The Tales of Jackson Stone

[nOmnomnOm]

PART I ~ An Intro

Chapter 1

A lone wolf

I sat down comfortably on my piloting chair after inspecting the newly plundered cargo I had acquired from the remains of a trade ship. Nice, more trinkets to sell to the Junkers again I suppose, I thought to myself grinning. Not too bad for a lone pirate.
I couldn't help but wonder though of the days in the Vanguard Raiders. Those were the days! Causing fright onto the liberty population had always been something I enjoyed doing. Even hauling supplies to the VR base was not too bad. There was still the opportunity to anger a few Liberty Capitol ships that could only scream halt as I cruised by on my Pirate Transport. Its funny that up till recently they started allowing Admirals to fire freely at transports... But it doesn't matter, I can still outrun the whole damn fleet anyway.

The nostalgic memories kept steaming into my mind of time after time outwitting the LPI and LN. The great battles that I had overcome at times where quite astounding, considering a whole band of navy fighters where after my head.

However, I then became once again aware that the VR where no more. Was it a lack of supplies? Members? Maybe, at least that's what people think was the case, but the real reason lied behind the head of the whole operation. Our leader, Blain Spike, had finally cracked. Fearing the Hellfire Legion would discover our newly built base of operations, he commanded it be annihilated himself. I guess it was some sort of pride in him that pushed him to make the decision. After that, all hope was lost to continue VR, and everyone split. I don't even know what happened to anyone of them. One day they existed as a feared force, the next, *poof*, vanishing from the face of Liberty Space. Boy the Lawfuls were releived by this... even housed a celebration at Manhatten. I wish I could just show my face there again, just once, and see that shiver down their spine.

Well, I guess back to a base I go, I thought,... Lets see here...*click*click*click*... Buffalo Base is not too far... might as well make a quick stop there.

Hunted

Entering the new base, I knew it was gonna be the same old difficulties arising. Rogue bases were always difficult to begin with. If you weren't a Rogue, you knew you were being watched at all times. Even a former VR member like myself was never trusted by them in their base. Paranoia I guess. Liberty's crawling with traitorous Pirates and Indies. I don't blame them for trying to keep the place tightly secure, let alone be stationed in a dark, gloomy asteroid field where any capitol ship captains and admirals dare not go. Just as well, I planned to only grab a quick bite to eat at the bar and get out. A man like me had to earn a living somehow and sitting on my butt wont do anything but let all the traders out there roam free.

At the bar, I sat down at the open counter and ordered myself a shot of vodka with an extra percentage of alcohol. I took a swing at it and forced it all down in one swallow. Man that stuff was intense! Too much and i could be already spoiled drunk, not a good thing in a place like this.
I proceeded to eat my sandwich I had ordered from the bar tender when suddenly a knife zoomed past the tip of my ear and into the backdrop of the bar, crashing and spilling at least a dozen bottles of Rogue beer.

Instincts kicked in. Not looking over my shoulder and not caring who was watching I threw myself over the counter and dropped on the opposite side . Who knows who threw that? An assassin? Bounty Hunter? Not likely, the Rogues would have dealt with it. It must have been someone from the inside... someone who knows me...

I glanced around the floor littered and drenched with shattered glass and alcohol and spot the knife. Reaching for it, I recognized a distinct pattern and logo emerge form the hilt... could it be...