Bowex InfoNet (inRP)

[jammi]

To: Bowex InfoNet.
From: Flight Instructor Andrew Peterson.
RE: Standard report.

Today has once more been an eventful one. I initiated my trade run by picking up a troop of young scientific undergraduates from Ames Research Station in Kepler (I was actually scouting for H Fuel buy-sites, but that's irrelevant) and set course for Cambridge. Nothing of particular interest happened until I reached Manchester, at which point things got rather interesting, rather quickly.

I encountered a "Pilgrim" class transport called SV-Antares, colloquially known as the Slave Liner. It seemed that this was in fact a slaver, given the Lane Hacker IFF, and the sheer number of captured pilots and illegal commodities there were in the hold. Unfortunately, he also had a scanner and could see I was carrying passengers. He thus decided he would try to way-lay me. Unfortunately for him, he didn't seem to realise he was dealing with a Clydedale. Nor did he realise what Bowex's policy on slavers has been ever since a whole bloody gang of them hijacked one of our bloody Royal Liners.

[22.06.2011 13:35:34] SV-Antares: Hmm some scientists ey'?
[22.06.2011 13:35:48] Bowex)Leeson: Indeed. And you're not getting your grubby paws on them.
[22.06.2011 13:35:53] SV-Antares: Might fetch a good price on the Market eh?
[22.06.2011 13:35:58] Bowex)Leeson: Try it, and you'll regret the day you were ever born, sah.
[22.06.2011 13:37:17] SV-Antares: So how about handing let's say Half of them over, since i'm feeling charitable.
[22.06.2011 13:37:24] Bowex)Leeson: I'm warning you Slaver. Cease and desist, or I will shoot you in the face.
[22.06.2011 13:37:43] SV-Antares: No?
[22.06.2011 13:37:55] Bowex)Leeson: You do not want to do this, trust me. [Slaver opens fire]
[22.06.2011 13:38:42] Bowex)Leeson: Very well. You've made up your mind. Time to tear you to bits, y'bugger.

And tear him to bits we did. He jumped to New London and set a course for the Devon Asteroid field. I was engaged in a running fight when Mart turned up in the Fenning. Together, we took it in turns to pound on his shields and hull, eventually carving the hulk into ragged chunks. The Fenning tractored the captured pilots, and we both proceeded to Cambridge to drop our charges off.

Later that afternoon, we decided to make the return trip to Liberty. Once again, it was Manchester that provided a moment of interest. Yet another slaver - an Albatross class Large Transport called Wulf - was encountered fleeing from Birmingham's guns. The local BMM residents had quite rightfully taken offence to the foul crime of human trafficking and opened up on him. This time, it was affiliated with the Outcasts. We carefully judged the political situation, decided that the Outcasts weren't worth pissing on if they were on fire, and proceeded to intercept him.

[22.06.2011 15:55:08] Bowex)Leeson: You sir! Stop in the name of the law!
[22.06.2011 15:55:27] Bowex)Leeson: Bowex does not tolerate slavery!
[22.06.2011 15:55:31] Bowex)Fenning: you foul brigand!
[22.06.2011 15:55:38] Bowex)Leeson: Now you sit tight and cut your engines!
[22.06.2011 15:55:47] Bowex)Fenning: or face the Clyde wrath!
[22.06.2011 15:55:49] Wulf: you dont want to play amigo
[22.06.2011 15:56:01] Bowex)Fenning: we do not sir!
[22.06.2011 15:56:05] Bowex)Fenning: the insult!
[22.06.2011 15:56:08] Bowex)Leeson: Trust me, if you decide to be awkward, we'll shoot your bridge out.
[22.06.2011 15:56:16] Bowex)Fenning: we sure will!
[22.06.2011 15:56:25] Bowex)Leeson: The cargo pods won't even be disturbed.
[22.06.2011 15:56:34] Bowex)Fenning: now release them!
[22.06.2011 15:56:35] Bowex)Leeson: Now, you're going to set those fellows free.
[22.06.2011 15:56:47] Bowex)Leeson: Follow us, and let them go on New London.
[22.06.2011 15:56:52] Bowex)Leeson: Or Canterbury station. Your choice.
[22.06.2011 15:57:09] Bowex)Fenning: i say! shoot the bugger already!
[22.06.2011 15:57:13] Bowex)Leeson: Fail to do so, and we will atomise you.
[22.06.2011 15:57:29] Bowex)Fenning: he's cleary refusing!
[22.06.2011 15:57:32] Wulf: for one i cant land at lawful base
[22.06.2011 15:57:34] Bowex)Leeson: Your unwilling passengers will be fine, but you sir will die.
[22.06.2011 15:57:37] Bowex)Fenning: *jumps up and down* death! death!
[22.06.2011 15:57:45] Bowex)Leeson: Now, comply with our orders.
[22.06.2011 15:57:52] Bowex)Leeson: Set a course for the jump gate.
[22.06.2011 15:58:01] Bowex)Leeson: We ourselves will shuttle them to the station.

After leading us on a merry chase all over the system, we eventually caught him right back where we found him. The stupid bugger took a trade lane to Birmingham, allowing us to catch up and shoot out the lane ring ahead of him, effectively trapping him. Myself and the Fenning dropped its shields, then utterly demolished its bridge. The cargo pods were left unbreached and free-floating in the wreckage. We immediately prioritised freeing the poor wretches, dropping our cargo and towing the pods to Birmingham's docking bays.

Inside, the pods were unsealed, wherein 3,000 gibbering and hysterical former-slaves were unleashed. I hear they're still trying to round them up now! Good lot, really. 'Lot of spirit. I dread to think what they would have done to the Outcasts who were going to try and use them. At any rate, there was no civilian collateral damage. Once they've all been registered, a BPA shuttle will begin transferring them all to either Planet New London or Leeds. From there they can be sent back to wherever they were abducted from.

We really, really need to put a bounty on these amoral bastards. The slave trade needs to be stamped out in Sirius, and Bowex will be at the forefront of the fight - even if I have to fire the first and last shot myself!

~Peterson.

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