Contract: The Don's Request
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#Team High Turnover Rate found themselves in a suboptimal split between the Kormoran and QUoXX Research Vessel_02 in the middle of a rain of void bombs. Jerzac Scarlewe and Roswell Mogul were with the two professors, Professor Muhali and Professor Solstarni, and none of them were skilled pilots or gunners. Aboard the Kormoran were Bash, Roquesta (Rocket) Strauss, and Genji with the new unwanted crew pet, Antonio Ban'Deras.
QUoXX-RV2 made all haste to rendezvous with the Kormoran in orbit. Kormoran arrived first and set off a system scan with the Ansible. It didn't find any good news. In addition to revealing a fleet of warships and a swarm of interceptors it also showed a wing of those interceptors changed course the instant the ansible pulse went out.
Kormoran shot forward to engage and keep attention off the poorly armed, poorly piloted, and "acting casual" QUoXX-RV2. After a few short salvos Kormoran disabled one of the interceptors only for 6 more to arrive to close the jaws of the trap around both ships. Realizing the jig was up, QUoXX-RV2 joined the fight. Roswell took the captain's chair to direct the little firepower available. Throughout the next couple salvos his words of encouragement fell flat, his demands just pissed off Jerzac, and he was eventually ordered to sit in the corner, SHUT UP, and not touch anything. Meanwhile Rocket flew the Kormoran like it was part of herself thanks to Genji's gifts of foresight. While weaving through the interceptors Bash disabled another. QUoXX-RV2 reached the edge of the gravity well by the skin of its teeth and warped away. As a final parting shot another Wardens ship was disabled before the Kormoran left as well.
During the 24 hour journey to the designated backup coordinates, the cat, after some Tom and Jerry-esque antics, is confined to the monkey room to await for the captain's arrival. Upon said captain's arrival Antonio's story came to light. He was marooned by his crew on Castrovel so they could steal his cargo. He had chosen the Kormoran to 'borrow' since it had been unattended for a while, along with all of the goodies within it. The sudden lack of alcohol almost led to the cat being spaced but after his appreciative words on the captain's 'special collection' he was allowed to tag along for a while.
The conversation ended abruptly when a message came across the ansiblem from Jerzac's old friend R. Laga:
J,
Looks like you've become far more ruthless than you used to be. Your skills of deception and persuasion are just like I remember but who would have guessed you had it in you to murder my subordinates and take their place.
Let your master know I will not continue her personal vendetta. I am no longer being paid to interfere and even someone like me can object to the methods her associates used.
I didn't know you were on the ship we sent Paguk after. I'm glad you survived, my boy. Keep the ansible as my apology for the trouble.
I hope to one day meet in person on cordial terms so we cann talk about those last months and new opportunities.
Your Partner,
Rice
After some vague explainations that they ARE NOT on cordial terms you sent a message to Don Jose de Cordiliera saying the pirate leader was removed and the remaining subordinates have backed off. The crew decided that going to the Crimson Blades HQ, The Citadel, would satisfy the most needs/wants at once. Jerzac and the professors headed aboard QUoXX-RV2 with the plan to meet up at The Citadel.
During the 8 day journey under warp power, Bash had target practice in the monkey room and Rocket had a dream:
She was looking out over an enormous round chamber with booths full of different alien species. After the disorientatin passed she recognized it as the League of Worlds Chamber of Quorum. A red furred Ysoki walked across Rocket's sightline and dipped into the ysoki booth in front of her. She walked up and whispered in the ambassador's ear then gave him a kiss and walked away.
The ysoki passed behind a pillar and a Khizar with red foliage stepped out. Rocket looked around and none of the others nearby seemed to notice. The khizar stepped into the next booth. This time it approached one of the armed guards. Complex colors flickered across both khizar's lanternlike heads and settled on a warm pink. Neither said anything but just stayed close for a short span before the red one moved on.
Similar scenes played out as long as the red creature was in sight, though the pairs were not always of the same species. Eventually the creature had moved far enough around the chamber that Rocket couldn't see it in the corridor behind the booths. After an interminably long time of boring legislative proceeds Rocket caught a glimpse of red directly across the chamber. A small red ysoki crawled into a Celonian's lap. The ysoki ambassador must have seen this too as he stormed into the hallway and started walking around.
Again Rocket watched this creature flit in and out of booths. Eventually she saw the khizar form again in a booth across the way. A shot rang out from the booth with all the khizar and the whole chamber dissolved into chaos and violence.
On a near simultaneous arrival at The Citadel an ansible scan showed the behemoth of a fortress in front of you. It is a huge manufacturing and population center, civilians included. It has a 20 mile wide sphere (The Lense) with a horizontal plane through it in the center that houses traditional groundside buildings (both side of the plane) with 8 asymmetrical radial triangular spokes that stretch out (base towards the lense perpendicular to the ground plane) reaching out another 20 miles each. The arms are warehouses, drydocks, weapons factories, research labs, training grounds, anything a military industrialist would want in their wildest wet dream.
After Bash gave acceptable clearance codes you were directed to the Hermes Arm which contained the commercial district of the station. After landing Bash and Genji headed to give report to Bash's superior officer while all the others headed to a bar Antonio had heard of, the Fusion Queen in the Freemarkets.
At the bar Jerzac immediately looks for a fix. He approaches a SUPER shady looking ysoki named Jabaxa. Being his incredibly charming self Jerzac scored some Lho sticks, echo, and various acids/poisons/tranks. He also learned that the best ripperdoc has his practice in Drifter's End which is in the very center of The Lense. Antonio also spent some time asking about El Burro Parlante, his stolen ship.
Bash and Genji went to the Hecate Arm where Bash had his closed door meeting with his captain, CPT Carver. Genji got to sit out in the lobby until a Contemplative passed through into the office then burst back out telepathically grilling Genji about the Kzonchin Generator. In exchange for some esoteric items Genji wrote out the blueprints. CPT Carver promised to have the engineer provide a material list before the Kormoran was finished with its upgrades.
While Genji was drawing and Bash was oggling new tech, Rocket, Jerzac, and Antonio found their way to Fingers MD. A gaunt man wearing a fishnet tanktop, leapard print speedo, a pink fanny pack, and a dog collar answered the door. When Fingers learned you were perspective customers ha became quite excited. Upon seeing Jerzac's field amputation he started rummaging through a box of newish prosthetic hands where one hand a finger stiletto and another had its fingers pop off to be a taser. Not convinced Jerzac asked what else was available. Fingers rummaged through a very stained couch and then pulled it from the wall. It was a whole arm piece that when it was held up started actuating at the elbow. this was sufficiently enticing that Jerzac volunteered for a full arm replacement.
Rocket was thoroughly unamused by this but gave her requested upgrade list. Fingers had to "check inventory" in the back. He very carefully slipped through the door in the back and returned in a few minutes. When coming back through the door he dropped the cranial implant and while he was fumbling trying to catch it he bumped the door upon showing the unconcsious people wired up on operating tables. Fingers hastily closed the door and happily told Rocket he had all parts in stock.
Finally he turned to Antonio and asked of the two humans if they wanted any mods done to their "pet." He angrily made clear that he was no pet but he did have a desired augmentation, holding a Kaukariki stinger up. Fingers was interested by the idea until he learned the cat had no money. Desperate for credits Antonio went out for a long shift working the pole. He came back with enough as Jerzac was out front with a new artificial arm to chain smoke lho to numb his (various) pains away.
Rocket woke up to Fingers letting her know that the person who put in the implant had peerless skill and that she should focus on reducing the number of people controlling it rather than removing it.
Antonio got his scorpion monkey tail implanted. Emboldened by his previous success he went back out to earn more money. He was raking it in when a strange gnome offered a large amount if he left with the gnome. After some consideration Antonio took the offer and woke up in an alley with a brand on his ass, no hair on the left half of his body, every other nipple removed in a zig zag pattern, and infected with Mindfire but his account was full of the promised money.
While Antonio spent the next two weeks recovering from his syphalitic insanity Kormoran underwent upgrades. Bash also got his new present then spent every waking moment in his new suit. Finally CPT Carver informed the group that the kzonchin generator requires the following:
- Noqual - Monopolized by the Strigoi whose home star is 61 Cygni.
- A paleotech power core that has an energy output of ~1/2 a star.
- Incredibly dense shielding - only material known to the Blades that meet the requirements is dawn beetle chitin.
- A Remnant Core of the Meridath - Only known one is in CB custody and you'll either need a lot of favors or serious kneepad to get it.
Make sure your sheets reflect all of your purchases/abilities.
Contract options coming soon