As soon as Gyp was recovered both him and Trenton said goodbye to the Hibachi dealer, who was returning to Puerto Rico with his pockets filled by the Discordian Ambassador to pursue his own Junker dreams. They just opened a bottle of Coalition Vodka and talked about simple things, as the dents left by little asteroids on one's ship hull, or how systems with two suns played tricks on one's head.
After that, they packed up and set sails to the Omicrons. The chosen route was long, but safe. They would reach Alpha through the Taus and then quickly turn to the Sigmas, to enter Omicron 74 through Theta.
Quote:[29.09.2014 00:19:46] James.Trenton: Ok formed up with you
[29.09.2014 00:19:52] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Gyp: A fine day to hit the Taus don't you think my friend? *gypsie eats an apple sitting in a diner's table on the main room*.
[29.09.2014 00:20:49] James.Trenton: Yes Gyp.. It is.. Altho I cannot stop thinking about home right now.
[29.09.2014 00:21:11] James.Trenton: Your help is much appreciated though my old friend.
[29.09.2014 00:21:12] [TAZ]Telemakhos: It's been a while since we left Puerto Rico, aye, but think about all that's happened.
[29.09.2014 00:21:35] [TAZ]Telemakhos: If we're lucky we'll find a squid to interrogate *laughs*
[29.09.2014 00:22:41] James.Trenton: So if you dun mind me askin.. Where we headed?
[29.09.2014 00:22:46] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Well
[29.09.2014 00:22:57] [TAZ]Telemakhos: I have to avoid Kusari for obvious reasons.
[29.09.2014 00:23:14] [TAZ]Telemakhos: So I figured we better hit the outer Omicron ring instead.
[29.09.2014 00:23:16] James.Trenton: No doubt.. not a very safe place for me either.
[29.09.2014 00:23:30] [TAZ]Telemakhos: We're headed to Omicron 74 after all
[29.09.2014 00:24:39] [TAZ]Telemakhos: I plan on taking with me the Zoner shipline.
[29.09.2014 00:25:19] James.Trenton: Really? Where do you plan to take it?
[29.09.2014 00:25:50] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Well, that's classified. But what the hell... We're planning on renting shipyard space to the Colonials
[29.09.2014 00:26:21] [TAZ]Telemakhos: It's the nearest shipyard to Baffin, theirs.
[29.09.2014 00:27:34] [TAZ]Telemakhos: James... I think we're gonna need some extra help for this little act we're gonna put up.
[29.09.2014 00:27:56] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Lemme check of any good place to hire some space marines.
[29.09.2014 00:27:57] James.Trenton: What'd you have in mind?
[29.09.2014 00:29:01] [TAZ]Telemakhos: The Maltese mercenaries seem to be of some renown...
[29.09.2014 00:29:29] [TAZ]Telemakhos: I don't want to make a mess, just secure our in and our out of there with the holocron.
[29.09.2014 00:29:34] James.Trenton: Ya.. sure they are. Still I wouldn't have thought you Zoners would want to enlist their help?
[29.09.2014 00:30:10] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Well this is not a Zoner mission. This is a secession mission my friend.
[29.09.2014 00:30:29] James.Trenton: I see..
[29.09.2014 00:30:31] [TAZ]Telemakhos: This is the first step in the independization of TAZ from the Zoner bunch!
[29.09.2014 00:31:48] [TAZ]Telemakhos: So... how many extra blokes do you think makes sense?
[29.09.2014 00:31:49] James.Trenton: Well I'm sure you realize we can easily make contact with Malta.. are these mercenaries you speak of there?
[29.09.2014 00:32:07] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Yeah they're from Malta indeed.
[29.09.2014 00:32:22] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Which is just around this hole here.
[29.09.2014 00:33:27] [TAZ]Telemakhos: There it is... Planet Malta... I can already smell the Cardamine
[29.09.2014 00:33:36] James.Trenton: Ah yes and we know this place rather well.
Then a freelancer ship by the callsign Reinhard Fester undocked from Malta. Gyp and Trenton knew the guy back from Texas.
Quote:[29.09.2014 00:33:36] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Gypsie Skripto: Kallisti!
[29.09.2014 00:33:45] James.Trenton: Hola amigo!
[29.09.2014 00:33:45] Reinhard.Fester.: Gypsie!
[29.09.2014 00:34:06] Reinhard.Fester.: Been a while, I guess.
[29.09.2014 00:34:13] [TAZ]Telemakhos: It has!
[29.09.2014 00:34:29] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Last time we saw each other I was mining in Texas on this old piece of scrap.
[29.09.2014 00:34:48] Reinhard.Fester.: It IS quite literally a piece of scrap.
[29.09.2014 00:35:00] Reinhard.Fester.: With engines.'
[29.09.2014 00:35:01] [TAZ]Telemakhos: *Laughs*
[29.09.2014 00:35:10] Reinhard.Fester.: Well, I just came back from a hellish world.
[29.09.2014 00:35:14] Reinhard.Fester.: Called Omicron 99.
[29.09.2014 00:35:16] James.Trenton: Hello Fester.. good to see you again
[29.09.2014 00:35:27] [TAZ]Telemakhos: What happened?
[29.09.2014 00:35:39] Reinhard.Fester.: You ever seen a Nomad cruiser before?
[29.09.2014 00:35:48] Reinhard.Fester.: Or whatever those big fat ones are called?
[29.09.2014 00:35:52] [TAZ]Telemakhos: *Looks at Trenton*
[29.09.2014 00:35:53] James.Trenton: Aye.. in Puerto Rico recently in fact
[29.09.2014 00:35:58] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Oh yeah, I have.
[29.09.2014 00:36:07] Reinhard.Fester.: I had to see 6 of them.
[29.09.2014 00:36:15] Reinhard.Fester.: Along with 10 gunboats.
[29.09.2014 00:36:15] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Whaaaaaaaaat?!
[29.09.2014 00:36:26] Reinhard.Fester.: It's a miracle I'm still alive.
[29.09.2014 00:36:29] [TAZ]Telemakhos: The Horror!
[29.09.2014 00:36:34] James.Trenton: WOW.. you know it was just ONE of those things that managed to take down the GORDON!!
[29.09.2014 00:36:42] James.Trenton: You are very lucky my friend
[29.09.2014 00:37:04] Reinhard.Fester.: And I guess you could say I took 3 gunboats down before I had to make a run for it.
[29.09.2014 00:37:20] Reinhard.Fester.: I got here on 1 engine.
[29.09.2014 00:37:49] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Wow bro, well at least you live!
[29.09.2014 00:37:59] Reinhard.Fester.: Well, that's the good thing.
[29.09.2014 00:38:04] Reinhard.Fester.: At least I'm still breathing.
[29.09.2014 00:38:08] James.Trenton: Impressive.. just one gunboat, one cruiser and one fighter took out several Congress ships along with the flagship.
[29.09.2014 00:38:35] Reinhard.Fester.: Maybe you need to train your fighter pilots a little? I know most of their target practice comes from floating scrap...
[29.09.2014 00:38:37] James.Trenton: Too bad you weren't around could've used your skills that day no doubt
[29.09.2014 00:38:51] [TAZ]Telemakhos: I saw it all, he's not lying Fester
[29.09.2014 00:39:02] James.Trenton: Well no doubt training and practice are in order.. but you must know these were not your regular nomad patrols
[29.09.2014 00:39:14] James.Trenton: these were the elder ones.
[29.09.2014 00:39:20] Reinhard.Fester.: I heard about that onslaught from Xe and Juan. My god
[29.09.2014 00:39:38] James.Trenton: Yes was truly a nightmare.. Gyp and I were there to witness it first hand
[29.09.2014 00:39:51] Death: Corvinus was put out of action by a hostile vessel.
[29.09.2014 00:40:04] James.Trenton: Its actually why you see me here on his ship instead of one of my own.
[29.09.2014 00:40:09] James.Trenton: oops
[29.09.2014 00:40:12] Reinhard.Fester.: Someone needs to go and find something that can reliably detect cloaked ships...they used that advantage to get into Puerto Ric
[29.09.2014 00:40:21] James.Trenton: Its actually why you see me here on his ship instead of one of my own.
[29.09.2014 00:40:39] [TAZ]Telemakhos: And I don't know what kind of fuel they use, but it seems to know no limits!
[29.09.2014 00:40:52] James.Trenton: Yes very true.. our only defense has come by using our own cloaks to bypass their watchful eyes
[29.09.2014 00:40:57] Reinhard.Fester.: I heard that they don't use fuel at all!
[29.09.2014 00:41:08] James.Trenton: I fear they still stay in Puerto Rico waiting to strike when the time is right again.
[29.09.2014 00:41:13] Reinhard.Fester.: Something about stellar energy and solar power...
[29.09.2014 00:41:47] Reinhard.Fester.: Unfortunately, they can bypass even the base gunners at Fortaleza.
[29.09.2014 00:41:57] James.Trenton: Aye as we saw
[29.09.2014 00:42:06] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Gypsie Skripto: Anybody home?
[29.09.2014 00:42:26] Reinhard.Fester.: I think some of the Crimson Cross are on patrol.
[29.09.2014 00:42:52] [TAZ]Telemakhos: Too bad they are not here
[29.09.2014 00:42:56] James.Trenton: Ah.. good perhaps we should meet with them?
[29.09.2014 00:43:15] [TAZ]Telemakhos: I need someone to let me know where to find a dozen or two of well trained soldiers around here
[29.09.2014 00:43:34] Reinhard.Fester.: Well, I can't help ye there, but maybe you could ask around!
[29.09.2014 00:43:59] Reinhard.Fester.: And don't look at me, I'm just lucky to have survived that encounter with the Nomads!
[29.09.2014 00:46:22] Reinhard.Fester.: Gotta set port at Valetta, the dockmaster didn't refuel my tank either.
[29.09.2014 00:46:31] Reinhard.Fester.: Good luck!
The Freelancer docked at Valetta waving goodbye. James turned to Gyp.
Quote:[29.09.2014 00:46:39] James.Trenton: I can find them for us
[29.09.2014 00:46:46] James.Trenton: I know the streets of Malta well