Sender ID:Crazy Lou Location:Niverton Base Target ID:Dons of Malta Subject:OC Battle Transport Encryption:High Priority:Medium
Ciao amici from Malta...
My name is Lou. 'Crazy' Lou for my friends. My old mom used to call me Lewis... You can call me whatever you want.
Well, I hope this is still the channel do get in touch with the Dons of Malta. It has been a long time since I last sent a comm your way. I've been doing this for so long that I still remember when the Ghosts were around. Now they are just history, apparently. But I'm still alive. And still doing the Malta Run, as we used to call it back in the LR days.
Back in those days, when things were rough at Buffalo Base, and the Warlords were dropping like starfliers, I decided to leave LR and moved to Niverton, in Pennsylvania, and together with a kid called Ted I founded the Niverton Rogues group. We are dedicated to keep the Malta Run... well, running. "The Orange must flow", right? Since then we've been supplying the Liberty market, so to speak, with cardie for those in need of it. Nothing really fancy, we mostly ran with freighters, more agile to navigate the hazards of space and fast to run from the police. Well, except for Ted's Pilgrim Liner.
But in the last few years things changed. Most of my pilots got killed or vanished. Ted himself has disappeared without a trace or a puff of smoke. Liberty has been chaos, really. Legion, Insurgency, First Fleet of Clowns... And they say us Rogues are crazy!
So, after the recent "agricultural workers" revolt, and the flow of cardie being disrupted, now the market kicked back and demand exploded! So my once usually uneventful runs became a madman's maze! Suddenly space was full with all sorts of freelancers, junkers... even zoners, for f**k's sake! And with them came the Liberty Navy, IMG, some damn crazy gauls saying they own the Taus... Nightmare, I tell you! And they still say us rogues are the crazy ones!
Until we got to the apex of crazyness... Dirty scum savage cannibal corsairs in Omicron Alpha! Trying to disrupt the cardie flow! Absurd! What has the Sirius Sector turn to these days! I tell you: total madness! I almost didn't escape the 'sairs ambush in one piece... My old reliable Rhino freighter was falling apart when I landed on Malta! The ship that saved my life almost 30 years ago when I robbed it to escape prison in Texas... Poor Sidey! Your guys patched it up really well, at least. It was good to go back home in a few hours time. But it made me think that the old freighter is not par for the game anymore...
That's when I saw one of your new heavy transports as I was leaving orbit. "Aspen" or "Apis", ah, I can't recall the name. You now what ship I'm talking about, of course. The new battletransport your pilots are flying recently... Ten very well placed turrets, very heavy armor, cargo space to spare... and it looks sexy as hell! As I was leaving Alpha I was thinking that ship would be the perfect vessel for the Malta Run...
So, all this rambling about is so you honorable Dons of Malta authorize me to buy one of those beautiful ships. I'm ready to pay a handsome fee, on top of the ship vending price, for the privilege to use it. It will be flown exclusively for cardie runs. As a matter of fact you can contact me at any time when you need something delivered. It will be my honor to help my friends from Malta.
You, senor are just the kind of pilot that Malta needs hauling Cardamine.
You speak of times one knows all too well, the Ghosts no longer rule with absolute precision. I am the last one.
Usually I'd not entertain such communications, but your transmission made me feel a little less mad myself. Things have changed ever so much that one almost feel's crazy, as if one's memories are crazy to have even existed, for this I thank you, senor.
The Aspis by design is nothing to do with the ghosts, the very notion of a transport vessel needing the ability to fight is laughable, given the very definition of a smuggling ship is to not be caught, ergo no combat requirement at all is needed.
Alas, I digress.
I have one of these.. "Aspis" ships collecting dust you can have. No fee, senor.
The Rogues, Hackers and ladies of Kusari will forever be the closest and trusted allies we have.
Make dock on Comercio Fantasma, show the dockmaster your papers and the ship is yours, full with a fresh load of Cardamine for free.
You will find the ship has docking capability for your trusted Rhino companion. See to it that it's moored inside the aspis, the ship will self distruct to avoid any capture allowing you your old ship a means of escape, should it ever be necessary.
Sender ID:Crazy Lou Location:Niverton Base Target ID:Don Chenzo Subject:A Ghost from the Past Encryption:High Priority:Medium
Señor Chenzo!
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw your response! A real Ghost from the past! And in this case that's a good thing...
I think I remember your name from back in the day, although I'm almost certain we never actually met in person. I was more acquainted with one particular Ghost called Apollo Venkman... He accompanied me and provided security on the way from Malta to Liberty in a number of occasions, and shared a beer and a smoke on the bar at Alcatraz once.
In any case, I share your sentiment. Talking to someone that remember those times makes me feel all wasn't just a delirium from a madman...
I thank you very much for your kind answer. As a Rogue I'm not used to that, as you may well know yourself. In the environment that we live in we always have to show strenght, make an ugly face and yell back at people like an ancient caveman. But, as a matter of fact, a little friendly manner now and then is not that bad, you know?
And also thank you for your generous offer. I will certanly go to your nice station - fancy design, ahn?! - and get the ship with your dock master there. I'll be sure to bring something to get you in return... Do you need anything delivered to your station? At least I shall get the guys on Comercio Fantasma some Liberty Ale, and perhaps some arms, maybe? We'll see.
Again, you need anything delivered, don't hesitate to contact me. It will be my pleasure.
Thank you again, Don Chenzo. May the Orange be with you.