Cor, his algorithms are a doozy” Continued Holly ignorant to the self-harm Lambast had inflicted on her face.

Well that’s just typical of Kai. Nothing for years, and then just as Lambast had a personal investigation to handle, she turns up like a bad penny. Lambast held her nose and checked her fingers to see if there was any blood.

“What is it this time Holly? Drunken nonsense? Drunken wedding invitation? A drunken marriage proposal, or a sorry hungover Kai begging me to post bail for her. Again?”

“Du’know, still decrypting. Hold up, it’s ready now. There ya go”

Hiya Lamb.
Has that itchy rash cleared up? Anyway, me and some cats I met are wanted for a crime we hardly committed and now we need to go back to the Megaship that wants us dead. Please bring clever disguises, armour and weapons for you me and three guys. . And a lovely pony. Coordinates embedded in transmission.
Hugs Kaisla.
XXX

Her head back, looking out the canopy at the stars above, Lambast stopped pinching her nose and gave a light nasal sigh after reading the message. What in the thrones name was she up to now? Lambast checked her ships Jump range and took a guess how many jumps she would have to make to get to the rendezvous. Somewhere in the area of sixty jumps. Well, a few more to get back home and refit the Hand for Kai-style activities would not change the time table too much. She typed a quick response and sent it.

OMW ASAP

“Hol, head for home right now. Once you have finished plotting, contact the dock let them know I want a fast refit, nefarious profile please. Also, I’ll need a currency safe fitting in the dining room and a months’ worth of my usual supplies for the galley and perhaps a week's worth of groceries”

“Right’o dude, I’m on it like stink” Lambast could hear the old computer rev up as Holly started working.

Her nose was aching and no surface in the Hands’ cockpit was shiny enough for a clear reflection. Lambast wanted to see if her eyes were blacked. She pointed the Hand at the first jump and engaged the FSD.

“Holly, do we have any of Kai’s stuff in cold storage? If we have, tell the dock hands to take the cargo box to the guest berth, throw the bedclothes at the bed, open all the storage units and empty the box on the floor. That should make the room just the way she left it”

Lambast smiled at the thought and chuckled to herself.

“Cancel that Holly, just have her stuff put in the guest quarters and see if they can have a case of that bourbon she likes delivered too”

Lambast felt like she had forgotten something, and then it hit her like a knee to the face.

“Oh goodness, send Brians’ location to the Galactic Bar, Citi Gateway. Mark it for the attention of” Lambast paused in thought. “Adrian I think he said. Can’t leave a chap to that sort of fate even if he is an arse”

“Got ya boss. It’s as good as done. Be good ta catch up wiv Kaisla won’t it ay?”

Lambast didn’t answer, she had a lot to think about. She was absentmindedly screwing the cat face filter to her laser pointer.

The Dry Dock Forman met Lamb as soon as she opened the hatch. Apparently, the refit would take about half a day. She knew the guys were working flat out for her already; after all, she was a generous regular at her home station and never forgot to put a lil extra in the kitty for the dock hands. Time however was of the essence, so some more creds changed hands, but no promises were made. A little reconfiguration of the profile sacrificed some internal reinforcements for an FSD booster. That would at least cut the journey time down and space for fore passenger seats would be found in the cockpit.

Some sleep was in order as this little favour could lead to anything, so Lambast wanted to be fresh and alert. After a nice long nap and hot bath, Lambast considered the task at hand. The message had told her many things, more than it said. Kaisla was not worried and currently safe because she didn’t request anything specific, and she trusted the men she was with. As a tour operator with a fair number of ships in her fleet, smuggling people on board a station was daily work for Lambast, but she only had to get the ship on the station without attracting attention. The local cartel took care of the docked side of the deal. Involving “the family” was tempting, but she had already asked for a favour, and that contact was now waiting at Citi Gateway for 10 tonnes of Void Opals that wasn’t going to turn up.

That was a problem Later Lambast could deal with. She may not know how criminals operated, but Lambast knew bureaucracy. With some studious use of red tape and a bit of luck, temporary identities could pop into existence. A tour operator often had to help people with travel visas and permits, so the local customs office was always open to her. Just like the dock workers, Lambast never forgot to show gratitude to the people that held the keys to her trade in there hand. The little stunt she had in mind may cost her dearly, but a friend in need as they say.

She had two more cards in her hand that could help sell the plan. Lambast was the daughter of Imperial Officers in the diplomatic corps. Not actually diplomats, but the family had owned diplomatic credentials for years to smooth the necessary travelling arrangements when they all travelled for fathers work in the early days. That added to Lambasts own Impressive standing in the Imperial Navy would give a lot of merit to the cover of a visiting member of the diplomatic corps and her staff. The other thing she had was money, lots of it.

Visiting a the customs office for administration work was not uncommon for Lambast, so when she asked for ten travel visas, five of which were of diplomatic level, no questions were asked. Her request to greenlight them now, without biometrics, and process the permits on the latest cycle possible once she had franked them from her on-board console however, gave her friend in the office more than cause to pause. The man knew what the visas were going to be used for, and Lambast knew her chance of getting any leeway in this office ever again would be destroyed. It would be worth it for officially franked travel visas that wouldn’t raise any alarms for two or three days unless someone chose to cross-referenced the biometrics. Her promise of a “drink” later tipped the balance. It would a very expensive drink, and probably cost a useful friendship as well.

All that remained now was a convincing disguise for the group. Kaisla could spin on it until she caught on fire if she thought Lambast was going to buy weapons and armour, and the less said about a pony the better. Lambast had plenty of clothes that would sell the Imperial Diplomat look, after all, it was practically true. Her clothes however, would be a little too big for Kaisla, so she brought a good number of Imperial style suits shoes and accessories for men and women in numerous sizes just to be sure. Off the hook was not usually a diplomat, or Lambasts style, but as needs must.

While in A beauty salon buying hair dye and fake tan, her slate sounded a message alert, The Hand of Lambast was primed and ready to go almost three hours early. Lambast made a note to stop by the lube and make sure to show her gratitude once all this was over. She was riding high on good fortune and decided to pick up a few small handguns that wouldn’t be out of place with in the chosen cover, and had everything taxied to the Hand. All she had to do now was go home and pick up Holly. She always had him downloaded into a data vault after every trip in case the worst happened.

The Hand of Lambast was underway within the hour, but there was still work to be done. Luggage and toiletries for fore people that didn’t exist yet were stowed in lockers, but they also need their clothes taken out of bags, labels removing and then at least ironing. Lambast stacked the clothes beside the pilots' seat and put the travel Ironing board in front of her. It was going to be a long flight and she prayed she didn’t get attacked. It was hard enough to fly and Iron as it was. She didn’t need another pirate taking a pop at her along the way. With a good few hours to go, Lambast slowly eroded the mountain of housework. She was just glad she didn’t have to feed groom and muck out a pony as well.

Last edit: 12 Aug 2019, 8:58pm

Falcon15e

13 Aug 2019, 3:05pm

Absolute stillness: silently, several smaller rocky bodies slowly tumble around the central star. Like many stars, this one has a Kuiper belt scattered out past the primary planetary bodies that impassively watch the gas giants and frozen spheres execute their silent dance. To anyone watching, extending past the outer edge of the galactic plane, a blue pin-brick flickers into existence and tears a swath of ions toward the central star. Although in conventional space, beyond the micro-gravity emulators that smaller ships may have or even the massive gravity accelerators that massive ships have; there is no gravity, the transition from witch space to conventional space/time is still a jarring, decelerating experience. As the black python, The Hand of Lambast, plowed to a stop and Lambast felt the heavy deceleration attempt to tear her from her chair, sheets of ice immediately formed and froze any of the latent vaporized gas being expelled from the various ports of the Python, surrounding the ship in an icy haze. The star loomed giant in the cockpit of the Python. Holly had already set the pre-determined coordinates which led to a tiny Little Rock a few hundred light seconds past the belt. On this tiny rock, a very deep canyon cut a gash along the rotational axis. At some point, as the rocks little orbit shifted closer and closer to the system star, that fissure would eventually tear the ball of iron in two but today, that deep canyon served as a central meeting point for the Python and a Fer De Lance.

Embedded deep in the Kuiper belt, a Federal Corvette stalked silently. Johnston sat at the bridge, several technicians surrounding him, monitoring several different feeds. “Sir, we just had a Python enter system, shall we pursue?”

Johnston sat, chewing on the end of his cigar. A lot of change had happened in the past 48 hours and he wasn’t entirely comfortable with most of it. He had quickly gone from a man on his own agenda to an employee of an ambiguous, demanding and very lethal employer. He suddenly felt as if he had little control of his own existence and it was precisely that feeling that had made him leave the Federal Navy for the private security sector. At least in the corporate sector, he could demand his own salary or just leave if he felt that his life or property were threatened. Now, most of that comfort had been torn from him. Almost precisely 24 hours after the call informing him of his “change of employer”, a team had arrived and systematically replaced most of his hired help. The team was escorted by several ships, a mixture of Federal and Imperial cutter-class craft and relieved him of all data pertaining to the three fugitives. Johnston was given a “handler”, a short, stocky man with absolutely no hair and penetrating, icy blue eyes. He was quiet, composed and moved with with seemingly no effort. His handler introduced himself only as “Harris” and now sat at the back of the bridge, fingers steepled watching the events unfold in the cockpit. Johnston looked back at him now, attempting to discern any interest but finding no solution.

“No. The Python doesn’t match any of the ships that have been identified with of our interests. Keep scanning.” Immediately upon the arrival of Harris and his team, separate squads fell into order with no discernible direction. Ship rosters were divided and then scattered within 20 light years of the Guardian system. Likely transit stations, trading hubs and primary fuel stars were saturated with Harris’ agents quickly and soon, an entire network spread for eighty square light years, not including the extensive spy network that constantly fed intelligence to the nexus of Harris’s organization. It was merely by coincidence that Johnston and Harris had chosen this system to patrol and upon ensuring no trace of their target, they would move on to the next likely location.

Eight hours earlier, the misfit team consisting of Kaisla, EC, Echo and Raven had split up. Echo and Raven returned to the Arbiter and EC stayed with Kaisla on the FDL. The Arbiter found an adjacent branch from the same canyon and easily holed up in a particularly rocky region. All systems except life support and the weakest of communication links were shut down and extensive efforts went into camouflaging the ship in order to avoid detection. The FDL now sat, in the same condition hiding beneath a rocky outcropping that stemmed from a deep canyon wall. In Earth terms, this canyon made the Grand Canyon look minuscule. Upon receipt of Lambasts message, Kaisla’s attitude completely changed. Where previously she had been buoyant and almost childish, she suddenly became a ball of nerves. EC sat now, in the passenger seat on the bridge on the FDL watching Kaisla scramble about in a cleaning frenzy. EC leans forward, minutely investigating an odd ornament secured to the FDL’s console.

“So, uh, this Lambast person...do you trust him? I mean, have you known him long?” EC asks while trying to figure out what the hell the desk ornament is. The desk ornament, at first glance, looked like a resin model of a crate. Only this crate appeared to have several rows of teeth splitting the seam between the lid and body and underneath, hundreds of pink feet. If a box with teeth and feet could have a look, it looked like it had just eaten a person and was smiling out of curious innocence. “And what the hell is this thing suppose to be?” EC says while looking up.

Kaisla smacks his hand away from the desk ornament while trying to shove a pile of laundry into a storage locker. “Her, I’ve known HER for a very long time and yes, I trust her. -Stop touching that!- In fact, she’s one of the few people I would trust with my life. Here, take this bottle of Windex and clean that console please.”

EC looks at the bottle and rag tossed in his lap while he rubs his hand, “Heh, heh, you remind me of a kid trying to clean her room, what gives?” He reluctantly and only partially, starts to absently drag the cloth around on the console.

“Lamb can be some what....particular, she probably kinda thinks she’s my mom? Either way, she would never tolerate the mess this place is in.” Kaisla comments over her shoulder as she industriously attempts to shove the inflatable sheep into an overhead storage bin, its goofy pink face grinning as she tries to lever the door closed.

“O-Kay,” EC says, “So...can we trust her? Like, I don’t give a shit who she THINKS she is as long as she can get us back onto that mega-ship.”

Kaisla pauses in her cleaning frenzy long enough to adjust the stray strands of hair out of her face, wipe the sweat off her brow and gives a level stare at EC, “Phew...listen, when I work, its kinda like a shot gun blast. Lamb is....well, she’s more like a precision laser. Exactly the right amount of energy focused into a tight little beam to a precise location.”

EC thinks back to his extensive past and the hundreds of hours spent on the firing range. “I can respect that.” A pause, “So, that being said, can we get Lambast and just cut you loose then?” EC laughs and Kaisla chucks a towel at him.

Otto pings, “Commander, Lambasts Python is approaching our coordinates.”

“Shit!” Kaisla squeals as she starts to furiously run around the cockpit, finishing last minute touches, “Oh god, she’s early! EC, get the docking clamps ready please and stow this shit!” Kaisla tosses a pile of dirty laundry at him.

He holds a pair of underwear out at arms length and wrinkles his nose before dropping the laundry into a pile in the corner, “Sure thing.”

EC exits the cockpit, taking the ladder into the crew quarters. Approaching the console, he extends the docking clamp and activates the guidance lights so that the Pythons docking computer can calculate any information required to make the docking successful. “Otto, hows it looking? EC asks “Commander Silas, eat a dick.”

EC stares at the console, shocked. Kaisla, rushing down the stairs in what appears to be a brand new flight suit yells, “Otto! Deactivate shenanigans mode, NOW!”

“Aye Commander.” Otto responds dryly.

The Python pivots gracefully in the wide overhead skylight of the FDL’s cockpit and Kaisla brims with apparent nervous energy. Several loud reports and the Python docks successfully. The FDL shudders as the dissipating energy from the Python securely forces the docking clamps onto the hull. Exterior vents purge the vacuum from the umbilical and O2 starts to flood the enclosure. Two lights sequence from red to green once the pressure transfer is complete. Kaisla springs forward and disengages the heavy hydraulic pistons that secure the exterior hatch to the hull of the FDL, opening the umbilical to the Python. Even as quickly as Kaisla can get the hatch free, Lambast is standing there smiling. Both girls squeal at seeing each other and Lambast leaps through the hatch, pulling Kaisla into a tight hug. Amongst muffled expressions of, “Its been forever!” “I missed you!” “Its a mess in here!” The two move back into the FDL cabin. Reunion complete, Lambast shifts a strand of hair from Kaisla’s face, “Gosh, you’re a mess! I know you have a shower in here, you should take better care of yourself!” Kaisla bats her hand away, “You look fantastic! I can’t believe its been so long.”

EC Clears his throat. Both girls shift their attention to EC and Kaisla makes the hasty introduction. “Charmed,” Lambast comments in her clipped accent while proffing her hand for a business-like hand shake. No dainty grips here, Lambast gives EC a solid handshake. EC leans in to kiss her hand, “Kaisla, why didn’t you tell me your friends were so lovely?” Lambast gives EC a level look, purses her lips and politely states, “Well, enough of that nonsense. There’s work to do.”

Over the next several hours, Kaisla briefs up Lambast on the plan, gear is exchanged between the ships and the FDL is shut down fully with only essential equipment left working to run basic lift support. EC and Kaisla install a complex chunk of machinery that was brought over from the Arbiter which, when running, will effectively produce a signature and adaptive camouflage that will completely mask the FDL from any search. The two ships disconnect and the Python rendezvous with the Arbiter where the rest of the plan is put into place. A mere 8 hours after arrival, the entire crew is fit into the quarters of the Python.

The crew of the Arbiter sit cautiously on the coiffed furniture inside of the Python while the team prepares to bed down for the night prior to making their attempt on the mega-ship. “Kaisla dear, I brought you a present.” Lambast indicates the box of bourbon tied down in the corner of the compartment. EC stands, “Oh...um that reminds me,” EC opens one of the several packing crates brought over from the Arbiter, “Kaisla said you might like this stuff, it cost us a fortune but - Kaisla said it would go a long way to forging new....partnerships.” EC produces a case of extremely rare and scarce Imperial spiced tea. Only one crate can be produced a season and most of that is only funneled to the Imperial mucky-mucks and royalty. My contact was able to someone have this crate ‘mis-placed’.” Lambast observes the box in reserved-silence. “Oh my,” she finally says, “I haven’t had any of this in ages.” She finally gives a warm smile to EC. “Mr. Silas, we may yet be able to forge a friendship, thank you.”

Lambast stands and orders the crew to follow her. The enter into another chamber on the Python where she starts to assess the sizes of each person before issuing them a pressed, meticulous Imperial uniform. “Here, we’ll need these. They’re authentic and impeccable. We’ll go through and systematically alter your identities as necessary. Hair color, eye color and choice prosthetics to change facial structure.” She passes out sealed kits to the crew. “Tomorrow, we’ll jump to system and then do the modifications prior to docking. I’ve already ensured that the Python will clear with diplomatic authority. So that’s that. Any questions?”

Echo admires a considerable sword and foil collection displayed in a far corner of the room. “Yeah, do you use these?”

“Naturally.” Lambast comments back.

“May I?” Asks Echo indicating a particularly fierce foil.

“You may.” Lambast responds.

He lifts the foil from the rack and hefts it deftly, swinging it through a series of parry’s. “Beautiful...” Echo whispers.

“In fact, once this fiasco is over,” Lambast calls, “We may have to have a spar.”

“I’d like that....” Echo says as he replaces the foil to its rack.

Kaisla steps forward, “You guys can play later. Lets get some sleep and figure this shit out first. Silas, you hear anything else from Sen?”

EvilCreamsicle Inara supporter

13 Aug 2019, 3:24pm

*** Several Hours Earlier ***

“If we get disintegrated....” Kaisla says as she leans over the schematics, rubbing her mustache “Then I’ll have to find a new home for my sheep, Gary.”

The three other people look up to stare in unison.

Raven's eyes light up.

"No, you can't have Gary. You'll be disintegrated too." Echo says, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Well, is he at least on your ship with you? I mean, a goat running around a crowded megaship could be a hell of a distraction. We can lube him up with that hardpoint lube we bought for that squeaky cog on the beam laser?" Raven looked like a little kid asking his parents to let him play a carnival game. EC was surprised he didn't follow that up with 'Pleeeease?'

"Up to Kaisla, we'll table that for now." Says EC, leaning over the table, the single light in the room casting a glowing fog around him against the backdrop of the poorly lit side-room of the smoky bar.
"In the meantime, you guys try... TRY, PLEASE, to stay out of trouble. We have to head down to Tunnel C."

Kaisla's fake mustache raises slightly on one side as her questioning look scrunches her face.
"What's Tunnel C?"

"We're going to see Crazy Ivan."

*********

The state of the bar would be no surprise to anyone who had walked there from the docks. The entire station had the same dingy, uncomfortable feel. The air was that of an uneasy ceasefire at a DMZ, though in spite of the types of people who went through the station, there had scarcely been an incident... well, a fatal one at least.

It could be that there is honor among thieves after all, or it could just be that an armed society is a polite society, and armed they certainly were.

The station frowned upon arms, to try and keep the 'business related accidents' to a minimum, but they typically wouldn't stop you unless you were armed for war. A couple of holstered sidearms were not going to raise any eyebrows.

The carbine under EC's jacket might, but hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

Kaisla followed EC in silence. Their typical playful banter was put on pause, as they scanned their surroundings and tried to keep a low profile, rounding the corner on Tunnel C.

Suddenly, EC paused as they heard a slow, drawn out flatulence echo in the quiet corridor. EC's head snaps to the source of the sound... a man passed out drunk in the hallway.

The pair tried to maintain an air of professionalism, but the eye contact they shared broke their composure long enough to share a laugh.

EC continued down the tunnel, now with a bit of a grin, until he reached an unassuming control panel on the side of the wall. Popping it open, it was an electrical maintenance panel.

EC removes his slate from his jacket, and connects to the panel control subsystem. After a few seconds of re-routing power to the panel, a whoosh of pressurized air being released is heard, and a flush section of the tunnel wall recessed a few inches and slid aside, revealing a staircase.

EC chuckled a bit at Kaisla's skeptical look, but together they went into the shady murder-dungeon, the panel whooshing closed behind them.

The bottom of the stairs opened into what looked like a workshop, metal shelves lining the walls and jutting out like rows in a library, full of all manner of exotic and strange wares. Seeing the sort of items on these shelves, it became clear why such discretion was necessary even at a dedicated black market hub. It was dark, like most of the station, with the only light emanating from the rectangular workbench up ahead, past the shelves at the end of the room.

Work surfaces also lined the sides of this area, and at one of them, dead ahead, they could see the back of a muscular man, with short hair, and a tied leather work-apron. The man stopped his work and walked around the workbench as they entered the work area.

"You have a lot of nerve showing your face here." says the man in a thick Russian accent, his receding hairline visible against the shine of his partial cue-ball, and his false eye and matching facial scarring coming into clear view.

Ivan and EC Square off, their faces inches away from one another. EC hears Kaisla un-snap her pistol holster.

"I'm just here to see your mom." EC replies.

Suddenly Ivan's face erupts into a big smile, and he embraces EC in a massive bear-hug.
"Good to see you, you slippery son of bitch!" Ivan shouts, picking EC up off the ground briefly.

Breaking free and catching his breath, EC coughs out: "You too, you terrifying bastard."

"Who is friend?" Ivan asks in all his stoic Russian glory, gesturing at Kaisla.

"Friend is... a friend. She can identify herself if she wants. You understand." Ivan nods.

"And she always have mustache?" Ivan asks.

Kaisla's eyes go wide and she quickly removes the fake mustache.

"No, only for Bingo night at the senior center. But she's trustworthy, and we need her help. She has her own help on the way. Can you help her help her friend help us?"

"I can help anyone." Ivan says, turning to Kaisla. He towered over her, but not menacingly.
"What do you require, little sparrow?" She quickly masks a grin with a scowl. As much as she wanted to pretend the nickname was demeaning... she kind of liked it.

"Weapons? Contraband? Military technology?" Ivan continues.

"Um... Tea."

*** PRESENT ***

“I’d like that....” Echo says as he replaces the foil to its rack.

"Dude," Raven interjects, "You haven't even beat me yet! When were you gonna tell me there were swords? You know I fuckin' love swords!"

Kaisla steps forward, “You guys can play later. Lets get some sleep and figure this shit out first. Silas, you hear anything else from Sen?”

"No actually, Dreadnaught went dark after explaining this data. Well, poorly explaining this data. I kinda pieced the rest together myself from uh... security footage I had. It's a long story."

EC then began the process of filling in Kaisla with the important details, how Leith had vanished with no trace but the security footage, leading them on a trail of breadcrumbs halfway across the galaxy and back, and eventually to Sen at Citi Gateway. He explained how they suspected the huge guy who attacked Sen at Citi Gateway was the same guy from the security tape, and the reason for going back to the megaship to retrieve his mysterious duffel bag.

"...and I didn't really expect I wouldn't be back to the Animus, and I certainly didn't want to haul that huge bag down to Sen's dock. That meeting didn't really go according to plan though... you know the rest."

EC raises an eyebrow, realizing he'd been talking a while. "Uh, at this point in the presentation we'll, uh, take questions from the audience?"

Last edit: 13 Aug 2019, 3:51pm

13 Aug 2019, 3:42pm

Maul Montresor

Maul puts his hand on the blade strapped to his thigh and watches Theodore carefully.

Khelan spins on the spot, his fist flying towards Theodore's chest. Theodore's look of smug satisfaction changing to one of horror as Khelan's hidden wristblade extends silently and burys itself into his heart.

Theodore takes a couple of steps back, makes a strangled squealing noise and falls straight to the floor.

Khelan steps over the corpse and advances on Theodore's goon.

"You!" he shouts pointing to the corpse of Theodore "Take that shite and fling it oot the nearest airlock"

Khelan stands face to face with the now terrified goon and continues screaming at him.

"Ah want ye tae spread the word, anywan talks shite oar disrespects Yodama-San, Omikuma oar any of ma friends they'll be answerin tae me. Ye goat me?"

The goon gulps and tries to step back but finds his back against the wall as Khelan continues to shout at him, his rage barely contained.

"The next words Ah want tae hear frae frae ye are "Hai Wakagashira" hiv ye goat that? "

The goon gulps and nods quickly and responds "Hai Wakagashira"

"Wit are ye still daein stood there? Fuckin move!"

"Khelan" says Omi in a quiet voice "stand down"

Khelan clips the goon around the back of the head and roughly shoves him towards the corpse.

"Shiroi Akuma!" shouts Omi "Stand Down, that's an order!"

Khelan stops and turns to look at Omi his breath coming in ragged gasps

"When's the funeral?" he asks Omi between rasps

"In a weeks time, he's being interred in the Tionisla Orbital Graveyard. The "Hatamoto-Chi" is already being transferred there to become his tomb."

Khelan nods "He loved that viper almost as much as he loved ye an yer mother. It's oanly right."

Omi nods her eyes ringed red. "I'm going to put the ashes of my mother in with him. They'll be together again for all eternity."

Khelan turns around and starts to head out of the shop.

"We'll be there fur the funeral, Ah promise ye that. Ye know wit Ah hiv tae dae first."

He shrugs off his jacket and tosses it to Maul.

Shinigami's transporter is docked in bay 12, that'll gie ye the authority ye need tae get it back tae Rey Gateway. Ah'll meet ye there. Gud luck Pilot he's yours noo."

Khelan heads off out of the shop stalking purposefully to the docks.

He pulls out his pad and connects to Leo.

"Leo, git ma ship ready, we're goin tae Rey Gateway."

"Acknowledged commander, I'll get the Prid ready for your arrival."

"Naw Leo MA ship. Bay 13 ye know wit Ah'm talking aboot. An bring yer A-game."

Leo's voice changes slightly and he responds.

"Rodger commander pre-flight initiated."

Khelan continues towards the docking bays a look of rage and sadness on his face.

"This ends soon" he says to himself.

"Wan way oar the other."

13 Aug 2019, 5:30pm

Maul nods to Omi. "I'll keep an eye on him."

Omi wipes a tear from her cheek and nods.

Maul and Vega exit the shop and head towards the docks.

"What are we doing?" Vega asks while trying to keep up with Maul's pace.

Maul slides on the jacket and looks at Vega. "No clue. Khelan needs us though."

Vega responds with a slight nod.

They arrive at bay 12 and see the transport crew waiting.

One crew member quickly approaches Maul. " I'm sorry sir but you can't be here-" He stops when he notices the badges on Maul's jacket. "My apologies sir, Shinigami is ready for you. Just give us a moment and we'll be ready to depart."

"Wait, you guys already have it here? I left it on Burgess Hub." Maul asks awestruck.

The crew member smiles. "Yes, Shinigami is always quickly brought back to it's home system in case of emergencies."

The crew begins to scurry around and board the transport ship that is carrying Shinigami. Maul and Vega follow behind them.

Once on board another crew member approaches Maul. This particular crew member looks to be the guy in charge of the others.

"Hello sir, if you give us a destination we will begin our trip."

Maul looks at Vega with a dumb smile and looks back at the crew boss. "Uh Diaguandri. We're going to Ray Gateway."

"Excellent sir. Now, you can take the elevator at the end of this hallway up to the Shinigami's on board hangar and prepare during the trip."

The boss turns and walks towards the cockpit.

Maul and Vega enter the elevator and ride up to the hangar.

Vega stops Maul as they exit the elevator. "Okay, what in the hell is all of this? You didn't mention that Khelan and Omi were mixed up in some sort of, what, a crime family?! I just thought they were crazy!"

Maul steps aside and continues walking past her. "Yeah, it's something like that. I'm not so sure on all the details either. He told me he worked for them before but I didn't question it. Now, I'm starting to think he was a little deeper into this than he was letting on."

Vega stops following him and looks around.

"You think!?" She says as she runs to catch up with him to board the Shinigami.

13 Aug 2019, 7:51pm

Khelan stands in the shadows dressed in a black flightsuit with the same snarling winged wolfs head as is on his jacket and the flightsuit worn by the pilot on his shoulder. He watches as Maul and Vega enter Bay 12 and the door closes behind them. He crosses over to the door for hangar 13 and lifts up the sign to the side of the door that reads "Restricted Area. Authorised Personnel Only" underneath is a plain black panel and he puts his hand on it. The scanner beeps once and the door slides open silently to reveal the inky blackness inside the hangar.

Inside the hangar the only sound to be heard is a faint electrical trilling coming from the darkness.

Khelan steps inside and the lights inside start humming into life revealing a ship covered by a black tarpaulin. He walks over and starts pulling the cover off to reveal a squat, angular, and thuggish form underneath. He walks around the ship painted with the same matt black as Shinigami with the same blood red letters for its name and registration number.

He looks at the blood red "242" on the tail and the name "Headhunter" emblazoned on either side of the cockpit and smiles.

"Hullo beautiful, hiv ye missed me?" he says to the ship "Ah'm shure ye hiv, Ah've missed ye that's fur shure."

Khelan opens the panel to the side of the entry hatch and a clipped female voice says.

"Entry passphrase is required for access to this ship. You have three attempts remaining before lethal force is used."

Khelan smiles and pats the hull.

"Wan, ye lock the target, Two, ye bait the line, Three, ye slowly spread the net, And four, ye catch the man."

"Access granted, welcome back commander. It has been 912.5 days since you were last onboard, would you like to perform pre-flight checks?"

"Aye Carina, start the checks an let me know yer feenished."

Khelan heads into the ship and heads to the sparse crew quarters. He picks up a black remlock helmet from the locker and heads to the cockpit. The cockpit is similar to the one in Shinigami with no displays around the pilots chair and the only visible controls the flight stick, throttle and rudder pedals.

"Pre-flight complete, launch when ready"

Khelan takes out a thumb drive and puts in into the slot on the side of the pilots chair. A small green light comes on the drive and is followed by a series of beeps.

"Alright commander, I've successfully been installed into the covas system and am now working on full integration with the rest of the systems." says the voice of Leo.

"Magic, it's gud tae hiv ye wi me Leo. Let me know when yer fully integrated an we'll head oot."

"Where are we going commander?" asks Leo "I've got the feeling it's going to be hostile going by the firepower on this thing."

"We're goin back tae Rey Gateway. It's time some folk goat taught they cannae dae wit they want tae innocent folk."

"Understood, is Mr Montresor going to be joining us?"

"We're meeting him there. Are we ready tae go?"

"Ready when you are boss man" responds Leo.

Khelan sits down in the pilots chair, pulls on the remlock and checks over the displays in the augmented reality of his helmet.

He selects launch and the powerful hydraulic rams under the hangar move the brutish from of the Alliance Chieftain into launch position. It lifts smoothly up from the pad and out through the mailslot into the black. Looking over the displays Khelan notices the huge form of the transporter heading to the jump point, the sleek form of Shinigami nestled inverted underneath it in it's specially constructed cutout.

Khelan slots in beside the transporter, flashes a quick message of greeting to the crew chief and sets the hyperspace co-ordinates to take him to Rey Gateway.

He lines up with the destination and engages the fsd, barely aware of Leo's countdown as he realises that its been a long time since he felt hate like the kind that's boiling inside him just now.

The Chieftain jumps to witchspace as he closes his eyes and tries to block out the rage and remember the breathing techniques he was taught to help control the anger.

13 Aug 2019, 9:05pm

Maul and Vega change into the spare black flight suits aboard the Shinigami and meet in the cockpit.

"What do you think Khelan has planned?" Vega asks as she takes her seat in the co-pilot chair.

Maul takes his seat at the helm. "Well, the guy just lost one of the most important people in his life and by the way he handled Theodore back there, I can't imagine it's going to be pretty. I've never seen him this upset."

"You don't think he plans on hitting the corporation do you?"

Maul shrugs. "They were all over that station looking for us. I'd say it's safe to assume so." He pauses for a moment and turns to look at her. "Back when you saved me from that manufacturing plant you told me that all of that was just the beginning. I guess this is the beginning of the end."

Vega sighs deeply.

"Listen," Maul says, grabbing Vegas attention. "If something happens to me during all of this, I want you to take what credits I have. I've been sitting on a decent pile since that job with Khelan. I want you to take them and try to get Lydia and Jaymie back. Maybe you can bribe Anton or hire some other folks to help you get them back."

Vega nods in agreement. "And if something happens to me, I want you to promise me that you'll get them out of there. Make sure that they are safe and taken care of."

He looks over at her and nods.

The crew chief's voice echos through the comms of the Shinigami.

"Sir, we are nearly at our destination."

"Thanks for the heads up." Maul replies as he slides his helmet on. Vega follows suit.

Maul's voice crackles over the comms in Vega's helmet.

"Let's do this thing."

13 Aug 2019, 11:36pm

Khelan arrives in system and heads to Rey Gateway at full speed.

"Leo, gie the weapons an defensive systems another goin over wid ye?" he asks

"Right away dude" responds Leo "Weapons systems are within specified tolerances, chaff and point defence systems are fully functional and shields are operating at peak efficiency."

Khelan nods in his helmet as he watches the arrival timer count down to 7 seconds, he flicks the engine power to 75% and gets ready to drop out of supercruise.

"Message from the Transport commander, they've arrived in system and are preparing to release Shinigami." Leo informs him.

Khelan stays silent as he disengages supercruise and the bulk of the Coriolis station leaps into view.

"Leo, gie them oor position an when Maul gets intae range establish comms wi them oan an encrypted channel."

"Acknowledged commander"

Khelan takes up position just outside the stations protection range with the mailslot dead ahead so he can watch the traffic going in and out. He switches off every unnecessary system to make the ship as close as possible to invisible and waits for the arrival of Shinigami.

"Ye better no take too long Goolie bhoy" he says to himself "Ah've goat the funny feelin yer gonnae want tae see this."

He sits watching as the lumbering form of an Anaconda takes up position to leave the station, his scanner identifying it as "The Ship Of Adventure" and a second vessel a mk 2 krait identified as "The Enigma" slots in behind it.

Falcon15e

14 Aug 2019, 2:18am

The Farragut had been out of dock for several months. One of the hundreds of small, independent families working the star lanes throughout the universe, Joel prided himself on the Farragut. It was an older Type-6, at one time painted bright yellow. Thousands of light years had worn the paint down to the bare skin everywhere except for the flat surfaces and recessed lines. Some of the wiring had started to fray, the left status screen would flicker and the nav computer would take arduously long minutes to plot anything further than ten light years. Inside, most of the ship had been stripped out to allow more room for cargo and only a tiny compartment housed Joel, his wife and their small child, Addison. She was barely four but already trying to "help" Papa fly when he was working. During the day, she would reach her little hand up, push on the edge of the access panel and the cockpit door would woosh open. She would run in and sit on daddies lap and ensure he found all of the salvage. Maia would run in a few minutes later, bundle Addison up and tot her off the bridge, "Sweetie, daddies working, we need to leave him alone."

The Farragut had been out two months and they were starting to run low on supplies. Its not that their hold was particularly full; like most fledgling families, they stuck to mostly secure systems and lanes that were regularly secured from piracy. Although, Joel liked to push boundaries. He knew straying too far from the guild lanes had inherent risk, he was always confident that he wasn't really important enough to steal from and that luck would be on his side. To Maia's protest, they would jump just a bit further out every week, scan a new system, salvage and then jump a bit further. "Its okay, we're always one jump from a high-security system sweetheart," he would say as they would bed down in their tiny bunk for the night. "Besides, I fitted that multi-cannon from our last haul, remember?"

Maia wasn't too sure. She might not be very trade savvy, but she knew a class one multi-cannon probably wouldn't be of much use against pirates. But she trusted Joel and loved him very much. She knew that he had great instincts and wouldn't stray too far from authorized shipping lanes or un-necessarily put their family in danger.

Joel stayed on a regular schedule and woke up at the same galactic time regardless of whether they were in the void or on a planetary station back at home. So its with that regularity that he awoke far earlier than Maia and kissed his wife and daughter on the forehead before unsealing the sleeping quarters, re-sealing it quietly and floating over to his flight suit and mag boots. He pulled his legs and arms through the thread-bare material and then grabbed his flight boots and floated through the hatch into the living quarters. Swinging by the fridge, he pops the seal and snags a cookie, biting it between his teeth before levering away and through the cockpit door. He takes a minute to secure his mag boots and strap into the cockpit seat before starting the pre-flight checks on the Farragut. Within a few minutes, he has the scanners up and systems humming seeking out into the void to find the next haul. Today's will probably be their last night as they need more food. Joel dwells on the conversation him and Maia had the night prior about only having soup and crackers for dinner. Addison was starting to get hungry and it would be at least another two nights before they got back to a system where they could re-supply.

Just as he was deep in thought, the scanners pinged. COVAS came online and read out the coordinates. Joel investigates the return signature to ensure its safe and powers up the thrusters of the Farragut to go pull the salvage in. Slowing out of super-cruise, Joel flips on the floods and readies the cargo hatch. After a quick verification to ensure that life support is nominal, he starts to diligently seek out his prize. The drop from super cruise roused Maia and she enters the cockpit now, a flask of hot coffee in hand.

"Looks like we got another haul?" Maia remarks, kissing him on the cheek while handing him his coffee.

"Thanks dear, yup, we'll secure all this and then head in. I bet after this, we have at least a hundred thousand bucks back there for a nice steak dinner!"

"Ohh," Maia says, "You think so?"

"Most certainly!" Joel says as he lines up on another hunk of shield resistors.

Just as the resistors spiral into the spotlights, another object spins carefully out in the distance. The spot lights reflect on the object, growing blue-green in the void. "What the hell is that?!" Joel leans forward. Maia pauses at the cockpit door. "I can't tell dear, lets get closer, maybe its that big catch you've always dreamed of." She walks off the bridge to get Addison up.

As Joel cautiously thrusters closer, the object appears like nothing he's ever seen in his ten years doing salvage. A tiny cube, about two feet, by two feet square and glossy black. When the lights from the floods reflect off it, it lets off an iridescent shimmer. Joel scans the area around the ship and quickly thrusters forward, scooping the device into the cargo hopper before pulling the hatch closed, re-pressurizing the cargo hold.

Joel clambers down out of the cockpit chair and walks back to the cargo hold of the Type-6. On the hopper pad, there sits the object, completely inert. Maia joins his side, Addison's hand securely in hers while she industriously sucks her thumb, "Whath ith it daddy?" She asks between suckles on her finger.

"I have no clue Love." He cautiously nudges the object with his boot. "Whatever it is, it looks valuable. I bet we can fence it back at Vries terminal, that's only....22 jumps? If that?" He instructs Maia to prepare their living quarters to jump while he ensures that the rest of the cargo hold and Type-6 are ready. He climbs back up into the pilot chair and kisses Maia before sealing the bridge. "With any luck, we'll be back in station tonight and feasting by dinner time! I bet that thing is gonna fetch a fortune!" The latent excitement quickly spreads to Addy and she anxiously awaits being back on another ship and maybe even getting a new doll. Her current one has already lost an arm and a leg is on the way.

Joel takes the first five jumps in stride before stopping for a fuel stop. After a cautious few minutes hovering close to the star, he powers up the tiny FSD in preparation for the final next series to Vries. Just as the Farragut starts to shudder and vibrate from the FSD, the galactic plane warping around the tiny Type-6, the craft shudders and the stars glare in appearance as the ship is pulled to a halt. All the systems go dead. Joels sensors flickers and die before a horrible screech fills his headset. Out of nothingness, a shimmer appears before a giant, black pedal materializes. "Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck," Joel starts to panic as he tries the over-rides, anything to get power back. Maia pounds on the cockpit door, "DEAR! IS EVERYTHING OKAY?" Addison starts to cry in fear. He can't hear them as he tries everything to get the Type-6 to respond, accidentally deploying the single multi-cannon. The petals on the ship glow red as Joel looks up, his eyes wide in terror at a glossy black object looming large in his windscreen. "Oh dear god, please no....." Are the last words out of his mouth as the Type-6, Joel and his family are vaporized by the alien ship.

Fifty thousand light seconds away, lurking in an asteroid field, a Federal Corvette sits. The officer responds to a secure call. "Yes Sir, the test worked. I recommend moving forward to phase two of the project."

14 Aug 2019, 11:37am

Khelan"Ye better no take too long Goolie bhoy" he says to himself "Ah've goat the funny feelin yer gonnae want tae see this."

He sits watching as the lumbering form of an Anaconda takes up position to leave the station, his scanner identifying it as "The Ship Of Adventure" and a second vessel a mk 2 krait identified as "The Enigma" slots in behind it.

The transport ship drops into Diaguandri and out of supercruise.

"Prepare for release." The crew chief warns.

The Shinigami is released.

"We have Khelan's coordinates. He's outside of Ray Gateway." Vega says as she targets the station. Maul swings the ship in its direction and engages the FSD.

After a few moments Shinigami drops out of supercruise near the station.

"Incoming comms link request from Headhunter." The COVAS announces.

Maul accepts the request. "Khelan?"

Vega begins scanning the ships around the station in an attempt to find Khelan when she spots The Ship Of Adventure and The Enigma on the contact list.

"Uh, Maul, are you seeing this?" She says as she points out at the ships.

Maul gazes out at the ships with a puzzled look and quickly goes back to the comms.

"Khelan, what the hell is going on here?"

14 Aug 2019, 10:10pm

Khelan sits watching the two ships leaving the station.

"Leo, why dae ah know the the ship name "The Enigma"? "he asks

"Ship name "The Enigma" registration code MA-30k, registered owner and pilot Maul Montresor resident of Rey Gateway. " responds Leo.

"Leo, correct me if Ah'm wrang but isn't Mauly bhoy oan Shinigami?"

"Unless he has a twin then I'd say he is" responds Leo. "Infact he's requesting comms just now"

Khelan activates the comms and selects Shinigami.

"Wit took ye so long?" he asks "Ah wis startin tae think ye wurnae....... HOLY FUCK!!!"

Khelan looks in horror as The Enigma opens up its hardpoints and opens fire on the Anaconda before it.

The krait spits laser fire along the flank of the Anaconda and follows them up with a barrage of missiles causing explosions to erupt along its length.

"Wit the actual fuck?" shouts Khelan "Leo gie me full power tae the engines, we've goat tae stop that attack!"

Khelan slams the throttle hard forward and hits the afterburners at the same time causing Headhunter to leap forward towards the two ships its engines howling in protest

"Why are they no firin back?" he exclaims

"Scans indicate that they are unarmed" responds Leo

The Anaconda tries to turn back towards the safety of the station as the krait keeps up the assault launching another barrage of missiles into the heavily damaged ship. Huge explosions erupt from each missile hit and the Anaconda starts shaking heavily before a huge explosion consumes the entire ship.

The Krait stows its hardpoints and accelerates away from the area as fast as possible. Khelan throws Headhunter after it as system authority vessels streak in towards the Krait.

"Frame Shift Surge detected" announces Leo.

"Goat tae get closer, that basturd cannae get away"

The Krait jumps to supercruise as Khelan struggles to close the gap and he howls with rage and frustration.

"Leo, scan that wake, Ah want tae know where the fuck he's goan"

15 Aug 2019, 1:28am

The Anaconda explodes before Maul even has time to react.

"NO!" Vega screams as she throws her helmet off and jumps from her seat.

"Motherfucker!" Maul shouts as he quickly scans the wake of The Enigma.

Vega looks over at Maul. She shakes with anger and sadness as she grabs her helmet and sits back down with tears filling her eyes.

The scan finishes and revels the destination of the ship; Balante.

Maul hesitates to target the system.

"Maul, what the fuck are you waiting for?! GO!" Vega shouts.

He stares at the system name with his finger hovering over the button to target it.

"There are some people there who want me dead and for good reason too."

Maul targets the system and charges the FSD.

"I did some bad shit there a while back and some people wound up dead. Whoever is piloting my ship must know that."

Vega slides her helmet on and tries to contain her emotions for the time being.

"I want them dead. I want them fucking dead!"

"Oh god...Lydia....I'm so sorry..." She says as she gets up from her seat crying and leaves the cockpit.

Maul watches her leave and drops his head for moment. He sits in silence as the FSD finishes charging.

He checks the comms before throttling up and engaging the jump.

"Khelan if you can hear me, we need to identify who is piloting that ship. This reeks of the corporation."

He punches the console.

"I'll kill every fucking one of them." He mutters to himself as he throttles up to begin the countdown.

Last edit: 15 Aug 2019, 6:11am

15 Aug 2019, 5:44pm

Khelan clicks on the comms to Shinigami.

"Acknowledged" he says before cutting them off again.

"Leo set course fur Balante" he says scanning the fsd wake data "The pilot of that krait is goin doon."

Khelan quickly checks the weapons systems and frameshift interdictor over while the fsd is charging before aiming towards the jump point.

"4, 3, 2, 1.....Frame Shift engaged" says Leo and Headhunter makes the jump to Balante

Lambast Mercy

15 Aug 2019, 6:47pm

EC raises an eyebrow, realizing he'd been talking a while.

"Uh, at this point in the presentation we'll, uh, take questions from the audience?

Kaisla raised her hand. “Will there be extra credit if I hand in my assignment in joined-up writing sir?”

“Yes thank you, I get it. There is extra credit if you start pouring the bourbon ya practically hugging”

Murmurs of enthusiastic agreement came from Raven and Echo who seem to be settling into the very well appointed, but homely room everyone was occupying. Lambast, who had been paying rapt attention to EC’s recounting of events rose and addressed everyone.

“Well Mister Silas, I do hope I can be of some assistance in retrieving the article in question, but as for now, I really must retire for the evening. It has been a genuine pleasure to make your acquaintances” She gestured to everyone with a lazy sweep of her arm.

“Please treat the Hand as your own, what’s mine is yours. I have instructed Holly to lift all restrictions, and Kaisla your flight pre-sets are still in his records and loaded if the need should arise. Holly will be glad to assist you all with your requirements. Lambast stood in the doorway. “Gentlemen, Kaisla, goodnight” She bobbed a curtesy and left closing the wooden door behind her.

EC found he was in a shallow bow after she left and straighten up before anyone noticed. Raven and Echo also seemed mildly hypnotised by Lambasts’ exit. Echo turned in his chair to face Kaisla.

“I mean no disrespect to your friend, lovely person no doubt, and I’m grateful for the warm welcome, but does she think she’s the queen of the fucking Empire?”
Before Kaisla could say anything, Raven chimed in.

“I agree with Echo. Thank you very much and all” He pointed at a space on the wall between portraits of people in Imperial dress uniform. “But that’s wallpaper. Wallpaper on a space ship. You gotta admit that’s weird”

Kaisla tried to push her dining chair onto its back legs, but it wouldn’t tilt, so she just put her feet on the table and poured a generous glass of bourbon while she defended her friend.

“I admit she has her ways, but once she gets to know you, you’ll see she’s alright. Lambs always been uptight around new people and you lot are probably making her a lil nervous”

“Us” scoffed Raven. He put on a heavy movie-like Transylvanian accent. “Look, if the Countess sucks my blood tonight, I’m blaming you”
A glass was pushed across the table to Raven and Kaisla stood up to pour a good measure in everyone’s glass.

“Well, you better carve yourself a crucifix then hadn’t you? Vampires do like virgins’ blood after all”

Once everyone had a drink, Kaisla filled her own tumbler again and downed it in one.

“Bed sounds good as it goes. Holly will tell ya how to find your rooms when ya ready, but I’m goin now. G’night guys, be sure to lock your doors before you turn off the light”
She pulled an imaginary cape across her face and laughed an evil laugh as she backed out the room. Moments later she came back in and picked up the crate of bourbon. Kaisla paused for a moment and took one bottle out the crate and put it on the table.

“You can have that, but keep ya sticky paws off the rest. They are all mine”
EC smiled and took a seat at the head of the table and starched his arms above his head.

“Goodnight Little Sparrow, we won’t be far behind you”

Lambast strode toward the galley in a towel. The cool morning shower had done its job and now breakfast called.

“Good morning Holly, Anything to report?”

“Nope, nothing happened worth talkin about boss. Kaisla is in the galley and the rest of the dudes are still in their rooms”

Oh yes, Lambast thought, company. She went back to her room and came out a short while later in a tidy blazer, jodhpurs and deck shoes. Kaisla had already found her breakfast and was sat at the end of the galley on a stool with her back to the door, elbow industrially pumping as she shoveled food into her mouth. Lambast walked around the other side to see what was being so eagerly devoured.

“Good morning Kai. Of everything I have in my larder, you pick Honey-Nut Loops as your breakfast of choice” She held the plastic cereal decanter up like exhibit A in an investigation. Kaisla held up a finger while swallowed some breakfast.

“To you they are just Honey-Nut Loops. To me, they are a seldom seen miracle food of the gods that when paired with honest to goodness cow’s milk, makes me want to weep with every spoonful.”

Lambast regarded the large serving spoon Kaisla was plunging deep into the loops, but it was balanced out by the fact her friend had used a serving dish as a breakfast blow. A broad smile crept over Lambasts face.

“Cow’s milk? Haven’t had that for ages. That’s dog’s milk”

Kaisla froze with the spoon in her mouth and gave Lambast a wide-eyed despairing gaze making her look like a novelty saucepan.

“Don’t look at me like that, it’s good for you. Full of vitamins, full of minerals. Full of marrowbone jelly”

She couldn’t keep a straight face and enjoyed a laugh at Kaislas’ expense. Kaisla chewed the loops and showed the contents of her mouth to Lambast. A polite cough made both the girls look round. Echo and Raven were standing in the doorway not wanting to interrupt. Lambast slipped into hostess mode smoothly.

“Good morning gentlemen, I trust you slept well? Do come in and take a seat. May I tempt you with anything from the galley?”

Lambast took a manifest slate off the wall and offered it to Raven as Kaisla shuffled over to make room for the men at the work surface.
“I can assist you with the cooking if you are not ofay with preparing fresh food”

Echo and Raven pulled up a stool and perused the slate while Lambast put coffee on for everyone. Coffee wasn’t her drink of choice, but she had a feeling her guests would not appreciate a cup of tea first thing in the morning.

Raven and Echo whispered while they picked items from the list. Kaisla paused to watch the guys and Lambast watch them out of the corner of her eye while she ground the coffee beans. They put her in mind of boys that had been told they could have any toy in the shop. Echo holding up the slate, with his finger on an item spoke first.

“Is that real eggs, like from a bird. Not powdered?”

“I can’t say I met the bird in question, but I am assured she is from a good lineage and enjoyed clean living if that stratifies your inquiry?” It was a bit over the top, but Lamb was enjoying the attention. Raven needed a little clarification on a pressing matter next.

“So the bacon is bacon bacon, not reconstituted and pressed yes?

“I am confident the pig in question was also of good standing and all my food is quite fresh I am pleased to say”

“Umm can we have that please?” Asked Echo much in the same way Oliver had once asked for more.

Lambast put the coffee in the peculator, and went to the fridge and produced a pack of bacon and tray of eggs, then put them on the counter for inspection. Echo picked up an egg and turned it round in his hand while Raven poked the bacon with an extended digit.

“I think I’m in love” Raven breathlessly remarked as he satisfied himself that the bacon was in fact, bacon bacon.
He didn’t realise he was looking at Lambast when he said that until he noticed the silence from his companions and saw Lamb's eyebrow slowly crawling up her forehead.

“I don’t mean you, I mean the ..” He held the Manifest slate in front of him like a shield and desperately jabbed at it with a finger. Lambast let her head tilt to one side.

“Oh, not that your umm.” He swallowed hard.

Echo started to snigger and Kaisla sang a little song apparently to her breakfast.

“Why do birds suddenly appear every time..” Raven cut her off by standing up quickly. Luckily the stool didn’t fall over because it was connected to a rail built into the floor.

“I’ll go see what's keeping Creamy shall I?” and he quickly made his exit ignoring the laughter of his friends.

Raven stomped through the ship berating himself.
“Not you, the bacon. What a fantastic first impression I must be making. Why didn’t I just dig the hole a little deeper so I could jump in it and hide? Fuckin dick.”

Raven realised he didn’t know what room EC was in. “Computer, where is EC?”

Hollys terminally bored voice answered.
“Is that the beardy bloke that snores like a broken combustion engine?”

“Yes?”

“Right on my man. Second door on ya left mate. No, not that one, the next one. Ya got it dude”
The things Holly said wouldn’t sound quite so stupid if he didn’t speak like he was reading a shopping list.

Raven knocked and no one answered. He pressed his ear to the door. Yep, light snoring could be heard. After a couple more attempts, Raven decided to go in. EC was fast asleep surrounded by pillows and quilts. He looked like he had been attacked by giant marshmallows but had put up a good fight. Raven picked up a boot and tossed it at the bed. EC woke up like a startled puppy and eventually focused on Raven.

“What?”

“The countess is cooking breakfast. Its real bacon and eggs”

That woke him up. “Real bacon? I’ll have me some of that. Gimme two minutes and I’ll be there. Here, why are you so red?”

Raven took a deep breath, turned and left.

By the time EC and Raven got back to the galley, coffee was poured and all sorts of pans were heating things on the hob. The smell of cooking made everyone’s mouth water. Lambast dutifully and happily served breakfast, seconds, thirds and is some cases forth helpings and just leaned back and enjoyed watching the dynamic of the group while she wasn’t fulfilling hostess duties. Kaisla noticed her friends’ stoic observation and silently mouthed "Thank you" before she tucked back into a conversation with EC.

Lambast felt she had seen patterns within the group they themselves were unaware of. EC Raven and Echo were a team, but Echo and Raven also made their own independent unit. Kaisla was like an untested member of the team. She was accepted, but Raven and Echo still wanted convincing, EC, however, was behind her 100%, so EC and Kaisla were also a team without Raven and Echo. EC himself was the hinge pin for everyone. The rest of them orbited him like he was their sun.

The man wasn’t forceful or domineering, in fact, he came across quite calm and mild, but he had a confidence in everything he did. It oozed off him in every step he took and in the way he seemed to quickly asses people. It hung in the air around him. Lambast felt, if he gave an order, she would follow it without question knowing he knew best. She could understand why her unfocused friend liked hanging around with him. Lambasts’ big sister instinct kicked in, Raven had called EC Creamy. If he was anything like a man Lambast knew as Creamy.. They would be having “the talk” very soon.

When everyone was holding a full stomach and sipping coffee, Lambast suggested they all retired to their rooms to freshen up, ready for the transformation into Imperial diplomatic staff. Kaisla and Lambast did the best they could with the mirrors and lighting they had gathered to set up makeup stations. Between the main bathroom and the adjacent bedrooms, three workable tables were set. Everything was laid out and ready to go. All the team had to do was obscure their identity with hair dye, skin altering pigmentations and a clever prosthetics “clay” that would allow a skilled hand to alter facial features.

Kaisla and EC were already in one of the bedrooms laughing about the alterations they were going to make to each other when Lambast was ready to get to work. Lambast set a smile on her face and entered.

“Kai, do you mind if I work on EC? She saw a little confusion on Kaislas’ face.

“Oh well I.. “ Lambast cut her off.

“Raven is still a little embarrassed after this morning’s misunderstanding, and it’s making it a little awkward to work on the man when he can’t look me in the eye. You are so good at making people feel at ease and I will have a chance to get to know EC better. Be a dear won’t you Kai?” Lambast gave her a bright smile and thought to herself that she had covered every angle, Kai couldn’t really say no.

“Well umm, yes I can do that I suppose. No problem Lamb” She left the room and glanced back as Lambast, still smiling shut the door.

The transformation took longer than she imagined, the clay was the hard part. Mixing it so it matched the new skin tone was hard enough, let alone making the light alterations to EC face look natural. After about two hours of work and plenty of friendly small talk, Lambast was on the final stage, waving the ultraviolet light over the clay to make it go off.

“I heard Raven call you Creamy. Interesting, nickname?” Said Lambast casually.

“Huh yes. Not one you hear often hay?” EC had a feeling this was a leading question, and already he didn’t like where it was going.

“I know a fellow that goes by the name Creamy” Lambast locked EC eyes with hers.

“Wow really? Not as uncommon as I imagined then” EC still felt lead, still not liking the direction it was going.

“The Creamy I know is a cad, bounder and serial womanisers” If anything passed between the two people now, it would be electrocuted.

EC figured out where this was going and thought, Oh crap. Best keep it friendly and noncommittal.
“Is he? Sounds like a guy worth forgetting. Good thing it’s just a name”

Lambast didn’t even breath. She was about 10 inches from his face.
“A rose by any other name” is all she said. As EC took a breath, ready to fill the silence, Lambast butted in.

“You may have noticed Kaisla is implosive and easily influenced when she’s in good company and enjoying herself” EC opened his mouth again but to no avail.

“I have also noticed she holds you in not inconsiderable esteem” Lambast leaned in so she was almost nose to nose with EC.

“If I feel you are taking undue advantage of her admiration, I will paint your testicles the colour of hazelnuts and inform a bag of rabid squirrels that winter is coming. Do you understand me Creamy?”

Noting came to mind. He just sat there like a wet sack of sand and processed the words that just smacked him in the face. It wasn’t the threat, Lambast just wasn’t intimidating. Her aloof demeanour didn’t put him off either, it was the sentence it's self, coming from that particular person. It was so unexpected.

EC may be able to identify Hazelnuts if he had some sort of nut line up, but he didn’t have a clue what a squirrel was, or why the on-set of winter would vex one further, but he knew he didn’t want a rabid anything interested in the contents of his trousers. EC did know what a gorilla was, he’d seen some at a zoo once. For just a moment, Lambast had given him the impression of a maternally outraged gorilla that was about to twist the limbs of some poor creature that had been stupid enough to upset her child.

“Do close your mouth, Mister Silas. We are not a codfish”
EC lips came together with an audible pop.

Lambast stood up, snapping EC out of his thoughts. She stepped out the way of the mirror so EC could see his new face.

“There you go EC, handsome yet forgettable. Perfect for the task ahead wouldn’t you agree?”

EC looked into his own eyes and reflected with himself, his relationship with Lambast was going to be very interesting indeed.

Everyone gathered in the dining room when their transformation was complete. A person would have to have known the group quite well to know who was who. To Lambast, three strangers in very tidy suits flanked her old friend who had really changed over the years. It was a comforting feeling because it meant the cover was quite good. Lambast had chosen not to wear her military dress uniform, but did chose a close civilian approximation. A deep blue brass-buttoned jacket, short at the front but three-quarter length at the back leaving her ceremonial sabre free. Light cream jodhpurs with blue trim leading to sensible knee-high black boots. She had taken the time to call the Magaship and book a luxury suite and fore adjoining room to help support the deception.

“Gentlemen, Kaisla, I’m very confident I can get us onboard the Jumpship without incident. Holly is an old computer and his operations confuse modern systems for a short time. Adding to that, the cartel at my home station has put a few tricks in his software as well to assist with the passengers I ferry for them. I will be posing as a concerned member of the Royal Society of Xeno-Archology doing a self-appointed survey of the possible impact on the integrity of the Guardian sites due to the increased accessibility the Jump ship offers. As luck would have it I have explored a fair number of Guardian sites and reported my data to the RSXA, so I feel it is a fair cover”

She paused to see if anyone felt it was not a good idea. EC nodded, but his face didn’t give much away about what he was thinking. Lambast continued.

“Once we have landed I will do my best to be” She paused “obstructive in an amicable fashion. I have been told I am quite good at putting people off-kilter when I’m concentrating on being myself”

Kaisla was not sure if she saw it, but Raven and EC seemed to shuffle uncomfortably for a moment.

“With a lot of luck, I can present my credentials and forget to hand my staffs’ visas to the officer. I have found people don’t pay much attention to servants if the servants are running about doing servant things so just head for our rooms and let me be myself. Once we program and activate these” Lambast held up the Travel Visas, “we’ll have a day in the clear, maybe two, but staying on board after that would be foolhardy, to say the least”

Everyone took a visa and programmed it with the chosen identity.

“Now what else? Please forgive me, I am aiming to be as useful as I am able, and I do realise I am rambling on. Oh yes, if there is anything you want to keep from our luggage, leave in your rooms as we will most likely be abandoning it”

Lambast went over to a dresser and opened it. Inside was an ornate iron vault. She opening it and pulled out three draws and took a number of cred sticks out of the middle drawer and tucked them in her pockets.

“I do like to show generous gratuity where appropriate, and the ability to bribe is also most helpful in unfortunate altercations. Please do help yourself to whatever you feel you may need currency wise. Everything is colour coded, don’t be bashful I view this safe as operating costs”

Kaisla yelled “POCKET MONEY” in an odd accent that got a hearty laugh from Lambast as Kaisla bounded over to the draws. Kai stuck a handful of cred sticks in her pockets and held up a purple velvet bag to Lambast “May I?” she asked. Lambast nodded. Kaisla smiled “Great, I love the purple ones.”

EC wondered over with Echo and Raven.

“Fuck” exclaimed Echo.

Inside were Imperial and Federation credit sticks with coloured tags. Rows of small coloured velvet bags filled the bottom drawer. A neatly handwritten sheet was stuck to the inside of the safe with a coloured tag corresponding to a numeric value ranging from one thousand to one hundred thousand. EC did a quick estimate of the value of this safe. He was confident if he emptied it, he could buy and equip any large class ship he wanted, maybe two. He didn’t know if Lambast was trying to show off, or she genially had that much wealth to give away, but he did know the value of a good bribe and took a few Federation sticks. Raven and Echo did the same. Out of curiosity, he checked the sheet to see what was in the purple bag Kaisla took. It read Dark Gems – 80k Galactic Average. He filed that information for later.

Lambast was starting to look a little flustered, as if she had a more to say and needed to get it out there before they left for the Jump Ship.

“I should be addressed as Her Ladyship in the third person or M’Lady if you are addressing me directly” It was Kaisla’s turn to interrupt Lambast.

“Relax Lamb, this is our thing. We got this. We know the story. I’m your pilot, EC is security, Raven is your Valet and Echo is and secretarial staff. It’s covered ok? Go have a cup of tea, you’re getting fussy”

“I may be expected to attend.” Kaisla raised a hand to stop Lambast as she marched over to her friend. Kai took Lambast by the arm and began to lead her out the room.

“But wh.. The keys?”

Kaisla just kept marching Lamb to the door, placed her foot on Lamb's arse and shoved her out the room slamming the door behind her. Kaisla cupped her hands and shouted at the door.

“TEA” and then turned to face the guys. “Huh, kids hay”

No one looked amused. Raven voiced the issue that was concerning everyone.

“Is she going to be a problem? We don’t need a mother hen for this op, in fact, we don’t need her at all once we’re docked”

“Hey guys, come on. Its just pre-game nerves. We all get that right? Once she’s on task, you’ll all be glad she came along” While Kaisla knew it to be true, she also understood that these men had no reason to believe it.

EC put his hand on Kai’s shoulder.
“She’s your friend, so if you see her folding, it’s up to you to cover for it and get her out our way. Right?”

Looking at her feet Kaisla answered “Right, I get it.. . Now let me tell you how this little brass key works”

The team assembled in the cockpit ready to leave for the Jump ship. Kaisla flopped into the pilots’ seat and spent a little time wiggling someone else’s bum dent out of it.

“Hay Holly, you still got my playlist?”

“Yep. All part of your flight preferences. Want it firing up then?”

“Oh you bet I do Holly”

“Right on sister. We're rockin tonight. All ahead, groove factor ten” deadpanned the old computer

Kai picked a tune and woke up the Hand.

Last edit: 16 Aug 2019, 2:32pm

15 Aug 2019, 9:16pm