"Do I need to pound you before you get the message? SCRAM!"
"Scrappy" looked up with a start, he had accidentally wandered into his classmate's foosball match at recess. This could get ugly. He slowly backed up and around the corner before the other boys decided to beat him up just for the fun of it. "Bloody hell that was close."
Ross "Scrappy" Noyes had a hard lot in life. Born to parents to poor to afford good clothes or a good home he lived in a slum on the outskirts of New London (the city on the planet). As soon as he was old enough to walk and talk his parents taught him how to search everywhere for bits and pieces of valuable things that they could turn in for a few meager credits. With all three of them scraping together a living they squeaked by. But it was a hard life, Ross was teased at school because his clothes and hair were never clean and he was always picking the dirt and trash for valuable scrap. Hence the nickname "Scrappy".
Ross was miserable. Because he was poor his teachers automatically assumed he was dumb and paid no attention to him in class. Because he wasn't helped his grades suffered, which perpetuated a viscious cycle.
Life went on, searching for more scrap, slowly moving from day to day, dodging the bullies. Time went on but everything stayed the same for poor Ross.
But all of that changed when Ross was 15. By now he was working as an apprentice ship mechanic for a small docking bay. One day a battered and broken down Firefly transport landed with a crash and a cloud of smoke billowed out of the engine room.
Coughing, a lankey man stepped out of the ship, spying Ross he motioned the boy over and asked if he could fix the ship. Ross nodded and the captain pressed 10 credits into Ross' hand. "Get to it boy."
Ross walked inside the ship to find everything in shambles. Panels lay open and bare wires shot electricity off randomly. Ross made his way to the engine room and quickly fixed the repulsor coil so that the ship would have an easier landing next time. He also tuned the engines so they would work at 92% efficiency instead of the 67% efficiency they were running at.. On his way out he stopped by the massive cargo hold. And his eyes opened in amazement. Boxes upon boxes of goods lined the cargo bay. More wealth was in here then his family had ever seen. The boxes were marked "Books", but certainly they couldn't all be books. He had to look inside to find out what was really there.
Quickly he snuck to the nearest box and pried the lid open. Shiney artifacts looked back at him. Artifacts! More money was in one of those then in 2 months of working at the docking bay. He had to have one. No... he couldn't.
Ross closed the lid and walked away. And then walked back and picked up an Artifact. And put it in his pocket. Just one. Ross quickly headed for the airlock.
"And where do you think you are going?"
"Uhhh...out, the engine is fixed and I have other ships to attend to."
"With my cargo in your pocket? I don't think so."
The captain reached into Ross's pocket and pulled out the pilfered artifact.
"And I suppose this just 'fell' into your pocket?"
"No sir, I have no idea how it got there."
"What is your name?"
"Rrross... Ross Noyes."
"Run along Ross, and I won't say anything if you don't."
Gratefully Ross hurried out of the ship and on to his next project.
The next day Ross was alone after school like usual, heading to work at the docking bay, picking up pieces of scrap that other people tossed away.
Suddenly the captain of the firefly was in front of him.
"Ross, I've been thinking, I could use a good mechanic on my ship. Would you like to come with me?"
"After what I did?"
"Sure, you just proved to me that you were qualified for the Junker way of life. Anything to survive."
"So, you want me to come with you?"
"Yep"
"Where?"
"Anywhere there is profit, leave this drab planet and see the stars, and make some credits as well."
"Well, I would need to talk it over with my parents first. I can't just leave without their permission."
"I understand boy, and you will be able to come back to see them, but if you join me, the Junkers become your true family. If you accept, meet me at the docking bay in one hour, if you're late or don't show up, I leave without you and you never get a second chance. Ok?"
"Right."
Ross's parents didn't like the idea of him leaving New London, but they recognized this as his only chance for a better life, so they packed a few things for him and made him promise to send them messages and visit as often as he could. And then Ross departed for the docking bay to meet his new Captain, Tirone Pizana.
For the next 3 years Ross flew with Captain Pizana and kept the Rusty Bug in tiptop shape. In return for totally restoring his ship Captain Piazana sponsored Ross for membership with the Junkers. Pizana also taught Ross everything he knew about Sirius, all the tricks to avoid lawfuls, jumphole locations, bartering, getting the best deals, and all the other neccessaties of life for a Junker.
Ross made improvements on the Firefly, including improved armor for dangerous trips and an upgraded gun turrets. Ross also installed a point defense laser system that manages to destroy 20% of incoming Cruise Disruptors before they managed to hit the engines.
Life was good for those 3 years. Until they were trying to shave off some time hauling H Fuel to Rodchester through the Colorado to New York jumphole. Their poor Firefly was jumped by 12 Xeno fighters about 5k from the Tradelane.
Captain Pizana shouted at Ross to get to Turret Control while he flew the ship and called for help, but they both knew it was hopeless, one firefly against 3 squads of Xenos. Even if they were just recruits the ship was done for.
Ross spat lasers at the incoming Xenos and managed to take a wing off one of them before they pounced on the lumbering transport. The shields held for a moment but collapsed under the concentrated firepower. Ross continued to steadily barrage the Xenos but they were simply too fast for his guns.
"Mayday mayday this is Junker 14-P8 calling all lawful and Junker forces, we are under attack by Xeno forces, relaying co-ordinates now."
Ross finally managed to punch through the shield of another Xeno and watches as a few shots hit the cockpit and immolated the pilot. Then he watched in horror as the fighter spun out of control, right for the bridge of the Firefly. Hoping, praying, desperate that the shields would come back online Ross watched.
"Captain Pizana get out of NO!"
The fighter slammed into the Whale and after the fire and smoke cleared Ross gaped in horror at what used to be the bridge.
Clenching his teeth Ross decided to not go down without taking a few of these xenophopic murderers with him.
Running to the secondary command center Ross ejected the contants of the cargo bay into space and ran back up into the turret. The Xenos continued to swarm the now-drifting Firefly, punching massive holes in it with reckless abandon. Ross lined up his shot and fired into the mass of containers holding pressurized H Fuel.
The resulting explosion vaporized all the Xeno fighters and threatened to shatter the Firefly, but the improved armor Ross gave it held out in the end.
Shortly after the explosion some Junker vessels arrived and towed his ship to Rodchester to be repaired.
No Liberty lawful forces ever responded to the distress call.
Ross Noyes, street trash from New London, now owned a Firefly in the service of the Junkers.
Time passed, Ross grew old. And as he grew old he began to despise people. But still, there were credits to be had for interacting with them. His mouth got him in trouble on more then a few occasions though.
This trouble involved people in authority, and his mouth.
Running MOX to Crete, a fairly safe and standard run for the Junkers. Just a little gift to the Corsairs, in return for their Artifact trade, that had helped make the Junkers rich.
Ross was especially cranky after a run-in with a few arrogant Bounty Hunters. The three pilots were enjoying their catch, a helpless Junker. Ross, barely dodging their shots in his lump of a ship, smiled to himself. So busy were the Hunters that they hadn't noticed the two Hessian Odins come up behind them. The Odins opened fire and one of the Bounty Hunter's Manta blew apart before he could eject.
Ross fired the guns on his firefly, stripping the shield and shearing off the Manta's dorsal stabilizer.
Not eager to face the Hessian's questions about his cargo and destination Ross fired up the cruise engines, leaving the mortal enemies to kill themselves off.
Upon arriving at Crete Ross sparked the ire of a Corsair Elder, Jose Benitiez.
Jose wanted to inspect the Rusty Bug's cargo. Ross was fed up with losing cargo and the fact that an elder was interrogating him didn't deflect his wrath.
Jose wanted to see the Rusty Bug so Ross brought it right up into Jose's face, and the greater mass of the Firefly pushed Jose out of the way.
"Was that good enough for your eyes little gnat?" Ross tossed back as he landed his ship.
"What?!
What did you call me?"
Jose seemed upset at his new nickname.
Ross didn't care. As he instructed the dockmaster on where to store the Basic Alloys a Brotherhood member showed up in orbit.
True to form Ross badgered him as well. But the Brotherhood was not as forgiving as Jose Benitiez. He ordered Ross' destruction.
Ross, channeling Captain Pizana, apologized to Jose, and got the Brotherhood to agree to letting him leave Gamma, but when he entered orbit his destruction was ordered.
Smiling Ross activated the point defense system, and swatted their cruise disruptors out of space. With cruise engines at full power he throttled out of Crete's gravity well and toward Theta and the safety of the Zoners. Laughing he rubbed salt in their wounded pride.
"I am sure the Outcasts will pay top credit for this metal, and you will be seeing it soon."
Ross liked passing through Omega 47, nobody around to bother him. He set his course toward Omega 41 and went to the galley to make himself some food.
"Alert Alert Unknown ships inbound" The ship's proximity alarm wailed.
Ross grumbled as he headed back to the cockpit "what now".
He checked the scanners. Then checked em again. And then again.
"bloody hell?"
It looked like 4 Wraiths inbound, but that couldn't be.
"oi! you blokes stay away from my ship" he hailed.
One cruised up in front of his cockpit, spun around, and fired a minirazor right at Ross.
Ross instinctively hit the deck as the shot shimmered against the shields and shook the ship. "You bangers! go pick on someone else!" he raged.
The 3 trailing ships fired cruise disruptors, Ross activated the point defense system, but these missiles seemed to have a mind of their own, dodging the shots they detonated next to the engines, knocking the Rusty Bug out of cruise.
Ross looked at his map, he was a very very long way from Casablanca base and a long way from the Battleship Fes.
Closing the distance the Wraiths began to fire strange purple shots, mixed with green Rheinland weapons.
Ross pulled on the control stick so hard he thought it would snap. The Firefly shuddered, then slowly responded, pulling up. The first few shots flew by the cockpit, but then they started impacting the shield.
Ross bucked and dived and juked and jived and made that bulky old Firefly dance and keep away from their shots.
Yet the strange ships hammered away at his shield. Nothing he did could shake them off.
"Warning!!! Shields Gone" the ship's computer whined.
"Blast it all" Ross muttered.
The Walker Nebula loomed closer, and the safety of the Fes was inside.
Ross tried to activate his cruise engines, but those strange CDs disrupted them before they reached 14%.
With hull integrity failing Ross activated his emergency shield batteries, the distress beacon, and warmed up the escape pod.
Suddenly the Rusty Bug stopped shuddering and the Wraith's stood still. Ross began coaxing the engines and shields back to life, hoping this reprieve would last long enough.
A Shadow fell across Ross as he feverently worked away. Looking up he saw the mass of a Rheinland Gunboat slide in front of his ship. Somehow knowing that this wasn't his rescuer Ross slammed the throttle full reverse to try and get away from that thing. Spinning the Firefly about he plowed through the Wraiths and high tailed it out of there.
The Gunboat followed, making sure he didn't get more then 300m away. Then it opened fire, shattering Ross's shields in a single volley.
Never a religious man, Ross started praying to whichever god might have mercy on him.
Then the gunboat lit up from within as 6 Supernova shots hit it from long range. 6 Corsair Praetorians blew through the wreckage and turned to face the Wraiths. Even outnumbered the Wraiths were deadly, turning Praetorian after Praetorian into scrap metal. Ross waited until 3 of the bombers had been destroyed, picked up the escape pods he could find, and engaged cruise engines. The screams of the remaining three pilots filled his mind long after he switched off the comm system.