Bernadotte entered the Ouray bar, looking obviously tired, swaying towards a table, he was smiling...
Been one hell of a day, he said and sat down, ordering some liberty ale
Soon, York joined him
-Good to see ya alive, Gerard, there were plenty of occasions, when you might not survive
-Hey, man, Indeed, indeed... At any rate, I've already had my fighter stiched back to flyable condition, that transprt's turrets turned out a bit pesky when changing target all the time.
-Yes... Try to dodge next time, ok? And that LSF... Commanding us to leave so rudely, He seemed surprised when he found us.
-Hahaha, Would give all my monthly "gains" to see that LSF's face when he saw your gunboat. Boy, he was surprised !
-By the way, how is the interrogation going? That WU really had a lot of captives onboard.
-Oui, It's obvious they know something about our men, Their "code" forbids them from telling anything, especially when tortured physically. Didn't stop their ancestors from torturing others... Psychic tortures work way better. Water torture, lack of sleep, ridding them of their time sense... those Kusari officers are starting to break. The high brass are still hard, but drop after drop they go weaker. Lower ones know little or nothing, one of them mentioned Shikoku as a place, where Patrick might be held. Incredible, what people can tell for fifteen minutes of rest...
-Excellent, have a rest, you look like living dead, I'll see you later
Jed "Tex" Bannon was in his bunk when Richard York came to find him. Tex was cleaning what York could only guess to be an ancient hand pistol. It was large, too long for York's taste, not easy enough to conceal, but then Tex never concealed them. York watched the former Junker reassemble the weapon. He had seen Tex do this many times before, and he was getting faster at it. Tex set the gun beside its mate, wrapped it in oiled cloth and set it aside. It was then that Tex noticed the Xeno leader standing at the bulkhead.
"You got prisoners didncha? Ah can see it in your face."
"It was a good day indeed. I'm not sure why the mafia Don had so many in his hold, but I"m sure we'll find out easy enough."
"MMM, didja feed 'em?"
"Not yet. They're probably hungry."
"Its better that way."
"Well they are all yours. Keep some of them alive please, we can still ransom them for cash."
"Well, they'll want for the green pastures before I'm done, 'least ways the young'ns."
Tex got up and looped his holsters back into his belt. The two ancient pistols made their ways into the holsters, like they were born there. The two terrorists made there way out to the common area, then on to the prisoners...
----------------------------
The Kusari Naval officers who awaited their fates deep inside the Silverton mega-asteroid known as Ouray did not show their fear. Senior among them was the Taisho. It was he the barbaric gaiijin would pressure the most they thought. The junior officers knew they could not loose their bering infront of such an important man. Young Shoi Hidecki however felt he would wretch. Academy training had not prepared him for this. While his Taiis showed perfect devotion and honor to the Taisho, preferring death to dishonor, Hidecki felt his courage fall away from him in waves.
Outside the door a chain rattled and clicked, opened, and a man walked in. In his hand was a green apple, on his hips were two weapons. The man regarded the Kusari warriors for a moment, looking at each one in turn. His eyes rested on Hidecki for a moment. The man pulled a chair into the room and sat down, smiled. The apple he through to Taii Kogo, Hidecki's immediate superior. Kogo caught the apple with two hands and looked at his comrades. The gesture made Hidecki flinch noticably. Kogo looked at the Taisho, but was given no indication from the stoic officer.
"Well go on, eat it. You boys gotta be hungry."
Hidecki didn't understand what the terrorist was saying but he believed he was telling Kogo to eat the apple. Even with his bowels in revolt from the adrenaline overload the last 12 hours had produced, Hidecki was hungry. Apparently Kogo was too for he tore into the fruit with zeal.
70 years from now when Hidecki lies on his death bed he would remember Kogo's face as he died stuffing it with green apple. In those 70 years he would never touch the fruit again.
The report from Tex's revolver was painful to the ear in such a small space. The archaic weapon spewed what looked like ash and smoke into the air. Hidecki felt warm liquid strike his face and he was momentarily blinded by muzzle flare.
"Am I dead?" He thought to himself.
He felt no pain. He touched his face. Blood on his fingers, mixed with...green apple. Kogo was dead. He and the remains of his final meal were spreading across the stone hewn floor of Ouray's brig.
As the smoke cleared in the room, Hidecki noticed the terrorist had another apple in his hand. This one he threw to Hidecki. His fear lifted him away from his body. Appendages he still felt, but they were far away. Sheer weight of physiological pressure kept his arm from moving fast enough to catch the apple.
"Pick it up son."
Hidecki went to pick up the apple.
"eat it."
Stomach acid welled up to the back of Hidecki's mouth. The smell of gunpowder still hung about them and the slush of Kogo's blood made his feet stick to the floor.
"Enough."
Having spoken his first word since arriving at Ouray, the man whom Tex had ignored until this point now looked up at his subordinates. Had the lives of true Kusarians or the wishes of the emperor himself been at risk, they all would have died in this little room before betraying them. But such was not the case today. The Kusari Naval Forces Admiral loved his men. Kogo would be missed, a casualty of a failed gamble the Admiral would forever regret. No, no more beautiful samurai would die this day....
especially not for Sintech...
The junior officers, Hidecki included were moved to a seperate cell while the Admiral spoke to Prospector and Tex about the prisoner transfer he and his men had overseen at Fuchu.
The admiral did not feel the dishonor he would receive upon his return. He had not betrayed his emperor, and 3 of 4 young men were alive because of that. Let them retire him quietly to die in obscurity...his conscience would be clean.
After interrogation, Bernadotte was sent to take care of prisoners. He was Frenchmen who's family by some miracle survived trip from Earth to Sirius. He thinks he may be the very last. Bern always acts very carefully, and York though that he will be right man for the job.
- Take the prisoners aboard the Barge. Take them to our secret base. Be very careful...we still need them.
- I will sir.
- Thompson knows the way. You will be his escort. Once when u get to base and secure the prisoners, make sure that they get food and water, maybe even some vine...I wish that they stay with us from now on be comfortable. - with those words York turned and left the room.
He passed by two guards in front of brig...They were armed and equipped with all new weapons of latest technology. York smiled, - Hmmm..Thomson is incredible...where the hell he found those...
York continued trough the hall. There were doors on both sides of corridor, but only one were opened. The Bar. He didn't want to enter, but he stood at the door searching with his eyes for somebody.
Tex was sitting in far and dark corner of the Bar. One of his ancient weapons was laying at the table beside empty beer bottle. Tex leaned from the shadow and looked at York.
- Care to join me?...
- Yes. I was hoping you will say that.
Tex smiled, but still his eyes kept some strange look that even York was shaken.
- Bartender, two more beers here please... - York shouted, and continued with lower voice - You did good in that interrogation room.
- Hmm...we got lucky that Admiral decided to tell us what we wish to know...I am not sure if i could kill another pilot...
- Yes. From time to time we need some luck. So, any ideas how we will take care of this. SinTech is quite powerful organization. It will be hard to get Patrick out of there. And even if we do, there is still matter of his implants.
- There is one man i know...He might help us. I will look into it and let you know if i find out anything.
- Good. I will leave u be now. I still have report to write and i am getting tired. Long day for us today.
- Hmm..i think i will get me another one before i hit the sack. I will be seeing you in the morning.
- Yeah...Tomorrow i have job for you. We have found one new pilot. I think she will get places.
- She??!!...
- Ya..she..and you will test her and help her to equip her ship...Also take her to one of your "hunting" escapades. Show her tricks of the trade.
York turned around and slowly started to walk to the door. Tex was still speechless. York almost went out when Tex shouted: - How i will know her?
York turned around laughing....I guess she will be only woman there..Her name is Milia...
_________________________________________________________________
York decided that he will write short of todays events. He was too tired to write so he decided to record it.
He approached his desk as sat down. As always his desk was covered in papers and dirty coffee cups. He could hardly find keyboard of his computer in that mess. He pressed few key and began to speak:
- Richard Yorks voice recording No. 25356 Patrol report:
Bernadotte and I tried to get some money out of two passing traders, Lupus and Pegasus. We weren't successful. They managed to dock on Denver before we did any real damage. We were sitting above Denver when SA fleet was caught by our scanners. There was a fight. Very hard one. Me and Bernadotte managed to destroy several fighter wings before Bernadotte's fighter were destroyed. Our new recruit got there to help us but she couldn't do much. After I lost all of my fighter escorts all fire from enemie vessels were concentrated on my ship. I did manage to take out few more fighters before i was forced to withdraw. Prospector was too damaged to continue that fight. Two traders who we attacked managed to escape during the fight.
At Ouray i assembled finest ship mechanist's to repair Prospector. They managed to repair it in record time.
Since Colorado was still under SA control i decided to check out California system. Its defenses were weakend cause majority of the fleet has moved to Colorado. There i found those two traders who managed to escape for Denver. This time i didn't gave them any chance. Both trains were destroyed. Upon my arrival to Colorado again, i found two SA vessels, gunboat and fighter, fighting with one HF gunboat. Near them there was one liberty dred with some strange name. Scans showed that it is in fact Zoner ship.
In one moment battleship started to fire at SA gunboat and it was destroyed in seconds. I stayed cleared from that fight. HF and unknown battleship seemed to manage just fine. Before i dock, i decided that i will make one last round on my patrol. Near planet Denver I found liberty battlecruiser Stormcrow also Zoner IDed. On my big surprise battlecruiser opened fire upon my GB. I did show him how fast and powerful Prospector is but it was fight with out winners. After some talk with cruisers commander about reasons for attack he responded that we had some past...apparently he lost some cargo and ship to my "pirating"...
End log...
York saved his log and encrypted it. Slowly he stood up and walked over to his bed. There he lied and was fast a sleep even before his head touched the pillow.
York entered Bar at Ouray base. Bar was crowded. At far table on the right side York saw people he was searching for. He waved to them, and on the way to them he asked bartender for another round...
- Hello my good friends. - York said - I've had very lucrative day today. So tonight drinks are on me.
Bernadotte, Tex and Frank raised their glasses laughing loudly.
You bastard, - said Tex, - why didn't u took us with you?
Heh, well you got the better part of the deal from my point of view Tex. Sitting here, drinking while i go and bring in the money. And still, you complain - York laughed...
They laughed so hard that some people in the bar started looking at them...Bartender was quite busy that evening.
There is more and more laughter on Xeno bases recently, business must be good, ha York?...I will need to hire help if this continues,- Bartender said while he passed York's table
Nobody noticed when stranger entered the bar. He was dressed in black, like most Xenos, but his suit revealed that he isn't one of the Xenos. He immediately started to walk to York's table.
Tex saw him first. His eyes darkened. York noticed Tex's change of the mood. He knew that Tex holds his ancient gun under the table ready for action, if theres need for it. Slowly, York turned towards stranger. He was two steps from table when he stopped.
- Richard York? - stranger spoke in deep voice
- Whos asking? - York asked back calmly.
Bern and Frank stood up and moved closer to York but still keeping line of fire for Tex's gun clear.
- My Lord, my master awaits you.
- Hmmm..i know whats this about...Very well..wait for me at dock 3. I will join you there.
Man turned and walked away.
- Men, don't wait up for me, it may take me some time.
- You are leaving? Alone? - Tex asked.
- Yes. This time i must fly alone.
_______________________________________________________________
Stranger waited York at dock 3 as York told him too. There was only one ship docked there, Prospector.
- Ok, claim a board and lets go. Your will fill me in on the way there.
(deeply confused, Bernadotte returned to emptying a bottle of Bordeaux)
Merde, who could that be? Walking around our base as if he was one of us? And still not getting thrown out of the airlock? Lord and master? Means he's not some lawful, noone would speak so of a superior oficer....
Eh, bien, too much to think of, ne pas le meilleur at it anyway
(and after a few sips of the horrifically rare Bordeaux Bernadotte headed back to his quarters.)
' Wrote:York entered Bar at Ouray base. Bar was crowded. At far table on the right side York saw people he was searching for. He waved to them, and on the way to them he asked bartender for another round...
- Hello my good friends. - York said - I've had very lucrative day today. So tonight drinks are on me.
Bernadotte, Tex and Frank raised their glasses laughing loudly.
You bastard, - said Tex, - why didn't u took us with you?
Heh, well you got the better part of the deal from my point of view Tex. Sitting here, drinking while i go and bring in the money. And still, you complain - York laughed...
They laughed so hard that some people in the bar started looking at them...Bartender was quite busy that evening.
There is more and more laughter on Xeno bases recently, business must be good, ha York?...I will need to hire help if this continues,- Bartender said while he passed York's table
Nobody noticed when stranger entered the bar. He was dressed in black, like most Xenos, but his suit revealed that he isn't one of the Xenos. He immediately started to walk to York's table.
Tex saw him first. His eyes darkened. York noticed Tex's change of the mood. He knew that Tex holds his ancient gun under the table ready for action, if theres need for it. Slowly, York turned towards stranger. He was two steps from table when he stopped.
- Richard York? - stranger spoke in deep voice
- Whos asking? - York asked back calmly.
Bern and Frank stood up and moved closer to York but still keeping line of fire for Tex's gun clear.
- My Lord, my master awaits you.
- Hmmm..i know whats this about...Very well..wait for me at dock 3. I will join you there.
Man turned and walked away.
- Men, don't wait up for me, it may take me some time.
- You are leaving? Alone? - Tex asked.
- Yes. This time i must fly alone.
_______________________________________________________________
Stranger waited York at dock 3 as York told him too. There was only one ship docked there, Prospector.
- Ok, claim a board and lets go. Your will fill me in on the way there.
As York and his guest left the bar for the hangar deck Tex turned to Bernodotte.
"Did you finish the job?"
"Oui, I did it last night while you two were interrogating the slanties."
"good."
York would be angry if he found out. No one was allowed to track him. It was a standing order. But Tex wasn't much for following stupid orders. He and Bernie would let the boss go on his solo quest with the fishy smelling foreigner. They would give the man a good 4 hours lead time before they slipped out as well..
On the hangar level of Ouray, Tex looked at what was left of his Eagle. Sitting next to the smoking mass that was his primary fighter sat an identical Eagle, though still operable, this one was not without problems as well. Tex could see hydrolic fluid leaking out from under one of the landing struts. After Bernadotte had picked up Tex's floating life pod in the Lonestar.Rebel near the Dallas debris field, the two had returned to Ouray. Only Tex felt the itch once more to ply the trade routes for donations. So he had jumped into his backup fighter and headed for California.
"Mon Dieu! You didn't attack the Mississippi by yourself did you?"
In his distracted mood, Tex hadn't noticed Bernadotte standing beside him.
"Boah, walk up on my like that again and you might end up with a bullet in your head. And yes, the 'ssisipi called to me."
"What was the pilots name that did this?"
"Milrick. Sunofabisquit stuck 3 seekers in me 'fo I could spit. But das awright. We collected from that 'Shannon' girl and was headn home when Milrick came at me again. Ah was ready fo im that time. Took some time but ah managed to git mah gun off."
"Managed to seriously damage your only remaining fighter I see. And for what? 60 lbs. of diamonds? Thats not even enough to cover the cruise disruptors you fired! You know what the boss is going to say?"
"You let me worry about that. In fact, we should be worryin about his whereabouts mo than what he gone do when he finds mah good Eagle been popped."
(Milrick was kind enough to let me keep the role play/dogfight going even after he killed me in about 5 seconds the first time.)
After yesterdays beating in Texas that Prospector got from Battlecruiser RedBear and cruiser San Diego, York was flying in his trusted eagle. He would rather forgot yesterdays fight, and although RedBear took significant damage Prospector took even more...It is now under repairs and that will use some of valuable and hard earned money out of Xeno funding...York wasn't pleased about that...
Today he was after revenge...
____________________________________________________________
California seemed to be quiet system today...or was quiet until York came in...Liberty navy dispatched fighter wing to search and destroy Yorks ship, and he was hoping they will...
- It is payback time gentlemen...- York said to him self...
His ship was intercepted by two SA fighters near planet LA...pilots Anaes and Milrnick...York turned his ship fast and in one swift approach took down shields on Anaes's ship....That didn't stop Anaes and pilot fought very bravely...While York was attacking Anaes, Milrinic slowly was dropping York's shields..fight was getting hot and York knew that he needs to destroy Anaes quickly so he doubled his efforts to take him down...slowly, but surely York's guns were eating enemies hull...not long has passed and SA fighter disappeared in flames...
Milrnick was next...York calmly turned his ship and started to attack Milrnick...His ship was fully stocked with batts and bots while Yorks eagle was running out of them, so York flew very carefully and taking bit by bit of Milrnick's hull...York can be very patient in times...It was unlucky for Milrnick that this was one of those times...Finally he made several mistakes and York took advantage of them..and second SA fighter disappeared in flames...
____________________________________________________________
After tiering fight in California York set course to home. He was hoping that he will grab quick drink before he rests, but it wasn't his lucky day...
Near Ouray, he found Bernadotte returning from patrol when both of them got contact on radar...some Bounty hunter eager for fight attacked them...He was out numbered and over powered but he still attacked...Short fight...one less BHG to worry about...
- I need to check the bar at Manhattan...it may be bounty posted on my head - York said to Bernadotte while laughing... - and i need to be ready next time...
____________________________________________________________
York stood by Tex in cargo bay 6...Tex's eagle and Yorks gunboat were still under repairs...
- So what do you say Tex?...Let's leave experts do what they do best, and we go to the bar and get drunk senseless...
- Naah! - Tex waved his hand - I will go talk to the Kusari prisoners. I have a feeling they have some more to say to me...
- Ok. But be smart...no more kills....they are still useful to us...
- Ya, ya...i will be "gentle" - Tex smiled...
_____________________________________________________________
Bernadotte was flying around New York and Texas, trying to find some suitable target, without luck... Then, afyer getting fed up with boredom, he decided to return to Ouray.
Merde, l'infinite around me and nothing to terrorize... C'est la vie... he said to himself
When in Colorado he met up with York. He was returning form California. Both exchanged welcomes and headed back to Ouray for restocking and minor repairs.
Bernadotte launched first and as usual would do all sorts of acrobatic moves in space... He never could sit still.
Soon, a red blip appeared on his radar. It was a bounty hunter ship, belonging to an SSO ace. The bounty hunter was closing in fast with guns blazing at the frenchman
Putain mercanaire! How dare he move in so close to our base?! Pas du difference, il est deja mort, hehehe
At first, the Bounty hunter saw only Bernadotte, since York's eagle was still docked on the base and York himself having a drink. Bernadotte called him back. The bounty hunter and York were both equally surprised with seeing eachother. York didn't expect anyone to be stupid enough to get close to Ouray and the sso didn't expect to meet the xenos en masse.
Nevertheless he fought valiantly, While he targeted York, barely touching his shields, Bernadotte would slowly, but constantly hit his shields. York only needed to evade, since the sly Frenchamn was dealing the enemy the most damage. After 3 or four regens, the sso's nanobot supply was depleted.
"Hehehe, good, but not good enough, Bien, the last shot is yours, York"
And the enemy ship imploded.
"Uhm, Je ne comprends pas, Did he have a deathwish? I mean, he regenned a few times and we didn't use a single bot or bat"
"I think he didn't expect to meet us both, just one alone. Let's get back to base, that poor fellow had quite a loot onboard"
And they both docked and headed straight for the bar. Killing a bounty hunter ace means one serious enemy less to worry about for all xenos.
![[Image: report.jpg]](http://free-sk.t-com.hr/Freelancer/report.jpg)
![[Image: Tex3.jpg]](http://free-sk.t-com.hr/Freelancer/Tex3.jpg)