When the outcasts created a coalition against the corsairs, they didnt think that was to result in such success. The corsair elite pilots were beaten in just one week, but hostilities continued. The corsairs were not totally defeated, they still have their bases and their planet, Crete, were the alien artifacts mafia resides.
Outstanding was the action of the Perseus, captained by Henry Scuttari. The ship attacked the Tripoli Shipyard five times, damaging it heavily. Using its fighter wings composed of scimitars, and its heavy cruiser cannons, the ship captured a hundred corsair pilots, and brought them to the dungeons of Malta, where they were submitted to interrogation.
But that was not all. Using a infiltrator in the IMG, lane hackers linked with Andre Moire discovered about operations of the corsairs in planet Harris, Tau 31, were they were going to disrupt outcast operations against Planetform. The corsairs were hunted down by a team leaded by Richard Hudson, a lane hacker marine and former LSF agent. In one of these, a man was rescued. This man was James Edwards, a Cryer Pharmaceuticals scientist. Alongside with him there was dozen of documents with chemical formulas.
James Edwards was going to sell these formulas to the corsairs, telling them these formulas might bring them a new drug, capable of beating the cardamine market of the outcasts, at least in Bretonia. James was disillusioned with the company, his value never being recognized as a scientist, and its rivals, much less competent than him, have got promotions.
However, the corsairs have more reasons to ambush him and ask for a rescue from the company. James Edwards had some prizes from his long career, and his bickering was more due to recent events in the last years, so he might have some value for the company after all. They trapped him in planet Cambridge, in a depot where they had a meeting.
However, before they sended their threats to Cryer, the police discovered the hideout, and they had to escape from the planet, carrying Edwards with them to planet Harris, were he was held captive when the corsairs were disrupting sabotage operations by the outcasts against Planetform and in this way favoring the bretonian corporation. James Edwards found that pretty stupid, and this with the trap armed against him put the corsairs in a even more low disregard than he had for Cryer Pharmaceuticals.
Richard Hudson rescued him and listened his story. Edwards was brought to Cali base, were he was held captive by the outcasts. There he started a friendship with his incarcerator, Jose Tavares, and soon he was brought to the base director, who informed him that his formulas were all sent to Malta and analysed, and they have a great use. Edwards was released and brought to Malta for talks with the authorities, and he was accepted as a member of the scientific research comitee, thus becoming a outcast.
At the same time this happened, Henry Scuttari returned with his crew to Malta. Some of his fighters were destroyed and two of the escape pods were lost, with the pilots dead, one of them being the squadron leader, lieutenant Roger Cooper. Scuttari and his crew were congratulated by their effort by Malta authorities, receiving a medal and a invitation to join the outcasts. He accepted, and in the next week he meet James Edwards and Jose da Silva Monteiro, owner of a distillery called Alambique do Ze. The formula of Edwards, when mixed with standard cardamine, created a softer version capable of being diluted in every kind of distilled drink. Monteiro was primary funding this enterprise, but his money was not enough for the research. Edwards had some property in Cambridge, so he sold them all through his agents and put more money on it. Still they needed a third partner, and, having been told about the deeds of Scuttari and his crew against the corsairs, they invited him. Monteiro had one of his daughters, who was a pilot, killed by the corsairs, causing him to have much hatred for the Crete pirates. This put Scuttari in high regard with him.
After one more week, the new formula was ready for the market. It was made in the form of a blue dust, that can be dilutted with water or any distilled drink. Because of its coloration, it was hence called the Bluedrop, a softer version of cardamine, capable of be dilluted into drinks and soon to be shipped to the richest centers of Liberty Space.
With the death of Roger Cooper, the outcasts provided the Perseus with a new squadron leader, major Laura Torres. The deck chief was dismissed due to stress, and her brother, Paulo Torres, joined the crew as the new deck chief. Both were outcast fighter pilots, but Paulo was never good with that, prefering to lead the coordination of ships in the deck. The repair chief was also dismissed, as he was willing to return to Mactan, and outcast mechanic Carlos de Souza was called to occupy his place. James Edwards joined the crew of the ship as scientific research officer, receiving the rank of lieutenant specialist and with this, becoming a military. Later on, the lane hacker codebreaker Raphael Thames joined as intelligence officer during a repair in Mactan, and Paul Witz joined as a new pilot for the Perseus in Leiden. With this new people, the Perseus was ready again for action.
Edwards continued his research in the ship, and in just one more week, he discovered the bluedrop can also be used for dog rations. Monteiro then released Dog Happy, a ration for dogs with a small portion of cardamine. The formula was also applied for candies, thus being able to be digested by children without any immediate collateral effect. A plan was put in practice, the Perseus was to distract the Liberty Navy at the same time the smuggling was happening, with the shipments entering the big centers in Manhattan and Los Angeles. The Perseus lost several fighter wings, as most of the navy was going after him or after some xeno terrorists, and without any other capital ships to give assistance the Perseus was outnumbered most of the time. Never bowing down to demands from the navy, the outcast destroyer continued alone, a outstanding force in the middle of the chaos. To distract the LSF, Raphael Thames invaded their information systems and messed important files, and also spreaded rumours about possible spies inside the LSF at the service of the hackers. The suspects, however, were never spies, and chaos ensured inside some ranks of the LSF.
The shipments came in heavy armored transports, so the LPI was not able to block its trade in the planets, and they were the only ones looking for it. In one week the authorities started to worry about the youngsters drinking the bluedrop in nightclubs, but they bribed the media so that no alarm might be raised and no shame brought to them for their inefficiency. Only the LSF was informed and they began investigation on the problem, but nothing was uncovered about the dog rations or the children candy, only about the night clubs were the bluedrop was being consumed and the possible connections between traders inside the planets. Only some people in the high ranks in the navy knowns about the issue but the LSF asked them to not get involved as the main concern of the navy are the xenos, the Order and the nomads in Alaska. For now, Liberty authorities try to ignore the problem but as time passes things will get worse. An entire generation will pass by mutations, they will become addicted, they will need the standard cardamine, there will be uprisings, and even dogs and children will be mutated. All for the good of a new era.
Before all this, only Oshima, the XO, was a cardamine user in the Perseus. Now Scuttari, Woodland and Witz also are taking it for good. Woodland still smoke his old cigarretes, when he is not in the CIC as nobody likes such antiquated drug. Being the Tactical Officer, Woodland takes care of scanners, navigation and engine management. Being a engineer, he also helps Carlos de Souza with repairs.
During the latest weeks, 28 fighters were destroyed during raids in Liberty and Kusari spaces. The attacks on Kusari were requested by Cali base after a request for help by the blood dragons, in special the crew of the Seishou Ikazuchi (the Thunder Spirit). So far some of the attacks were successfull, but the Perseus was outnumbered most of the time, having to face more than hundred fighters at the same time, a gunboat and a corporative battleship. This made the outcasts and the financial manager of the Perseus, Andre Moire, to think in new strategies, and money has been colected from dirty accounts in several banks to be able to put these strategies in practice. For now, the Perseus had returned once again to Liberty, to fight against the navy as have always been. No deals will be made with the hypocrites. No surrender, no retreat.
Having retired for several years, old Jack Dagger looks through a window in Arranmore base, the stars in the yellow-red background, and he remember the days of old, when he smuggled all kind of weaponry through the line of New London jump gate, luring the big ships of the Bretonian Special Operatives with his small werewolf heavy fighter, armed with his might torpedoes. The mines were always his refugee, godamn mines all spread around Arranmore.
He digress about his old times, losing himself in his mind, old sea wolf, when, all of a sudden, a explosion happens.
Explosion and might sound who breaks the middle point of Arranmores walls.
Its not on this room, though, and he dont feels the decompression. Its not from outside, but inside the station. He quickly remember when he did similar act in Strokes Mining Station. He runs, one man down and bleeding, and another holding him in the arms.
Dagger: - Who?
- Corsairs
Another bomb today, the corsairs might like the bretonians by the way. Setting this as such. Tommy the Wrangler said is because they have a copy of the bluedrop formula, the corsairs are crazy for it, because of a big mistake they did times ago.
Big mistake. But Jack Dagger is now just a old, retired pilot, and he dont cares anymore for the stupid corsairs.
The Medici Villa, Planet Malta, Omicron Alpha system
The Medici Villa is well treated in every respect. Its gardens abound with flowers of intense colors, some alien in such a way that I cant describe. There the sky is a deep purple as the day finishes and the night falls. But now is morning, and Henry Scuttari walk amidst the fields with his sister, Veronica. Veronica was a former Ageira marketing executive officer, and got tired of all the stress, specially concerning legal matters about some of its propaganda sketchesfact is that Ageira wanted purely war propaganda against the lane hackers, when she needed a more impartial propaganda of products that had nothing to do with lane hackers after all. Soon she got fired because of a small detail, a small dissension, but Liberty dont hold its names anymoreits not anymore a place of freedom, but a ground for a revolution. Add to this the weight of having a criminal brother, why people get personal and professional lives so messed up? She questioned this fact, and still she earns for the memory of her mother, long departed. But life is made of facts, not of opinions, and as long as her firing was a fact, and she being expelled from the labor market was another fact, the only way to go was to join efforts with her brother, bringing to herself the shadow of criminal life, although criminal is only a label handled over by the hypocrites over the true freedom fighters.
Henry: - The bluedrop business had skyrocket, and you now have much more money than you cold have when you were just a marketing executive officer.
Veronica: - Yes. I quite clearly see I made the right decision. But you are taking it yourself? What do you feel when you take the cardamine drink?
Henry: - I feela boost, some will to shoot at something there he points to the sky in the space, regardless of any results.
Veronica: - Maybe you are like the guys Einherjar cult which is installed in the eastern side.
Henry: - Yes, I known that. Others usually care for results, but I just wanting to fight, to go to battle, and all crew I put in risk with that. And sometimes I fear for you, as you dont feel that. Still I never visited such cult.
Veronica: - The Einherjar, the old heroes of falled in battle and were to live in Valhalla at the side of Woden. A very old myth, the outcast carried this on their sleepership, although its germanic in origin and they are latins.
They stop and Henry look at her eyes: - Do you want to continue with this, sister, without feeling the taste, the smell, of the might bluedrop drink?
Veronica: - I dont feel if its right.
They started to walk again, enter the house, and Henry took a bottle, put drink in a glass, and hand it over to Veronica.
Henry: - Drink it.
Veronica takes the glass and drink, the blue liquid mixed with a strong blend of absinto, she falls on her brothers arms.
But this is in the past.
Alcatraz base, California system
- Move!!! scream the sargeant. The base is under attack. The deck was captured and two transports arrived with navy marines. Its the first assault in five years, and the rogues are unprepared to handle such situation. The station turrets are incapacitated.
The Perseus arrive coming from the ether, and shot down the navy fighters, and dry dock near the deck. Three scimitars and one little dromeday left the destroyer deck and are ready to dock through the hole in the station gate. At this time, the base turrets are repaired by robots. Thats a difficulty situation, as this requires a decompression. However, the navy had breached the decompression area using a plastic corridor, a link between their transport and the base. One of the scimitar shot down the transport, but theres no marine inside the decompression are as the corridor is removed with the transport. The dromeday launch another, it links with its mechanic arms in the breach, and closes it. Now they have gravity, they launch the marines from the dromedary, leaded by Ron Vulcan.
He dont use this name for no reason. Vulcan loves chain guns. He packs one made of particles and shot down in a might killer fury as soon as their leaves the decompression area and enters the deck. The navy marines reacts, but a team leaded by Ron Vulcan is a deadly one. Blood spills as people die, the navy personel falling under the particles and the bullets from the Perseus marines. The piles of corpses fullfills the deck with the smell of death.
Minutes later, the little dromeday brings Scuttari and Woodland to the deck. Rogue Samuel Moraes congratulates them, well done job. They sit and starts the talks about new operations against the navy to distract them from the bluedrop smugglers.
Samuel takes a bottle and put vodka in glasses, hands them to Scuttari and Woodland sits on a chair on the bar. Lots of rogues are standing looking to them, their rudeness stamped in their face, but showing a great respect for Scuttari and Woodland, and some kind of acklowledgement for their help.
- So what are the news Scuttari? Moraes sits.
- New operations against the navy, I want to distract them to California Minor, since I cant contact the capship Rogue63 I was inquiring if you can. A assistance might be necessary.
- Actually we dont have too much communication, people are going to alienate themselves from each other, but I will see what I can do.
Scuttari throws a small pocket in the table.
- Whats this?
- Well, you can open and see.
Moraes opens and see the blue dust.
- Oh
- I was inquiring, too, if you need some, at least to taste.
- Well, I cant take such. Im actually a spartan.
- Hmm, I was a spartan too, and got very frustrated when I was backstabbed. Now I see a new horizon, with this he gets close to Moraes and look directly on his eyes as him point to the pocket This is a new hope for humanity, might you see this as a enhancement.
Moraes take some dust of the pocket on his finger and tastes it with his tongue: - Hmmdone.
