Btw - where are all the other characters? I'd really like to see some of those who posted initial interest start writing here too!

Although i am officaly off the site, i was arsed over here mainly because i would like to see the RPG go on.

Anydoo's If not this morning it will be this afternoon when a chapter goes up.

My next update is on the way, as my internet has finally returned!

OOC: Ok guys it's been a while so cut me some slack. But Dev's back and sufficently Wilder then ever!

IC:
Dev's ship landed cooly on New Berlin, Rhienland blockades and such had given him a hassle but he always managed to slip through. As his ship gently hit the landing pad he looked back at himself through a reflection in the cockpit window.

“Could go for some change....” He mumbled almost as if he didn't care about what he was saying.


The New Berlin bartender was in a bad mood, the blockades had routed many a trader out of new Berlin making it so that he had to let less diserable enter his establishment, that once was considered top notch.

Now punks and thugs and crime relaxed in his booth's as he had to fetch them drinks. One particular man caught his eye and made him nearly spit at his rugged punk look. The bartender was sure the mans attitude could be no better, Dressed in torn jeans,a ragged t-shirt and several holsters with a blue mowhawk to crown it, he was surely one of the worst men to set foot in the bar.

Dev looked around in the bar, he saw a man sitting there reading some data pamphlet and he jumped over and sat down. He wrinkled his nose to the smell of vodka gone off.

“Hola's” he said grinning at the man who glanced up from his data pad.

“Dev!” he exclaimed “Your hair... It suites you much more!”

Dev smiled and cocked his head at the man. “Dont take this personaly but.......”

“Your here to kill me?” the man said with a chuckle

“Naw, you smell like bad vodka...” Dev retorted with a smirk.

“So Dev... What is you want” The man said glancing back at his datapad.

“Cant a old friend say hi?” Dev asked smiling

“You? No.” The man replied emotionlessly “Maybe someone with a normal job and all... a family and such”

“Well then” Dev said slowly “I guess i have to kill you”

“What?” the man exclaimed. Dev grabbed him by the hair and smashed his face into a glass the table.the man screamed and clawed at his face and blood dripped from his cut up face.

Dev pulled out his gun and pressed it on the mans head and squeezed the trigger.

He stood up and pulled out a pair of pistols from his holsters and shot and the bartender in the back. People started running out and Dev shot them as they moved, only a few made it to the door.

“Come on!!!” He yelled “Get the bloody police in here! I wanna fight!”

He heard sirens and several men ran in and started firing. Dev ducked behind a pillar and smirked. He jumped out anf flew across the room shooting wildly into the mass of scrambling police men.

He saw several men fall down clutching there wounds as blood dripped off them. Dev crawled behind the bartenders counter and started hurling drinks at the police, he looked up briefly as lasers flew around him and noted that half the bar was soaking in liqour.

Dev grabbed his lighter and light a ciggarette. Then he tossed the smoking cig right at the soaked area. He heard a loud boom and felt the heat ripple across him.

Dev smirked, the escape would be fun and worthy of him.

Here comes my update. Good to see this RPG up and running again!


Jake’s powerful Defender Heavy Fighter, fully upgraded to it’s full potential by the same shipwright who had designed Juni’s Defender, landed on a dirty landing pad in the dark underworld of Planet Leeds. Jake was very familiar with the entire planet, since he had lived there for a year once. This pad was near a bar he remembered well as one of the toughest ones, yet it was known for having patrons who had their eyes and ears into everything. The bar was the place to go for a bit of underworld info in this part of Sirius.

Jake exited the Defender and activated the security system, and set it to hit anyone who came within ten feet of the ship with a powerful stun ray. He always did this when h entered a particularly seedy part of a planet, and Leeds was 100% seedy.

He entered a door at the other side of the pad, and went down several fights of stairs to a hallway. He crossed an open-air bridge at the end of the hallway, and he then saw the bar entrance just ahead. He checked that both of his SpecOps Mark 9 pistols were ready, and entered the bar. Once he entered, he was glad he had remembered to change into some civilian clothes while on his ship.

The bar was dimly lit, and many of the tables in the corners were in near-total darkness. The bar was large, and the bartender had his set-up in the center of the room. Various goons sat around at tables, and Jake could easily determine what pirate faction they worked for. The years of experience had left him with that ability.

His eyes sifted through the masses of pirates: Outcasts, Corsairs, Mollys, and many others. Then, they found what they were looking for. A lone man sat in a quiet corner with his back to the rest of the bar. He was dressed in business attire, but it was obvious that he was a pirate. The rest of the pirates gave him a wide berth, and the man was simply sitting and working at his small laptop computer.

Jake melted into the shadows near the wall. He inched forward, slowly, bit by bit. He drew within a foot of the man’s back, and then checked to make sure no body was watching.

Once he was certain that no one was looking in his direction, he turned back to the man. He was so engrossed in his computer that Jake doubted that much of anything would draw his attention.

Jake silently reached out, as he had been taught in Special Ops training, and grabbed the man’s head. He grabbed him in such a way that he would be able to kill him in an instant. The man gurgled quietly in shock and fear. Jake pulled him back even farther into the shadows, and then released him.

The man made a move to turn and face Jake, but Jake’s fist to the man’s head stopped him dead in his tracks. Jake caught his body as it fell, and silently laid it on the floor. Jake then walked over and picked up the man’s computer and walked out of the bar.

He returned to his ship, and drained the laptop’s memory onto his shipboard computer. He stowed the laptop, and then opened up the files on the ship’s computer. It was already very obvious that the man was who Jake had guessed he was.

The man was one of the elite computer technicians for a pirate band. These computer techies were men skilled in all aspects of computer usage and electronics. They knew a lot about the underworld, but their computers knew even more. These technicians were known to carry computers everywhere that contained much valuable information on pirate, corporate, and government intelligence. If a person could get their hands on one of these computers, they would have access to a goldmine of information on activities of various people throughout Sirius.

You see, the pirates had created a super-secret network that tracked the location of all of the pirate’s contacts and targets. Jake knew that Rob’s location would be in the network, and this Tanya sounded like a person who would also be tracked.

He ran a quick search, and found her. Rob was with her too! Perfect!

They were in Tau-31. Holman Outpost.

He started the ship, and launched into space. He would be in Tau-31 in no time at all.

OOC:Hmm i'd better post something.

I really like it. Explains how Jake managed to find Rob and Tanya, then adds some background to his thinking / style.

I think Dev is looking for trouble (what's new? lol). Surprised someone hasn't put out a hit on him yet :p

Come on Code / HK! Your turn boys!

Haha when isnt Dev looking for trouble

But trust me, i am making it in a way that it does have a releveant purpose.... Bear with me on this one.

But all hits are invited, just try your luck on the blue haired bounty hunter

OOC: Well, here it is. Over 5000 words of RPG goodness. Thanks to HK for doing his bit at the end and generally acting as a sounding-board.

Athena - Tanya plays a significant role here, if anything I've written is not what she would do, please let me know. I'll change it ASAP.

Now, on to the madness...

---------------

“But do continue." Tanya said, eyes flashing with predatory intensity.

“Okay. Here's the deal.” Rob started. “I know I said that it would be 'wise' to avoid direct contact with the Outcasts. But, for now, wisdom isn't really what we need. What we need are results and information. Now, I have a theory as to what happened to the missing ships, but in order to confirm it, we need to access the Outcast infonet. Even if my hypothesis turns out to be incorrect, access to the Outcast or overall criminal 'net should give us a few leads. The most obvious problem here is that we really need to get inside a base to properly search for the requisite info.

“This is where Konn comes in. If we outfit him with a freighter he should provide us with a perfect Trojan horse.”

“I like where this is going.” Tanya said with a feral grin.

“Ha. We thought you might,” Rob smiled back, “didn't we, Carshalton?”

“You bet.”

“Anyway,” Rob continued, “before I go any further we need to discuss our new friend. Tanya, you know him best, can he be trusted? If we expect his help we're going to have to let Konn in on the whole Mason story. Are we comfortable doing this?”

“I brought him this far, didn't I?” Tanya said, stirring her drink absentmindedly.

“Well, yes, but - ” Rob began.

“No buts. That should tell you I trust him.” Tanya said, not letting Rob finish. “And if I trust him, you can too.”

“So Konn's in?” Carshalton asked.

“I've heard all I need to hear.” Rob said.

“Good.” Tanya smiled and took another sip of her Sigma Blue. “Now, are you going to finish telling me about this wonderful plan?”

“You know I'd do anything you asked me to.” The words tumbled, unbidden, from Rob's mouth before he could catch them. “Er...”

“Excuse me?” Tanya looked up from her drink, eyes wide in shocked disbelief.

“Yikes.” Carshalton muttered under his breath. “Um, I'm gonna go get myself a drink. Anybody want a refill?”

“No.” Rob said, indicating that Carshalton should stay. “Uh, I hadn't really planned on saying anything just yet, and certainly nothing as trite as that, but I guess what's done is done. Still, now's not the time to dwell on it. We need to focus on Mason and the Outcasts. I'm sorry if this puts you in an awkward position, Tanya. Maybe it's for the best though. At least you know where I stand.”

“I suppose.” Tanya said. “Though I haven't a clue how I feel now. It's quite a bit to take in.”

“Yeah, well, don't think too hard now. We've got bigger fish to fry.” Rob said, trying his best to move the conversation away from the relatively unfamiliar ground of romance and back to comfortable old mission planning.

“Yes.” Tanya replied, also eager to avoid dwelling on the subject any further. After the disappointing end of her relationship with Rutger, Tanya was not ready to let another man into her life just yet, and she had never seen her relationship with Rob progressing past the friends stage. Sure, he had some attractive qualities, but Tanya had yet to find herself thinking about how much she really fancied him. Does explain why he looked uncomfortable earlier though.

“O-kay. Back to our regularly scheduled program then. Why don't you take over?” Rob asked, looking at Carshalton. Won't make any more slips if I just shut the hell up.

“Sure thing. Okay, so we give Konn a freighter. Closest base which sells 'em is Harris. We can get the guy a nice Humpback there.”

“And, once he has the freighter we hide inside it and have Konn fly us out to Cali?” Tanya asked. “I like it.”

“Well, that's not quite all. We all know that Tau-23 is a dangerous place, especially for a freighter. So Rob and I were thinking that we might do well to have a bit of extra protection. The nice thing about Humpbacks is their huge hold. According to the specs I was able to pull up there's actually enough space in an empty hold to fit one or two small fighters. Now, I'm currently flying a Cavalier...” Carshalton trailed off and let Tanya put the pieces together.

“Oh I like that!” Tanya's face lit up with excitement. For his part, Rob was very glad he didn't have to say anything as he didn't think he'd be able to talk well with his heart having taken up temporary residence in his throat.

“Now it will take some creative maintenance to pull this thing off, but Rob here tells me that the main hump on the ship is mostly just plating, there's little - if anything - in the way of vital systems to worry about. We should be able to carve a hatch type thing into the hump and maybe install some sort of rudimentary opening mechanism to boot. Once that's done we'll stick me and my ship inside and seal off the area around it. If Rob and I estimated correctly, there oughtta be enough room for everyone in the leftover space. It might be a bit crowded, but the trip won't take long so you should be fine.

“This is all just a precautionary measure, of course. Hopefully,” Carshalton said, not really meaning it, “we won't actually have to use it.”

“So, are we going to tell our intrepid trader the big plan now?”

“Sure.” Rob said.

“Fine by me.” Carshalton said.

“I'll go get him then.” Tanya said as she rose from her seat. Despite himself, Rob could help but watch the beautiful young woman walk over to where Konn was sitting.

“Don't stare!” Carshalton admonished the freelancer with a light but firm punch to the shoulder.

“Sh*t. Sorry.”

“Well, she didn't see. So no harm done.”

Just then Tanya returned with the trader. Carshalton moved over to give the newcomer a place to sit.

“You know what?” Rob began once the trader had taken his seat. “I'm still feeling kind of bad about the whole gun thing. I'd really like to make it up to you somehow. Now, I don't know much about you, but I do know that you're a merchant type. So I have a proposition for you: how would you like to get your very own Humpback?”

“Come again?” Konn said, not quite believing his ears.

“A Humpback. The ship dealer on Harris sells 'em. You want one? I'll hook you up.” Rob said. “Imagine how much money you could make on a diamond run in one of those babies.”

“I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested.” Konn said. “But what's the catch? There has got to be a catch. There's always a catch.”

“Well, I don't know about 'always', but yes. There is a catch. If you accept my offer you will have to do me a favor.”

“And might that be?”

“Fly my friends and me out to Cali.”

“Are you mad?!” Konn burst out, a bit too loud.

“No, not at all. Sure, it's an Outcast base and all, but you're a trader. You shouldn't have any trouble with them; they always have supplies in need of restock and Cardamine in need of hauling. Not that I'd suggest you offer to do that.”

“Yes, I'm a trader now, but don't forget that I'm late of the BAF. I've killed more than a fair few Outcasts in my time.”

“Are you still running with your military rep card?” Carshalton asked.

“Yes, yes I am.” Konn answered. “Why do you ask?”

“It shouldn't be a problem to just give you a blank one then. It's SOP within most military and law-enforcement factions in Sirius. I'll bet that if you look in your Terms of Dismissal or whatever you'll see a clause that lets you start over with a blank rep.”

“Really? That's rather odd, I must say.”

“No, not so much.” Rob said. “If you stay very friendly with the military or whoever it was you were working for there is a feeling that they might owe you if you ever get yourself in trouble. By adding that clause they allow themselves to step back and leave you to whatever fate has in store.”

“I see.” Konn said. “I had no idea.”

“Yeah, they don't like to tell people about it too much.” Carshalton said. “That way ex-military types like yourself will always lend a hand when possible while the faction itself is no longer bound to help you out.”

“Anyway, knowing what you know now, are you in?” Rob asked.

“I'm not sure.” Konn said. “What's going to stop the Outcasts from just blowing my ship up and stealing the cargo?”

“Glad you asked.” Rob said. “There are two lines of defense here. First is more passive. If you're accosted just tell your would-be attackers that your cargo is very fragile and won't survive an explosion. Since you're going to give it to the Outcasts anyway they'll probably let you go. They may even escort you to the station to 'guarantee the safety of the goods'.”

“And to make sure I don't change my mind and sell to the IMG instead.” Konn added.

“Exactly.” Rob said. “Now, if they don't believe you - and this is the really cool part - we're going to have a bit of a surprise in store for our Outcast friends.”

“What sort of surprise?” Konn asked.

“One that flies around and shoots and makes things generally go boom.” Rob explained, excited by the mere thought of actually seeing their plan in action. “You see, convenience isn't the only reason we've elected to offer you a Humpback. The way its hold is designed makes that ship perfect for holding a small fighter. With some custom bodywork we should be able to convert the ship into an impromptu carrier vessel. The plan is to stick Carshalton and his Cav into the hold and, if things start to get too hot, release him and let him help.”

“That's, um, novel.” Konn said. “Quite good, too.”

“So? You in?” Rob asked.

“I suppose. Though I would like to know why you're heading out to Cali in the first place and why you need to be so 'cloak and dagger' about it all.”

“That's a long story.” Rob said. “But you're right. If you're going to do this, you really should know what it's all about. Tanya, why don't you get us started?”

Tanya drained what was left of her drink and began to once more tell the story that began so long ago, when she was still a carefree Spa and Cruise pilot. Hahukum Konn listened intently, interrupting to ask the odd clarification here and there, but generally just soaking all the information in. It wasn't until Tanya made mention of the Nomads that Konn felt truly lost.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But who are the Nomads? Do you mean Zoners?"

The rest of the people seated at the table looked at each other as the implications of the question sank in. Konn doesn't know about the Nomads.

"Hoboy." Rob said. “It's a good thing you're sitting down. This may come as a shock to you but we, humanity, are not alone in Sirius. The Nomads, they're aliens.”

Konn rocked back in his chair. “Did you just say...aliens?” He asked, not fully believing his ears.

“Yes, aliens.” Rob said. “Most people don't know about them. The Houses have done a fairly good job keeping knowledge of their existence under wraps. The rationale is that they don't want to cause mass hysteria or anything. 'An ignorant populace is a happy populace' and all that.”

“And you,” Konn said, turning to Tanya, “said that this Mason guy is working with these aliens?”

“Yes.” Tanya said and resumed her story. It did not take her long to reach the point where she first met Konn.

“Okay, so now you know the background - ” Rob began.

“And quite the background it is.” Konn put in, still not quite sure what to make of it all.

“Heh. But you still don't know why Cali is so important. You remember those missing Bretonian ships that were mentioned?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I have a theory as to what happened to them and it involves the Outcasts since it seems like they are either Mason's puppets or his puppeteers. In order to test this hypothesis we need to access the Outcast infonet though. Easiest way to do that is at one of their bases.”

“And that's where I come in?” Konn asked.

“Exactly.” Rob said. “So I take it you're interested.”

“Well, I can hardly refuse now can I? Fate of the human race is at stake and I go ahead and refuse to help? Not bloody likely.”

“Fantastic.” Rob said and extended his hand. “Welcome aboard then.”

“Glad to be a part of this adventure.” Konn replied, giving the freelancer a firm, military-style handshake.

“Okay people. Unless there's anything else to be said here, I think we should head off to Harris. Time's a-wasting.” Carshalton said and stood.

“I agree,” Tanya said. “Let's move.”

“I'll cover the drinks, meet you in space in five.” Rob said and stood.

“Sounds good.” Carshalton said, leading Tanya and Konn out of the bar.

Rob, of course, wasn't just going to pay for the drinks. He knew that people like Jake Talon didn't show up at a place like the Holman bar without reason. Rob was going to find out what the Liberty spy was up to. He approached the stool where Talon was seated.

“Hello Rob.” Talon said without turning.

“Mind telling me what the hell you're doing all the way out here?” Rob asked icily. “You know I don't react well to being followed.”

“Yes. I do remember what happened the last time we tried to get hold of you. Your escape is still the biggest story out of Fort Bush since the Rogue attack way back when. But I'm not here to grab you.” Jake said, and finally turned to face the freelancer.

“Oh?” Rob regarded the LSF spook with a raised eyebrow.

“No. We now think a man with your skills would be more useful as an ally.”

“Bout time, too,” Rob mumbled. “So what's prompted this shocking deviation from standard LSF idiocy?”

“Well, it's not technically the LSF who I'm representing right now. But to answer your question, it's Mason. We know you're after him and You should know that you're not alone.”

“So you're working for The Order now?” Rob asked. “Fascinating. Anyway, I already have plans and a group I'm happy to work with. So whatever you had in mind is just going to have to wait. And no, you can't tag along.”

“Fine. Just give me a way to contact you. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know. I'll do my best to keep you informed as well.” Jake said.

“Hmmm.” Rob thought for a second. In the end he decided that there was no harm in cultivating another source of information. Who knows, if he's for real I might even be able to get him to chase down some leads. Lord knows he's got the skills. Rob unzipped a pocket of his suit and pulled out a small communicator. “Alright. Take this. It's a one way comm to an infodump I set up. I try to check it once or twice a day so if there's anything I really, really need to know you can tell me that way.”

“And how will you contact me?” Talon asked.

“I don't think that will be necessary. But if it is, I'll find a way.” Rob said, not really reassuring Jake.

“Well, okay.” Jake said. “I guess I'll be going then. Any suggestions as to where I should start looking?”

“My team and I are chasing down some missing Bretonian ships. So don't follow anything relating to that lead. You might consider checking out Rheinland. There's been some crazy stuff going down there.” Rob said.

“Okay. I'll check that out and get back to you if I find anything worth mentioning.”

“Whatever.” Rob turned and left the bar, heading towards the hangar where his Falcon was docked.

“Rob, what's taking so long?” Came Tanya's voice over the comm.

“Sorry, I had a little run-in with Talon.” Rob explained. “Turns out he thinks he's on our side now. So I sent him off to Rheinland. There should be plenty to keep him, ah, busy there.”

“Well, hurry up. We have things to do.” Tanya replied.

Rob bit off his response about Tanya and her trip to Kusari space and picked up his pace. He reached the hanger in no time and was doing a quick pre-launch check soon after.

Rob keyed the ship's comm to Holman's frequency and requested permission to leave.

“Roger that.” Came the reply as the door swung open. “Good luck out there.”

Rob pushed his Falcon's engines to full and exited the station. Carshalton, Konn, Tanya and Travis were waiting for him. Upon seeing the freelancer's ship they activated their cruise engines and set waypoints for Harris.

Not long after the five teammates found themselves watching the copper planet grow and fill their viewscreens. Tanya, flying point in her Falcon, initiated communications with the docking ring. “Planet Harris, this is Freelancer zero-dash-alpha-two, five ships to dock.”

“Roger that Freelancer zero-dash-alpha-two. You and your party are cleared to land.” The docking ring's massive metal pincers opened and the five travelers entered the atmosphere in an orderly single file.

“So where are we going to meet?” Konn asked over the comm.

“Let's set our ships down a little ways away from the main Planetform base.” Rob suggested. “I'd feel most comfortable hiding them away so we can come back and pick them up once this mission is done.”

“Good idea.” Tanya said.

“You mean we're not going to sell our ships?” Konn asked. “Where are we going to get the money for the Humpback?”

“Well,” Rob began, “you're welcome to sell your ship if you'd like but you can let me handle the purchasing. I have plenty of money saved up from years of freelancing. 'Course all these new expenditures are gonna keep me from retiring any time soon.”

“Ha!” Carshalton put in. “You? Retire? I'll believe that when I see it. Or was that what that Hovis guy was talking about when he mentioned Gaia?”

“Whoa. Did you just say Gaia?” Travis said in disbelief.

“Yeah. Gaia. I'm trying to pull together enough credits to build my own slice of paradise on one of the small islands there. Until Mason and his goons showed up I almost had enough money to go for it. Not anymore.” Rob said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

“Those must be some plans you've got then.” Tanya said.

“Uh, yeah. A bit on the grandiose scale, sure, but I've always had high standards.” Rob replied. “When I was a kid my parents moved around a lot so I never really had one place I could call home. Now that the opportunity is there, I want it to be as close to perfect as is possible.”

“Well, Gaia's as good a place as any to start.” Tanya said. “Back when I worked for Spa and Cruise I flew a few shuttles down to the surface. It's beautiful.”

“You're more than welcome to join me, if I ever manage to get my stuff together.” Rob said. After a pause and a somewhat awkward silence he added “All of you. You're all welcome. Damn.”

The rest of the trip had Rob listening to everyone else's laughter at the situation. For his part, Rob took it quite well, joining in towards the end.

By the time they had all settled down they had almost reached the main Planetform settlement on the planet. “Okay people, let's land here.” Rob said and let his fighter float down towards the surface. Once it was settled he hopped out and headed towards the middle of the clearing formed within the five craft. “Konn, I'll transfer the funds to your account ASAP. We'll wait for you here while you buy, outfit and mod your new ship. Remember about wiping your rep card as well.”

“Okay. But how do you know I won't just take the money and run?” Konn asked lightheartedly.

“Because if you so much as try I'll f*cking kill you.” Rob spat. The answer had the desired effect on Konn, wide eyes, a step back and some sputtered apology. Rob smiled wide. “No, man. I'm just joking. I trust that you won't try anything funny. You seem to be an honorable sort, and not one to betray trust when it's given.”

“Oh.” Konn said, and released the breath he had been holding. “I, I'll be going then.”

“Sure, see you in a few. Don't forget to make sure the dealer mods the ship properly.” Rob said.

“That wasn't very nice.” A voice Rob recognized said. The expression on the man's face said otherwise.

“Travis.” Rob nodded at the bounty hunter. “Nice to finally meet you alive and in person.”

“Likewise.” Travis said. “So what's going on, exactly? What the plan?”

Carshalton, Rob and Tanya all did their bit to fill Travis in on the plan.

“Great. Now, what about when we reach Cali? What's the plan there?” He asked when the three others had finished.

“I was thinking a two-pronged attack. You and Tanya can go raise hell like only you can. I'll basically be a sneaky bastard and see if I can't weasel my way into a room with a proper data terminal. Whoever gets the data first wins.” Rob said, throwing in a wink at the end.

“What about me?” Carshalton asked.

“Oh, you and Konn will stay behind and guard the ships. If either Tanya and Travis or I get into a pickle, you'll also have the pleasure of mounting a rescue attempt.” Rob answered.

“Fine. But next time I get to be one of the people raising hell, y'hear? If I don't shoot something soon I'm gonna go crazy.”

“Ha. Something tells me there'll be plenty of target practice for us all.” Rob said.

“There had better be.”

“Here comes Konn.” Tanya said, looking towards the faint outline of the Planetform buildings rising just above the horizon. Rob tweaked the magnification settings on his shades and looked in the direction Tanya was pointing. Sure enough he saw the distinct green body of a Humpback bearing down on their position.

“Okay, let's hope all went well and Konn didn't forget anything. Carshalton, prep the Cav. I don't want to waste any time.”

“Roger that.” Carshalton said and loped over to his fighter. He began to run through the startup check.

“Maybe we should move.” Travis said. “I don't know about you two, but I'd kind of like to avoid being squashed by Konn when he sets that monster down.”

“Good idea.” Tanya said as she backed out of the open space and towards Rob's fighter. She, Rob and Travis all stood by the Falcon's wing and watched as Konn set the freighter down in the area they had just vacated.

Konn powered the ship down and climbed out of the cockpit. “Okay, all done.” He said once he reached the small cluster of people waiting for him.

“Wiped the rep?” Tanya asked.

“Yes.”

“Had the mods done?” Rob inquired.

“Sort of.”

“What? What do you mean 'sort of'?” Rob asked.

“Well, when I told the dealers what we had in mind the one fellow suggested that instead of cutting a hole in the top we just expand the cargo hatch. He said it would be much quicker and more cost-effective. So the plan is still very much a workable one, just a bit different.” Konn explained.

“I see.” Rob said. “Well, warm it up then. Carshalton's ready to dock.”

“On it.” Konn said. You three should probably hop in first. Oh, the techies also jury rigged a comm system from the cockpit to where you'll be sitting. If things start to look dicey I'll warn you.”

“Sounds good.” Rob said. “Come on, you two, lets load up.”

“Lead the way.” Tanya said.

A few minutes later Rob, Tanya, and Travis were sitting in the hold, checking their equipment as Carshalton maneuvered his fighter into position under Konn's freighter.

“Here goes.” Came the bounty hunter's voice over the improvised intercom. The three fighters sitting in the hold stopped what they were doing and waited. A light vibration began to run through the ship as Carshalton edged his Cavalier closer to the open hatch of the Humpaback.

“Okay, I'm in.” Carshalton said. “Close the hatch.”

“Roger.” Konn said. The cargo bay hatch swung shut with a clang, sending a shudder through the ship.

“Powering down systems.” Carshalton announced.

“Shall we go then?” Konn's voice came over the intercom.

“That's an affirmative.” Rob said, returning his attention to the weapons he had laid out if front of him. “Take us out.”

-----------------

“Man, I am so bored right now.” Travis groused. As far as he knew they hadn't even reached the jumphole to Tau-23.

“Is my company not enough anymore?” Tanya asked, an exaggerated expression of hurt on her face.

“Babe, you and I both know the answer to that question.” Travis said with a wink.

Rob still wasn't sure what the relationship between those two were. Not that it matters right now. Still they aren't an “item”. That much is certain. Tanya surely would have said something earlier if that were the case. Rob thought. Argh. So much for not being important.

“Say, I have an idea.” Rob said.

“Okay? Out with it.” Tanya said “We could all use a little amusement now.”

Rob turned and spoke into the intercom's mike. “Hey Konn, could you do us a favor?”

“Sure, what do you need?”

“See if you can't pipe a Colony News feed over the intercom for us. Travis is getting bored and I don't want to have to hog-tie him.”

“I'll get on it.” Konn said. “It's not exactly all exploding lights and colors up here either. News would serve to break up the monotony. We’ll be able to chat as well.”

“Thanks.” Rob said. Seconds later a slightly distorted female voice came over the intercom.

“...and in other news, the recent spate of bar shootings continues, unabated. We now go to Hans Niemann in New Berlin for a report on the latest incident. Hans?”

“Thank you, Mary. I'm standing here in front of the famous Yorckschloesschen Bar in New Berlin, the latest to have ...”

“Did he just say Yorckschloesschen?” Rob asked. “I know the bartender there, Adolph Becker. I hope he's okay.”

“...police are still on the lookout for the main suspect in the case. Witnesses say they saw a man, approximately 2 meters, with a giant blue mohawk-style hairdo fleeing the scene. The dead include a number of bar patrons as well as the bartender.”

“Son of a B*TCH!” Rob yelled. “It was that goddamn 'Dev' kid who did it. Tall, blue mohawk, wanton disregard for all other human life. It's gotta be Dev. And now he's killed a friend of mine. Motherf*cker's gonna pay for that one, let me tell you. He's going to pay. Why didn't I kill him when I had the chance? The guy has a wife and three kids. What the flying f*ck are they supposed to do now? Sure, Helga works but that's not enough to support three goddamn kids. I swear that when this is all done, or maybe before if I ever get a spare moment, I'm gonna make that kid pay for what he's done.” The words poured from Rob's mouth in an angry torrent. Tanya and Travis just stared at the older freelancer. It was a side of him neither had seen. The feelings of righteous anger and wrath poured off the man in palpable waves.

“That kid is so dead.” Travis said.

“Too f*cking right he is.” Rob snarled.

Hahukum Konn, startled, realized this was the same guy he’d heard about way back when the Zoners in the bar had been blabbing. He silently upgraded his estimate of the danger this blue-haired guy posed if he ever got into the Tau systems.

“...back to you, Mary.” The report on the bar shooting ended.

“Thank you Hans. Finally, we've just received word that a BAF patrol in one of the Tau systems has just been attacked and destroyed by a pack of Outcasts not too far from the BMM facility there. Thus far we don't know much about what has happened, but initial reports indicate that there were no BAF survivors. We’ll get back to you once we have more from the BAF.”

Another voice came over the intercom. It was Konn’s. “Bugger. This doesn’t sound good, at all. ”

Travis said, “Yeah?”

“I bumped into an… old friend – well, okay, I lied. He’s a former lover of mine. He’s in the BAF, and I saw him at Holman a while ago. We hadn’t seen each other in years, and he said he had just been ordered to help patrol in Tau 23. He also told me the BAF had been putting its patrols on higher alert status. That patrol could have been his.”

The atmosphere was somber, but not for long. The news service had gone to a commercial.

“… Want to be a bartender? We’ll train you to pour drinks in no time! Learn how to interact with exciting customers from all walks of life! We even include body armor, and an Lx5 Eviscerator Close Combat Shotgun from Detroit Munitions for self defence! Also, remember: We include hazard pay!” The jingle of excessively happy music came over the speakers, followed by a resumption of other news from around Sirius.

Travis spoke for all of them when he said, “That was interesting timing.”

Summary: Rob details a plan to infiltrate Cali, the Outcast base in Tau-23. Rob lets slip his feelings for Tanya. (Hilarity ensues.) Konn is formally invited into the group, and offered a Humpback on the condition that he help them with their infiltration mission. Konn learns of Mason and the Nomads, and accepts the offer. Rob and Jake Talon have a "run-in". Rob reveals that he's not a big fan of the LSF. At Rob's suggestion, Jake decides to investigate the goings-on in Rheinland. Rob, Tanya, Konn, Travis and Carshalton travel to Harris and get the requisite equipment (a Humpback) for their mission. Konn sells his ship, the rest just leave theirs outside the main Planetform base. Enroute to Cali, Rob hears of the death, by Dev's hand, of one of his friends. He gets pissed. Konn hears of a lost BAF patrol and worries that Derek may have been on it.

From here I see Athena, HK and I each writing an update about the Cali mission. Since our character each have a different role to play, it should work out nicely. Athena, check your e-mail so we can work out what happens.

Edited by - Codename on 5/22/2005 6:54:57 PM

That's a great update!

Kudos to HK and Code for the hard work on that one! Very nice!

Now to think about what I want to do....

OOC:
Oh Jeez... I dont think Dev's hand can take another Knife... hehehe more from me soon.

ICev relaxed back in his chair at a small apartment not far from the new Berlin starport. He took a drag from his cigarette and smiled, the bar shooting had been delightfully fun.

He grunted in annoyance as he heard the sound of his portable COM beeping.

“Yeah yeah this is Dev... What the hell you want?” He spat into the COM.

“Mr.Dev your... Style, as to say has not much changed. I was watching the news. Well done, you'll find the payment in your account.”

“Good good... as i said i do 500,000 for civil jobs. They aint fun and there a lot more.... Well you see, mate. I like some sport....” Dev said into the COM.

“Yes understood, your type isn't as rare as you would think Mr.Dev. Now i want Rhienland to think there is a terrorist group working against them. Once this is solidified in there minds then we will have things set into play to build civil distaste towards the current government, Mason. If he refuses to give up power then of course there could be civil riots and dare i say it anarchy. Now my govermental party would look splendid and would be the optimal choice in this case. Anyhow Mr.Dev, break into a govermental office in charge of the warfare and such. Really paper work and the like, nothing hush hush. And once in i want you to kill everyone.... Oh and do that fire thing”The voice drolled out in a boring monotone.

Dev chuckled “Mate all ya had to say is kill these people and burn em. I dont give a F*ck about why or what. I'm in this for the cash. Money equals power, and as a man long ago said power is good”
“I look forward to seeing this happen Mr.Dev” the voice said.

“I look forward to doing it” Dev said with a huge grin on his face.

OOC: As shown there is purpose to These killings, i hope you figured it out, for your sake. And the next chapter should be intersting.... Truly now the storm is on the horizion.

Edited by - DSQrn on 5/22/2005 9:25:25 PM

Konn's humpback cruised at max speed towards the Tau-31 jump gate.

The news proved a good distraction, capturing everyone's attention with a sombre story of a random shooting that unfortunately involved Dev, a blue-haired a youth they had all met before. The bartender had been a good friend of Rob's who reacted very emotionally and seemed upset. Rob was human after all.

Aren't we all? she asked herself.

The plan was an audacious one and Tanya thought there were many variables to consider. The young woman was a meticulous planner and paid attention to the slightest of details. Even she knew though, once a plan had been executed it was down to how the abilities of those executing adapted to any changing environments that succeeded.

"Expect the best, prepare for the worst," she said out-loud softly. Travis turned to face her.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh. Nothing," she replied, annoyed at drifting so easily. "Was that Dev we just heard on the Colony news?"

"Yes!" barked Rob from the other side of the cramped enclosure. The temperature was rising in the stuffy makeshift crews quarters and for all the great ideas the 'men' had come up with, clearly air coolers weren't part of the package.

"Hot in here," said Tanya then unzipped the top part of her jumpsuit to her waist shrugging it off and pulling her lithe, toned arms free. She wore a black vest top underneath and her skin was glistening from the humidity. Travis and Rob looked at her once, then looked at the ground, their gazes fixed and unmoving.

Feeling somewhat self-conscious she pulled the jumpsuit back on after a few minutes but left it unzipped, enjoying the cool air on her skin.

"How are you all doing back there, my friends?" asked a relatively joyful Konn over the comm. He was getting accustomed to flying a freighter much bigger than his previous ship, clearly future profits had assuaged him of any doubts regarding their mission.

"Fine, thank you!" shouted Tanya in reply. "it's very warm in here though."

A sudden beeping from Konn's scanners interjected before Konn could say anything and was heard clearly over the comm.

"Hold on. I'm getting proximity detection. I think we have company," he said. "Just checking the signatures, won't take long."

"Tell me you used your neutral rep?" shouted Rob.

"Yes! Of course I did! It's not my fault the bloody Gaians hate everyone is it?" replied Konn frantically. "Five Startrackers. Sizable patrol. Be on us in thirty seconds. I hope they aren't packing cruise disruptors or this could be a short trip!"

They all felt the freighter lurch starboard as Konn changed direction, hoping to give the freighter enough room to out-manoeuvre the incoming enemy fighters.

Rob changed the configuration of his comm.

"Major. Are you ready?" he asked Carshalton.

"Yes. Standing-by for launch."

"There's five of them. No simple task," warned Rob.

"I can handle it," replied the bounty hunter determinedly.

"Let me go," suggested Tanya. "I'm the best pilot aboard this ship," she said looking straight into Rob's eyes. He bit back a reply, he knew Travis was a good pilot and he was no slouch either. A duel between Rob and the deadly ex-assassin would be too close to call. In any case, he didn't want to send Tanya into danger.

"No," he said curtly. "The Major can handle it, can't you?"

"I've already said yes. So launch me, damn it!" snarled Carshalton annoyed at any doubt of his ability. "I'll be back before you reach the jump gate. I'll probably get there before you do," he said confidently.

Tanya sighed.

"Fine. Then turn the freighter around and use it to focus their fire. It will give Carshalton a chance and we can leverage the freighters turrets. Tell me you have turrets mounted?" the young woman asked.

Rob nodded.

"Nothing fancy. Only what was available on Harris. Civilian-type armaments."

"Better than a swift kick in the.." began Travis.

"Shields?" interrupted Tanya frowning. "How good are our shields?"

Rob shrugged.

"Standard with the purchase," meaning not as good as they could be. "Couldn't afford to buy better. Didn't want Konn to feel too privileged," he said with a half-smile.

"We ready to launch?" asked Carshalton impatiently. Tanya held to Rob's gaze.

"Yes. Send him out, Konn," ordered Rob.

Almost immediately the freighter lurched forwards as the ship dropped out of cruise. They heard the humming of hydraulic mechanisms as the Humpback's massive extended cargo doors opened. There was a slight rushing of air and the ears of those in the rear compartment popped as the makeshift carrier unloaded its deadly cargo from the bay next door to their own sealed one.

"Good luck, Major," said Rob.

"Give 'em hell, buddy!" shouted Travis.

Tanya said nothing. The cargo doors closed and the familiar sound of cruise engines powering up echoed throughout the compartment.

"Use the freighter as back-up," said Tanya softly.

"He can handle it," replied Rob coldly, unhappy with his position being challenged repeatedly.

"I agree, but what if there are reinforcements? Or Outcasts?"

The freighter burst into cruise and they all felt their mass pulled back into their seats.

"Engaging Gaians!" called out Carshalton. "One down! Make that two! Stupid bastard got caught in the explosion!"

Travis cheered. Rob grinned, then looked at Tanya who was not sharing in their revelry in the slightest.

"Cheer up, babe," said Travis. "He's winning!

Tanya looked away and closed her eyes. For a while there was nothing, clearly the Major was focused on winning his space battle. There was static when he next spoke a few minutes later

"Taken some damage to my internal systems. Lost a wing too. But finished them off except one. He's fleeing. Nearly took him though, just went out of range and hit cruise before I could land a shot on his hull. Those Startrackers hit hard on a Cavalier."

"Great job. Come on back, we can't be very far ahead of you," said Rob with a grin.

"On my way," he began then paused. "Uh. Hold up. I got another couple of signatures."

Rob's face froze. Tanya's eyes flared open.

"Yep. Two more incoming. Outcasts this time. Daggers. I'm high-tailing it to the jump gate. Keep it warm for me."

"How close is he?" asked Rob over the comm to Konn.

"Not far. Twelve klicks away. But the Outcasts are between him and us. And we're only five klicks from the jump gate," said Konn.

"We can't attack them," said Rob. "We'd blow our cover if we go hostile with the Outcasts. Damn it, if he was inside the freighter we'd still be on track!"

"Open up a comm and talk to 'em?" suggested Travis.

"Too far out of range," replied Konn.

Rob looked at Tanya who wore a serious expression on her face.

"Send him back to Harris. It's his only hope and our best chance of keeping our cover," she said without using the comm. Her bright green eyes looked directly into Rob's own.

"Major. This is Rob. We need you to fly back to Harris. If you dock with our freighter our cover is blown."

There was a moment of silence.

"Roger. Turning around and heading back to Harris. You guys take care. Send me a message when you can talk freely. I imagine those Outcasts can monitor sigs coming out of their own base."

Konn saw the Cavalier's vector change and set a direct path for Planet Harris.

The freighter docked with the Jump Gate and the mood was sombre as they all felt the familiar pull and giddiness that follows a system jump. Konn took a deep breath and swallowed large gulps of air as the shimmering blue auras ceased to spin and the blinking night sky of Tau-23 appeared before him.

"Let's hope he makes it," said Travis.

Rob nodded.

"Well. We have room for another fighter now. Dagger anyone?" laughed the ex-bounty hunter. Konn chuckled. Rob and Tanya didn't say anything.


***


They were so close to Cali Base at twenty klicks away, it was a matter of time before they came across another Outcast patrol. A group of two daggers and two stilettos bore down on their position.

"Outcast ships incoming," said Konn over the comm.

"Do your thing," said Rob. "So long as they don't shoot us straight away we're halfway there."

"I'll do my best."

"Be yourself," suggested Rob. "Hard to shoot someone you like. Sirius knows I've tried shooting you enough times."

They were all sure they heard Konn swear just before signing off from the comm.

Konn quickly opened a channel to the highest ranked Outcast pilot.

"Greetings! I am Hahukum Konn, trader. Neutral, I might add. Actually. I suppose not to the Gaians," he said pleasantly. "But then we all hate those hippy planet-loving idiots, don't we?"

The trader opened up the comms so the others in the rearward compartment could hear the chatter. Tanya stifled a laugh at the trader's friendly nature.

How could 'anyone' dislike this man? she thought.

"Trader. You have two options. Drop your cargo. Or we'll blow a hole in your ship and take it," came the curt and notably tense reply. Konn saw on his scanners that the Outcast ships had fanned out around his freighter and were less than two klicks away now.

"My dear friends! I am on a trading mission heading to Cali Base. I would dearly love to trade you the goods I possess aboard, but they are fragile and would contaminate quickly if dumped into space. Especially if they left my ship via an artificial hole."

"What's the cargo?" replied the Outcast.

"Water. Food rations. Light arms," said Konn. "Oh. And pharmaceuticals. Lots of those," he added. "They're the fragile ones, my boy."

There was no reply at first.

"Trader. We will escort you and your precious cargo to Cali Base. Try anything except stay in formation and we'll blow you apart and take the chance on salvage ourselves. Engaging cruise."

"Absolutely fine. I get a chance to relax," replied Konn.

They felt the Humpback shift sideways as it joined one of the fighters in formation. Konn took his hands off the controls as the autopilot took over and the freighter's engines powered up.

"Good job, Konn. Very good job," murmured Travis. "So far our plan is working."

Rob nodded. He looked at Tanya who hadn't said too much since they arrived in Tau-23.

"What's up, Tanya?" he asked. Tanya looked at him.

"I'm thinking about once we arrive at Cali Base."

"Go on," replied Rob, knowing that Tanya's mind was working busily. He felt the hairs go up on the back of his neck whenever her eyes stared at his own. Her fine features and striking beauty never failed to capture a breath in his throat. Now was no different. When relaxed and laughing or deadly serious as she was now, Tanya was hard to forget.

"I know Cali Base well. I was stationed there for a few months when I was..working for Mason. As an Outcast. If we're to find anything there it will be in two places. Their mainframe, accessed via the bridge or commander's quarters. Or from a remote terminal using a high-ranked officers registration," she said.

"Sounds like both would be an option too if it came to it," said Travis. Tanya nodded. She brushed her now blonde hair away from her cheek behind her ear and continued.

"Once we land inside Cali Base, we should do our best to maintain our cover. Technically, the Outcasts won't be suspicious of us if Konn announces us as members of his crew. After all, a good trader would have people to load and manage the cargo. Gunners. Co-pilots."

She flashed Travis a grin.

"You can load the cargo, hon," she said before Travis could speak.

"But," he began then hushed as Tanya placed a finger on his lips.

"Rob can be gunner. I'll be co-pilot. Konn, you got that?"

"Yes, ma'am. Rob shoots. You fly. Travis donkey."

"Moo," said Travis.

"That's a cow," said Rob sharply.

"Yeah? What's a donkey sound like?" retorted Travis annoyed again at being given a job he disliked. "Next time. I'm choosing the jobs. And it'll involve baby oil."

"Shut up, Travis," said Tanya.

"Friends. We're about to dock. I hope you're ready for this. Possibly a thousand Outcasts. Three of us and a donkey."

"Bull," swore Travis.

"Exactly," said Rob.


***

Hahahaha, that was great athena.

Keep it up

Here comes my newest...


Jake privately chuckled to himself as he watched Rob walk out of the bar. Rheinland? Rob was ordering him off to Rheinland? What a joke. First of all, he, Jake Talon, took orders from no one. Secondly, it sure seemed to him like Rob was trying to throw him off the scent of his own actions. If Rob was up to something illegal, then Jake wanted to know what he was getting into by helping him. The search for Mason was important, but if Rob was going about it in the wrong way, Jake wanted to know to follow another lead. He knew what had been discussed at that table, he had the whole bar bugged. He would listen to the conversation, back at his ship.

Rob had been as cold as ever in their conversation, but Jake knew something in him had changed. Perhaps it had happened years ago, but Jake figured that it had happened very recently. It seemed that Rob had just stepped into a new world and was still getting used to it. Interesting.

Jake waited until he knew Rob should have left, and then he stepped out of the bar. He strolled down to his ship, and hopped into the cockpit where he could be in peace. He ran a quick check on the ship for bugs or trackers. None. He hadn’t expected any, but you never knew with guys like Rob. He started up the ship’s main computer, and opened the sound recording from Rob’s table. He then ran quick background checks on Rob’s accomplices, including Ms. Ramirez, although he found nothing spectacular. The man named Konn was a trader, no record of smuggling. Ramirez had a clean slate, except for the business at the Hawaii. Travis Carter was a bounty hunter from the border and edge worlds. The other man, Carshalton, was a major in the BAF. Nothing special in his file. And of course Jake knew plenty about Rob Schaffer, having nearly memorized his file.

He next listened to the conversation again. He listened to it several times through to get it memorized. He didn’t understand most of it, but he did hear the part about the Humpback for Konn. That was strange business. He decided to check in on that right then.

He opened up the laptop that he had stowed, and accessed the pirate network. He tapped into the Gaian network on Harris and accessed their camera on the ship dealer’s pad. Right on cue. Rob and his group went up to the ship dealer, and made what seemed to be a normal purchase. The only odd thing about it was that they paid in hard credits. They used large bills, but it was still strange.

They took the ship over to their pad, and got to work on some sort of strange modification onto the dorsal hull. Jake decided that Rob’s actions certainly warranted some surveillance. He would take a closer look. First, however, he needed to call in a favor. He picked up his communications microphone, and set it to a private frequency he had with an old friend.


“Chris, Chris are you there?” he asked.

“Roger, this is Admiral Chris Goodwin. What can I do for you?” came the reply over the comm.

“Hello Chris, this is Jake Talon.”

“Jake? It is you! I haven’t seen you in a long time, my friend!”

“Yes, it has been a while.”

“So, why do you call on my private channel?”

“I need a favor,” Jake was glad to get down to business.

“Ah, the great Jake Talon calls on Chris Goodwin for favors. It just so happens favors are my specialty, especially after you saved my tail from that prison break at Fort Bush.”

“Actually, this favor has to do with the guy who was behind that prison break.”

“Really? Are you close to catching him?”

“I guess you could say that,” Jake said, although he had no intention of turning Rob in for that little breakout. At the time he had actually admired the handiwork on the escape, until it had caused him to be bogged with paperwork for weeks.

“Sweet! I’ll help you in any way for that! Tell me what you want, and I will provide.”

“Let’s see. First, I need a ship similar to mine to go out to some place in Rheinland and wait for a few days. I’ll need to have the pilot send some pre-done messages to a specific location from out of there.”

“Done. I have a good man that I can use for that.”

“Thanks, and then the second thing is that I need you to give that pilot’s ship my ID signature, and give my ship a freelance ID sig.”

“Done and done. I’ll have my man meet you in Leeds to make the swap before he leaves to Rheinland. Is that it?”

“I think so. Thanks a ton.”

“No problem. Good hunting. Goodwin out.”

“Talon out.”

That had gone very smoothly. Chris was a very trustworthy guy, and he was the military commander of the California Naval Defense Force. He had a wide berth of command, and was the perfect kind of friend to have, especially when one was travelling through California. The Fort Bush incident had been a long time before, but it wouldn’t be one that Chris was likely to forget any time soon. Jake had pulled Chris out of a blazing section of the station that had been created by Rob as a diversion for him to escape from in one of the most famous prison breaks in Liberty. It was the beginning of a manhunt that had left Jake, Chris, and the rest of the Liberty Military and Police dazed and confused. Rob was a slick one all right, but Jake had learned some new skills over the years that would prevent a repeat of Fort Bush.

With that business complete, Jake took a look back at Rob’s crew. They were still working on that ship. Good, that would give Jake enough time to make it out to Leeds and back with the new ID sig. With the new signature for his ship, his ship would appear to be your average, everyday freelancer. It would be perfect for following Rob for awhile and seeing what he was up to. Jake Talon never went into a mission without some information on who he was working with, and this was no exception.

Jake started the Defender’s engines, and launched into space. He would pick up his ID signature and then return to the system as a different person. Rob would never know the difference.

*****************************************************************

Hours later, Jake Talon returned to the Tau-31 system with a new ID signature. He re-opened the connection to Harris and saw that Rob had departed. He quickly hacked into the docking ring logs and found that Rob and company had departed in the Humpback nearly an hour before.

Jake activated his long range sensors, beefed up enough to be able to scan the entire system, and located the Humpback. It was travelling towards Tau-23. Jake set a course towards the ship and relaxed in his chair as the auto pilot took over. He decided to edit the laptop a bit, since the pirate technician in the bar surely would be deleting his access code once he discovered his laptop missing. It was a wonder that Jake could still access the network at all.

Jake created a new, fictional account. He then edited the network access program, deleting evidence of the last few times he had signed in and inserting the new script for his new account. The barriers were strong for pirates, and even Jake’s strong hacking skills were put to the test. Finally, he finished. He now had full access to the network for as long as he wanted.

The cockpit alarm buzzed once. He had arrived at the jumphole to Tau-23. He passed through it and into the next system. He quickly located the freighter again, this time being pestered by some Outcasts near Cali Base. Why was Rob going to Cali? It made no sense. Unless… Rob wanted to access the Cali main computer for information about Mason! Of course!

Jake wondered if the pirate network would allow him external access to the computer at Cali. He tried to access it, but was repeatedly told that the computer simply didn’t exist. He had no way to bypass it. He was able to access the base security cameras through the main network, but there was just no way into the main computer.

That meant to find the information, he would have to get onto Cali and access the bridge computer, which was certainly what Rob must be trying. He decided that he would let Rob do the hard stuff and then just get the information from him afterwards. After all, one man surely would be easier to get information from than a base of angry Outcasts.

However, Jake really wanted to watch this to see if Rob was going to pull this off, so he docked with the BMM base in the system to watch and wait. This could actually be rather entertaining.