Richter
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Post by Richter on Jan 2, 2016 1:30:01 GMT -6
It'd hadn't been a very good few months for crew of the Scourge. What started as a job gone bad turned into a double cross by the late captain, who was just narrowly caught trying to sell out his crew and quit the life of an outlaw before the going got tougher. A mutiny lead by James Gransela installed him as the new captain, who cemented his authority by summarily rechristening their vessel as the Diamond II. Even so, the old authority hadn't stepped down gracefully. Only hardliners, idiots, and co-conspirators stayed loyal to him when the plot was unveiled, but there were enough of those to cause problems on the way out of the metaphorical door. Some of the crew had chosen to depart of their own volition after that, losing faith in the entire ordeal and further depleting manpower. But the good news here was, everyone left was loyal. So morale was good when you look at it from that perspective. Equipment wise: quite a few of the ship's internal systems had been damaged, some gear was missing or destroyed, and several escape pods had been launched, but all in all, things looked salvageable. The late captain had planned to hawk them all at the old station of Terminus, something of a rogue's port. The ship remained on that heading, albeit for a different purpose; to lay low and try and get their bearings. Maybe recoup their losses and rebuild strength before going on any other operations. It wasn't a safe place by any means, but it could be relied upon to hide them from the old regime's enemies for a little while, at least. Terminus was located in the center of an asteroid belt orbiting a star that was either dead and in advanced decay, or in the first primordial stages of life. It was a dim little thing that barely lit the rock cluster with its pale brown luminescence, though that was a benefit these days. The voyage wasn't particularly hard but it did require everyone to be on their guard to jink around errant asteroids and other debris, any one of which could cause impressive damage if allowed to collide with the hull. They passed no other ships along the way, but they did occasionally come upon mining platforms that spat out waves of miners like bees from a hive, swarming the crater-pocked rocks and stripping open the outer layers for precious minerals to keep the industries at home afloat. Such as Terminus itself. No one could mistake the ancient fortress for one of these mining platforms, it filled their view screen front and center with its impressive bulk. The huge, oblong brown stone was shot through with metallic greys, blacks, and other colors where the structures bored into the crust breached the outer shell to stand firm in the face of the void itself. Communication and sensor arrays jutted out at irregular angles, bristling like the spines of a sea urchin, while elevators and ship-sized doors provided access to the interior. Weapon emplacements dotted the outer shell in addition to these more mundane arrangements, turrets housing cannons and rockets swiveled to face them and tracked their movements as they approached. Not long after they were hailed and, after some brief chatter, allowed to come into one of the aforementioned docks. From there they were directed into a massive elevator that looked like it was use to moved ship-grade munitions that took them down into the depths of the station. - The inside of Terminus once again brought to mind the images of ants or bees, because of the many cavernous tunnels criss-crossing the interior on all three axises of interception. The low gravity here made movement up and down possible as well as left, right, front, and back. The older tunnels were plated with metal and well lit by electric light fixtures set into the corners of the ceiling and floors, excepting some areas where the long, rod-like bulbs were missing or broken. Newer corridors were more cramped, hewn straight from the stone, and illuminated by chemical lights or hastily installed electrical fixtures that were powered by exposed wires. Certainly not the safest way to do business. The air was breathable but not especially clean, it had the stale taste of O2 that had been recycle too many times, and it was further tainted by the smells of oils and smoke that only got worse the deeper into the confines that you went. Hundreds of people pushed, floated, and climbed past them no matter where they were going. Most were dressed in peasant's clothing, tunics, pants, and cloaks, but almost all openly wore some kind of weapon. A close eye would identify insignias or gang markings either stitched into the garments or directly onto the flesh, but the affiliation was impossible to recall at the moment. No one really stayed still long enough to get a good look, as it were. But the reason that James Gransela had come here in particular was to visit a place called "Big Shots". There weren't any glass blowers on Terminus when the place first opened, so the barkeeper had to make his own. They didn't exactly come out right, and its been a running gag ever since. The other reason for the name was that the place was a popular hangout for bounties hunters. Since Terminus was frequented by so many travelers, a wanted ad put up here would meet thousands of eyes, and thousands more when the word was passed on. The owner got a cut of the profit as his part of the deal, but it generally worked out in everyone's favor. No less than four bouncers guarded the hydraulic double doors that acted as the main entrance. They ran James and anyone with him through the rules, standard affairs of no starting violence in there, before letting them slide open with a grinding hiss. Compared to the tunnels, the lighting inside was like that of a sun, and bright, yellow light spilled out into the threshold - taking them several moments to adjust. The place was big, big enough to have been a warehouse in the old days. The vaulted ceiling held both lights and speakers, that amplified the music being played by a drummer and singer/guitarist duo. If you could call it singing, the man seemed to be spouting nonsense syllables to go with his playing. Both were dressed in ostentatious crimson garments that wouldn't be out of the place on a merchant prince, indicating that they evidently got more money from these kinds of shows than one might think. The bards played on a raised stage directly opposite of the door. To the far right wall were private booths, to the left was the semi-circular bar, and everywhere in between were tables filled with patrons and being seen to by waiters and waitresses. The air in here was even smokier than before, the haze of burning tobacco and more illicit substances enough to create a palpable darkness where it hovered just above head height in the air. Two more guards sat behind the bar counter, clubs cradled in their laps, while the station itself was seen two by a young man, a young women, and an older gentlemen with neatly combed white hair. The barkeeper's area was enclosed by a roof, and onto the walls on either side of the counter were implanted LED screens with golden colored text scrolling along them. These were the bounty boards. Every so often someone would go up to them and fiddle with the keyboards jutting out from just underneath the screens to flip through the names and listings. While the most immediate thing to do would be to go up to there and see what bounty heads were available, places like this were notorious for their rumor mill. Juicy info could potentially be gleaned by listening in on the other patrons, or talking to them if one were more outgoing. Around him, several of James's crew filed in as well to relax a little bit before the mission. Their chief engineer, and what staff he had left, were running a full diagnostic while the boss was scoping out work. It was easier for everyone else to shove off in that time so as to not be in the way. Just the same, some liquid courage would probably be good for the post-mutiny morale. What would he, and anyone else of important he chose to bring along, do?
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Jan 2, 2016 1:57:28 GMT -6
It's been a while since James have been on the asteroid, been away since their last refuel, he was a bit too busy with dealing with that weakling scum he used to call boss. He always thought that the bald guy was actually a skilled warrior, at least it was he was told when he asked around. But it looks like the times he wasted acting like the king of world bit a lot off his valor and skills, as shown when James separated the man's lower torso with his upper with a swing of his large cleaver. Unfortunately there were more problems to deal with, resulting in a close to empty coffer. They need money, at this rate they can't even afford a bite to eat... they need a job or a prey or some friendly donations off some unexpected traveler.
Heading off their ship with his crew, he patted his side to make sure his sidearm is still around. You can't be sure what might come at you in this chaotic place, who knows if some fools would decide you look like a good target to test their new toy on. Unfortunately his main weapon would draw too much attention so he was forced to leave it on the ship, but this should be enough. Nodding at the bouncers as he enters the bar, he enjoys the weird music that rings through the place, and waves to let his crew enjoy their time... with their own money of course. He took a short look at the possible hunting targets before heading over to the counter, he knew little about these targets, so he need a source of information.
"I'll have a few drinks... anything interesting recently? Those bounties seems to be stacking up, and I got some guys that want to make a buck or two."
The simplest way, ask the owner. It's never bad to have some connections with those in charge, something he grew to understand while working under the former captain, and a few extra drinks worth of pay aren't too big of a cost to pay. Their first job probably won't be all that great, but it'll make a name for them, they need that before they could get anything serious done.
Mean while, the slaves that they still have are given a small meal and drink, and are told to gather information around the bar. They'll have a lot to lift when they make some purchase off local merchants, but for now they're just thrown to the side.
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Post by Pitman on Jan 2, 2016 2:45:28 GMT -6
When coming to Terminus Shikoto hated this cesspool of a place, if he had a choice or the power he probably destroy this place in a heart beat. Being a slave is not good especially when here most were sold or 'given'. The Captain which was a little better then the last, yes only a little forced him to come as the usual. His job gathering information, of course he could really really try but he was still skeptical. A Small meal and a drink were provided as the Captain when on his business as he was forced to practically seat in a sport of the bar given only to slaves. He unconsciously grabbed his collar which was electronic on his neck. Given to signify them a slave but also ironically gives them protection on what group they were apart of. Even though slave had no rights they still were property and has that semblance of protection from others simply using them. He ate his meal in silence as he looked at the other slaves in the area all which varied by age but most were male, after all female slaves were used for 'other' things that didn't require them out and about. Even though he was brought here sometimes he does feel a little grateful in the change of scenery even if a nobody like him has the tendency to have a smart mouth and known as a smart ass. If it wasn't for the engineer vouching for him, he would probably end up dead or even sold to someone even worse. He had respect to that man due to that and even in this hopeless situation he has been in for the last 8 years he still held out, that one day he would no longer be a slave.
"So.. anything going on in the neighborhood these days?", Shikoto asked the nearby slaves.
Of course Gossip was not banned from slaves as long as their owners don't pay attention. Slaves know things, slaves are property that has no rights so them hearing anything was very possible.
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Richter
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Post by Richter on Jan 2, 2016 3:07:17 GMT -6
The keeper of this place locked eyes with James as he approached, nodding once in greeting and then another time in affirmation of his order. The captain had talked to the man before, and likely the other way around too, but neither really had gained much of a passing knowledge of one another. A few nicks and scars marred his features, and his hands looked similarly wartorn in those moments when he was getting Gransela his drinks. Word was, this guy was a big time gang leader in his youth. Eventually settled down and made this place. Whatever the case, managing to carve out this little niche in a chaotic mess like Terminus went a long way to underlining that he was more powerful than his years would betray. More than a few people who thought they could take his livelihood for their own met an untimely end at his hand, and it was said he had fingers in a lot of pies.
A good guy to ask for information, to be sure.
He took three glasses from underneath the counter and filled them with an ochre colored grog. None of the glasses were identical in shape or size, but true to the bar's name, each one of the "shots" was big enough that you could fit your fist in the glass. There was a running contest in this place called the "Six Shooter Special" that had been going on for the last 4 years, deal was anyone who could hammer six of those in a row and walk a straight line to the door got em all for free. So far, no one had managed.
He dropped the first one onto the desktop between him and James, and spoke in reply while he poured up the others and collected the coins.
"The Black Talon gang is making waves in the colony here, that's the most local news. Been stacking manpower and gear for the last half a year, suppose they're finally putting it to use. Gonna be blood in the gutters real soon." He said. His voice was dry and gravely, a bit hard to make out where one word ended and another began. "Less local, hear that New Prospect's been looking for soldiers. Real hush-hush on why. Nuthin' good comes out of New Prospect, I'd be wary if I was you."
The second shot dropped about this point. "Other than that, I'd check the boards," he motioned to the right-hand one with a nod of the head. "Couple of the latest batch are wanted because of the waves they're making. I'd just be wastin' breath repeating myself on more than a few."
Finally he slid along the third shot. "Also hear talk about Dalkor causin' a ruckus some ways spinward of here. But that's hardly news."
Dalkor had been looking to pick fights wherever they could for as long as this last generation could remember. Not many people left the planet for a multitude of reasons, but those who did, didn't tend to ever want to go back. They were an insular state and something of a boogeyman in the region, though they did some trading and diplomacy of their own. They weren't fools, not completely anyway.
-
Shikoto had dropped into a table chaired by a 5 other slaves, made a half dozen by his arrival. They all had thin, runny bowls of gruel and equally watery drinks. But spirits were high-ish. It was better than most got when onboard. They were all tall and pale, making him suspect that they were born and raised in space. As per his prediction, all of them were men. They looked like workers as well, dressed as they were in smudged coveralls.
"Street fights and gang wars. Word of the day, every day." One said, and he raised his glass as if to toast the anarchy of Terminus. A native, perhaps.
"Can it, Caul. Don't run your mouth off and get us in trouble." Another chastised him, the shortest of the bunch who was still around 6' even. He then turned to look at the new arrival. "Lot of mercs coming through here these days, you notice?"
He continued to stare at Shikoto, and eventually shook his head in answer to his own question. "Nah, you don't look to be from around here. Too...clean. Well something big must be going to happen, but I don't know what. Keep my head down, I do."
The others around him nodded.
"You been here before? What's your story." The one named Caul asked. He had dull eyes and equally dull black hair that hung down over his eyes, he brushed the strands out of the way so that he could look at who he spoke to. And the rest of the bar. His eyes, and those of his mates here, scanned the bar periodically. So naturally that it must have been second nature. He may have caught James doing the same thing. This was a dangerous place, much more so than the homeland he had known.
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Jan 2, 2016 3:34:41 GMT -6
Although he occasionally enjoys a few drinks or two, something of this size sure aren't something he could deal with and still be in full shape, though, at least he's lucky the owner didn't serve him the full thing. He's no choice but to take the drinks, or risk losing reputation before he could even start building it.
Dalkon is out of question, too risky, too tough to deal with. He wants a good fight, not suicide, and certain not mass suicide with the rest of the crew. That leaves him with the board, and the other two suggestions from the owner. He was thinking over his option, and having a quite difficult battle with the alcohol he received, but he was still able to keep his thoughts straight if a bit reckless. He know close to nothing about that frozen planet, and he sure don't want to be frozen in combat, so it seems better to go for the Black Talon gang. Sure they might not have a good reputation, but who knows, maybe they just need an extra hand or two in dealing with some rivals.
"Looks like it's not going to be a boring year then, thanks for the drink, I'll be right back."
Putting onto the counter a few bills to pay for his drinks, he heads over to the bounty board to see if there's some targets his crew could handle. Maybe if they plan it right they'll be able to get the job done, and take down a few of these criminals on the run or mutant monsters on the way. Getting a copy of the wanted targets on the board, he turns back to the bartender for some directions, before slowly approaching the Black Talon gang. He hold his hands out of his pockets and in the air to show that he meant no harm, but at the same time he flashes his sidearms to show that he's not a sheep, and could bite back if they want to cheat him out of anything.
"I heard you guys are on the move recently, perhaps your boss want some extra blades to take care of a few problems? An outsider might be handy to deal with small problems that troubles him. I'm sure you guys have all you need to deal with existing problems, but it never hurts to get something done for a small fee."
He was careful with his words, avoiding things that might provoke the gang, and ensure that the gang themselves can deal with the problems themselves. That way it'll allow them to maintain their strong image, something that leaders of military groups tend to care for their own authority. If they have a good deal, perhaps it'll be better to make connections with them, and see if they have more jobs in the future. At such, as much as he would like to take on so many enemies at once, it might be better to keep them as possible friends for now.
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Post by Pitman on Jan 2, 2016 3:42:29 GMT -6
Shikoto heard of the something big was happening which made Shikoto think hard. What kind of group would go out of its way to hire more mercs as of late. If all the slaves believed something big was about to happen it made him think that might be good for the group to gain more money. Never the less he soon noticed how all the slaves acted like they didn't wish to be heard which made things quite intriguing.
"I am not from here, that is correct. I am a slave from the Diamond II, we recently just arrived here for work.", Shikoto admitted which of course easily could be seen how his clothing looked.
Even though a slave he at least up kept his own clothing on the ship or face the wrath of the Captain. Not like he didn't not get the wrath of him it was quite normal, on a daily basis.
"My story? Not much worth then only being a slave since I was a kid. So it would be the same as any other here. For being here? Well I say this is my 5th time coming here in person the other times I was forced to stay in the ship. Still as dirty and looking no different then yesterday. So you say there is a lot of mercs here as of late? Possibly a big job or something?", Shikoto soon asked as he continued to eat his meal.
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Richter
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Post by Richter on Jan 2, 2016 4:18:21 GMT -6
The barkeep gave him a lazy wave as he went, counting the money quickly and pocketing it while he moved on to the bounty boards. The lists scrolled, on the main screen just having names and bounty prices, but they could be clicked and expanded into full sized wanted posters. The keyboard was worn and missing a few keys, but the arrow buttons still worked. Not everyone was literate these days, so the posters themselves were short on words and big on symbols. Because this was Terminus some of the bounties were illegitimate, that is, posted up by non-legal entities. While getting any two nations to agree on anything was extremely difficult, there were some loose treaties on how this kind of job was carried out. Suffice to say, their reach didn't extend to this place. The format was as followed: Wanted! Dead or Alive (Or in some rarer cases, they specified only one being acceptable). A mug shot. Names and aliases. What they did. Last known location(s). The amount. Currently the list had six bounties, with illegal ones marked with a *. - Marco Arlene - Dead or Alive. Train robber and outlaw. Last seen on Red Rock. 125 clusters.
- Sir Arthur Radrig* - Alive. Interfering with sensitive matters. Last seen on Araelia, Nerith. 200 clusters.
- "Tiny" Tim Barker - Dead or Alive. Rogue Operative. Last seen on Terminus. 50 clusters.
- "Blackjack" McCoy - Dead or Alive. Pirate. Last seen in space around New Prospect. 100 clusters.
- Rebecca Ray - Dead or Alive, alive prefered. Smuggler. Thief. Deal Breaker. Last seen around Araelia, specifics unknown. 150 clusters if alive, 75 if dead.
- Donovan Muldoon* - Dead or Alive. Smuggler. Poacher. Last seen around Nelbonar. 100 clusters.
'Clusters' were one of the more common coins in circulation in the Kalron sector. They were made up of 8 'solars', the smallest coin. 8 clusters were worth approximately 1 'region'. Solars were wedge-shaped pieces of a silver alloy that was difficult to make, they snapped together to form the octagonal clusters, and they could thus be broken back down into their component eighths. The same could not be done for regions, those needed a money changer, but they were rare anyway. There were smaller locals coins as well for transactions such as this, but their value and worth fluctuated. The big three were made before the Fall and weren't easy to counterfeit with surviving technology, making their worth constant. For the purposes of comparing, a family of 5 could be fed for a week with 1 cluster. 100 could keep his ship in supply and crew paid for a couple of months with change left over to buy up more gear. It's worth noting the barkeep took 5% of that for service rendered here. Both in displaying the info and accepting any live bounties, or evidence of dead ones, for turnover. Hard to find reliables escrows for these kinds of things. - The gang that James was looking for was housed at the moment in one of the private booths. Several actually, with the interior dividing walls pushed back so that the lot of them could all speak to one another privately. James knew a little bit about them from living here. They were a pretty fierce gang, but not one of the biggest. They held turf around the edge of the base where the gravity was weakest, mostly old maintenance tunnels and ventilation shafts. Their signature weapons, and iconography leading to the name, were the combat gloves they sported. Made of black leather, claws poked from the fingers or knuckles depending on the model. Along with that they sported jerkins or vests of similar dark coloration, trimmed in gold...or at least yellow. Juvies, prospective members of the gang who hadn't yet proven their worth, only sported the clothing. The gear was a prize gifted only to true members. They were deadlier than they looked, hand-to-hand had distinct advantages in a cramped place such as the planetoid they were in. While they likely wouldn't be as good in an open battle, this gang were an example of a group well adapted to their home environment. The ones seated closest to his approach vector stopped talking and looked at him. The ones further away didn't care. "What, you a merc?" One of them called out. Coincidentally he had stepped up right next to their leader. He had sharply chiseled facial features, a well sculpted chin, narrow cheeks, and a hooked nose. His hair was blonde and cut short. Probing around, the captain would eventually recall that his name was Seabach. He'd also remember that their typical rivals were the Fire Angels, and logic might dictate that's who they were moving against this time as well. Seabach gave James a once-over, frowning as he did. "Ha. If you're not afraid of some heat we could use your help, maybe. You ever fought in a place like this? We don't need greens getting in the way. What can you do, what are you good at?" ---- The slaves around him muttered their condolences at his situation. "I was born a slave, you get used to it. Kind of." Caul said, trying to be sympathetic but not having it work out overly well. He tried to shrug it off, but his short friend stepped in to help. "Terminus isn't so bad, long as you're owned by someone important. One upside to the slave thing. Not many to go around, so we have to look for them where we can." He said, giving Shikoto a crooked smile. "Name's Eddy, by the way." Pushing on the topic of mercs brought them to look back and forth between one another. "Probably a trader or explorer or something gearing up for a big mission. Lot of them launch from here. Usually don't move this many men on them, though. Makes me wonder what's up." "And why they're doing it here and not someplace less suspicious." One of the ones who hadn't yet introduced himself added, finding something fishy about the whole thing.
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Post by Pitman on Jan 2, 2016 6:23:02 GMT -6
Shikoto heard about how it wasn't so bad here, then again Shikoto still has a vague remembrance of the farm he lived in which was completely peaceful. That life as a child was nostalgic which was almost like a dream now that he lives as a slave. When hearing about the other slave introducing himself Shikoto replies, "Shikoto... Shikoto Tenjo."
He took a sip of water from his glass hearing about this certain mission which perked his interest. Of course his job was to find anything to give more options to Captain Gransela, which would be a good thing maybe.
"Ya that sounds interesting, I wonder who would want to gather as much low lives as possible to a big fight. Makes me wonder what their going to fight, a horde of relics?", Shikoto soon remarked which itself would be interesting sight.
Of course that alone wouldn't be enough to deter people but it made Shikoto wonder what the hell is going on. He did dislike the place but at least your informed on the under world... sort of.
"I take your all here due to your 'masters' are here for something then? I mean its not every day we slaves are all bunched up here with all these, respectable patrons.", Shikoto soon stated as he gave a good look around the room.
Of course this was always the case but Shikoto then says, "So Gang wars, mass hiring and other usual things. This place seems more lively then last time I was here."
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Jan 2, 2016 13:22:32 GMT -6
The unique weapons of the gang are something different from what James uses himself, and without his main weapon he's not ready to deal with these guys, but good thing there's no need to do that yet. If the bad comes to worse he could still get out of the fight with his life, probably something he want to avoid if it won't end with his victory though. With enough strength he wouldn't mind taking their place, but for now he'll just work with them to build such strength.
"Heh, I grew up in this place, just that I'm away all the time so you probably won't remember me. I'm armed, and I have a crew that's just as armed, all of them with plenty of blood on our hands. Got some guys that could tinker a few gadgets too, if you need someone like that. Just give us a fair price and point us in the right direction, we'll straighten out the problems for you."
He didn't list a price, just so he can see how much are the black talons willing to spare in order to pay for their service. Of course if they think they could cheat him into having a really low price they would have to think again, it's not the first time he's done jobs for different factions, and he at least know the general market price for different jobs. If the price is still lower than average, he might ask them for some equipment, information or assistance on dealing with a few of those targets he have seen on the board. It'll be much easier to find targets if he got the help of a local gang, of course if he want to keep more of the rewards he'll have to deal with the targets with his own team.
"Tiny" seems be the easiest one to grab, not enough to keep them running for a long time but it's still money. "Blackjack" could be a possible target after they're better armed, could even scavenge anything they got off the guy too. Muldoon and Arlene seems to be similar targets, so he keep those in mind. The Radrig guy aren't gonna be fun, probably have some decent training too if his title shows anything. Lastly is the woman, who might be more bothersome to find if she's as smart as her past deeds show.
"What do you say? Boss. Won't hurt to give it a shot."
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Richter
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Post by Richter on Jan 2, 2016 13:41:45 GMT -6
The boss converse on the down-low with those around him. Whether it was something of an inner circle, or just his drinking buddies, couldn't be told. Didn't have enough info on the gang. So far it looked promising. That went on for about 5 minutes before Seabach turned in his chair to sit sideways and face James directly, resting an elbow on the table top and using it to prop up his head while in the process. The talons of his glove idly tugged at his hair while he did this. The man had a sort of smug arrogance to him that wasn't too uncommon around amongst the Terminus population that thought themselves on the upward slide. But that was true of any petty bandit. Like his last captain.
"Big base. Hard to keep track of folks. Not always a bad thing." He said, not recognizing James but also not discounting that it was possible. Guy here didn't spend much time on pleasantry, though. "Could use some bloods, yeah. Couple more cards in the deck, know what I'm saying? Do some good work, get some good coins. If, you live." The first word of the final sentence was stressed in particular, and he grinned wickedly as he said it.
"You know, you convinced me. It can't hurt to try. So. How's about a little sabotage, merc? Maybe cause a little ruckus at the edge of enemy turf and see what happens? 60 clusters in it if you smash something important. If you're in, I can point you at some nice things to break." The men around him jeered as if there was more going on here than was being told.
A stray thought struck him around this point. "Name's Seabach. You got a name, or am I just going to keep calling you merc, merc?"
Conventional wisdom here would also dictate that James might be able to get a better offer by going to their rivals, the aforementioned Fire Angels. They didn't seem to hang around here so that'd require a trek through Terminus to find them. Gransela would know a little bit about them as well from being raised in the asteroid. Back when this place was an army depot it had some light industry to process incoming ores and then to refine them into munitions and other equipment. The Fire Angels held ground in one of those smelters, and ran it as part of their operations. They made pretty decent money out of it. They weren't as offensive as the other gangs as a result, but everyone wanted a piece of that pie. To say that they jealously guarded it would be an understatement. They weren't one of the main gangs but that prima loca gave them weight to throw around beyond their size.
It also tended to be composed of a lot of women.
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"Relics? Maybe." Eddy said, but the raised eyebrow didn't make one very hopeful for that line of thought. "Most relic hunts these days are just digging around at New Prospect, or maybe Port Havoc. The best stuff tends to turn up in the worst places. I'm sure there are more dig sites that folks just don't talk about."
"Masters, yeah." Caul acknowledged. Names were finally put to the other faces as he pointed to and introduced his friends. "Me, Charles, and Eddy belong to the same guy, a salvager and shipwright. Hard but decent work. Might be able to buy our freedom some day here. Eric and Jonas over there are locals too, but they're miners. Get to go outside."
"For all the good that does us. Almost got smushed by a rock the other week, I did." Charles said with clear disdain.
"Slave life, you get used to it." Caul repeated, and he offered a hand to Shikoto to shake on. "Well met. Hope you don't get killed out there. Some of these pirate types are real cutthroats. I mean above and beyond the call of duty."
Eddy rolled his eyes at the other's statement of the obvious. "Yeah it's some time to be alive. Terminus is always in some kind of crap, but seems the entire sector has ants in their pants this time. Wonder what will become of it."
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Jan 2, 2016 14:22:33 GMT -6
"60... 60 you say... a bit low don't you think? Your gang would be getting quite a lot here if the balance is shift, and I might get those witches down my throat. But tell you what, I like to make friends, powerful friends. Perhaps you could give me a hand too if I get your job done hm? Those guys by the board, I'm quite interested in dealing with them, so a small help in finding their location would be great. What do you say?"
They need connections, and when compared it might be better to deal with the Fire Angels more than the Black Talons. It's true that he could possible gain another offer from their target or rivals, but that means more effort and possible danger of spreading their intentions. The price is not very high, but nevertheless it's not rock bottom either. If the gang are willing to lend their assistance in searching the bounty targets then they could still make a good profit here, if not then well, looks like that's another group he'll have to plan to wipe out in the future.
"I'm James Gransela, you'll be hearing this name a lot in the future..."
Assuming you're still alive then, was something he decided to leave out for now.
"Point at the target boss, you'll be hearing about it in a day."
Of course he's not going act instantly, a bit of planning would still be necessary. But hey they got little to nothing, that gives you little choice before you act. He also plan to bring extra slave collars in case he managed to kept anyone alive after the battle, a few extra asset or bargaining chip won't hurt. He'll have to get back to ship for his sword too, if it's not something too big he could break the target with a few swing, if it is he'll have to sic that slave on it. Shi... shi something, the shield guy. Just get the shield guy to crack up the machine somehow, that's his job so may as well put him to use.
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Post by Pitman on Jan 2, 2016 15:07:57 GMT -6
Shikoto to heard what the other slaves talked about as he heard how they three were from same slave owner and how the other two were miners.
"That sounds just as dangerous as my job then.", Shikoto to commented about the mining job.
He then turns to the others, "So I take your master travels alot then if he is an explorer. Quite intriguing it sounds."
Shikoto soon finally finished his meal he was provided, though it tasted awful it's better then starving.
"As for my job.... depends what the captain's says. One minute it's help engineer next I am being fired at by dozens of guys with guns crossbows or even guys with blades. Sometimes I wonder if if ever get out of being a slave, usually the job is life threatening too.", Shikoto commented.
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Richter
Veteran Member
Posts: 1,870
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Post by Richter on Jan 2, 2016 15:59:02 GMT -6
Seabach followed where James was motioning, and nodded. "The bounties? We could make something work. No promises. But the Black Talons have their ears to the ground. Might have what you're looking for. After the job."
Since the client here seemed on board, the boss went ahead with what he wants done.
"Now look. Don't know if you know about the Angels much, but they live in a foundry of sorts. Lot of delicate equipment. Place is sealed up tight as a drum. My guys? Too many of us to sneak in and do a wreck raid. You? Might be able to. The big metal melters of theirs put out a lot of smoke and bad juju. Some delicate machines cycle it out and into space. Now if someone were to put a wrench in there and make it go screwy..." A rolling hand motion indicated that what James was thinking here was probably correct. You get the idea. "It'd make a nice big distraction, shut things down for awhile. Cause chaos. Good stuff, good stuff."
The Talon raised a finger, adorned with one of said instruments, and leveled it at his chest. "Smash it up, Gransela, 60 coins. But if you got a techie handy, muddle up their ventilation system and cycle the exhaust back into the foundry's air intake. That'd really cause some confusion and preserve the hardware to boot. I'll throw 10 more in if you manage it. Better, mister high roller?"
Along with this he detailed where the Angels' turf began. Like the Talons, it was on the edge of the colony where the lower gravity would make moving heavy pallets of metal easier. It also made venting all the byproducts easier as well. Maintenance tunnels and emergency bypasses ran all over that area, they sealed most of them up to keep out the Talons, but in this place its almost impossible to find all of them. The ventilation system in particular was at the edge of the smelter, so they could theoretically get to it and avoid the bulk of their forces if they got in stealthily. Seabach didn't particularly care how they carried the job out as long as they did it.
It looked like the slave of his might come in handy after all.
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"Nah you misunderstand, my boss doesn't explore. But he talks to some people who do. They tend to get their ships banged up, and they swap stories while we buff out the dings."
Eddy whistled as Shikoto recounted his own experiences in this line of work. "Guess that's a little rougher than I had expected. Sorry to hear that. Could try to escape but I wouldn't really recommend it. Best thing you could do is prove yourself invaluable, suppose. Make them not want to get rid of you."
Charles took the time to say that "at least you expect the danger". He took a drink of his own swill, grimaced, and pushed the glass away. Caul greedily snapped it up. Then he continued as such, "Engineers are worth their weight in gold out in space. Stick close to that guy. If you don't got real talent, fake it. What I always say."
"Or just find him some gold to buy your freedom with." Caul suggested as well.
He was immediately shot down by Eddy. "Outlaws don't work that way you dingbat."
"Oh..."
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Rabite
Veteran Member
Emperor of H
Hey, look over here.
Posts: 1,887
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Post by Rabite on Jan 2, 2016 16:16:40 GMT -6
"Excellent, I got just the hand for this, they'll be coughing up in no time... Great to see we can make a deal, I'll keep in touch. You want me to return here or somewhere else afterwards?"
Deciding that's enough information from the client, now's time to move. He wave towards his crew members to get moving, and to pull the slaves with them. Greeting the owner and the bouncers on their way out, James and his crew heads back towards the ship to prepare for battle. They still need easier ways to get inside, but that could be arranged. He doesn't have a information network, but there's one group of people that know their way around the city... beggars.
Organized beggars or just ones that work alone, these guys have connections of their own, and could point their team towards a good location in. Instructing a few of his crews to hand a few coins to the ones around the dock, and asking them about information they might know about hidden routes or just information about the Fire Angels that they might be able to use.
"Leave 15 of us here, the rest with me. Arm yourself and hand something to the slaves too. Hey shield boy, you're coming too. Give me a time on how long it'll take for you to crack a system like this."
He describes the machine to the slave mechanic, hoping that he'll be able to have an estimated operation time so he can plan for the rest of the operation. Not only will this finish the job, but the smoke can help them retreat or plan surprise attacks too. But the difficult part is the timing and the escape plan, which would highly depend on the routes that the beggars give to them, and how well can this smart ass kid get his job done. Who knows, if the route's well hidden and small, they might not even need everyone for the operation, and could use them for support.
Another thing he hoped to know is how long will it take for reinforcements to arrive, they might have to act real fast if the Fire Angels will arrive quickly, and might not give them enough chances to escape. Maybe they can barricade up the other routes and only leave their exit open, so that they could buy some time to retreat.
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Post by Pitman on Jan 2, 2016 18:12:40 GMT -6
On hearing it was time to go Shikoto soon turned to the other slaves, "Well it'd time for me to go now. Let us hope next time we see each other maybe a little freedom?"
As he got up with the others he soon follow where they told him. It was the usual routine, follow orders or get smack in the head. Disobey no dinner it never changed after all this was a life as a slave. When they walked towards their destination he took in the sights or lack therefor. As they arrived at the destination he now had a simple magnum revolver given to him as his weapon, oh and a knife with a wretch how nice.
When the captain called him up not remembering his name, he could have decency to remember or try to.
"You called oh great and serious leader?", Shikoto soon came up with a sarcastic tone.
On hearing on the new job he looked at what he had to do then says, "Hrmm... I say 15 minutes at best 25 at tops."
Shikoto was serious for that as he recognized the low quality system they had which normally take only a few minutes if he had all the gear properly. Alas in such times he had to make do what he had.
"Anything else? Play them a lullaby? Open the hatch into vaccum? Burn them to death? Oh explosions are nice too!", Shikoto commented.
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