Manhattan, NY In other news, ion storms have been disrupting commerce, communications, and yes, even wars. All throughout Sirius, these ion storms have grounded ships on bases and disabled ships in space. Many people ask why these ion storms are occuring, and for that, we go to Chief Meteorologist Jake Peppermint.
Thanks, and with that, I bring your attention to this disturbing chart:
As you can see, ion storms have been accosting our system because of extreme solar flares in another system, no doubt caused by malevolent gods. We can expect them to continue for up to two weeks, and the intensity should not slacken. Back to you, Jackie Patty.
Thank you. So stay indoors, and don't try to fly that ship; it doesn't work! Oh, and if you're wondering how you're getting this transmission through the ion storm when all other transmissions can't get through, I have one word for you: magic.
Stay on this frequency to keep up-to-date on events related to the ion storm.
((OOC: Feel free to post what your characters are doing during the ion storm, while stuck on stations/bases, or floating around in their disabled ships.))
Zacarias was grounded on the last place he wanted to be: Yanagi. A bunch of Corsairs and Junkers, and not much else. He sighed, and turned back to the person he was playing poker with in the dingy-lit bar. His name was Jorge Valdez, and a long time friend of Zac's. He studied the cards in front of him: the King of Hearts, the King of Diamonds, the Queen of Spades, the Queen of Clovers, and the Queen of Hearts. A full house. He had a feeling that Jorge couldn't beat that, but he didn't know why.
Jorge studied his cards, looked up at Zac's, the said, "I fold," and threw his cards down. He had a straight.
"Why'd ya fold? You have a straight, and that could win most games."
"Why? Because you have a full house, Kings and Queens. It wouldn't win that game."
"What? How the hell did you know that?" Zacarias slammed his cards on the table. He didn't like playing with cheaters.
"We've been playing with the same deck of cards for god knows how long, you can tell each card by it's back." He pulled three random cards out of the deck, and placed them face down directly between them.
"Now, tell me what they are. I know what they are."
Zacarias looked at the cards and squinted. Instinctively, he said, "Three of Hearts, Seven of Clovers, and Jack of Diamonds."
Jorge flipped the cards over and Zacarias cursed. Loud. He had been right, and when he inspected the other side, he saw crumples, stains, and tears. Each card with its own unique back.
"OK, so maybe we need a new deck," Zacarias conceded. He glanced up at the TV, and on seeing Jake Peppermint giving his weather report, forecasting two more weeks of this hell, he said, "OK, we definitely need a new deck of cards."
Lucendez chumped down the metal hall of Freeport 11 conducting his usual inspection of the Corsair forces stationed there. Because of Yaren Base's short distance there wasn't a large contingent but it was large enough to warrant a yearly inspection.
As Juan was thinking about promoting Decurion Solma, the lights simply and suddenly when off. Lucendez drew his pistol and readied himself for the Bounty Hunter attack when the emergency lights flared read and a Klaxon started up. Realizing it was probably another Nomad attack, the Elder started to run for his new Praetorian shouting out status report orders to the wings in space. All he received was static. As he ran, Juan passed by the bar and saw a crowd of people looking out the view windows, included were some Corsairs.
"Hey! Get to your fighters, quickly! We may have just lost ..." As he ran up to the window, he got a view of what exactly was happening. Omicron Delta is a tourist system for many beautiful nebula and gas clouds, but nothing compared to the bright auroras lighting up the sky. Juan suddenly realized why his comm didn't work.
"Attention all able-bodied personnel, this is Freeport security. We have multiple Maydays coming in from all directions. Medical crews report to bays 3 and 4."
Suddenly, Juan saw why people kept gasping. A Bounty Hunter gunboat was leaking coolant and sprouting fires on all decks. It floated silently out in space, slowly disintegrating. Many others were luckier, some hopped out of their ships and joined the rescue crews, others had to be cut from their cockpits, burned and seared flesh waft through the aisle of the Freeport. All the while nobody ever asked another what their faction status' were. It was simply survival at it's most pure.
They had many capital ships incoming as well, and all had to be serviced by the Freeport. Several Corsair Osirus class Battleships lay inert after their crews were rescued. The broken remains of Titans and Hammerheads littered the launch bays.
As Lucendez returned to the bar to unwind after that insane day, he couldn't help feel a large sense of relief for the fact that so many got out fine. He looked out the window and noticed a bright blue ... thing incoming. A Nomad vessel was spinning off to the side of the Freeport, blue liquid was draining from several punctures in it's hull.
Words escaped the worn out Corsair.
"The thirteen saloons that had lined the one street of Seney had not left a trace. The foundations of the Mansion House hotel stuck up above the ground. The stone was chipped and split by the fire. It was all that was left of the town of Seney. Even the surface had been burned off the ground.
Nick looked at the burned-over stretch of hillside, where he had expected to find the scattered houses of the town and then walked down the railroad track to the bridge over the river. The river was there."