The Trafalgar bartender doubted the hulking Junker's drunken story but pressed forward another Liberty ale to him.
"So let me get this straight you drunken sot...Vladimir Tinkerbell...the Junker Guards Party Tinkerbell...flew with you on a mission from Rochester last night and was carrying a famous Sirius chef as a special passenger who was working on culturing a new luxury food from alien organisms in Tink's cargo hold? All this after wandering mad in the rift in Puerto Rico system for months?"
Gulping down his ale, the grinning customer belched and answered, "Yesh..exactly! You got it mate! Shpot on!"
Sigh. "I guess next you'll tell me he was flying a Rheinland battleship and had the Chancellor in a cell in the hold too..."
A loud "thump!" followed by even louder snores cut his comment short, but the bartender--a man who was more than he seemed--made a mental note to pass the information along.
*JUNKER'S ROGUE NEWS NETWORK FEED*
*If its not Junker, its SCRAP!*
*Xeno--Junker Battle at Manhattan*
Our sources report a battle just took place over Manhattan with the infamous Vladimir Tinkerbell engaging a Xeno ace, "XA-Copperhead".
Apparently the "collector" fighter of Speaker Tinkerbell--still head speaker of the Junker Guards Party--was hit by a supernova blast before it had been fully armored. The cargo bay and engines were torn away even though the Xeno had been heavily hit prior to the impact.
The crippled ship was towed to Rochester where it is being repaired and though unavailable for comment, the reclusive head speaker is stated by station medics to be, "Ok".
Unconfirmed sources claim Xeno radio chatter was briefly heard after the battle regarding a "Nomad power cell". There is no further information regarding this.
*This is your Junker's Rogue News Network bringing you all the real news*
**END TRANS**
The Xeno Alliance pilot, callsign "Copperhead", stepped down from his cockpit into the docking bay and opened his hold to see what loot the fallen Junker had left him. A overly large life pod with a VIP bar code stamped on it dominated the smaller cannisters of alien organisms in the hold.
Strangely, the cannisters of alien organisms were attached to the life pod...though several had been torn loose from their mounts. Exposed circuit boards--clearly not of standard design--seemed wired to fluid pumps with lines leading to the life pod. Several unmarked cannisters stenciled with "DANGER!" in large letters also were connected in the same manner.
Copperhead reached forward to open the life pod's hatch and see what VIP he had just had the good fortune to abduct but a sudden and brief sense of foreboding swept over him. He drew his firearm and summoned a security detachment to the hangar bay. Attaching a remote key, Copperhead flicked the switch to override the pod's airlock and pop open its door. Instead there was a furious hissing sound followed by a loud explosion within the pod. As the lock cracked open, flames and acrid clouds of burning gas spewed from the airlock's seam. The hatch dropped to the ground and within was a mass of melted and charred metal with barely noticeable traces of blackened and hardened slime splattered about .
Whoever--whatever--had been there was no more. Not a trace remained. A few nozzles dripped a greenish fluid that melted pits in the pod flooring wherever it dripped. these were the cannisters marked "DANGER!"...acid..and a powerful sort. Whatever Tinkerbell had intended with these was impossible to determine but it was obvious he was up to something.
"The Four" ventured out of Puerto Rico tonight and the experiment went well. The controls resulted in some vocalizations but the link from Texas to New York held brilliantly--even without the planned amplification. Curse that Xeno! Of course, the control vessels did not utilize shielding and were not hostile but it was still a more than hoped for success. Successful tasks were performed including combat and multiple vessel interaction.
The possibility of maintaining the alliance is even greater now that we can work together without putting one another at risk. The other control vessel has an assimilated crew--introduced by physical transfer only. It carries a linkage array for native experimentation--though we have been given assurances such tests will be done for mutual benefit. It is currently collecting additional materials we will need for "The Gambit". Allowing this was a condition of continued cooperation. I allowed the first extra-Rift excursion aboard my own ship so no other was at risk and both life support and shielding functioned as designed. Unfortunately, my co-experimenter was lost in the Xeno attack. Most assuredly we will have to deal with these Xenos in a major way soon. They have become more than a nuisance.
The tantalizing possibilities and undefined degree of risk from the Nomads holds both our interests and each of our parties is unsure how far such work can be safely progressed. At least it gives us a common concern--that is what has kept us in union all this time.
As the future of both our societies is involved in this, the work must continue--risk or no.
On to phase two. I will be briefing Co-Speaker Oniros and Representative Culebra shortly on some of the more specific and classified requirements we will have to meet.
I am aware that at some point our machine friends are going to become aware of our activities. it is impossible to "clue them in" at the moment but inevitable that it will have to happen.
That in itself is a whole new level of headache. I cannot predict how the Harvesters are going to respond or if they can be trusted with full disclosure.
Time will tell. For now, we deal with today's concerns--tomorrow will have to take care of itself. Let's just hope it isn't too soon.
Well, the equipping of the special units is proceeding slowly as I have to personally screen all personnel and act as an intermediary for our friends...but we're getting there.
Previously, Liberty authorities had been tolerant of our special hardware requirements and allowed them to pass without inspection. Today, as the empty packages were being ferried, several LSF and SA units attempted an intercept. There was of course no chance I would allow them to get their hands on the units and I evaded each time--though the first escape was pretty dicey and it's tedious having to personally pilot each of these ships. You hafta love a trigger happy battleship commander who fires at the first ship who catches him in a cruise disruptor pulse wave.
Fortunately, the "Liberty phase" of this operation is nearly complete and we won't have to deal with them much longer.
Deputy Arbiter Oniros is fully briefed as is Adjudicator Culebra and the Harvesters (Through Harvesters 01, 03 and 17) as well. Additionally, we have had three "spontaneous conversions" by pilots to the .:j:. tag--totally on their own with no prompting by us--the legacy lives on.
So the week has progressed well. We are in the final Liberty "parking" phase now while simultaneously acquiring some borderworld components for the expeditionary force.
Two more of the "special packages" had attempted intercepts...one on the way to Zone 21 from Rochester and the other in Omicron Gamma.
The first by LSF and the second by the OPG...Corsairs. Seems everyone wants to know whats in our holds. Precautions have been taken and the final package will ship from New York tonight.
On a better note, our first Guard pilot with his "partner" was able to breach the target zone defenses and recover one of the keys along with two codes. The passenger was able to locate the objects just as claimed. A good sign.
The whaling fleet is half way to target goal. A few more and we will be fully equipped there.
On a final note, I am considering negotiating an exchange with the Xenos but, frankly, I don't think they will value their people as much as the stolen item they took. If I make the offer and they refuse, I am going to have to summarily execute eight-hundred Xeno prisoners. Hate to waste them.
* from : Dr Karen Elderblow
* callsign : Soledad
* ship : .:j:. Senior Researcher - deep space laboratory - scavenged from Reinland Pirate Cruiser
* to : Speaker Vladimir Tinkerbell
* encryption : Classified - puerto rico system
* object : Guard acreditation granted ... standing by orders
Sir,
As you commanded me when we lastly met, i went to puerto rico system to perform my guard formation and were granted for this honnor with congratulations of my trainers.
You also wanted me to send you a short report of my activities before we met ... you know i don't like to talk much about myself but i obey and you'll find it in anex A and B
I would like to make a request there too ... i have been provided a ship for the purpose we discussed latelly but i am in need of some scientist, tech and also "normal" crew to perform the task you gave me ... i need to make some changes to create xenobiology laboratory and also deep space hospital for our brothers.
Though the science material will take a great place in the ship and then be enormous in energy cost, i also need an attached escort for moving securized because the ship ... though it's not undergunned ... wouldn't be able to face combative stance for long without a solid backup.
sincerely yours
Dr Karen E
Anex A : Houston
Age : 38
height : 1m70
gender : female
child : 1 kid lost during anex B escape before birth - 1 daughter lost also, she might be about 17 and disapeared from the wreck i hid her during anex B escape ... i take the permission to remind you the promise you made me to retreve her.
husband : Tex "crazy" Elderblow - kill him on sight, he's a bloody xeno
Birth system : texas - planet houston
this is now the part you seemed to be interested in most
studdies :
- medical : grade A
- biology : grade A
- hematology : grade B
- xenoform and xenobiology : grade B
- reanimation : grade A
internal medic in houston main hospital during 2 years
major in reanimation department in houston main hospital during 3 years
chieftain of biology research department in houston "research for health and health for all" during 3 years.
got married with Tex, a mining factory worker and followed him when he decide to embrass the xeno ideology though i wasn't myself according to these lies.
Anex B : xeno and fate
lived 2 years in ouray base - colorado as some kind of medic without the proper gears.
Been accused of difamating with my "non association" to xeno cause ... my prio accusator was ... Tex
Been juged ... or so ... and declared guilty, they comuted my death sentense because of the lack of medical cares there but i was taken as a "pleasure doll" and been raped and raped ... often ... i was wanting to die but i was pregnant and had a 7 years old daughter to save ... one day i was able to escape with my husband 's starblazer ... i fleed and reached new york system ... hiding in the badlands i found a wreck in with i put my daughter in a pod with a secure transmiter to find her back ... my pursuivors found me and the traking started again, my ship was nearly destroyed but i escaped them by entering bretonia..
I spend days as dead as living passing throu systems and finally i lost conciousness in a debris field ... it was near trafalgar base where junkers saved me ... they thought that my ship was "scrap" ... they saved me but ... not my kid to born...
*** end of transmission ***
--- encrypting ---
--- sending ---
--- transmission sent ---
she turned the com out and silently walked along the empty desk then stopped to the window ... suddenly she started to cry ... she cries years of doom as if they were locked in her soul and were refusing to free her ... she was still crying when she knees to the floor anf finaly sat cercling her leg with her trembling arms.