Mid-System
Butte Hold System
Taurian Concordat
Fourth Quarter, 3040
"I'm sorry," Xandar confessed..."they are after me."
Captain Michael Farraday toggled the transmission switch to OFF. Feeling a lump rising in his
throat, he nearly screamed out to Xandar, "I know they are after you, what else would they be
after? The 'Screaming Engine' sure as hell has nothing to offer them." He finished, "and what kind
of Mechs are you toting around, prototypes?!"
Xandar's face grew flush with increasing emotion. His wide shoulders and large build towered
over Michael as he spoke, "Just because they are after me does NOT make me responsible for
your losses. You DID agree to transport my materials and this IS a risk you chose to take."
After a brief jump in system, the 'Screaming Engine' had been released by the Lyran commercial
jumpship 'Saban'. Once freed of its jumpship host, the 'Engine' (a Union class dropship) had
started its journey to the Lyran jumpship 'Agent 31' (a Merchant class jumpship). There it would
attach and travel via hyperjump to a new star system, only one along the path of many it rode to
its destination. However, mid way through the star system, the 'Screaming Engine' had been
attacked by pirates. Pirate attacks were well known in this sector, but Xandar's budget had left
him unable to travel roundabout through any other system.
After visual spotting of the pirate Leopard class dropship, the pirates soon revealed themselves
and their intentions over pulsed transmissions. Knowing he could not fight the overwhelming
number of aerospace fighters accompanying the enemy dropship, Michael had raised the
commline briefly to surrender to the oncoming pirate forces. Now pirate shuttles were docking
with the 'Engine', releasing pirate raiders into her bowels. It was only a matter of time before the
pirates would reach the dropship's control center, capturing Michael, his Co Captain Joanna
Hems, and their passenger Xandar Harlow.
"So what the hell do we do? Cameras in bay 2 show raiders slaughtering our men!" Joanna
exclaimed. "We can't let them murder us that easily. Jerry says that Head Tech Delilah is dead."
"I don’t know, but we really have no choice. Our only chance is locking ourselves in this room
and waiting days for help. There are just too many of them." Michael said calmly. A sudden
sense of impending doom locked his emotions away, and Michael knew certain this was the day
he would die.
"I vote we at least try that. We might as well if we are gonna die anyways." Xandar said. Poking
at the hatchway panel, he called to Dobs and Steven. "Hey you 2! Get your asses in here and
bring the other weapons too!"
Rushing down the corridor, Dobs tossed Steven 2 more "slugthrowers" and a TK assault rifle.
The rifle slipped from Steven's nervous hands, clattering to the metal floor with a horrific clang.
Shoving the slugthrowers into his shirt pockets, Steven reached down and picked up the heavy
TK. Looking forwards to Dobs, who had now passed him down the well light passage, Steven
cried out..."Dobs, ask them if they have extra weapons in there!"
Before Dobs could call out to his Captain, a Gauss slug richocheted off the corner wall and into
his neck, shattering his spine. Barely a meter from the hatchway, Dobs’ limp body fell into the
doorway, leaking blood into the command room. Michael reared back in horror while Xandar
quickly removed the man's body, which would pose a problem in locking the hatchway. Joanna
prepared her firearm, an M and G auto flechette pistol (known as a needler). Looking up to
Xandar, she called to out to Steven..."Get your ass in this room now!"
Sprinting to the hatchway, Steven could now hear the footsteps of several men running.
Rounding the corner behind him, a fellow crewman ran into the corridor's metal wall. The man
spared little time getting up, after crashing to the floor because of the enormous impact.
However, his arm was bleeding and he now walked with a limp. His leg failing him, he crashed to
the floor as the control room hatchway closed airtight, safely sealing off Steven, Michael, Joanna,
and Xandar from the firefight. Through the ferroglass window, they now discovered the man
bore a knife in his wounded arm. It pierced the pale flesh and refused to fall out despite much
contraction of the man's bicep. Seconds later the man's attackers could be seen; a tall, gaunt,
bearded man in a tanned, rotting overcoat carried a small pistol of some sort, while a shadowy
figure carrying a long vibro-katana closed in for the kill.
Suddenly Steven shouted out, "That vibro katana will cut a hole in this glass in no time! We must
make a stand now!" Struggling at the hatchway controls, he was tackled by Xandar. Knocking
Stephen cold with a stiff uppercut that nearly crushed the crewman's windpipe, Xandar stood
and continued to look through the ferroglass. Unfortunately Xandar would now watch hopelessly
as yet another of the dropship’s techs die.
As the shadowy figure closed the distance to the injured crewman, the gaunt, taller figure
extended his arm out slowly to point a gun at the dying technician. Once extended he fired,
producing a loud ricochet...but the shot missed by several meters. The shorter shadowy man
stopped in his tracks, then turned to face other pirate. Their mouths hinted anger, but the
conversation did not last long. Crying out loud enough to be heard, the shadow screamed
"Beckett!" and leapt to the other pirate. However a shell fired into his head at point blank cut him
down. The shot could be heard through the ferroglass. After the pirate had unloaded 2 shells,
Xandar knew the type and model of the pirate's weapon. It was the crack of a FASA-950, a
small, uncommon slugthrower.
Watching with curiosity, Xandar and the others saw the remaining pirate pick up several
weapons from Dobs and the still shadow figure. Walking casually to the hatchway, the pirate
peered into the ferroglass, staring first at Xandar, then to Joanna, and finally at Michael. He
boasted a dirty, bearded mug that demanded attention, but his manner and the way he carried
himself spoke nothing pirate about him. Displaying the weapons he collected, he set them across
the corridor opposite the hatchway. Then turning his back to the dropship crew, he walked
down to the corner of the corridor. There he waited. Speaking to seemingly no one, he motioned
forward, then turned the corner and walked again to the edge of the command center hatchway.
He eyed the individuals again, calmly beckoning each of them one by one while apparently daring
Xandar to open the hatchway. After centering his gaze on Xandar, he eyed Joanna. Revealing a
smirkish grin, he nodded to her. He turned back again to meet new pirates now rounding the
corner.
The pirate reinforcements were 2 big men. One, heavyset, carried a vibroblade and an iron bar.
The other, taller with a stronger build, lugged a 2 handed rifle of some sort. As if on cue, the two
suddenly stiffened at what the scruffy, bearded pirate said to them. The heavy man looked to the
taller, but the taller man was already pulling his rifle up to shoulder. The heavy man began a slow
but steady run at the smaller, bearded pirate. But the bearded man was faster, pulling his gun up
from the crook of his arm and firing a shot at each man.
Though neither fell, the heavy man rushed by, crashing into the wall as the scruffy pirate stepped
aside. The other man twisted about, dropping his gun and grabbing his wounded left hand.
