Katashi punched the corresponding button, and the Havoc lurched forward. The pursuing fighters - Hammerheads - launched disruptors in response. Ren triggered the countermeasures and gave directions to Katashi, who jinked wildly to avoid the projectiles. The disruptors fell short, and the Ageira-made bomber soon surged ahead of its thrusting assailants.
Pilot and copilot breathed mirror sighs of relief. A routine patrol through New York had rapidly turned into a nightmare as two flights of Defenders ambushed the bomber, demanding that the occupants turn themselves in. Ren had responded with...colorful vocabulary. Naturally, they didn't take too kindly to that, and the hunt began. From the Colorado gate to Fort Bush, from Pittsburgh to Newark (where the LSF Defenders had been replaced with BHG Hammerheads), and thence to West Point the chase had gone. Questions as to what the bounty was for and who had placed it were met with silence...or Buckshot blasts.
As the Havoc entered the Badlands, the bounty hunters finally began to lose ground...at last, after nearly a quarter-hour of tense pursuit, they lost their quarry amidst the thick clouds and oddly-shaped rocks of the Badlands. Breathless, Katashi cut the engines and turned to his copilot. "Well...what now?"
Ren shook her head. "I don't - I don't know. The only thing I can think of is to seek refuge at Rochester."
Aghast, Katashi replied, "Are you nuts?! The Junkers hate us!"
"Then we offer them something...I don't know. We have things on this ship we could sell them. They might let us land..."
"Or they might wait until we get out of the cockpit before depressurizing the hangar bay."
"You have any better ideas? You said you used to have some friends in the Outcasts, right?"
"And they now hate my guts for being BHG. They won't help us."
"They might...for a sum. Let me do the talking."
".......alright. I don't like it, but then I don't like ANY of our options at this point."
The man that sat across from Katashi and Ren smirked, flicked his eyepatch, and leaned back with his arms crossed. "So, ya ready to cry uncle, eh?"
Katashi shook his head. "It's only temporary. We need our records hacked, because there's some kind of bount-"
The Rogue cut him off with a growl. "Like that'll work. The bounty'll still be posted. No, what you two need is a new ship registry. You'll lose your maps, your guns, everything valuable...but you get a mostly clean slate, assuming you lay low."
"I assume this isn't from the kindness in your heart."
"Heh. Not quite. Normally I'd do it for a couple mil, but after the trouble you've caused my pals and I...well, the price went up."
"How much?"
He swirled his drink, smiling at it as though it'd just told him a funny joke. "Your ship and everything on it. I'll give ye a Bloodhound or somethin'. You won't be BHG anymore...no, now you know what it's like to be hunted, and that's how it's gonna stay. You're gonna be Rogue, Hacker, Outcast, Junker, something. If you still like explorin', I'd say Junker's the way to go. But you'll have to start all over again, and I don't want no whining."
Katashi ran a hand over his face. "God...fine. Take it. Take the damn thing...I can't believe this is happening..."
"Believe it, kid. Pick a new name for your ship's registry entry and it's a done deal."
Ren put a hand on Katashi's shoulder. "It's not so bad, being a Junker...I can tell you from experience."
