Lucion Vega or Lucio as he is known to his friends looked down at the computer screen, it was a message from his childhood friend Angela
Ive got some information regarding the Cryer situation
although obvious that I cant tell you over the comm system.
So youll need to meet me on Ibiza station.
Angela over and out.
Ive known Angela for over 10 years, we went through school together. If it wasnt for us choosing different career paths we would still be close friends, she chose the intelligence side of war, I choose the fighting side.
I left my room to find the usual sight of the fighter corps main base walls staring at me. As I entered the hyperlift I found that Lohingren Hikari and his brother, the leaders of the famed Reapers of Sirius, were in the lift with me. I wondered why they were here but I decided not to interrupt their business so I pushed all thoughts to the back of my head and hurried onward with my own business.
I past the busy corp command on my way to the hanger, all the usual hustle and bustle was going on, patrols coming and going, assault squads were coming in after successful strikes on trader convoys.
I sped to my sabre, it had its usual markings on it showing off my triumphs, 3 Corsair fighters and 7 trader escorts, I climbed in the cockpit and began the start up procedure, as the lights lit up one by one I pushed my throttle forward and left the hanger.
This is Lucion Vega, Pilot Number 199-769 requesting permission to leave the surface
That same metallic voice that always replied came echoing through my comm system
Permission granted 199-769, safe flying
As I left Malta I engaged my cruise engines and set a course for Ibiza, I turned on my music system and began listening to the newer of the heavy metal music ripped from the House's datastreams.
Ibiza was the usual stuff when I arrived, smugglers picking up their shipments to haul to the houses and of course traders bringing us shipments of metals, uranium, deuterium and the lot. Angela was in her usual place, a flat in the higher quarter of Ibiza if you could call it that.
I knocked on the door, I heard footsteps heading closer to the door and a second later the doors internal lock disengaging.
Took your time Lucio
I cant help it command is all over the place now days, the newer members of the council are sending more and more commands through everyday I replied with a slightly irritable sound.
Well you cant come in, I only wanted to meet with you to give you this
She handed me a small info pad
Leave Ibiza before you read it, I dont know if I had a tail after I got the info
Alright, cheers
I backed off and headed back to my fighter, clearly Angela had changed from her old bright self to a more paranoid untrusting type, who could blame her especially in her line of work?
The engines hummed as my Sabre came to life, I was granted permission to leave, as I left the station I began to read the data pad Angela had given me
**Transmission Open**
To: Craver Williams
From: Cryer Ph. Project SC leader
Subject:SC
As you know Project SC is our attempt to make Synthetic Cardimine to deprive the Outcast nation of funding. So far the project is going according to plan, we are on schedule to complete the project in time for the annual MDOC (Medical Drug Oversight Community), new shipments for testing are arriving everyday thanks to our agreement with certain parties, however some Outcasts are becoming more and more suspicious of the wayward shipments that never turn up in the house systems,but so far we havent had any problems with the Outcasts. However you may need to bribe some more Kusari officials as one of their navy patrols intercepted a shipment of food rations and found a significant amount of cardamine.
**Transmission Closed**
I could scarcely believe what I had read, if this was a truthful report then this so called synthetic Cardamine could ruin our entire economy
Part Two
I need to see the council urgently the urgency I felt shook my entire body
The councillor's secretary sat on his comfortable chair typing a timetable for one the of councillors. He looked up at me with disdain.
The councillors are in session on a manner that is much more important then you. Come back later
I slammed his computer shut, it surprised him enough to make him jerk upright in his chair
NOW!
Of course, go right ahead his eyes showed his true cowardice nature
I spent hours discussing the synthetic Cardamine with the council, in the end they believed the transmission to be a prank thought up by some spoilt brat. They told me over and over again that I wasnt yet old enough to understand the fundamentals of our existence, that I was too panicky, that I was not wise enough yet. What do they know?
I left the council chambers in disgust, these arrogant fools would be the downfall of the Outcasts.
Part Three
I sat by the trade lane waiting for the convoy that my informant told me about, supposedly a convoy carrying Cardamine and information about its genetic structure. I tapped into the trade lanes main frame using the technology the lane hackers so helpfully donated to our cause, the main frame eventually alerted me to a large convoy entering the trade lane from the Honshu jump gate direction, I waited until they were within 5k of the trade lane ring I was next too and deactivated it, in my rush for blood and failed to see the ten or so fighter escorts.
I had no chance, my informant said there would be two fighter escorts not ten. The escorts opened fire immediately unleashing a onslaught of blasts from the weapons, my shields were down to 50% power before I had time to react, I engaged my after burner and hit the closest fighter with all the guns on my ship, their shields were down in no time and a nicely placed missile destroyed him, I dodged the rest of the escorts while firing at my next target but it was useless this escort was in a heavily outfitted VHF, I engaged my cruise engines and dumped half of my counter measures, my computer detected multiple missile locks but the CMs did their job, by the time they realised their cruise disrupters hadnt work I was already well on my way to the beta jump hole..
Two days had passed since that fungus of an operation, and here I am sitting near Cryers main base waiting for the Synthetic Cardamines project leader to leave with hopefully some important documents in his hands, my so called informant guaranteed this to be good information, at 1916 he left the station I trailed him for about four hours before I made my move.
Drop your cargo and give yourself up fool
This is Cryer Lead, all fighters leave the gas cloud and engage
Out of the gas cloud came 15 heavy fighters, two very heavy fighters and a gunboat, I engaged my cruise engines and dropped the usual amount of counter measures but it was no use I was hit by no less than three cruise disruptors. Two of the heavy fighters were hitting me from behind and a very heavy fighter was firing at me from the front, my shields were down and my engines were taking a heavy beaten, my after burner and cruise engines were out of commission my normal engines would be out as well if I didnt start dodging faster, I pulled a U-turn and hit the heavy fighter on my left with my guns and a missile, his shield was down and his ships was electronics were shutting down but it was futile my engines were dead and my weapon system was malfunctioning I was dead in the water.
Give yourself up or we will be forced to destroy
As the thick liberty accent was ringing through my head the gunboat exploded
This is Skull leader Archon of the Reapers leave our brother alone or face our wrath
Both sides eyed each other upped with me sitting in the middle for what seemed like an eternity, the Cryer ships activated their cruise engines, turned and fled from the battle
We were in the neighbour hood chasing down some Corsairs and thought you may some help
Of course, Archon, its appreciated I may need a lift, if you have a seat free?
Sure, eject from your ship and Ill tractor you in, dont forget to set your self destruct we dont want any Corsairs picking up our technology
I hit the self destruct and ejected my escaped and soon enough I was on board the Archons ship watching my ship blew up
Im going to miss her
Youll get a new one soon enough came the Archon's rather sympathetic reply
On our way home to Alpha I discussed the Cryer situation with him, the council's arrogance and my run in with the convoy, he simply told me to approach him if I needed help, he himself and heard reports about it but was unable to do divert any of the Reapers resources due to the build up of Corsair military and constant colonial attacks.
Part Four
Once we hit Maltas surface we parted ways, I went to my favourite bar and began going over the previous few days, the more I thought about it the more it seemed futile it seemed. No one man, even a Cardamine enhanced human such as myself, could bring done a powerful corporation like Cryer, I began to think of putting together a squadron. But who was I kidding I didnt have the influence never mind the finance to put it together.
But I did know someone who did.
I began putting ideas together, wed be a squadron made mainly of bombers, our base of operations would be Ruiz in the Beta system, wed use the base as a place to strike Cryer where it a hurt, It could also be used as a defensive line against enemies entering from Sigma-19. We could also make incursions into liberty every so often to strike at Cryers heart. We could also convince our Lane Hacker allies to allow us access to more hacking equipment in order to damage Cryers accounts. Stealing credits from Cryer to fund our strikes against them...
The next I approached Archon Lohingren with my ideas, he looked at me for five minutes after I had explained the idea to him, I was certain he wouldnt be able to spare the funds to help me but his reply came shortly after, it was simply.
How would you feel about captaining a gunboat?
Lohingren's approval came with 2 strings attached.
1 We would fall under the RoS banner, which was fine by me.
2 We support all RoS operations and come when called upon.
3 We support our outcast brethren when needed
//Special thanks to Mwerte for "tweaking" the story and helping me plan it out
//PS:Any comments or criticism would be appreciated PM me
I intercepted a Junker smuggler today on his way through Beta, I decided to escort him in order to stop Cryer or any police military stopping him, after a long and uneventful journey we arrived at Houston and parted ways.
On my way to Kusari I received info about luxury liner carrying a Cryer official to Munich for his vacation, I did a U-turn and headed towards Munich however on the way I was intercepted by several liberty police and military.
After I got away I decided to alert the whole of New York about the corruptness of the current governments, this was short lived however as after asking me several questions the police opened fired.
Again after several minutes of chasing I was near Buffalo base the home of many allies... I didn't make it, I did however manage to use my escape pod and signal for pickup. Before my allies arrived to retrieve my escape pod and sent an open invitation to all people who are sick of the corrupt.