Proserpine: Chronicles

[frozen]

A New Perspective- I

Badlands, New York system, Liberty...
817 A.S.

The Badlands-Bane of the Liberty Navy, Boon to Libertys pirates, Home to the Liberty Rogues. Many avoided the place, dodging it like an angry bullet. Those that dared to venture into the Badlands seldom returned- The ones that did- return were not the same anymore. For starters, the badlands turned the best scanner equipment currently on sale in the Sirius Sector null and void- disturbances in the nebula also caused short circuiting of equipment, and temporary blackouts. Not to mention the fact that vision was highly obscured and the dangers of collisions with big rocks, asteroids, or even other ships was highly imminent.

Roger that, you are clear to undock, Horizon. Crisp as freshly laundered pair of pants, the voice cut through the stillness of the void over the Local communication channel of Buffalo Base.

Affirmative, Buffalo. Proceeding with undocking maneuvers... The reply came from a ship wrapped in the shroud of darkness of the badlands, seemingly backing up away from Buffalo Base slowly.

The WS-X1.Event Horizon had begun preparations to undock from the Liberty Rogues Buffalo Base. The newly constructed Outcast Destroyer was the first of its kind- with extensive reworking on both the ships external and internal features, it sported the best armor plating on sale in Sirius, and an equally impressive capital class armor upgrade acquired from Palermo. However, it didnt end there- past dealings with the Lane Hackers, and endless haggling enabled the Outcast Guard to get their hands on one of the fabled Spyglass Scanner Systems Array, which was installed aboard the Event Horizon for field testing. The fuel tanks were re-enforced with extra plating to prevent any stray shot or ordnance from hitting, and rupturing the fuel supply.

Packing an engine capable of nuclear fission on a much larger scale, the Event Horizons engines were designed to provide huge quantities of power for prolonged travel duration. That, coupled with a state-of-the-art Cheetah Thruster- which sported the most efficient ;power drain as compared to all the other thrusters out in the market- the Event Horizon was sufficiently equipped remain mobile in nearly any condition. And finally, with enough firepower to make President Powell's birthday bash look like a sweet 16, the Event Horizon was not a vessel to be toyed with.

The Comm. Officer aboard the Event Horizon was in constant communication with Buffalo Base to maintain correct undocking protocol- Undocking procedures completed, setting co-ordinates fo...

Well well... What have we here? Pardon me for such a rude interruption, but I cannot try to hide my surprise since when does the Outcast Guard send one of their most -extensively- retrofitted destroyers to the Libertonian Home System? A raspy whisper was heard over Buffalos local Comm. Channel. There was a hint of curiosity and surprise hidden rather bluntly within that voice.

Identify yourself, lest you wish to be blasted out of the sky The Comm. officer aboard the Event Horizon stated.

Hah. Youre in the Badlands, mate Youre as likely to see me as you are to finding out whats on the menu in the finest restaurant on planet Manhattan, Outcast! My name isnt important to you, boy, however Im sure your Commanding Officer would be interested in my services? Put him on. The same raspy whisper was heard over the local Comm. Channel again.

Even with the advanced scanner array given by the Lane Hackers, the Event Horizon wasnt able to pick up the rogue on the scanners. Using the naked eye to locate the other ship inside the badlands was about as useful as trying to get a lady of the Golden Chrysanthemums to go to a Drug Rehabilitation Center.

Tired of searching yet? The same whisper was heard, followed by a cackle that could remotely be compared to a mongrel trying to laugh like a human. Bring your Commander on, and Im willing to come forth. Oh and I come in peace.

Completely flustered, the Comm. Officer hailed the unknown ship- Hold on Bringing the Commander online if he agrees

Before I begin, I would like to know your name. I have limited time, and am rather busy at the moment. A new sharp, commanding voice was heard over the local Comm. Channel- it was the commander of the Event Horizon.

But of course, commander. The names Shade. Pirate by profession, Word slickster being part of the trade, gets me out of some rather tight spots too whispering over the local Comm.; Shade sounded worse than a badly tuned flute. Ive said my part, as part of the deal, now its your turn to answer the questions, dont you think commander?

Hmm... Indeed it is. Instead of us barking away over Local Comm., why dont you bring yourself over to Bay 1, and come directly to the lounge? You seem rather interested in our activities, and we seek rather important information. Maybe we could be able to Help each other out to an extent, if you get my meaning barely suppressing a laugh, the commander offered Shade to come aboard the Event Horizon. We... well. I already know your motives, plans, and past Shade, courtesy of the Liberty governments lax security, a sultry outcast female spy, and a drunken LSF agent, just never came face to face with you... until now. Also, Bay 1 is clear for you to land, be careful though. The Badlands are rather treacherous, and landing may be a rather hard task.

Indeed, commander. Im cutting comm. chatter until Ive successfully docked. Something about that voice was rather unnerving, even for the commander- like the calm before the storm.

A few minutes later, a heavily built man was being escorted by armed guards to the lounge.

Morning commander. I see you still do not trust me enough, thus the armed guards to escort me. Chuckled Shade in a wheezy voice.

Well, suffice to say, we are here to track down an individual. You game? in an assertive tone, a man in the corner- the commander- started to speak. Unfortunately, I cannot expose my face to you, Shade, for reasons of my own, but thats no reason for me not to offer you comfort. Please, have a seat. Would you like a drink? We have the finest Maltese rum aboard, or if you favor Libertonian Ale, that.

Depends on the particulars of the... Mission. After all, while I do not mind hard errands, I do not take on errands that put my life at risk without a considerable prize at the end of it. Shade continued to speak, while taking a seat into one of the plush leather seats near a window. The elegant, yet long crystal glasses used to serve him the rum shade found rather pretty.

Of course, Senor. We are looking for an individual. He goes by the name: Proserpine. The last thing we know about this fellow was he was placed in a high security vault on Sugarland Prison Station, Texas System, and was supposedly killed in a raid. However, me, and the crew know that thats not the case. Misdirection, senor Shade, misdirection. What the eyes see, what the ears hear, the mind believes blindly.

Well, seems that you are mighty curious in finding this particular person. My services are yours; however I require something in return. Nothing in this world is free, after all, eh? letting out a faint laugh, shade looked into the eyes of the man hidden in the shadows and thought to himself

* Blue eyesatheletic build...charismatic smile truly a fitting commander.*

We figured as much. What are you looking for? a prompt reply, lined with a hint of desperation. The commander was rather anxious to find this Proserpine person.

Information regarding this... Proserpine, and your mission. Its rather blatantly obvious that youre not here just for one person. There has got to be something else, and Im rather curious.

Aha, Curiosity is a basic human trait indeed. Well, heres a deal, if you will. I give you 50% of the information now, and 50% information after- you give me the confirmed location of Proserpine. After all, you want information regarding a volatile subject, yet are offering nothing more than your word... for now.

You are an interesting person to negotiate with, Mr. Masquez. Pausing for a break to take a sip and to think, Shades mind ploughed through the situation at hand to try and find a hole he could use until Alright, I agree to those terms. Now, lets have that information, shall we?

*laughter*

Indeed, Senor Shade, Lets get to it, shall we?

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