"Tales From Where Angels Fear to Tread" A White Spa Lines Publication, A Division of Orbital Spa and Cruise 25 January 827 A.S.
A Daring Escape
There are many ways ship captains defend themselves from the hazards of travelling in deep space. Some invest in thick hull plating and impenetrable shields. Others prefer the mantra that offense is the best defense, flying ships bristling with weapons to deter would be pirates. For one OS&C captain, however, a combination of speed and moxie proved to be just enough to get their passengers delivered safely.
Captain Bob De Silvis was flying a commercial route between Liberty and luxury liner Hawaii when he was accosted on the last leg of the journey through open space in Sigma-19 by a vessel identified as GCMiki. The pirate coyly asked the captain, "You wanna cut your engines, pal?" The OS&C captain simply replied, "When I dock."
The chase was on between the pirate and the Democritus class luxury yacht. While OS&C vessels are not known for their offensive firepower, they do carry a multitude of tricks up their sleeves. As captain De Silvis raced to the protection of the Hawaii, he ejected a constellation of countermeasures behind him from the yachts dual droppers. The pirate managed to fire three missiles at the ship, but none of them made it through the flak. The resulting explosions not only signaled the safety of the vessel, but also provided some unexpected fireworks for the socialites on board.
The bold luxury captain made it safely to the liner where, true to his earlier promise, he finally powered down in the safety of the Hawaii's hold.
An Unexpected Escort
As any traveler of the skies of Sirius will tell you, the sector is home to dozens of factions with competing or conflicting interests and motivations. Most of the time, this leads to unfortunate firefights between ideological rivals. Sometimes, it leads to strange bedfellows.
The luxury liner Breezewood was flying pilgrims from Rheinland through the Omegas to Nottingham when it encountered a Coalition Typhoon class warship designated TSB|Vltava under command of a captain named Zyma.
The Coalition, the descendants of the communist governments of Earth that forced the Alliance sleeper ships to fleet to the Sirius sector 800 years ago, holds true to its ideological origins. Sworn enemies of the inequalities they perceive as capitalist decadence, they have declared permanent war against those who hoard excessive wealth. The Breezewood, well known for catering to the elite of Sirius, would seem to be a perfect target.
But the Coalition is not a mere collection of ideological brutes, it seems. Zyma entered into formation, not a battle stance, with Captain Jonathan Seabourne's Breezewood and the two had a pleasant, if sometimes tense, exchange about the evolving political situation in the Omegas. The two parted ways amicably when the OS&C liner arrived at Freeport 1.
"At the end of the day, I think everyone, regardless of the flag they fly, just finds space to be a little bit lonely," said Seabourne. "The Breezewood's a lover, not a fighter, and I was glad to have an exchanging of words rather than laser fire with captain Zyma."
"Of course," he added, "I would not be terribly surprised if our next meeting ended up being less cordial. That's Sirius for you."
A Fabricated Flotilla
Orbital Spa and Cruise ships are well known throughout the system for their comfort and luxury, but what happens to such vessels whey they are no longer up to the high standards of the luxury fleet? As technology marches on, even the most venerable vessels become outmoded and new ships must take their place to meet the evolving needs of the sector's upper crust. Fortunately, such vessels are perfectly suited for the needs of many organizations that don't cater to the creme de la creme.
In a deal announced at planet Curacao, White Spa Lines director Jonathan Seabourne was pleased to announce that three Democritus class luxury yachts were to be refitted for delivery to the Zoner organization GRG. Supervisor Rick Mortar had agreed to purchase the vessels for 80 million credits each to cover the cost of the refitting and delivery, plus a few miscellaneous expenses.
"Everything OS&C does is to make Sirius a little more luxurious," said Seabourne. "We're not used car salesmen, we are cruise directors. I couldn't help but include some rare wines and cheeses in the ship's larder to help the GRG celebrate their new acquisitions."
The "new" GRG vesses Evadne-1, Eos-1, and Erebus-1 will hopefully serve their new masters for many years to come, providing a safe haven from the day-to-day stresses of life as one of the most influential zoner corporations in Sirius.
White Spa Lines A Division of Orbital Spa and Cruise Planet Curacao, Cortez System
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