Location: Theta, Omicron Sector.
Date: 3rd of May, 835 A.S.
The Gaelic Wyvern Inn, owned and operated by Ozei Ruousha and Kayla Trevarthian, certainly stood out to some.
Business for the Inn had been slow, as of late. As a mobile restaurant and hotel, the Inn certainly had caught the attention of some passersby here and there. And while Ozei and Kayla had done well for themselves here and there, they seemed to be in the midst of a dry spell.
Despite several outings during the previous week (including a galaxy-wide public broadcast detailing their movements), they had come across no one during the week. Because of this, Ozei decided to take a gamble, and risk dipping their toes into the outer seas of the Omicron Nebulae.
Though Ozei knew it to be a somewhat risky venture, Kayla had never been to the Omicrons before! With business being dead, it seemed like a double-excuse to try and ply their trade in a somewhat-safe'ish Omicron Theta.
Somewhat, being the operative term, here!
Mere minutes after the Democritus and Pelican jumped into Theta, Ozei and Kayla were delighted to bump into one of their previous guests, a hunter whom they knew to be Bessie Bishop.
After doing some catching-up, Ozei was juuust thinking about inviting Ms. Bishop aboard the Inn, when trouble came a knockin'. A local Centurion pilot, none-too-pleased to see a Hammerhead loitering between Corfu and Freeport 9, issued a challenge to Bessie:
Leave what he claimed to be Corsair space, or be shot.
Unwilling to depart, words were exchanged back and forth, with some input from both Kayla and Ozei to try and defuse the situation. A noble idea, though unsurprisingly unsuccessful, given just how fiery the Corsair's words were.
As soon as the lasers started flying, Ozei maneuvered the Inn and remote-control Pelican escort ship to a safe distance nearby. Watching on, Ozei kept furious tabs on each duelist's field repair nanobots. It was rough standing by on the sidelines, having to watch on as someone both Kayla and Ozei liked, get shot at by a trigger-happy outlaw.
Bessie, was good - Ozei saw the Centurion's nano-count dwindling rapidly!
Unfortunately, he saw the Hammerhead's own nano-count bottom out even swifter.
All too soon the scuffle was over, and a now-smoking Hammerhead was left to drift dead in the water.
"Bessiee!!" Ozei cried out, quickly reaching out via private comm channels. "Hold on - We shall tow your ship!"
Before that however, there was the matter of the victorious Corsair..
Blessedly, the man in the Centurion, battered but still flying, wished the remaining pair safe travels. Ozei found himself thanking his lucky stars the Corsair viewed them as "poor, food traders," given their choice in vessels. With no time to ponder on the present, the Kusarian maneuvered the Pelican to douse the smoke and any lingering flames of the now-adrift Coyote II.
In short order, Ozei had a tow-cable tethering itself to the Hammerhead. A hasty check of secure connection later, all three vessels made their way towards Planet Pygar.
"Well... It sure has been a while since I have gotten to flex my mechanical knowledge," exclaimed Ozei! "I have never worked on a bounty hunter ship before though, so this should be interesting. I sure hope Ms. Bishop has a set of schematics handy!"
Once the Coyote II was safely within Corfu base's maintenance bay, both Ozei and Kayla would hurry out of the Gaelic Wyvern to greet Bessie.
As the pair spotted the large woman, Kayla was the first to speak up. "Are ye all righ', darlin'?" the Bretonian asked with concern!
The Gaelic Wyvern Inn
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Bessie Bishop grunted, swore, and punched the console. Out beyond the transparent metal canopy of the Coyote II, stars spun lazily in the distance as the Coyote II rolled over, engines dead. A dozen alert lights flickered on the console as multiple alarms rapidly beeped. The power to the targeting scanners flickered and died. With a mighty thunk, the lights flickered off a moment and back on as the emergency batteries engaged.
She glanced down at the scanner before that flickered off. The Corsair was pulling away. “Well, I guess that’s something.”
With a huff, she started toggling off the overheating systems, isolating the damaged reactor, and cutting power to the weapons to try to preserve the battery systems.
Her comm crackled to life, Ozei’s voice cutting through the alarms.
Not long after, there was the distant thump against the hull of a grappler line. Bessie simply sighed and leaned back in her seat, pulling a cigarette out and lighting it as she did. As the space around her began to move as the Coyote II was dragged off, she closed her eyes and took a long drag.
“So much for dinner.” She muttered, taking in the buzzing warm smoke, letting the tension of the battle bleed away. Bessie stood there in the hangar, crossing her arms, the bits of her blast armor on her chest clacking against her vambraces. The hunter was well over six foot, built like a truck, and otherwise dwarfed the occasional technical crewman who wandered on by.
Corfu base was small, poorly staffed, but reasonably well equipped. And thankfully, had free space in their maintenance bays. The magnetic clamps held the Coyote II aloft within one of her berths, the various humming sounds and rumbles of half working systems slowly dying down as Bessie powered her off properly. She pushed her seat back and stood, heading to the hatch behind and below her. She lowered the ladder and clambered on down to the hangar deck.
Walking backwards away from the ship, she eyed it up and down with a mighty groan. The lower engine had taken a direct hit, leaving the panels singed and distorted. Not far from that, several pieces of the starboard wing had been blasted up.
Kayla’s voice drew her gaze. With a turn of her head, she saw both her and Ozei approaching.
“Well as I live and breathe. You two takin up work as first responders?” Her gruff voice half laughed, her cigarette dangling from her lip as she spoke. “Ah I’ll be fine. Save for my pride. Wallet won’t be either I reckon… this thing is gonna set me back.” She scratched the back of her head as she spoke. “And here I was just fuckin talkin about how this old gal was a ramshackle mess of spare parts. I think I’m gonna have to start askin around to see who has spare parts for an HN-C11, eh?”
Bessie took an especially long drag from her cigarette and turned back towards her ship. Slowly she exhaled the smoke through her nose as she spoke in a frustrated and tired tone. "Guess I better put a call out, and see if any of the local Zoner or Core bases have any spare AP equipment in stock. God, what a mess."
Kayla's face lost some of it's concerned look hearing Bessie was ok. She nodded and moved close.
"Well now, ye are going tae come with us and have a good, hot meal, then get a good night's rest. No argument. That thing," She pointed to what was left of the Coyote, "can wait till t'morrow. And it's on the house - No argument there either."
The red-headed spitfire set her feet, looking up at the large woman, and put her hands on her hips.
"Now, follow me and get cleaned up fer dinner, ye're a sight."
As Kayla gave Bessie the run-down on how the chef planned for the hunter's evening to go, Ozei found himself admiring just how matter-of-factly and confidently Kayla spoke, in addition to her aura of assertiveness. The juxtaposition of how abnormally TALL Bessie was, versus Kayla's five-foot-nothin', enjoys-food-but-jogs-on-weekends frame was equal parts jarring as it was fascinating.
It was as if that stance of Kayla's dared the woman dwarfing both of them to try and turn down a free meal and bunk for the night.
"We can probably start the leg work of reaching out to folks regarding replacement engines," Ozei added. "In fact, I can check with the technicians right here on Corfu," he mentioned with a gesture towards one of the on-base techs, "to see if they've got HN-C11 parts handy. Meanwhile, you can head with Kayla to the Inn. Other than that, Kayla is correct - We can worry about the rest tomorrow."
Ozei pondered a moment, before his face gained an 'ah, right!' expression. "Also: I recall your comms died mid-conversation, so you must have missed the part where I said we can cover your repair costs! I cannot help but feel partially to blame for that Centurion pilot finding you. And before you decline, just know that I won a little something-something from a racing competition last weekend, and we want to share some of that gift with you," he stated warmly.
The Gaelic Wyvern Inn
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With a scoff, Bessie smiled. She pointed down at at Kayla with her cigarette before turning to Ozei. "Feisty gal. I have a feelin she dun take 'no' for an answer that often."
With a half hearted chuckle she returned the cigarette to her lips where she let it hung, smoke lazily wafting up from it. "You know what, fuck it. I won't say no to free food. Beats the synthpaste rations these places usually stock up too I reckon."
As Ozei talked, she traced where his hand went, watching her gesture to one of the technicians in the bay. "Ain't no reason to not I suppose. Wouldn't have to have 'em shipped in if they got the parts so that there's mighty nice."
Bessie turned back to the ship, scrunching up her nose and narrowing her eyes at it as her gaze settled upon the blasted up metal. The nano-bots had done their job to repair some of the damage. Even from here she could make out the odd patches of strangely smooth and silver metal in the center of several of the deeper gouges on the hull. The little machines had flowed into and up over the holes, sealing them and isolating the ship's internals from the dangerous vacuum of space. That didn't save all the ship's equipment though. Bastard had Zoner guns, a fact that made her grumble a bit to herself, half wondering if the Corsair looted them or if some weak-willed Zoner was just bullied into giving them up.
Ozei's sudden statement about the repair costs broke her train of thought.
"Oh!" She blinked, turning to face him. "Oh heck, Ozei this here's just a part of my business! I gotta be able to cover my own expenses... besides, with the damage to that engine it's gotta be at least fourteen thousand credits to get that lower fusion rocket running again. And that's just the one part! I ain't even had a guy do a once over of the powerplant yet. You may wanna wait for a diagnostic report before you commit to that there generous offer." She took another long drag before letting out a long huff of smoke again with a sigh. "Hard to say no, though...ain't like my pride is coming out unbruised anyways."
Kayla had moved a few feet away and turned back. "Are ye two comin' or do I have tae drag ye?" Now this sounded absolutely ridiculous as they were both much larger than the tiny mite. "I'm goin' tae start dinner. If ye two arent there by the time I'm done, I'm comin' back tae get ye. " She gave an emphatic nod and stomped off to her galley to prepare a feast.
The food included Boxtys, Celtic Stew and Fish and Chips. Desert would be blueberry scones. Drink would be imbiber's choice. She was going to be sure their friend had a good meal under her belt and a comfortable room to pass the night. Tomorrow was soon enough to worry about the rest.
"Fourteen thousand?" boggled with a whistle. "For ONE rocket?? You could almost get a whole, brand new ship for that! She must be a real old ride for parts to be that steep! Yikes... Well, how about this: We shall see what the total cost is going to be, and I can chip in from there. Solid plan?"
When Kayla mentioned potentially dragging them, he huffed a quiet laugh. Once Kayla's voice had risen a bit on the second sentence, and she'd begun to stomp out of the maintenance bay, Ozei winced with a scratch behind his head. "Right... Uhh, I am going to check with that tech real quick; get his number so I can check back in a couple of hours, then join you ladies in two minutes. Catch you soon!" With that, the Kusarian went about to do just that - When Kayla got grumpy waiting, he thought it best to keep his business brief!
The Gaelic Wyvern Inn
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"I'll say this, she's persistent. But, I mean, hell Ozei. I know these things ain't cheap. This ain't the first time I've had it replaced after all." She gestured up at the ship. "I know this stupid gal inside and out. The, uh, ship I mean."
She shrugged.
"Whatever. You guys have uh, the inn docked here I take it, is that where she's going?" She glanced on over at the tech nearby. He was busy logging some data on his tablet as he chatted into an earpiece, no doubt something to do with supplies or diagnostics. She watched him a moment and turned back to Ozei.
"Yeah go touch base with him, I will uh, just uh... find the ship."
She awkwardly smiled, then turned on her heel to follow after Kayla. She'd been to Corfu base many times before, and had a decent idea of its layout. Her heavy footcalls announced her presence as she wandered out of the maintenance bay and towards the docking bays. Largely empty flight lounges and the occasional crewman or visitor with a cargo sled or armful of cases greeted her. With a grumble she glanced down the hall, cocking her head, trying to figure out where Kayla had gone. No luck. Finally, she bit the bullet, and just walked on up to one of the station's data-terminals and started pulling up what ships were parked on the larger berths. She glanced at the ships and found one matching the Wyvern's description at dock 3. And she made her way towards it.
Ozei bade Bessie farewell for the moment, before hustling over to the tech busy with his data-pad. Right before he got to the tech, Ozei realized he hadn't told Bessie where they had moored their ship! Seeing that the hunter was already out of sight, he snapped his fingers.
Well.. She'd figure it out, right?
As the tech saw Ozei approaching, he sighed and held up a pair of fingers in a 'hold on' gesture. Ozei nodded as the man took a few seconds to confirm an order number with someone on the line, before ending the call. "Yeah?"
Well you're friendly, Ozei thought. "Does Corfu have any spare HN engine rockets? For the Hammerhead over there," he pointed with a thumb over his shoulder.
The tech's attention went back to his data-pad, mumbling a voice command for 'Inventory check, Hammerhead Rocket Engine' into his earpiece. After a moment of scrolling, he made a 'huh' noise, his eyes lifting back toward Ozei. "I don't got one ready-to-rig, but it looks like we've got a parts kit with the important bits. Could put in an order for the auto-forger to print out the rocket's tube shape, then we could install the guts. Ought'a be good enough - I've worked on those 'bunter models before."
Ozei grinned with amusement at the 'bunter' comment. "Sounds good. Go ahead and place it in the auto-forger queue as pending - Ship's pilot ought to have final say on that."
The tech grunted. "Hnh. Yeah, guess so. Just get'er to green or red light it within the hour - I can't have the queue backed up. She can do that at any data-terminal; they're all over the place."
The Kusarian gave a quick, light bow of the head. "Of course - Thank you," he said with a quick salute-wave before turning to jog out of the maintenance bay.
After a brisk walk from bay to bay, Ozei managed to catch Bessie right as she was about to board the walkway onto the Inn. He may not be in a heavily armored suit like Bessie was, but Ozei's swift footfalls were still audible enough for the hunter to hear him coming. "Hey," he said cheerfully, "I have a bit of decent news!" He explained the situation with the engine, and how she could confirm or decline the auto-forger at a data-terminal. "Not the best case scenario, but better than having to wait a day or two on a replacement engine. I suppose they could probably forge a wing replacement, too - Tech said he has worked on AP-line ships, before."
Once Bessie had wrapped up at the data-terminal conveniently near the entrance to their docking bridge, Ozei would lead Bessie onto the Inn!
Much of the Inn's layout was still similar in appearance to a stock Democritus. There was one notable detail of most of the ship's corridors that Ozei and Kayla had managed to alter, thus far. Instead of the standard tile or metal material expected of a passenger ferry, the floors were lined with reclaimed wood that shone slightly with a clear coat of varnish. The occasional rug also lined the hallways at regular intervals, rectangular and woven in the matching deep green and golden colors of the Inn's exterior lights.
Upon reaching the dining hall, it was apparent that this part of the ship had received the most love, so far. That same reclaimed wood lining the hallways could be found here as well, but the entire room felt like it belonged within the pages of an old Earth fantasy. Stepping though the threshold almost felt like being transported back in time and setting foot within a cozy old tavern during the days of knights, kings and mages. The walls were wainscoted with more reclaimed wood that stopped a third of the way toward the ceiling. Above the wooden panels, the walls were painted a soft cream color. The only thing missing to complete the fantasy vibe was a slew of travelers sitting down for a meal or drink! Alas - Ozei, Kayla and Bessie were the only ones present for the evening.
The Gaelic Wyvern Inn
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She nodded over to him as he approached and spoke.
"I mean hell if it works." She shrugged. "She's already a mess of a ship. At the very least, them AP models are easy to repair and modify. Lots of modular parts."
Bessie walked and talked with Ozei as they crossed the docking bridge, the cool humming air of the ventilation cycling between the ship and the station ringing out in the narrow passage. Bessie had only been aboard once, and it was frankly among one of the only times she'd even been on a ship this fancy outside of that one Hogosha boss she met with. Still, the sight of so much decor and even wooden floors on a space craft made for a unique and special place. She followed Ozei down the corridors and into the dining hall, taking a moment to look over the place before turning to him with a smirk.
"I feel like I should have brought a big sword or somethin. Dress me up like an old time-y man-at-arms." She yanked the cigarette from her mouth and snuffed it out against her own breastplate, leaving a small dirty spot. She held the butt up between her two fingers. "Reckon I should get rid of this. Though I should probably find a place for my stuff too, I can run it back to my ship later, but I figure I am a mite bit overdressed for this place." She held out her poncho as she spoke, gesturing to her scuffed up blast armor and numerous pouches and pockets.
