Buckmaster's Induction

[Redon]

This story is entirely based on spontaneous ingame events and roleplay. Save general merging and formatting, and a few edits, additions and removals, all chat messages representing direct speech have been preserved as written by the players ingame. The narrative comments have been added by me.

Part 1: An Intriguing Offer

[Comm] Unknown: "How would you like to earn 5 million?"
[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "Well, that certainly depends on the effort."
[Comm] Unknown: "Pop an Interspace ship hull?"
[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "I might be in for that."

The transmission came as a surprise, while Michael was dodging through the fire from Trenton's defense turrets, followed by a navy pilot who had been trying to get in range for a good hit on him for the past minutes. In the male voice, he heard a faint Kusarian accent. With his neural net applications and some lucky timing, he managed to remotely disable a lane ring just after entering it, leaving his pursuer chanceless.
He left the lane halfway, to avoid being caught at the other end, and configured his autopilot to head for Rochester. His wingman Gyorg, who had been luckier during their escape, was already waiting just outside the Junker base.

[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "I lost him."
[Beta 2] Gyorg Lopez: "Hmmm. I got a transmission from the California Blue again. They said they don't need assistance anymore. Dreads showed up."
[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "Oh. I got one too... Let me run a check on the transmission, I was too busy shakin' off that navy brat."

With a few familiar commands on his terminal, he traced back the source of the man he had on the line. He overheard Gyorg sending a docking request to Rochester, and watched him maneuver his ship into position just before the docking lights flashed up.

[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "Got it. Some guy called... Wong Fu?"
[Beta 2] Gyorg Lopez: "What... Who's that?"
[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "Says he's offerin' 5 million to pop an IC ship."
[Beta 2] Gyorg Lopez: "Oh my."

He switched back to the stranger waiting on another channel.

[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "How 'bout you provide me with a few more details about that deal?"
[Comm] Wong Fu: "It's private. If I hear about you taking down an Interspace ship... the killer gets 5 million."
[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "Eh... I see. And who are you exactly?"
[Comm] Wong Fu: "Nobody."

An alert sound drew his attention off the conversation, one which indicated the new hostile signal his scanners were receiving. He cursed as he recognized it as the navy ship he had just escaped from.

[Navy] Guardian: "Do you really think that you can lose me?"
[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "Yes."
[Navy] Guardian: "Honestly? Come here and let me kill you."

He hadn't expected the Navy to find them out there. Before his pursuer came within range, Michael fired up his cruise engines and set a new vector, leading both of them away from Rochester.

[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "Gyorg, stay inside and keep an eye out for a while. The Navy guy is back."
[Beta 2] Gyorg Lopez: "Which one?"
[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "That Guardian. Just stay on Rochester, okay?"
[Beta 2] Gyorg Lopez: "Fine... The lads here need some help with engineering, anyway. I guess I get to do what I'm best at."

The pilot who had caught them near West Point seemed to be experienced in combat, and Michael was in no way interested in putting his wing's pilots at such a risk. Neither him nor Gyorg had ever taken part in anything like the Navy's yearlong trainings for ace pilots, but they had the reason to see they could accomplish more important things than dying in a lost battle.

[Navy] Guardian: "I don't have all day."
[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "Well, you're wasting your time."
[Navy] Guardian: "How far can a hacker run...?"

Somewhere down the way through the fields, Michael guessed, the navy pilot understood his chase wasn't getting him anywhere, and broke off. Eventually, Michael returned to Rochester without any pursuers. He checked his open communication channels, wondering whether Wong Fu was still on the line. He was.

[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "My apologies, I had some company here. Who did you say you are? Nobody...?"
[Comm] Wong Fu: "Yes... that's the way I like to keep it. Of course, if they pay you your fee or tax... you score. But if they play hardball and you pop them, you score too... You in or out?"
[Beta 1] Michael Harper: "Of course we're in!"
[Comm] Wong Fu: "Good to know. If you get lucky to pop one, you'll find the cash flowing on your neural net account."

Michael was skeptical, not knowing the man's background or motives, but he was convinced him or Gyorg could find such information eventually. The offered deal was simple and too good to pass up on.
As he docked his ship in Rochester's bays, he took off his helmet and other piloting equipment. The engineers he greeted as he climbed out of his cockpit didn't hear him, they were working on a wreck that looked so bad, Michael couldn't tell for sure if it used to be a Sabre or a Switchblade. He took along a portable comm device, planning to find out more about Wong Fu. The connection to Gyorg's device was lost, and all attempts to reestablish it failed.

[Comm] Wong Fu: "Let's spice it up... A one-time deal for now. If you get lucky to pop the IC|Atlanta, you score 10 million."
Michael Harper: "You seem to have money sittin' quite loose in your pocket. Where does that come from? And your intentions are...? Personal vendetta?"
[Comm] Wong Fu: "Let's just say... Revenge is a dish best served cold."
Michael Harper: "Did you get screwed over by those corporate scumbags?"
[Comm] Wong Fu: "Big time... One thing I know in Sirius is how to make serious money. And he who has the money has the power. I, for strange reasons, can't touch them... Political reasons, if you catch my drift. But someone else can have the fun! And get paid for it..."
Michael Harper: "I see. We'll make sure to punish the misbehavin' ones."
[Comm] Wong Fu: "That is good to hear."

Gyorg wasn't one to consume cardamine, Michael knew that much, but perhaps he was out for a drink? He found the entrance to the bar after just a short way from the docks. Several people sat scattered across the room, some minding their own business, some looking for contact, others having a chat.

Michael Harper: "I sure hope this ain't the bar's peak hours. Gyorg, are you here?"

Next to the entrance on a bench sat an elderly, drunk man, quietly humming some unfamiliar melody, muttering the few words he pronounced incomprehensibly. He looks like a Rogue, Michael thought. It certainly wasn't Gyorg. He looked around the room again, but couldn't spot his partner. A skinny serving droid approached him, offering help.

Michael Harper: "Damn... No thanks, I'm good without a drink."

Only then he remembered Gyorg's words about helping out the Junkers with repairs. Michael walked back through the corridors to the docks, where he saw two engineers working on his ship's electronics. The wiring had taken some damage in the left wing during the fight with the navy pilot, but he had no doubts that the Junkers were capable of fixing it within no time.
He went past them and searched the dock's corners for Gyorg's ship, until he found him on a floating scaffolding, fixing up his ship's hull panels, scratches, guns and turrets. He wore a metallic mask and carried a welder in his hand. Michael looked over the floor to avoid the welder's bright flame, and instead watched the sparks falling to the ground. He pressed the headset against his ear, trying his best to understand Wong Fu's words over the surrounding noise. He answered quite loudly.

[Comm] Wong Fu: "I usually don't consort with pirates, and so on... But I do believe justice must be done by any means in a corrupt system."
Michael Harper: "Oh, we represent certain ideas... Anything that's a punch for the corporations running this system is fine with me."

Still looking at the ground, he shouted to get Gyorg's attention.

Michael Harper: "Are you alright, Gyorg?"
Gyorg Lopez: "Oh, I didn't see you there!"

Gyorg took off his mask, and with a press on the control panel, the scaffolding descended to the ground. He stepped off it and put his equipment on a nearby table, turning towards Michael.

Gyorg Lopez: "What's up?"

[Comm] Wong Fu: "They think if they are a big corporation, they can treat any one like dirt..."
Michael Harper: "That is exactly the problem, Mr Fu."

He turned to Gyorg and examined his Sabre.

Michael Harper: "You're... fixin' up your ship? Anything bad?"
Gyorg Lopez: "Nothing too bad. I just fixed it up for the sake of not having to pay the Junkers. And... who are you talkin' to?"

[Comm] Wong Fu: "They've got something coming their way. It only needs one man to take a stand to bring a corrupt empire to a fall - especially a man that can influence many others."
Michael Harper: "I like your attitude, pal. So... if anything's needed, I s'pose I'll contact you on this channel?"
[Comm] Wong Fu: "Of course, any time... And keep an eye out for a man named Soloman Kane. But he hardly ever comes out."

Gyorg Lopez: "Let me guess. It was that - something - 'Fyu' guy."
Michael Harper: "Hold on for one second, Gyorg... Alright. Soloman Kane... I'll keep that in mind."

[Comm] Wong Fu: "But seeing your reputation, he would be the best to be in closer contact with you. He originated from Omicron Alpha."
Michael Harper: "Well... that sure leaves some material for storytellin'."
[Comm] Wong Fu: "The rise of an empire to bring these corrupt souls to their knees. There are some distant, secret ties with GRM too... In short, a net is being spun, with anything that is hostile to Interspace."
Michael Harper: "Well... I'm not quite sure I know what you're talkin' about, but if the money's right, we're in."
[Comm] Wong Fu: "Whenever I hear about an Interspace ship die at your hands, you cash in 5 million... But tonight's special is 10 million credits for IC|Atlanta."
Michael Harper: "Alright. I'll talk to you later, Mr Fu, we have some business to deal with."
[Comm] Wong Fu: "Good luck..."

To be continued.