[dcs_p]Mid-System
Butte Hold System
Taurian Concordat
Fourth Quarter, 3040
[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]”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?!”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]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.”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]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.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]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.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]”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.”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]”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.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]”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 butts in here and bring the other weapons too!”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]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!”[/dcs_p]