Orange Industry Haulage

[Chenzo-]

Chapter One, the smoulder of an idea

An efficient transport and logistics foundation is essential to the basis of any operation. In times of old, Outcasts had relied on various groups to deliver the orange dream to all corners of Sirius, most notably within Liberty. The routes within Liberty had been long established and was almost common knowledge that the Lane Hackers and the Liberty Rogues peddled Cardamine for the Outcasts. The primary way in which it got to Liberty however, fell to the hands of the Junkers who saw great profit in getting it there.

On Chenzo's return, the efficient flow via Junkers had all but stopped. Contact with the Junkers Congress was thin compared to what he remembered it to be. Upon talking to one of their seasoned members he knew personally from before his departure, Chenzo was advised that The Core had all but obliterated all attempts to ship the product where it needed to go and as such, Maltese dons had put into commission the Aspis class transport. The ship was very well equipped with life support systems, armaments, navigational scanner technology as well as various other traits found in line with the Sabre and all Outcast ships; the ability to fight.

The point however was sorely missed on Chenzo. Smuggling involved not being caught, ergo, not running into enemy's. It was off the back of this train of thought which spiked Chenzo's interest to get his hands on multiple commercial haulage ships which couldn't be traced back to any house space, but utilised the largest possible Cargo Hold. This, coupled with routes to follow and vary to avoid detection and interaction with hostiles in itself was his idea of efficiency.

Upon his first nostalgia based trip around Sirius to re-acquaint himself with goings on, a particular group of seemingly unused vessels caught his attention. Heavy Tankers were capable of hauling up to 5000 units at a time and were not directly affiliated with any specific faction. There was another ship class which caught his attention also, but these were always in use. Six ships were enough to start his plans and Chenzo turned his hand at diplomacy, something he was no stranger to. Even if they were considered hostile.

Recent communication with The Lane Hackers made part of his elaborate plan possible, if they indeed could deliver. Chenzo trusted them greatly, their interactions spanned for years before his departure, were still strong on his return.

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[Chenzo-]

Chapter Two, additional kindling

The first stage was to see how to go about getting hold of the ships which caught his eye. Weeks of stakeout operations followed. omega 7 wasn't unfamiliar territory to an Outcast, nowhere was. It wasn't that friendly either. Chenzo began to personally observe the movements of the staff who worked on Briesen Mining Station. Shift patterns, high activity times, low times. His initial plan was to steal them, oh how easy it would be. But what would be better? To familiarise himself with them to potentially gain more business in the future? That was a much better goal. Not likely but worth trying. As time went on, he pondered more and more. The clouds making it very easy to go unnoticed.

Finally, after gathering what he thought was enough knowledge, he went well away from the station and engaged in conversation with one of the Rheinland corporations haulage ships. Upon initial interaction, understandably the haulier was shocked. Even tried to offer him credits. Chenzo was disgusted of how badly represented Outcasts were within this space. The vast majority of Outcasts with any service experience were well fed, armed and had no care for petty taxation, certainly not anyone from the 101st. What he gained from the interaction was much more valuable, information. The name of their CEO, a man which quickly became almost an obsession for him. Heads of house corporations weren't necessarily corrupt, but they all had one thing in common. The love for Credits, regardless of the fact they already had more than they could ever possibly hope to spend.

Armed with the information of the CEO, his movements and all the information gathered on stakeouts, he initiated communications with Kert Reber, CEO of Das DHC.

After initial communication, it was clear there was little to no reason they would ever conduct business past Chenzo's initial area of interest, however good to neutral terms would always be better than hostile ones.

Stage one and two were complete. Locating ships capable of meeting his demands and gaining access to them. Next was actually getting them back to where he could use them to allow his much larger master plan to unfold.

His trusted connections within the community of Junkers were never far from Chenzo's thoughts, he also trusted them greatly. He went about making contact and funding cloaking technologies for a Salvager ship class owned by the Trafalgar Junkers. This would be both an entry point for crew at his disposal to pilot the transport ships back and of course exit unnoticed carrying the supplies and materials required to start engines and escape.

The Lane Hackers, specifically Oliver Cesari of the Inner Circle had made promises to Chenzo of custom made software which would mask the transponders of the ships crew who were piloting them. This was essential as the moment Maltese technology would be engaged to "jump" the engines into motion after being dormant for so long, the transponders would also read as Maltese which wouldn't be good for a swift and un-hindered escape plan.

A time and place to meet was arranged with Cesari, it was an essential part of his plan.

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[Olivier Cesari]

Chapter Three, Unanswered Oft Forgotten Queries

The pearl-white fume left a brief, lingering trail as it gracefully cut through the fabric of vacuum, splitting it into two uneven parts. The interstellar engines, symmetrically scattered across the vessel, emitted wisps of hot-induced smoke, finding their path through the inner tunnels of the ship towards the infinitely stretched wasteland nearby. The rumble of the engines, surprised by the absence of atoms capable of transmitting sound waves, added an extra layer of tranquility to the surroundings, concealing the darker veil that invisibly surpassed the capabilities of such a vessel, remaining unnoticed at first glance. A ship of elegance, its spherical silhouette captivating the eyes. Like a cosmic jewel, it blustered intricate patterns of visible perforations that adorned the very heart of its twin circular wings-like additions.

The infamous Sabre. Seated within the somewhat narrow cockpit, a man navigated his way through the melodious consonance of buttons scattered across the surface of the inner chamber, each emitting a faint, tinkling sound as they were pressed. The light skillfully burst forth from the central panels, effortlessly permeating the dusky fabric like a gentle caress. With a graceful descent, slender torrents of released data traversed the constrained chamber, adorning its every inch with expansive matrices of tightly clasped pixels. As if choreographed by a spatial phenomena, these radiant dots created an orderly arrangement, wrapping the cabin's surface in an intriguing order.

The seat coated the person, cradling him in its embrace like a gentle chrysalis. Its luxurious cushions molded to their contours, providing a luxurious sanctum that offered recess from the outside world. With each touch, the fabric whispered stories of comfort, its velvety texture a soothing caress against the skin. The ergonomic design, reminiscent of a sculptor's masterpiece, carefully supported every angle of the human form, ensuring a consonant alignment. Comfort became a gateway to details, where every element possessed an individual splendor. An arrangement of tools twinkled in a dance of necessity, their orchestration lively for the art of piloting.

As specific constellations guide adventurers through the night sky, these tools guided the pilot's hand, their glare enlightening the pathway, while ensuring the vessel's safe passage through the rippled cosmic ocean. Perched atop the seat, the pilot's helmet commanded attention. It rose like a crown upon his head, revealing glimpses of dark, slightly tousled hair that barely made an appearance. Deceiver Cesari, with his slightly unkempt appearance, gave away a distinctive ambience characterized by a stream of dark, slim strands of hair that danced with a touch of rebellion. It was as if these strands of hair were caught in a perpetual whirlwind with each harsh move. In the Lane Hackers, he found solace, a refuge from a world that often seemed malevolent.

As time slipped away on the voyage, the steady tick-tock of the clock inevitably closed the gap towards the predestined waypoint, a mere flicker in the distance, concealed amidst the remote reaches of an active asteroid belt. Defined by unexpected surges of criminality, wayward asteroids wandered aimlessly along uncharted paths, dashing through the space with reckless abandon, their trajectories unbridled. The artistry of Cesari's navigation revealed itself as he navigated through the hefty asteroids. Leading towards the covert operation base, discreetly tucked away from the scrutiny of unfamiliar gazes, his path remained a closed book, ensuring nobody could follow. As the shrill alarms suddenly pierced the air, their echoes resonated in similar fashion to turbulent waves crashing upon the shore of attention, unworkable to ignore.

The gaze of the Hacker swiftly darted, his eyes latching onto the telemetry fed by the complexly loaded Spyglass scanner. Finally, Montezuma painted itself amidst a handful of contacts, gracefully gliding through the vast expanse of the Spyglass scanner, seamlessly assimilating into the Network's database. As the anticipated contacts gradually revealed themselves amidst the influx of incoming data, one of them being Chenzo, a peculiar Outcast of unclear nature, left an indelible impression on Deceiver Cesari, imprinting a cluster of indefinite impressions upon his consciousness. Slightly perturbed by the impalpable puppeteers lurking behind the backs of the Outcasts, an inner turmoil stirred within him, causing his eyes to suddenly strain, and the creases on his face to betray a grave expression. The seat itself seemed to respond, morphing in response to Cesari's newly assumed belligerent posture.

Eternal echoes of lies seemingly commenced dissipating into the void, as previous disputes lingered unanswered, leaving Cesari teetering on the precipice of uncertainty. The sting of betrayal clawed at his consciousness. A disloyalty that cut deep, gnawed at his soul, indirectly blackening the noble cause of his brothers, the Lane Hackers. As if the echoes of bygone verses had come alive, the backlash of previous words whispered through the young man's ears, suddenly, as though if his consciousness was reborn, blended with the nature of untold secrets. As if the very air throbbed with unseen forces, transforming his perception into a living conduit, where the mundane converged in a mesmerizing prance. The words, "Accords. Accords," clanged within the recesses of his psychic sphere, their rhythmic pulse twisting with the very fabric of his thoughts. Gradually, his senses became numb, wearing his innate reverence, forsaking a hollow echo that resonated with the dissonance of compromise.

Adrift within the depths of his own disturbance, he became a lost soul, his eyes racing aimlessly in search of suspension from the stubborn blizzard that devastated his sanity. Pressed upon by an immaterial weight, his awakening came like a harsh slap across the face, shattering the fragile illusion of quiet, and plunging him back into the harsh reality that had fatigued him. Having acquainted himself with the hesitations of the Outcast, he braced himself for the impending disappointment, yet clung firmly to his word, extending a helping hand despite lacking any personal grounds to do so. Devoting himself to the art of subterfuge, he had invested a wealth of time in calibrating the software to cater to the whims of Mr. Chenzo. Engaging in conversation with practiced finesse, he became a silent conductor of emotions that rushed upon him, deftly orchestrating a false impression that shielded his intrusive intentions. The language that was revealed his lips seemed to confine the flow of words, constricting their quantity upon release. It dripped with an air of detachment, while the tension within him radiated, saturating the cockpit with immense pressure of spiteful energy.

Bound by physicality, yet surrendered to a haze of contemplation, he walked through dimly lit paths, unwittingly casting words into the void, their significance hidden in plain sight. Nevertheless, these casual utterances proved useful to the Outcast. In the blink of an eye, the moment slipped away as if hijacked, and he found himself departing the sector, clinging to the injustices that drove him towards the vast expanse of the unknown. A fragment of consciousness aware of a vow fulfilled, he contributed Chenzo the desired, specially modified software of his personal work. Vanishing into the expanse of the somewhat compact asteroid belt, he dissolved into the unknown, as if he were a figment of imagination. Deep within, a gale of betrayal agitated... He withdrew from the situation, seeking peace in the familiarity of his office, where he found himself absorbed in other pursuits, ones that offered temporary break from the distractions that dulled his intellectual senses. In a world where tolerance knows no boundaries, it is the absence of conviction that leaves one standing on the shifting winds of indecision.

[Chenzo-]

Chapter Four: A deal of trust upheld

Chenzo had arrived in his sabre, accompanied by an Aspis class transport crewed by a trusted group of associates.

The transport was necessary to hold the vast quantities of physical data plug in devices necessary to fool scanners of anyone who would come close to the ships for which their intended use would come in to contact with.

Cesari had said a lot during the encounter in Liberty, however his words although adequate on how to use the plugin devices were completely shadowed by the obvious fact his mind lay elsewhere. The words mentioned by the Xeno for which Chenzo had neglected to remember the name of and later relayed to Cesari were clearly overwhelming to him.

Chenzo was far to busy rebuilding an empire lost to the decay of time to have put full efforts into finding the meaning behind what was uttered, now plaguing the mind of his new trusted associate. It was upon Cesari's departure after the exchange that it became all to clear, this would have to become more of a front line task. Men with the intellect and skill of Cesari were few and far between, even by Lane Hacker standards. The issue infront of Chenzo was he wasn't sure what water such accords held, prior to the Xeno's mentioning he had no knowledge. The right time and situation must present itself if he's to go about asking questions directly.

Bound by honour, he would get the information across to Cesari one way or another.

The journey back to Omicron-Alpha was un-hindered, why wouldn't it be? a true Outcast relies on only interacting with potential hostile forces on their own terms, even when deep behind enemy lines. With the data successfully secured and and a question of honour more present than ever, he hoped he could uncover the truth for his allies.

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[Chenzo-]

Chapter Five: The false heist

An assembled team piled into the Junker Salvager vessel along with the data obtained from Cesari. This operation was key to not only the construction of stations to improve Maltese prospects, but also the future success of shipping the orange dream itself. For the operation to stand a chance, it had to resemble not a single hint of Outcasts. Although no operations within Rheinland were conducted by Outcasts, they were known and still not considered friendly.

Chenzo had struck a deal with the leader of one of Rheinland's largest corporations. A deal for which he'd no guarantee would be held up on the other side. He could be walking into an ambush. The team felt well prepared, but no amount of carful planning could cater for every eventuality.

The approach vehicle was of no normal Junker outfit, much more advanced. It had been outfitted with cloaking technology to ensure the plan didn't fail before it had chance to hatch. Special containers had also been devised to prevent signal's from the software provided by Cesari didn't interfere with the current transponder of the Salvager.

Breisen Station was able to pick up nothing of their arrival, the thick cloud taking care of any residual radiation emanating from the cloaked ship. The Forty minute window between shifts allowed on ten minutes for error. No sooner had the previous shift ended and a DHC staff shuttle left, the salvager arrived. Making use of the salvagers gear on the front of the ship to release the target vessels from mooring fixtures, those within the salvager jumped into action. Four per transport.

Over the course of the following twenty minutes everything went smoothly & without a hitch, until the second to last transport was snagged. The level of corrosion from the elements on this outer most ship was much worse than the others. Chenzo, who had remained on the salvager took control of the ship, disengaging the mechanical arms from the transport's mooring fixture. Via comms to those on board the stuck ship, confirmation of the shields being raised was fed back as Chenzo manoeuvred around to force-ram into the transport.

Corrosion had made mechanical parts hard to move, but also made them very brittle. On the first ramming attempt, nothing happened. heart rates of all present spiking, they knew Chenzo would settle for no less than all six ships.

The second ramming attempt came in much faster, kinetic energy transferred and dislodged the transport from its mooring, a little too successfully taking the sixth transport with it. Using the arms which were thankfully not damaged in the ramming, the Salvager took grip of the ship to slow it's movement.

The team were now on borrowed time. There was but five minutes left until the next set of DHC staff would arrive. All six teams had successfully deployed the transponder altering software provided by Cesari.

They needed to escape.

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[Chenzo-]

Chapter Six: Out of the Frying Pan, into the warm milk

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