Firefly Chapter 1- Xaing Zhau and Beyond

[Karakris]

Tamie walked into the Bar - and strode up to the Counter, placing his Kit Bag at his feet.

There were a few people around - and he got some surly looks and a few curious stares.
One shifty looking fella seemed to be interested in the way his coat hung strangely, and the heavy Kit Bag he was carrying

He ordered a stiff drink, and a pack of Snack Bars, then hung his Kit Bag over his right shoulder and wakled over to a vacant table and stool in a corner.
He proceeded to munch his Snack Bars, whilst gulping down the first drink he'd had for quite a while.
The shiftly looking fella slid onto the stool opposite him and asked "you new here, ain't yer".
Tamie thought a bit then replied "Aye, not been here before - other places similar, but not here". "Come to think of it, this aoin't a bad place at all". " You a regular here".
"Nah" the stranger replied "not that" - "but I come here frum time to time ya know". "What you packing under that coat of yurs, then ? - no offence meant, fella".
"Seeing as you asked nice like - I will tell ye" said Taime. "There's a 15mm Automatic which I call the Meat Axe under there - used it a few times 'n all". "Tain't the only weapon though - I have a few other things about me person, for close work, if need be".
"No kidding, sounds shiny to me, fella" said the stranger. "You don't want to come into a place like this, all innicent as Mary's Lamb". "Yur okay with me though - now I get the picter". "You been a Trooper or summat" he said. "Not tryin' to be too nosy - if it's shiny wiv you".
"No - not that, never" Tamie replies. "Strictly freelance, done a lot of different things fur pay - but had a run-in with gangers a while back".
"Since then, it feels better fur me to keep some firepower on hand - no offence menat though".
"Are you up for hire then ?" asked the stranger. "Not really" replied Tamie - "just a spot of Shore Leave, frum this Crew I fell in with recently, y' see". "All shiny with me" said the stranger - "I better be leaving ye to yur eats and driks then - looks lie you cud do with them".

The stranger walked away - and the others in the Bar turned away, now that they had an idea who or what the newcomer was.

Tamie stayed for a while - collecting three more packs of Snack Bars and three more stiff drinks, and eating and drinking them all.

[Dashy]

note


no one is going back to ship yet ...

sorry, won't be able to update till tomorrow, a certain housemate (ogilvy knows of him) has been stealing my laptop charger, hence lack of reliable power.

9 am nzt

[Dashy]

Rolf walked into Liangs office, with Able standing obtrusivley outside.

"You got the goods Liang, where's my cash?"

Liang spun around in his char and stared at Rolf. "Ah, but friend, I payed you in advance, with the Loki misslies ..."

"No you gorram didn't! Liang, I got a crew needs feeding and a ship needs fueling and th..."

Liang cut him off

"I will supply these goods for you"

"I'd rather have the platinum to pay for them"

"You shall get money as well"

"What are you playing at Liang?"

"To quote a vid from earth that was, I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse, you and your crew are now in my service. I have formally declared myself independent from the Alliance, along with several other skyplexes. you will help in gaining the assistance of planets."

"How?"

"Did you recognise your cargo captain? they are grade IV nuclear mines, designed for use against cruiser sized ships. You will use them to gain support for the Independence"

"Once again, How?"

"We will transfer the mines to an Alliance ship we recently captured, you and your crew will impersonate the Alliance and commit a few atrocites on the larger planets, in the name of the Alliance"

Rolf was taken aback

"Thats .. Beyond disgusting. Me and mine will have nothing to do with it, hell, if i see it happening i'll try stop it."

Liang chuckled to himself

"You have no choice Rolf, your crew is being rounded up as we speak, and your beloved Gabriel exists at my mercy"

"I aint working for you, and that's final, you don't want to pay? fine, but I'm off this hunk of junk"

Another chuckle

"You're nott leaving this station lest I give leave Rolf."

He then pressed a button on a small detonator in his hand.

the two Type IV mines in the Gabriels hold, set to minimum setting, exploded, destroying the ship and nearby docking bay.

"Ghung, put him in the pits with the rest of his wretched crew"

One of Liangs muscled bodyguards beat Rolf to the ground, knowcking him uncouscious.

He woke to a room coated in blood, and saw at least a dozen men lying dead about him. It was Liangs office.

Able stood in the middle of the room, cleaning something.

"Captain, I suggest we find the rest of the crew, and find a new ship in which to travel. I do not wish to linger."

Thats when the alarms started.

[TacCovert4]

As Able and Rolf exit Liang's Office, Rolf hands Able a pair of rather nice SMGs. The markings on them scream standard issue for Alliance Federal Commandoes. Able Himself picks up a semi-automatic rifle with a magnifying sight, and slings it on his back, hiding it under his cloak. He then proceeds to wipe his weapon off and resheath it, locking it under his cloak as well.

As they walk away, Rolf asks "What happened?"

"Well, I heard the explosion, and then saw you get the gorram crap beat out of you. The rest of it's a bit complicated."

"What do you mean by complicated?"

Able gets a wispy look in his eye........

***cue flashback***

Able looks at Liang and the Captain through a window as they are in a heated argument. He can barely make out the gist of it, which is that the crew is being rounded up, and Liang is trying to take control, or rebel, or something. He sees Liang press a button, and hears a massive explosion from the docking bay area.

Able looks back, then looks at the captain as he's beat senseless by one of Liang's bodyguards. No artistry at all, just brutality, and it's hideous. Just then, he feels a hand on his shoulder and a gun at his back.

"Don't do anything stupid if you know what's good for you"

"Yeah, nothing stupid"

Able glances over his shoulder just enough to gauge where the assailants are, and sees 2 of Liang's bodyguards. In such a semi-public place, they're not carrying anything suggesting tactical gear, and their manner doesn't suggest that they're any more than moderately competent. Able sets himself and goes over the drill in his mind.

"Come one, you're going with us."

"But....wouldn't that be....Stupid?"

Able pivots, rolling the pistol off line with his body as he captures the gun-arm with his left hand, snaking into an arm-bar come-a-long and putting the gun in the face of the other assailant just as the fool pulls the trigger, blowing his partner's face off. Able then drives a knee into his quarry's groin, and grasps his head, snapping his neck with a quick but powerful jerk and twist motion.

The commotion on the street and the milling crowd keep the confusion high as Able swiftly approaches the 2 guards at the door to Liang's place. Passing beside them like a bystander, Able lashes out a slash with his dirk through the throat of the first, carrying on into a lunge that spits straight through the Aorta of the second. With both guards down in heartbeats, Able appropriates the swipe-card to enter the room and steps in. The Guard at the outer desk stands up only to be spitted through the neck by Able's Dirk. Picking up the Pace, Able strides through the next door into Liang's office. He looks at Liang as a trio of bodyguards form up to engage him.

"Who are you"

"I am no one, and I am everyone."

"You are nothing, and you will die, just like him" Liang points to the Captain.

Able's eyes never leave Liang, even as the bodyguards circle around him to take him from all directions. He deadpans "You might need some more guards". Able then throws down his automatic onto the floor.

The guards come in swinging on the 'unarmed' Able, who takes the first with a palm-heel strike to the nose, then drives an elbow into the eye-socket of the second, and Rolls around into a headlock behind the third just as Liang empties a small automatic at Able, riddling his bodyguard's body.

Able drops his meat-shield and strides purposefully towards the 2 staggered but recovering guards just as one of them reaches for his own sidearm. Able's right hand flashes down, then up, drawing fully 30 inches of titanium-steel alloy and reverse-slashing up, splitting the guard from navel to nose. His left hand snakes around the back of the other guard's head and he drives his head down as his knee comes up, smashing again into the guard's nose and feeling things break as the guard goes down in the welter of his partner's gore. A swift stomp to the neck, and that guard will never rise again.

Liang just finishes opening up a fine gun-cabinet and is reaching for a rifle when Able kicks him in the knee, popping it out of socket. Liang collapses to his knees and struggles back to his feet, trying to run to a back exit. Able catches him in a few easy strides and with a strike to his lower Abdomen Liang is immobilized.........

"Do you know what your sin is?" Able asks as he steps up beside Liang. Liang says nothing and does not move.

'It's Greed.'

Liang begins to topple over, his portly belly unbalancing him, and he falls chest-first onto the blade of Able's Sword. As Able is rising, a last guard comes running in from the back exit, where it appears a car is waiting. Able draws his revolver from his ankle and fires without thinking, dropping the guard with two shots to the chest.

Able retrieves his other weapons and pulls his sword out of Liang just as the Captain comes to.

***End Flashback***

"Well, I don't think either of us is going to lack for reputation, or people wanting to kill us now....."

Able guides Rolf out to the waiting car, and they take off in search of the other crew-members.

[The Exorcist]

Phaing sits up suddenly, sweating and gasping for air as if she had just had a very bad dream. She looks around the dank little room, at the other four trapped in the room with her, and asks "How did I go from that ship to the brig so fast?"

Once they explain things to Phaing, she pats herself down and finds just one of her knives, a little stainless-steel folder. Showing no ill-effects from having been unconscious for over two days aside from being a little unsteady on her feet, Phaing prowls around the room looking for something to pry at or unscrew.

When that blast shakes the station, she drops to one knee and holds her head, noticing the bandage around her skull for the first time. "Somebody who knew what they were doing patched me up... wasn't one of you guys, was it?"
God help the fool that tries to take her knife away.

"There is no such thing as an escape-proof cell, so c'mon and give me a hand here!"

[broderickwells]

Harvard knew better than to run when Liang's guard stepped in front of him, hand poised casually over his holstered pistol.

"You're not going to give me any trouble, are you?" the guard asked, obviously hoping Harvard would. The implied threat would've been effective, if Harvard hadn't been holding his favourite wrench - which bounced off the guard's right kneecap and forced the guard to throw his right hand out stoop from falling.

"No trouble at all," said Harv as he broke said arm with an overhand strike with the wrench, then knocked the guard unconscious. Harvard liberated the pistol and holster, the guard's communicator and his wallet. Bollocks, no real money, just station chits. He turned and faced the amazed owner of the stall and handed him the wad of chits.

"Hope this covers the mess." Harvard felt the floor shudder. He didn't like the feeling and wondered if he had time to buy clean underwear before he found the captain.

[Dashy]

Current sitchuation of all players...

Harvard

Near Stall, moving toward Hulk

Tamie, Able, Rolf

In Car, headed for Hulk

Phiang, Ogilvy, Caleb, Chin, Slavimor

In Hulk

Harvard Finds Rolf, Able and Tamie, and directs them to the Prison Hulk. He then sets off to find a new ship.

Had a detailed 10'000 odd word write up of epic but comp crashed.

[Karakris]

Current sitchuation of all players...

Harvard

Near Stall, moving toward Hulk

Tamie, Able, Rolf

In Car, headed for Hulk

Phiang, Ogilvy, Caleb, Chin, Slavimor

In Hulk

Harvard Finds Rolf, Able and Tamie, and directs them to the Prison Hulk. He then sets off to find a new ship.

Had a detailed 10'000 odd word write up of epic but comp crashed.

In the Car - Tamie turned to Rolf and Able.
"Thanks fellas - things were looking a tad dangerous in there".

**Flashback
As Tamie was getting up to leave the Bar - a bit shakily - two men with grim expressions walked in, spotted Tamie and started walking straighty towards him.
He knew this kind of situation "Damn" he thought, and ducked straight under the table. He shed his coat very quickly - and pulled the long knife.

As Tamie came up from under the table - the nearest of the uglies made a grab for his. The ugly stoppped, surpised, with a grunt - Tamies long knife had slashed his forearm to the bone. He sat down on the floor very quickly, with blood almost squirting out of his arm - hanging onto his forearm and starting to groan.
The other ugly was a metre or more back from him - so Tamie quick-pulled the Meat Axe from over his left shoulder - and holding it with two hands he fire a single shell. This hit the ugly in the chest - which almost exploded in bloody gore, a 15mm sheel makes a hell of a big bang.

Tamie stood there wobbling a bit - "Any more of you fellas want to start something" he said. "I ain't got no grudge with nobody - 'cept them as tries to take me somewhere I don't wanna go". He still had the Meat Axe in his left hand and the long knife was in his belt loop - dripping blood.

Looking out the door - he sees Harvard and Chin being bundled into a waiting car and driven off. "Enjoy your drinks - I'm leavin".

This did not go down too well wih the man behind the Bar. "You damn bluddy madman" - "Next thing the Troopers will be all over this place". "Look at the mess !" " If you turn yur back on me - you just might get plugged, wiv my little Pistol".
Tamie was a bit concerned over this "Wish I had a friend or two in here" he though.

Just at that moment - Rolf and Able entered, clearly armed. "Damn glad to see you two fellas" said Tamie - and grabbing all his gear he followed the pair out to the car they had arrived in. On the way out he passed the ugly still sitting on the floor - and casually slit his throat with the long knife. Thinks "better that way".
**

"I was getting a bit unsteady on me feet as well, y' see".
Thinks "That damn right leg always makes me wobble, when I have a good wet".
"Are we gonna go get Harvard and Chin" - "I reckon we shud - looks like more of them damn uglies got them".

[Dashy]

The Hulk itself is a converted Aardvark class

I Suggest everyone download the info pack.

The Lower Deck has been converted into a processing office, all prisoners are processed through this portal.

The Main deck is where all the security is, however there is a proper roof for the lower deck, and stairwells in each corner. the stateroom is now a staff room.

The Subdeck (highest I hope) is all cells.

[Comrade|Ogilvy]

~one hour earlier...

as Ogilvy Strode after the four paramedics carrying the stretcher bearing the bludgeoned form of Phaing, he noticed something about them... their boots: they were heavy duty combat jobbies- not the sort of thing a doc would wear.

Ogilvy quickened his pace, and noticed the bulge of sidearms under the white coats. a cold sweat broke upon ogilvy's brow as he though of what he could do; obviously He was not the only one who had enemies- but were they Phaings or Rolfs? either way he could either run or hide... or...

Ogilvy surreptitiously concealed his derrenger and 3 small throwing daggers; should things turn sour. he shouldered his bag, unbuttoned his coat, slung his rifle and ran toward the "medics". "Hey, Hey! one of you dropped something!" he yelled, running toward the medics brandishing his ID. The men gently lowered the listless phaing to the ground and began to pat their pockets.

Ogilvy drew his Python quicker than the men could blink- moments later all four were on the ground with bullets in their chests, and shortly after that, all had been finished with a clean shot to the head.

A check of the bodies revealed they were guards of the mayor man who ran this joint. thouroughly confused Ogilvy did the only thing that made sense: gently raised Phaing over his shoulder and made for the ship, pistol in his remaining hand.

when Ogilvy finally got near the ship, he was dismayed to see some 8 guards forming a cordon around the docking bay. Ogilvy then realised how conspicuous he must look, with gun in hand, rucksack and rifle on one shoulder and an unconscious girl on the other.

The guards made towards Ogilvy as he raised his pistol, but common sence won out: he couln't fight them all, and if he did they'd only kill him and Phaing on the spot- if he came quietly, at worst he'd end up in prison, and if the derringer and the knives... hopefully.

Ogilvy lay down Phaing and dropped his bag, rifle and pistol. 7 guards formed a circle and drew guns and one drew a telescopic steel rod.

"On your knees."

Ogilvy complied.

"Grab his stuff, check the Girl. Ogilvys rifle and things were scooped up by a guard, while another, rather than check Phaings wound or pulse, launched a savage kick at her back to check she wasn't faking.

Before Ogilvy thought about his actions, Ogilvy made a poorly excecuted dive roll for the pistol as the guard with his stuff bent to retrieve it first. Luckily for Ogilvy, the guards hands found the barrel, and Ogilvy's found the trigger- the guard crumpled and ogilvy jumped to his feet, and emptied the remainder of the clip into the guard who kicked Phaing.

The gun clicked in Ogilv's hand- spent. at that he felt cold steel at his neck.
"Chivalry is a fools game, boy... and she's not even pretty! probly wont even bother to-"
At that Ogilvy turned and landed a strong backhand on the face of the rod wielding Guard, who reeled backward, before swinging the rod home against Ogilvy's head.

Ogilvy awoke on a floor encrusted with the grime of ages. He heard Phaing's voice swearing in her foreign language next to him. he groaned and felt his swollen head- no blood, thankfully. He tried to sit up, but felt his head spin at the movement. Groaning painfully Ogilvy lay back down. He saw Phaing's feet at his side. Ogilvy hoped his hidden thing were still on his person- the guards didn't seem too bright- and they would sure as hell make payback easier.

[Distaff]

Caleb for his part is sitting in a corner of the cell, looking more annoyed than anything. First reavers, and now just when things are looking up, he gets thrown in prison?

He is not having a good week. His suddenly light up as the unconscious girl in the middle of the room sits bolt upright.

"Hey therah little lady It'd best if you didn't go movin' too..." and she's on here feet already "much" he finished, for the sake of finishing his sentence.

He sighs and continues " I did do the bandage on youah head there, but you pulled through with out much help from me, took a pretty solid knock to the head little lady, you're very lucky to be alive."


He noticed that she has a knife in hand. "Where did you get that?" Caleb asked "Well, I don't think it'll help us much, doesn't look to be too much to pry at in here"

Just then the boy on the floor stirred.

"Do not move junioah" Caleb said as he headed towards where Ogi lay in the middle of the floor " You've taken quite a blow to the..." the boy sits upright, and then just as quickly slumps back to the ground "head" finished Caleb.

He looks up at Phaing "Apparently I've got to learn to talk a little faster hey?" he said kneeling beside Ogi.

Covering one of Ogi's eye with his hand Caleb watched the Pupil of the other eye. No change, he uncovered the other eye, and noticed that its pupil had expanded, and was now contracting.

"Well that's not good junioah" he said simply " probably a concussion. I'd give you some ice, but I doubt our current caretakers will give us any."

"Ya'll gotta stop takin' so many blows to the head" he said to the rest of the room "it's bad for youah health"

[Dashy]

Sorry to cut this short, but this chapter is drawing on

Roll

Woot.

Ok Guys, spend a Day or so explaining, in intricate detail, how everything went perfectly right during the escape from the Aardvark, I'm going to set up Chapter 2.

You guys got a twenty, which means you can be outlandish as you like, just try to keep the narrative cohesive, IE if the guy before says the ship blows up, it blows up, first in first served.


Think of this as a reward for good work so far.

Harvard has stolen us a Busero class Blockade runner with extra cabin space (at the cost of Cargo space, no weapons this time)

[The Exorcist]

"Ya'll gotta stop takin' so many blows to the head" he said to the rest of the room "it's bad for youah health"

Phaing looks at Caleb, and walks over to him.
"You fixed me up? Thanks, were you on that ship?" She sits still long enough for him to give her a quick examination.
And, no matter what he tells her to do, all he gets in return is a hug and a "Follow me" as Phaing goes to the wall.

She has him stand there while she climbs up the man as if his body is a ladder. From her new perch, she can just reach the catwalk above, a grating where guards sometimes step out to look down at them. She flips a catch, unscrews something or other, and waits.
When the next guard appears and Caleb's shoulders feel like they are about to come unglued, Phaing yanks her knife out of a slot and the catwalk swings away, dumping the Guard at Ogilvy's feet, flat on his face 10 feet below where he had stood a second before.

While the Merc is putting an end to the guard, Phaing pulls herself up onto the catwalk and throws her knife at the head of another guard who was peeking around the corner to see what was going on.
She leaves the trusty knife in his forehead when she sees that he has her trusty little SMG, or one so like it as to make no difference. "Greedy Guzeta, so much for you!"

She heads back once finished looting the body to help the others up and out of the Pit.
"Looks like it's just us here, what now, gents?"

(hows that for taking advantage of a 20?)

[The Exorcist]

Oh, and just to make sure this ends on the right note-

If anyone tries to slow Phaing down;

[Karakris]

Off Topic

{{ Off Topic --

I am in a Car with Rolf - so until I find out what he is intending to do - I cannot really write what I am doing
}}