NationStates Jolt Archive

Captain Nigel Farnstorm was reading the morning reports. His ship the EEOS Repulse, an Evil Empire Bullworth class destroyer was heading for the Orion arm bubble.

The Bullworth class destroyers were all about forty years old with fusion hyper drive. The fusion drive provided enough power to run the entire ship including the ionic phased cannon and the tachyon shields. They also carried heavy anti-matter torpedoes.

The Orion arm bubble was an anomaly in the region, almost devoid of matter. The benefit was that one could hyper jump to the bubble and change directions quickly, almost undetectably as there were no atoms to be ionized and a chasing ship would lose the ion trail.

Smugglers used the bubble to elude Evil Empire ships, blockades and the taxman. This was why Captain Farnstorm was here. Captain Farnstorm hated smugglers, first because he detested rule breakers, then as he constantly got passed over for the new space-time fold driven ships he began to make money for his retirement by smuggling.

He started with wines from Napa One and moved to gems from the burned out cinders of the Greenlakes system. He would pick up a load when visiting and sell the load in the most opportune places, like space stations where people paid fortunes for illegal goods because they were bored.

"So now I can eliminate some of the competition on official business." cackled Nigel, as the warship began the nauseating drop from hyperspace to the emptiness of the bubble.

OCC: sorry for the long post mike.

*in the bubble The E.S. Zebra sat almost completly powered down, save for emergency life support and one computer consul that was simultaneously displaying stock quotes from Regula Alpha 6 the trading hub of the galaxy, Cricket Scores from the planet cricket, and soft core Chalbezie porn. The ship had to periodicly do this to re-energize the engines and give the crew a brake. The Zebra, a quick little blockade runner that had no official port of call had been a pidgepodge of about 6 different ships that had either crashed, fallen in to disrepair or where siezed on credit. The captain while drunk one night took a phaser rifle and blasted the outer skin of the ship a few times to give it a "Worn in look". On this particular mission, The ship was carrying a few Curosities including 500 gallons of Zambezi Ale, 200 qunta's (think tribbles), 142 pairs of Plastic "Don't panic" sandals and probably the most precious and most against the law 1 Megadisk with the Codes and Access frequencies to the Empires communications grid.

The zebra which is about 150 feet in length and in the shape of a flatened cone, uses a mix of M/A reactors and Ripfold technology, this combination has gotten him out of many tight situations in the past and makes it one of the fastest ships in the sector. The zebra's weapons consist of Ion blasters for fighters and punching holes in shields (and creating fake ion signitures) Mark VII Penguin Torpedo's, a few banks of phaser cannons and a hardened front in case it needs to physicly get out of a sticky situation.

Captain... (well in the loosest sense of the title due to the fact she only had 2 other crewmates) Zofia Alexia sat at the consul watching all three feeds at once. Her crewmates Stephen Kerestes and Ed Dubiel where in their quaters sleeping in space suits to keep down their energy cross section. Zofia was paranoid, she knew that this section of space was wonderful for masking ships, and energy signals but reports had come in from one of her friends and CNN that the Empire was cracking down on smuggling and that they where activly patrolling.

CNN: This just in... we have live footage from one of our reporters showing the Empire's war on terro... umm smuggling...

*the screen flashes out to a Bulwark cruiser being followed by various news ships approaching what looks like the bubble*

We have confirmation that the Bulwark class ship is on a mission to destroy a reported smuggler in this area....

*Zofia turned off her consul and sits in the dark as one small light pops on indicating that something was getting close, even though she already knew what it was. She puts on an oxygen mask and runs back to the crew quaters to wake her to compatriats she goes in Ed's room and kicks the bunk*

Ed: OWWW What the hell did you do that for?
Zofia: We got company....
Ed: I was sleeping good...
Zofia: We'll be sleeping forever if you don't get up!
Ed: Bullucks... *he gets up and still in his suit walks to the bathroom and relieves himself, he then heads down to engineering to begin the emergency engine reactivation sequence*

Zofia: *runs into Steves quaters and does the same*
Steve: You finally saw the light and want to make out with me right?
Zofia: No.. we got an empire ship coming in...
Steve: Bullucks.. I'll be right up.

*zofia runs back to the cockpit and awaits Steve, the com and nav "officer". He was officer by the pure fact he had known Zofia longer. Once she got the word from Ed back in the engine room it would take 1 minute for the engines to get enough power to jump out of the bubble. Until then, she had to think of something*

Steve: *comes and sits down in the chair next to her and buckles in* Have they spotted us yet?
Zofia: I doubt it... We arn't really throwing of a energy signiture, we look like a piece of floating space junk and we are in the bubble....
Steve: Well what are we gonna do?
Zofa: Well, lets wait to see if they even notice us.. if they do.. we'll jump out.. easy enough right?
Steve: We could hail them...
Zofia: Ya.. funny...
*over the onboard com system*
Ed: Zofia...
Zofia: Captain.....
Ed: Whatever... the powercores are ready to be engaged.... we still look like we are floating dead... but as soon as I flip them everyones gonna know we are here....
Zofia: Hold on Ed..
Ed: Chief Engineer.....
Zofia: Whatever... We are gonna play opossum and see what they do...
Ed: Whats an Opossum?
Zofia: Its an earth creat... never mind just get ready to fire up that core...

OOC: Ed don't worry about the long post it adds to the story.

IC: After what seemed to be forever the EEOS Repulse dropped into normal vectored space. Captain Nigel Farnstorm had Ensign Beatrice Wickham do the normal scan of the surrounding area. Nigel didn't like Beatrice very much, as the purser she was determined to do a full inspection of all the storage spaces and he didn't want her to find his ten thousand bottles of Napa One port. So he made sure she stood double watches and kept her busy studying the known smuggling vessels and their captains.

The CNN ships following the EEOS Repulse further annoyed the Captain. He would "accidently" destroy any one of them given the chance.

The EEOS Repulse was a small warship but still almost seventeen hundred feet long. The old design had the fusion drive a long ways away from everything considerably lengthening the ship.

Ensign Wickham "I thought this was supposed to be empty space, sir."

Captain Farnstorm "It is, nothing stays here long, whatever causes the bubble seems to keep it clean. Why?"

Ensign Wickham "Well there seems to be pile of junk about .05 of a parsec away. It is hard to determine exactly where because the news ships are so close to us."

Captain Farnstorm "Tell those bastards to back off or I will vaporize them!" The captain was hoping they would be slow in moving away from the EEOS Repulse, this was a military action and if they hindered him, he was fully within his rights to blast them back to the subatomic level. "Charge up the Ion cannon just to make sure."

The unmistakable glow of the two forward Ion cannons being charged up would move the CNN ships.

Captain Farnstorm "Where is that piece of junk, Ensign?"

Ensign Wickham's fingers were flying over the console trying to pull up a visual of the pile of junk at the same time as displaying the location on the location grid map. The annoying CNN communications van was precisely in between the EEOS Repulse and the "Pile of Junk" making a visual impossible.

*Zofia and Steve sat staring at the CNN feed... the unmistakable glow of the cannons on the empire ship begin to charge*

Steve: Nothing like watching our demise on the Centauri News Net huh?
Zofia: Well..... *she sits back in her chair pondering the situation*
-over the com-
Ed: Captain... I'm ready to engage the reactor.
Zofia: I still don't think they've spotted us..... Ed
Ed: Chie
Zofia: Shut up.... Ready to engage the core on my mark...
Steve: What are you planning on doing?
Zofia: Well its safe to assume they havn't seen us yet.. or at least don't know exactly who or what we are...... We are gonna head for that news van and then fly towards the rear end of the cruiser where the rest of the news ships are.. hopefully that will buy us enough time to get the hell out of here.
Steve: I hope this works.. I've got the co-ordinates for Seti 9 punched into the Ripfold computer.... if we make it that far.......
Zofia: Your such a pessimist.. -on com- Chief fire the core...

*As Ed flips the power for the core the ship lights up. After aproximatly .1 seconds the defense screens, weapons, and the running engines come on line, and Zofia punches it at full power towards the CNN equipment van, and towards the rear of the cruiser where the rest of the news vehicles had assembled*

Ensign Wickham, having signaled the CNN Communications van to move watches on the console display. The exceedingly ugly van roughly a cube shape about three hundred feet on a side, begins to inch back towards the aft of the EEOS Repulse.

"Sweet Mother of God!" she exclaimed.

"What, what?" asked Nigel.

"That pile of junk just came alive and it is headed towards us." she shouted. "The CNN van is still between us and them."

Nigel grabbed the communications device and shouted "If you don't move that CNN pile of crap to the aft of this ship you will be turned into sub-atomic soup!"

Onboard the CNN communications van "Pappy" McCarthy, pilot and part owner didn't want to move the ship very fast. The comm guys had just deployed the intra-space antennae, they were big and expensive a sudden move would snap them off. He watched as the Ion cannons snapped into position aiming directly at him. He slammed the accelerometer handle right to the stops. The ship jumped forwards and the huge antennae snapped off.

Ensign Wickham's hands were a fluid motion passing back and forth between the engineering console and the weapons director console. She hailed the "Pile-of-Junk" stating to come to and be boarded or blasted. It was their choice.

Steve: Zofia..
Zofia: Cap
Steve: Whatever they are locking on.... and saying Be boarded or Die.... what do we do?
*Zofia looks at the a screen on her consul showing the engine status, noticing that they are only 75% charged she slams on the "brakes" and brings the ship to a halt*
Steve: WHAT ARE YOU DOING! YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO TO SMUGGLERS!!!
Zofia: Hail them.. tell them they are welcome over for tea and crumpets...
Steve: WHAT?!?!
Zofia: We only need another 20 seconds then we can jump out, by the time they get their engines online and follow us we'll be long gone... Just stall them....

Steve: Alright.. I'll umm stall then...

*hail to the EEOS Repulse*

This is the umm the E.S. Linus on a umm long range resupply mission.. we where giving our engines a rest here in the bubble when umm you happened to show up...... Hows it going?

*zofia looks over the consul again only 10 more seconds.. she motions to steve to keep going*

Steve: (Over Hail) Umm kinda lonely out here in space with all these umm.. CNN reporters....

While all of the chit chat was going on Ensign Beatrice Wickham was trying to find out what ship it was they were talking to. She turns to the Captain and says "I can't find her in any registry. The AI keeps repeating about three or four different names, I think the AI needs another whack with a Florhandson's wrench."

Captain Farnstorm replies "That is probably a good idea, but I think we have a smuggler here. They are stalling to get their engines up to speed. Fire the port cannon across their bow and tell them if they move they are vapor."

Ensign Whickham dials in the margin of error on the cannon to miss the ship by a few hundred yards. She activates the fire button and the Ion cannon fires with that sickening sound of nails on a chalk board echoing throughout the ship.

Poor Beatrice forgot about the antennae that had fallen off the CNN communications van. The Ion charge hit the antennae with enough close in power to atomize them. The atoms that weren't split into their sub-atomic parts were heated to a few million degrees and radiated x-rays, gamma rays and began to fluoresce in a wonderul display right next to the EEOS Repulse. The overall effect was to temporarily blind the sensors on the EEOS Repulse.

Zofia & Steve: HOLY *sound masked by Ion cannons firing*

*they watched as the cannons on the ship charged, they also watched as they super heated magnatized gas exploded out of ion banks. Their eyes also followed the shot as it travled through space toward them but instead hit the antenna creating a brilliant effect on the viewscreens*

Consul: BEEP!
Zofia: Thats our ticket!

*she hits the ignition button and the space around the Zebra distorts opening up a Ripfold field were the antenna used to sit. The ship guns it and enters the the field, the last thing that Zofia sees before the front of the ship enters the hole is another Ion blast comming from the Repulse. Before the entire ship gets into the distortion, the blasts hit the rear quater of the ship knocking out the engines. The field begins to colapse as the hit knocks most of the ship into the hole. Space returns back to normal and all that is left of the ship is the back 10 feet of the Zebra*

OOC: Mike, just so you know, if you've ever seen Babylon 5 I'm basing the Zebra and the ripfold off the Minbari Ships

Ensign Whickham is about to blast the last 10 feet of the Zebra when Captain Farnstorm tells her to stop. They want to investigate the rubble.

Commander Luthor Deathmask, Operations Officer, is studying the trajectory and what little ion trail remains of the Zebra as the bubble is doing its thing and most of the particles from the blasted antennae are dispersing or just plain disappearing. He announces to the Captain "I have three possible destinations calculated for the smugglers ship. Rota Five, Desert Two and possibly Seti 9."

The captain mulled over the information and said "Tractor the remains of their ship in here and get a team to study it. Desert Two is owned and run by the Agnostii; smugglers would get a better reception from Owen Sound itself. They are out. That leaves Rota Five or Seti 9. Rota Five is a mining planet, most of what they get is titanium. Probably not a destination for a shortened smuggler ship. Seti 9 is full of tree hugging scientists -- no offence Luthor -- that is where they have to be heading. Navigator plot the quickest course to Seti 9. Helmsman proceed to engage hyperspace jump as soon as a solution is entered."

Ensign Whickham taps the engineering console and draws the remains of the Zebra into cargo bay three.

The helmsman, Torpedoman 2nd class Harvey Smith is already twisting the ship into position to jump by using the thrusters. The CNN ships are scrambling to try to follow the Repulse into jump space not knowing where they are jumping.

The Captain knew ratting out the smuggler in Seti 9 was going to take diplomacy. The place was a civil rights hot bed and they believed in due process. Luckily for the Captain they also liked luxury items and hidden in storeroom six was twelve hundred cases of the finest wine this side of Orion. He would make a nice profit and grease some palms to calm the uproar when he captured those smuggler scum. This could work out in my favor. he thought.

*A spacial distortion opens up near Seti 9 and the wounded Zebra comes tumbling out of it. The stabalizing rockets fire and at least gets them pointed in one direction*

Zofia: *laying on the floor* Wow... that was close..... *she stands up rubbing her behind, going over to the control panal, she looks at the warning lights telling her that the rear ten feet of the ship has been sheered right off, the M/AM reactor is about to go critical, shields, Long Range scanners, and long range prepulsion is down and that her laundry is done.*

Zofia: *over comm* Chief, ummm how long?
Ed: Well..... if we stay in space, with the spare parts I have on hand.... 6 years...
Zofia: Right.. well I think we can make it to Seti 9, take the core off line and bring up the batteries...
Ed: yeah yeah.. I know the drill...

*Steve finally gets back up and rights himself in his chair*

Steve: I'm getting a hail in.... from Starbase Zero One.. they welcome us to Seti 9 and ask if we need assistance....
Zofia: Tell them that the crew of the EEOS Indifferent thanks them.. and we'd greatly appreciate a tow.
Steve: EEOS Indifferent?
Zofia: Run the registry script... it will transmit them a new registry... if those empire goons decide to follow us here.. hopefully that will throw them off a little.
Steve: *transmits script* They say they'll have someone out in a moment.

*After sitting in space for about 40 minutes a ship from the station finally makes its way out to the Zebra and brings it back to the station where Ed begins repairs on the main systems, as well as patching up the gaping hole in the rear of the ship. Zofia walks into her cabin and grabs a small envelope from under her cot. She opens it up and in it are three Imperial Identicards, one for each of them. She reaches into her closet and changes into an Imperial Navy Leuitenants uniform that she "Confiscated" from a hapless officer on a outer rim freighter. Fortunatly the blaster hole had sewn up nicely. Walking out of her room she runs into steve who has also changed into a "confiscated" Ensign Uniform*

Zofia: I still outrank you! Ha!
Steve: Ha.. just becuase the Lieutenant happened to be the same size and build as you....
Zofia: Yeah.. well...
Steve: *grabs her chest* I will say your rack is nicer then hers...
Zofia: *slaps steve and then walks down the exit* ARE YOU COMING?
Steve: Yeah yeah, I'm coming..... *he puts on his hat and follows her out the door and stands next to her on the stations platform* So who are we looking for on this heap?
Zofia: I... am looking for none of your buisness.... don't go to far from hear... and keep your communicator on... in case we need to get out of here in a hurry.

*Zofia walks off towards a shady looking bar waiting for her contact Dr. Hubenslurgendorfenschenllentagestgut, the man who the mega disk was waiting for. Supposedy Dr. Hubenslurgendorfenschenllentagestgut was going to use this disk to bring peace the the galaxy by bringing the empire to its knees... she didn't care as long as she got paid.. and the check didn't bounce. Zofia would profit fr

Waiter: CAN I HELP YOU?!!?!
Zofia: What?
Waiter: You've been sitting here for five minutes. and I've been trying to get your attention for three of those...
Zofia: ohhh... umm.. Beer..... What have you got?
Waiter: We have a new draft in from Zatalin What to try?
Zofia: Sure...

*where was I? Ohhh Zofia would profrit from it by not having the Empire hassle her while smuggling... hell with the empire gone she might become a legitament buisness woman. All the ca

Waiter: Here you go....
Zofia: Jeez... you people sure do like to interupt trains of thought don't you?
Waiter: Yeah.. well its my job...
Zofia: Here... *she flicks a credit onto the table*
Waiter: That covers the beer....
Zofia: *getting angry* Can't you see i'm an officer of the imperial navy!!! You had better get out of here before I have you thrown in the brig*
Waiter: *takes credit and walks off mumbling about imperial swine*

*Ohhh.. yes.. cards... All the cards where falling into place, with what the good Dr. Was paying her, she could retire... She sat drinking here beer waiting for Hubenslurgendorfenschenllentagestgut*

*meanwhile back at the ranch, erm Zebra...erm Indifference Steve had gone back to help Ed work on fixing the Comm and sensors*

Steve: What happened... it looks like the rear half of the ship dissapeared....
Ed: It did......
Steve: Well how I didn't think that Ion hit was all that bad...
Ed: Well normally the crystaline skin would of absorbed and dissapated a good portion of it. But our *makes little finger gestures* captain wouldn't let me buy any at our last stop... so I patched it up as best as I could... obviously not good enough... but the engines got knocked out, and since the engines got knocked out the Ripfold field collapsed, luckily most of the ship was through or else we'd have even less ship.

*aConstruction Mech walks up carrying Six large barrels that say "Crystaline Refraction X301463" It sets it down and the little squid looking creature piloting the mech starts squeeling as it hands down a data pad*

Ed: What the hell is this?! I needed X301461! Our engines will melt this shit right off!!
Squid: EWRAED EEEEEEEEE DFEREESWDEREEEEEEEEEEEE
Ed: I don't care what YOUR sheet said... I'm telling you what MY sheet says and It says you got the wrong stuff!!
Squid: EEEEEE DEEDEEEFEFFF EEEADEEESAWEEEEEEEEE
Ed: Yeah! Yeah you are!!! Your gonna march your Slimy little rear BACK DOWN THAT HALL AND BRING ME THE RIGHT STUFF!!!!
Squid: E! *the Squid and the Mech unit turn back around and walks down the hall to get the right solution, as Ed sticks a gravpad under the pallet and nurses it next to the loading bay of the ship and pushes it in*
Steve: I thought you said it was the wrong stuff....
Ed: For the top layer..... the second layer Uses the 41 solution
Steve: Wha?
Ed: The top coat the 41 is heat resistant and it also when hit with an Ion blaster or phaser hit it helps channel the energy over the entire ship, thus dissapating it. The 43 is a lot more fragile to heat and it is put on under the top coat to further dissapate the ion rounds... but if we are hit by a torpedo.. well then goodnight.

*The hulking sound of the mech can be heard coming down the hallway with another pallet of the crystaline solution the squid again comes up and sets it down. If it was able to make a facial gesture It would of shown anger*

Squid: EEEEDDFEEEDDDDEEEASDADFEE EEE EE e!
Ed: Yeah I know it was a pain in your tentacle but you didn't bring me what I ordered...
Squid: EEEEEEEGEEEEEE EEE E E!
Ed: The other pallat? EEEEEEDGEQ came and picked it up... here is the datapad.
*hands it to the squid who looks it over then hands it and another one back. Ed signs it with his "Empire" Name Dwayne Butkiss Chief Engineer EEOS Indifference*
Ed: Make sure that gets charged to the Imperial account...
Steve: Won't they track that?
Ed: Yeah... but my buddy is named Dwayne Butkiss, he works for the Empire... head of Requisitions for the 12th fleet.
Steve: ohhh... I see...
Ed: Well don't stand there, get the other containers and help me start applying this....

*Steve goes in and grabs the other six canisters and begins to help Ed "Paint" the ship*

Captain Nigel Farnstorm was muttering to himself "Six days to Seti 9. If they would let me use space-time fold drives I would have almost beaten those smuggler scum."

Commander Luthor Deathmask "Captain, I am observing a lot of repair activity for the EEOS Indifference on the logistics channels."

Nigel "That's impossible she was blown up during the Tetris Rebellion. We were next to her when the Tertis rebels hit her fusion drive with a magnetic anomaly blast taking both of them to x-ray emitting particles. Where are the repairs being done?"

Luthor "It looks like Seti 9 but the traffic is being routed in circles by someone in the Admiralty."

Nigel "So, we have a sympathizer in headquarters. We will get medals for smoking him out. This confirms your hypothesis that they went to Seti 9. We will be there in a few hours, make sure I have a small cargo lighter ready to go to the pro-councils estate."

*Ed and Steve finnish up painting the crystaline solution onto the hull, as a few engineers finnish up patching the rear of the ship as well as the upgrading of the comm, sensors, and the addition new Automated laser turrets and a "chaff"/ECM system. Ed jumps down off of the ship as another squid creature in a construction mech suit walks up*

Squid: EEEEDEEEGGEEDE EEE EEEE Q!
Ed: Yeah, everything seems to be in order, they are running tests on the turrets right now.
Squid: EEEEE EE EEEEEEEE EEE EEEEHEE!
Ed: Well... umm *looks at ship* over there... *points to a section of the ship that dosn't have any paint on it* Install it right there..
Squid: EE EEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEE!
Ed: I don't care if its aestheticly pleasing! It will stop a fighter from coming in and blasting our rear end! Just put it there!!!
Squid: EEE!
Ed: ALLRIGHT!! PAINT IT A COLOR! I DON'T CARE JUST PUT IT ON THERE ASAP!!!
Squid: EEEDE\EEE EEE!!!

*the squid walks off and a few moments later returns and begins to install a laser turret where Ed told him. Steve jumps down and approaches Ed*

Steve: Ed, how long do you think we have here?
Ed: Well depending on how smart the captain is... which it is an imperial captain... not very.... anywhere from about 6 hours to 3 days.. they have a fusion drive on that... while good for the bigger ships its slow.... which is good for us.
Steve: So they could show up anytime....
Ed: Yeah pretty much....
Steve: Shouldn't we make sure the ship works?
Ed: Yeah, probably... but if they take me prisoner, I was just following orders... and besides.. I'm not the one wearing the dead Imperial uniform.....

*meanwhile in the bar*

*Zofia still sipping on her beer is startled when a phaser pistol is jabbed into her back*
Zofia: WHAT THE HELL!
Man: Shuuush! Vatch vat you say! Are you alone?
Zofia: Yeah.. well in here I am... my crew is here...
Man: Excellent..... Do you haves it?
Zofia: Tell you what, take the blaster out of my back and we will talk.
Man: Very Vell... *he takes the blaster out of her back and puts it back into his coat.. he comes around to the other side of the table and sits down*
Zofia: The good Dr. I presume.
Dr: Yes... It is I....
Zofia: Do you have my money...
Dr: Ja Ja.. with this disk.. I can bring the evil empire to its knees... no longer vill their tyranny be spread throught the galaxy.... an age of pea
Zofia: Do you have my money....
Dr: ce vill reign and knovledge vill be the driving force, no longer vill the ma
Zofia: Do you have my money....
Dr: n vith the largest veapons rule....
Zofia: Do you have my....
Dr: Ja Ja.... I have your money.....
Zofia: Good!!! Where is it?
Dr: I have one more job for you....
Zofia: Vas?!?!
Dr: Ja, one more job....
Zofia: NO NO!!! I JUST ALMOST GOT MY ASS SHOT OFF TO GET HERE AND MY SHIP IS NOW TEN FEET SHORTER BECAUSE OF THIS MISSION!!!!!

*the bar is dead silent as everyone is looking at them....*
Zofia: Rough day.....

*the bar goes back to its normal din*

Dr: Here... *takes the Mega disk from zofia, and on a portable palm.. he downloads the information then gives her the disk back*Take this disk to Regula 12.. to a Dr. Scratchensniffenuberwas. Once there, you vill get double vhat I promised..
Zofia: *getting angry* Why don't you just E-mail it to him!!!!!
Dr: They vill be monitering the e-mail system.... Ve can't be to Careful.
Zofia: Well... tell you what.. give me half now.. and half when I get there....
Dr: I vill only give you a 25% and the rest Dr. Scratchensniffenuberwas will give you the rest.....
Zofia: .... OK give me the 25%...
*The Dr reaches into his pocket and gives her a data chip with the 25% of the credits he had promised*
Dr: Please hurry, no doubt the Empire vill knov you have been here.... *the dr grabs his datapad and runs off*
Zofia I always hated scientists......

*she motions for the waiter to bring her another beer, she sits and enjoys it and then begins to head back to the ship, window shopping along the way*

In Orbit Around Seti 9
Captain Farnstorm shook his head to get rid of the cobwebs caused by the drop out of jump-space. "Ensign Whickham, I am going to visit the Pro-Council of Seti 9. If you spot the smuggler ship, blast them. Use the Ion cannons and if necessary use the Tachyon beam to cut a hole in them first." He added condescendingly "You do know how to use the Tachyon beam, don't you?"

Ensign Whickham "Yes sir, I do." I have trained on it, studied the manual and spent two hundred hours in the simulator - you pompous ass. She thought to herself.

Captain Farnstorm "Whatever you do don't fire a torpedo into the atmosphere of Seti 9, you will destroy half the planet."

Ensign Whickham "Yes sir."

Commander Luthor Deathmask smiles to himself I want to watch when she uses the Tachyon beam from orbit into the atmosphere. The fireworks will be spectacular, even better than when she blasted the antennae.

OOC: More to come.

In Orbit Around Seti 9

Captain Farnstorm loads a few cases of Napa One wine into the small cargo lighter and disengages from the EEOS Repulse.

Forty minutes later he is at the landing pad of the Seti 9 Pro-Council the second highest elected official of Seti 9. Sareettha Gmmbra was half human and half something else. She looked kinda human except for the extra appendages. Nigel Farnstorm knew her from his days as a Naval Attache to Seti 9. He also knew she liked the fine wines from Napa One. Napa One and Seti 9 had a small border clash in the great asteroid mining fields and the tarriffs on Napa One goods were exorbitant.

He was escorted to the formal living room and Sareettha walked in. "So nice to see you Nigel, I thought you had forgotten me." She said in a voice that would have suited a very large snake very well.

"I couldn't stay away Sareettha ." replied Nigel rather warmly.

"My servants report you brought a good stash of excellent quality wine. What favor do you want of me?" She said, almost in a hiss.

"Why I am insulted, I just show up to see an old friend and this is what I get, accusations of impropriety." he grinned. "You read me so well. It just so happens that a smuggler has arrived on your beautiful planet and seems to be posing as an Empire ship."

"I guess you would like to have a friendly chat with them. Probably with a pair of six million gauss Ion cannons?" Sareettha said as she eased closer to Nigel.

"You read my mind Sareettha." answered Nigel.

::In the bar on Seti 9 Dantaree Highwind watched Zofia, particularly drawn after the yelling. About medium height, wearing a jump suit and headband, she always dressed quite modestly. She sat with her partner Chrono at a table fairly close to the table Zofia is at. Chrono was a young boy whom she had rescued a year or two ago when his planet was being attacked by the Empire during the Tetris Wars. Full of energy, he nonetheless took Dantaree very seriously::

Chrono: (whispers) Hey Dantaree! Isn't that Dr. Hubenslurgendorfenschenllentagestgut?

Dantaree: Yes it is...

Chrono: I wonder what he's doing here?

Dantaree: I can guess. Trying to get some information smuggled across to help the cause.

Chrono: Why doesn't he have us do it? Our ship is fast! We could do anything he wanted! And you're real good too! You can outrun those Empire ships anyday!

Dantaree: He's looking for someone who will go unnoticed. The Empire kinda has a record on our ship.

Chrono: What does that matter?

Dantaree: The Empire isn't run by a bunch of fools. ::pauses for a second:: Ok, so maybe it is, but nonetheless, they know what they're doing. An unknown smuggler stands more of a chance with this informational stuff.

Chrono: Then what an we do? Is it hopeless?

Dantaree: Ha ha! Of course it isn't! The Empire doesn't know nearly half of what I've done, so they don't perceive us as big of a threat as they should!

Chrono: Oh good. Should we talk to Dr. Hubenslurgendorfenschenllentagestgut and find out what's going on?

Dantaree: Chrono, I have the feeling we'll find out soon enough...

*Zofia walks back to the ship with an armful of clothes, electrical appliances and other things that one can buy at a space station, she walks into the hanger and drops all of her bags. Her ship, which didn't look like her ship any longer, was still sitting there but, at the sametime it wasn't. Her ship was now a deep black color, a squidee approaches her and hands her a tablet...

Squid: EEEEEE EEFEDEEE FEEEEDDEEEE EEDDEEEE!!
Zofia: What I don't understand you!
*the squid looks on his panel then flips a swiitch on the consul*
Squid: Sorry... anyways what I was saying was I need you to sign this...
Zofia: Ummm ok...

*she looks over the list*

::Repairs and additions to EEOS: Indifferent::

Repaired aft compartments and Outer Hull
New heat resistent and radar absortion outer skin
Phase IV Energy Dampening under Skin
Phase VI Energy Dissapating super Skin
Mark XII Multiphasic Defense Screen
12x2 Automated Ion Phase Cannons
6x2 Automated Pulse Gause Cannons
3 Mark IX Penguin Automated Photon Torpedo Launchers (2 fore 1 Aft)
1 M/AM Core refit
Nebulan Systems Comm/Nav Upgrade
Nebulan Systems ECM/ACU upgrade
Nebulan Systems HAL 7000 AI unit
Nebulan Systems Quisanart Food Replication Unit.
Bose Audio Surrond Sound Unit Dolby 15.1

Total Price
1,394,405,340,508,405,264,024,403.34

Visa
Mastercard
Charge to Imperial Refit Progam

*Note, we do not take American Express

*Zofia looks over the form and looks over and Ed and Steve who are standing by the ship grinning... she looks down and gets an evil grin and signs it as Lt. Tanya Harding, the squid takes it and walks off, she goes over to her new ship, they get in and begin the startup procedure*

In Orbit around Seti 9

Ensign Whickham Second-in-command of the EEOS Repulse due to the fact that any Naval Officer of any higher rank pushed to get on one of the Space-Time Fold ships coming out of the Evil Empire's shipyards. She picked the Repulse just for that reason. She was the XO and all the other officers were Warrant Officers and she out-ranked them. Commander Luthor Deathmask was an engineering officer and ineligible for command.

As the Seti 9 Starbase Zero One began to set behind the EEOS Repulse Luthor tapped into the station's ship registry. "Hmm the EEOS Indifferent, I think we have our quarry." He announces to Ensign Whickham.

She flips on the Ion Cannon pre-chargers and then snaps the switch on the Tachyon Beam generator. The lights dim on the ship and every engineering console shows an amazing amount of power being shunted to the Tachyon Beam generator from the Fusion Drive.

Commander Luthor Deathmask chortles to himself Just a few minutes more and she will have to fire the Tachyon beam across the atmosphere of Seti 9.

On the Cargo Shuttle

Captain Farnstorm is headed to the space station to sell the remaining Napa One wine. The pro-council agreed to look the other way at "An Empire Ship Mutiny" as Nigel described it. All it took was half a case of wine and debauchery to get her to agree to it. Nigel knew the chief bartender on the space station and had sold him many "tax free" goods.

Nigel felt the bump as the space station tractor beam drew him into a cargo bay two bays down from a very black ship. Probably one of those archeological cruise liners sneaking in to planets with developing native species. Bah! escorting rich scientist wanna be's; lousy job good pay.

Nigel went to the back door of the bar to conduct business. He took a peek at the patrons of the bar and noticed someone in a fake looking Empire uniform Damn hippies he thought. "Oh Streeeeeeeeenaaaaaaaaak good to see you." He said to the chief bartender.

OOC: Welcome HO!

*as Zofia is starting up the Ship she looks over as another shuttle pulls in, she looks over at steve*

Zofia: Steve can you hack their systems and change their registry to the Indifferent?
Steve: Umm let me try...

*he starts up the new system and begins acessing commands, he hacks into the station registry and changes their docking registry to the H.O. Maelstrom, HO4237, a patrol ship out Alpha Unic Prime, and also at the same time changes the registry of the ship that just docked to that of the EEOS Indifferent, as well well as their transponder code. He also changes all the docking times around to co-oberate the story. According to the new log, the Maelstrom docked at the station 2 standard weeks ago. Their mission is to route out terrorists and smugglers along the EEOS, Tetrin, and Omegan space. They ended up at the station when their power core was damaged by smugglers and have been on a two week refit/rebuild*

*over Com*

Zofia: Ed, go outside and paint H.O. Maelstrom on the outside of the ship and paint registry number HO4237.

Ed: What the hell do I look like, Shewin Williams..

Zofia: Just get the hell out there...

*Ed goes out and paints the information on the side of the ship, and then returns to the inside of the ship. He prepares the new M/AM core to be fired, it increases the power output of the engines allowing for faster and longer jumps into ripfold space. Also the new core is to help power the new Bose surrond system*

Zofia: Steve, is the registry changed?

Steve: Yeah it should be....

Zofia: Well if its not, this is gonna be a quick trip...

*Steve pushes the com system to comunicate with the tower*

Steve: This is the H.O. Maelstrom.... Requesting permission to disembark
Tower: Maelstrom.. premission granted.... please proceed on vector two four Alpha. Good luck on your mission to route out the terrorists...

*the H.O. Maelstrom fires its rockets to ease away from the docking port. It turns around and eases out of the giant station doors... Steve begins plotting in a course that will take them to a few different planets inside H.O. space before their next destination of*

Steve: Where to next?

Zofia: Well we have to go some where else first....

Steve: Did we get paid...

Zofia: Not quite yet........

Steve: WHAT?!

Zofia: We have to go take the disk to another scientist with an unpronoucable name, and then we get paid double...

Steve: ohh why did you say so... where to?

Zofia: Regula 12...

Steve: Alright....

*the ship exits the station and lines up in the shipping channel for its jump. looking out the window, Steve and Zofia both see the Repulse looming, steve readies the shields to be brought up just in case*

Onboard the EEOS Repulse

Ensign Whickham is practicing with the focus/aimer for the Tachyon beam. She was following the Space Station when a large black ship emerged from one of the hangers. Of course she began to target this ship.

Commander Luthor Deathmask taps the console and announces the ship is the H.O. Maelstrom/// "Thats funny usually the H.O. ships are very careful about the identification beacon. That signature looks like a 15 year old juiced up on Mountain Dew typed it in."

Onboard Spacestation Zero One

Captain Nigel spots Dantaree obviously from H.O. and begins to chide him about the ugliness of the H.O. Maelstrom. "It looks like you got the drunkest sailor to paint the name on that baby." He chuckled.

Then the H.O. Maelstrom began to turn around to exit the area. Captain Nigel looked at the rear of the ship and noticed it seemed to be missing about 10 feet of the end. "HEY! That is the smuggler!"

He grabbed his communications device and began shouting into it: "Repulse, Repulse the Maelstrom is actually the smuggler. Damn it Whickham fire fire."

Onboard the EEOS Repulse

Ensign Whickham hears the captain over the comm link and looks at the H.O. Maelstrom. She already has it targeted with the Tachyon Beam. she quickly looks at Deathmask and he has now popped up six different view screens, one X-ray, one gamma ray, one ultra-violet, one infra-red and two different visable light monitors.

She shakes her head and flips the fire switch. The ship audibly echos with the release of the Tachyon Beam. She didn't really study physics as well as she should. The Tachyon Beam is very sensitive to a large gravity field like the one surrounding the planet Seti 9. The gravity bends the beam away from the field. If you take this into consideration, or if she had let the AI advise her she would have cut the "Maelstrom" in half.

She watched the beam in her targeting display just like in the simulator. She then watched as it bent away from the target. She overcorrected and sent the beam downward. It caught the edge of the atmosphere of Seti 9 and set off a display of over energized atoms never seen before on Seti 9. Soon one quarter of the visable planet was aglow in the most beautiful aurora.

This of course blanketed the sensors on the Repulse and Deathmask was rolling on the floor laughing himself sick.

Ensign Whickham switched on the AI and shouting at it to find the "Maelstrom". The AI answered "Now you want my help. After you have screwed everything up. You started it, you finish it"

Ensign Whickham picked up a Florhandson's wrench and walked to the equipment bay and whacked the cabinet with the wrench adding to the multitude of dents in the case. The AI answered "It is opening a ripfold you had better get it soon. The co-ordinates are on the targeting screen"

Ensign Whickham once again flipped the switch on the Tachyon beam and sent a stream of faster than light particles right into the fusion drive.

::Dantaree frowns as Captain Nigel belittles HO ships. "Hmmph. I haven't flown an actual HO ship since I left the planet. Still, this guy must be good to know I'm from there. I don't even have blue hair... That usually is the dead giveaway..."::

Chrono: What are you saying? We would never fly a ship that...

Dantaree: Chrono...

::Suddenly Captain Nigel starts screaming orders into his comm device. Dantaree cracks a smile. "So they tried to pull themselves off as a HO ship. A little stupid. People in the Hence system, especially Omega planet are anal about their protocol." She looks around and sees that the doctor was getting ready to leave::

Dantaree: Well good luck catching your smugglers! Ha ha! Come on Chrono, we have some business to attend to.

Chrono: Right!

::The two run up to catch Hubenslurgendorfenschenllentagestgut. He sees them and waits for them outside the bar::

Dr: You shouldn't talk to me, it isn't safe.

Dantaree: I know that, we just talked with the Imperial Captain. I want to know where you sent them!

Dr: (whispers) Regula 12. You veren't planning on...

Dantaree: We can't stay here, that's for sure! With the Imperials here, one false move and they'll realize who we are. As it is their Captain guessed where I was from.

Dr: Oh, that must've been Captain Nigel. He has very astute observations. Your big eyes are the only feature that could mark you as being from Hence space.

Dantaree: I thought I had left that place behind for good. Anyways, I'd like to know what was so important on that megadisk?

Dr: I can't tell you. What is on that disk is meant for Dr. Scratchensniffenuberwas alone.

Dantaree: Whatever. I need to find out what's going on. Chrono, let's go back to the Sawtooth Wave and begin preparations. We're leaving this place.

Dr: But they vill be suspicious if you leave so soon after the smugglers did! I don't care hov fast the Savtooth Vave is! They vill catch you!

Dantaree: Not if we leave in a different direction.

Chrono: And they aren't allowed to use ripfolds because of how risky they are! Ou ship has the most advanced ripfold drive in the Galaxy!

::The two make for the docking bay::

Dr: I hope your right...

Steve: THEY ARE SHOOTING AT US!
Zofia: I'm aware of this..... and I've had enough.....
Steve: What are you doing?
Zofia: I'm taking these pigs on....
Steve: WHAT?!?

*Zofia swings the Zebra around towards the repulse and hits the afterburners bringing them to .89 of light. The defense fields comee online as well as the new weapons systems, ECM/AC, and the new bose system which begins to play "Ride of the Valkeryies"*

Zofia: The pigs messed with the wrong person,
Steve: WTF?!?!

*the Zebra flys towards the Repulse fireing off the Ion cannons as well as the Gause Cannons, the Hal 7000 computer system begins targeting major systems on the ship as well as the fusion core, unfortunatly this begins to take a toll on the M/AM core, and stops the engines from obtaining the energy needed to activate a ripfold jump*

Ed: Hey Cap..
Zofia: WHAT I'M BUSY!
Ed: Well because of your galavanting We can't jump.... so finnish it up and lets be on our way.....
Zofia: BAH!!!!!!

*After one pass at the Repulse she turns the ship and fires two torpedo's at it draining the core even more.... She flips the ship into a 90 degree climb from the repulse fireing another torpedo from the aft launcher*

Ed: QUIT FIREING THE DAMN TORPEDO'S WE ARE AT 75% AND DROPPING!!!!
Zofia: I'm busy...
Ed: IF WE DIE!!! IT'S YOUR FAULT!!!!
Zofia: Fine....

*The Zebra heads back to the the lane and activates the ACM (active camoflauge mechinisim) Draining the engine even more*

Ed: WE ARE AT 50F*CKING PERCENT!!!! WHAT THE HELL!!!
Zofia: We'll be fine.. shut up!

Onboard the EEOS Repulse

As the Zebra turns to attack the Repulse the anti-shipping CIWS laser pulse weapons started to fire upon her. At the same time the Habron Energy shields activated. This combined with the tiny thread of Tachyon particles hitting the fusion drive caused something the Empire's Scientists have been working on in top secret labs for twenty years -- it opened a worm-hole.

The worm-hole immediatly sucked the Repulse in and closed. What followed for the crew of the Repulse was six hours of sheer terror. The only thing that saved them was the fact that Commander Luthor Deathmask was onboard. He was one of the top Empire scientists and the laziest, which was why he was on the Repulse in the first place.

Commander Luthor Deathmask gave orders to the helm, adjusted the gravity fields to keep the ship in the worm-hole and kept it from breaking up. The crew were tossed about as if in a cement mixer. The fact they had a fusion drive saved them and they used every bit of power it could deliver.

When they finally popped out of the worm-hole the fusion drive would have to be refueled ten years early.

"Where are we?" asked Ensign Whickham. Her question was directed to the AI but it was not answering. Commander Luthor Deathmask said "We are on the border between Tetris and the outer limits of the Regula system."

"What is the nearest repair facility?" She asked. Regula 12 meathead. Ensign Whickham looked a little suprised that the AI answered her but orderd the helmsman to make for Regula 12.

She asked for a damage assessment the answer:
Sub-space radio --Not working
hyper-space radios -- not working
Shields --not working
Ion Cannons -- not working
Tachyon Beam -- not working
Sensors -- only one out of two hundred working
Everything else seems to be fine and dandy Missy Ensign

Onboard Spacestation Zero One

Captain Nigel was cheering the Repulse on when it disappeared, no smoke no blast of particles, nothing. "What the hell was that." He asked. No one knew. He entered a ninety-nine character code into his communicator and rapidly described the situation to the the person that answered.

Twenty minutes later two Imperial frigates popped out of space-time fold armed to the teeth and full shields up.

*Zofia watched as something opened up and swallowed the Repulse*

Zofia: Well... ain't that a bitch...

*the bose system deactivates as well as the weapons and the ACM system*

Zofia: WHAT THE HELL!!!
Ed: You over exerted the system...... I took it down so that we can jump out...
Zofia: You realize that we are sitting ducks now right?
Ed: We still have shields and the passive deflection systems.. we are gonna need ten minutes to recharge the engines after your little escapade..... head for 8 mark 12, head to the other side of the planet, with the new uphrades we can jump out anywhere... If we have
Zofia: I get the point......

*the Zebra flies to the otherside of the planet, and after ten minutes the engines are charged, and they begin to open up a ripfold hole when it is disrupted*

Zofia: Ed what the hell is going on?
Ed: Hold on....
Steve: Well it looks like the engines are charged....
Ed: looks like something is disrupting our field.... something really big.... and it should be coming through....... right.... now..

*right were their fold was supposed to open up, two large holes open and the frigates pop out Zofia slams on the brakes*

Steve: Sensors show that their shields are up and pissed.....

Zofia: ummmm..... umm...... hmmmm... uhhhh.... Hail them, tell them hello?
Steve: Well this is pre-emptive.... *steve leans over and grabs zofia and kissses her full on the mouth. She pushes him off* Sorry.. I was afraid I'd never get the chance

**hail**
This is the E.S. Zebra, to incoming EEOS ships Greetings and salutations.... We where just about to leave....

*zofia reaches over and gets ready to hit a large red panic button on her consol which will send a subspace distress to any ES ship within a 20 lightyear distance, just in case things got ugly*

We are just on our honey moon to Regula 12.....

Zofia: Yeah! We are on our honeymoon.... *shoots evil look to steve*

Onboard the EEOS Revenge

The EEOS Revenge and EEOS Vengeance smoothly emerged from the space time warp. Captain Ethywin Mortibund, CO of the Revenge and Squadron Leader of the small squadron was intently viewing the ship in front of them. It was undoubtedly the ugliest ship he had ever seen. It was also the ship that screwball Captain Nigel said caused the disappearance of the EEOS Repulse.

The Revenge had the normal complement of Ion cannons, Laser pulse rapid fire mini cannons and Plasma cutters. The Vengeance was equiped with the same but also had a dark matter space-fold disrupter. It was supposed to stop any ship from jumping to a space-time anomoly. But it doesn't do that very well. What it does do is split the attacked ship into five or six pieces.
Captain Ethywin Mortibund noted that the Zebra looked like it was already in five or six pieces just barely welded together.

Captain Ethywin Mortibund had the communications officer match the signal to the incoming blather from the Zebra and said: "Do not move, if you attempt to jump we will split you in several pieces. If you fire upon us we will turn your ship into primordial soup."

Captain Ethywin Mortibund then called the Marine Captain to the bridge. He directed her to be ready to board the vessel. The Science officer told Ethywin the ship displays H.O. Markings but there is no such ship in their registry. The Captain sends a FLASH message to Hence Prime requesting information on this ship. It has attacked an Empire ship causing that ship to disappear.

Onboard Spacestation Zero One

Captain Nigel Farnstorm was shouting into his communicator "Shoot! Shoot the b*stards, they took my ship."

At Hence Prime's BSV (Bureau of Space Vehicles) Main Headquarters Complex

::An incoming message from the EEOS Revenge is displayed on the FLASH screen. Cadet Johnson comms Captain Lexicon::

Lexicon: WTF? What does the Empire want with us?

Cadet Johnson: Sir, they're curious about a ship called the HO Maelstrom.

Lexicon: Jesus, Omega planet too huh? Well let's see. ::He brings up the specs, then puts a message back in to the Revenge:

The HO Maelstrom is a patrol ship that usually stays near Alpha Unic Prime. It is currently at Hence Delta for repairs::


Meanwhile Onboard Spacestation Zero One, at Docking Bay 37

::Dantaree and Chrono finish making preparation and board the Sawtooth Wave::

Chrono: I still don't understand Dantaree. Why did we take our time? We could've been halfway there by now!

Dantaree: Well Chrono, if those smugglers took off from the planet right after they left, they probably had a hard time getting out. My guess is that they had to outsmart an Empire ship or two before jumping into a wormhole or opening up a ripfold. By waiting this long, everyone hopefully will be gone, and any Empire ship that remain won't ask any questions!

::She fires up the ship and takes off. As they leave the station, Dantaree's eyes suddenly grow wide::

Chrono: Oh... I guess we didn't wait long enough...

::Directly in front of them are 2 Empire ships sitting in front of what Dantaree assumes to be the smuggler's ship. SHe notices the HO markings on it::

Dantaree: I don't believe it. They thought the Empire would buy that? Well umm, we could be in trouble.

Chrono: Why don't we just jump?

Dantaree: Um, you see that ship Chrono? That is called a space fold disruptor, it means we can't jump.

Chrono: What should we do? Shold we help the smugglers?

Dantaree: Ummm.... That would be a bad idea... I think instead we're going to turn around, circle the station, go the other way, and jump when we're out of range. And hope that our presence goes unnoticed...

In orbit around Seti 9
Captain Ethywin Mortibund receives the message from Hence Prime:

At Hence Prime's BSV (Bureau of Space Vehicles) Main Headquarters Complex


The HO Maelstrom is a patrol ship that usually stays near Alpha Unic Prime. It is currently at Hence Delta for repairs::

"Very interesting that means the ship in front of us is a spy ship. Prepare to initiate boarding procedures. Captain Emmabelle Bailycourt get your marines ready to board. We will be punching a hole in the side of that ship shortly."

Message from Seti 9 Pro-Council
Our deepest heartfelt greetings to the Emperor. To the Squadron leader of the Empire ships in Seti 9 space: We would like an explanation of current events as soon as possible. We have witnessed a gun battle, one of your ships disappearing without warning, two new ships appearing without warning. We would like a clarification and enlightenment about the tremendous aurora generated by the Repulse just before it disappeared. We are also concerned about the where-abouts of Captain Nigel Farnstorm of the EEOS Repulse. He left Seti 9 after a State visit to my country estate and was heading back to the Repulse. If he is still alive I would like you to confirm that at your earliest convience.
s/ Sareettha Gmmbra Pro-Council Seti 9

"Oh great, Nigel has somehow gotten the Pro-Council involved. What else has that moron been doing. I told him he should get into politics and leave the flying of ships to professionals." commented Captain Ethywin Mortibund.

"Captain, there is another ship leaving the starbase. It has all of the characteristics of a blockade runner." Announced the Science Officer, Lieutenant Commander Bentwood Rocker.

"What next?" asked Captain Ethywin. "Hail that ship ask them what is their country of origin and where they are headed."

*Zofia reaches over and jams the red button down.... and then gets on the com*

Zofia: Well come on board, docking ring is on the port side... I'm sure your ships can adapt well enough.

Steve: WTF?!

Zofia: With anyluck and E.E.S. Ship will pick that up and drop out of hyperspace and they'll be caught boarding an E.S. ship..... HA!!! I can see the news now!

Steve: I'll get the tea ready for THE PLATOON OF MARINES THEY WILL PROBABLY BE SENDING OVER!!!!!

Zofia: We'll be fine, I promise....

*In hyperspace*

**The E.E.S. Volgograd and the E.E.S. Trenton, two Destroyers and a corvette the E.E.S. Marlin are patrolling a hyperspace line picks up the call, Captain Ivonava on the Trenton, contacts Commadore Sheaton on the Volgograd**

Ivonava: Captain, we are picking up a distress beacon Coming in from an E.S. ship.... *looks down* Registry Zebra, Captain Zofia Alexia....

Sheaton: Where are they?

Ivonava: Seti 9

*Sheaton pulls up a star chart and gets a disturbed look on his face*.

Ivonava: Commadore?

Sheaton: Seti 9 is right on the borders of our space, Tertrian space, H.O. space and OS space........ If we respond to this, its gonna be a major cluster..... E.T.A. to interception....

Ivonava: At Maximum speed 5 Minutes......

Sheaton: This is gonna be a hell of a lot of paperwork.... Inform Spacecommand..... as well as the Marlin...

*Ivonava salutes and the view screen drops off*

Seaton: Helm bring us around to 134 mark 12, best speed....
Helm: Aye Aye...
Sheaton: They better have a damn good excuse for calling in an alert...

Chrono: Have they noticed us?

Dantaree: I don't think so. And unfortunately, there's still nothing we can do. How much longer before we can activae the rip-fold driver?

Chrono: 30 seconds...

Dantaree: Good. If nothing else, we can ask Dr. Scratchensniffenuberwas what's so important ourselves.

Chrono: But if the Empire ships take that disk from them, won't it all be in vain?

Dantaree: ... ... ... Dammit Chrono, you have a good point. Hail their ship.

Chrono: Dantaree?

Dantaree: Don't worry, we'll be fine.

::Chrono gives her a look of care and desperation::

Dantaree: But just in case have the ripfold driver standing by!

Zofia: Who's hailing us?
Steve: A ship that just left the station...
Zofia: What do they want?
Steve: I don't know.. they just hailed us.... didn't say anything..
Zofia: Hail them back...

Steve: =over com=

Hail Ship...
Hail Ship...
Hail Ship...

Hail Empire...

Zofia: Hail NO!

Dantaree: Ahem. HO Maelstrom, this is the HZ ship Crusader. I am Captain Vanguard. I have learned that you are in possessino of an item of great importance and we'd like to help you

Chrono: (I don't think they'll buy it... Besides, what can we do?)

Zofia: This Is Captain Zofia Alexia of the ES Erm HO Maelstrom...... We'll be sure to send the rubix cubes over to you as soon as these empire ships leave...

Dantaree: Well that's where we come in. We happen to know where you're going, and if you'll transfer the data to us we can keep it safe!

Chrono: (One of the worst performances of her career... Only an idiot would believe her this time!)

Zofia: I'm sorry, I don't know what your talking about...*to Steve* What in the hell do these people know?

Steve: Did you run into these people before?

Zofia: No

Dantaree: I know of the information you have from Dr. Hubenslurgendorfenschenllentagestgut vital in taking down the Empire

Chrono: (Man, she might as well have told them who we really are...)

Steve: HOW DO THEY KNOW ZOFIA!

Zofia: Well I might of yelled at the Dr in the bar....

Steve: WHAT?

Zofia: to Dantaree- Whats in it for me....

Chrono: *Out loud now* Look! We can keep things safe for you until you can get it to Dr. Scratchensniffenuberwas. We're really mercenaries fighting for the fledgling rebel group! What's in it for you is you won't get arrested and detained too long if you don't have the information present, but we'll give it back as soon as you can get away!

Dantaree: Chrono!

Chrono: My name is Chrono, and my friend is really Dantaree Highwind, and we're about to head to Regula 9 to wait for you. We're on the other side of the planet in the Sawtooth Wave!

Ed: *listening in from the engineering room* SAWTOOTH WAVE?! HAHAHAHAH SAWTOOTH WAVE!!! WHAT KIND OF BACKWOODS OUTER RIM NAME OF A SHIP IS THAT?!

Zofia: Shut up Ed.....

Dantaree: Chrono! Do you realize their about to get boarded? If they know who we are...

Zofia: so..... your just gonna come over and get the disk right?

Chrono: It's the only way they might trust us though!

Dantaree: Uh, yeah. We can get there and away in the time it'll take those Empire ships to finish their preparations for boarding your ship

Ed: *still laughing over the com system* Hell you might as well of named it the SS Pooper scooper!!! *laughing hystericly until he begins to cough up a lung*

Zofia: How about we do this.... We'll send you the encoded information over subspace, and we'll destroy the disk on this side.... so they won't suspect anything......

Ed: POOP!!! HAHAHAHAH

*Steve leaves the cockpit and joins ed in engineering... he helps Ed finnish a bottle of the contraband wine on board, figuring this will be their last chance*

*Dantaree turns to Chrono* (Isn't that what I suggested in the first place?) Ok, that sounds good! We are preparing to receive the incoming data transmission

Chrono: Are you laughing about the name of the ship over there? I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THE SAWTOOTH WAVE IS THE SPEEDIEST SHIP IN THE GALAXY AND...

Steve: I'm LAUGHING AT YOUR MOTHER HAHAHAHAHA!

Zofia: WAIT A SECOND...

Dantaree: Chrono, let it go...

Zofia: The Zeb... ummmm MAELSTROM IS THE FASTEST IN THE GALAXY!

Chrono: NO IT ISN'T! OUR SHIP IS!

Dantaree: Oh God...

Zofia: OURS IS!!! YOU PROBABLY HAVE TO GET OUT AND PUSH THAT BUCKET OF RUST!

*pushes button on consul and sends the information over the subspace*

Chrono: Well we aren't the ones who've just been caught by the Empire now are we?

Dantaree: Chrono, leave it! We got what we needed! We can go now before they DO catch us!

Zofia: ITS NOT OUR DAMN FAULT TWO IMPERIAL FRIGATES JUMPED IN RIGHT IN FRONT OF US AND DISRUPTED OUR FIELD! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU BOY I'M GONNA TEACH YOU A LESSON!!!

Steve and Ed in Unison: Dead puppies Dead puppies... they don't come when you call... They don't chase a rubber ball...

Zofia: When we get to regula 9...... ooooh boy....

Dantaree: Now Chrono, this is exactly why you don't drink and pilot...

Chrono: Why, because you get caught by the Empire, or because you get overconfident about your jalopy of a ship?

Dantaree: I'm not talking about her... *to Zofia* Ok! Transmission received! Everything's Jake! We'll be waiting for you on Regula 9!

Zofia: Just wait till Regula...... just wait.....

Steve Ed: ROLL OUT THE TUBA'S ROLL OUT THE TUBA'S OF FUN!

OOC: Steve & Ed :):) Too funny. I'll be back to post after I stop laughing.

OOC: Just so you know buddy... it was both of us! :-P

OOC:That explains a lot. Funny read though.

On-board the EEOS Vengeance

Engineman Third Class Paul Xenophobe is reading the procedure to place the Disrupter on-line enabling it to fire at an instance. "Activate the magnetic bubble generator by turning the magnetic flux generator knob counter-clockwise forty-five degrees."

Engineman Seaman Deuce Franz Knucklemeyer "I did that already."

Paul "No, you didn't you turned the Frange Pulser dial forty-five degrees."

Franz "No, it was the magnetic flux generator."

They continue this arguement for fifteen minutes before deciding to go back to page one resetting the Disruptor and beginning the twelve page procedure for the eighth time.

Onboard the EEOS Revenge


Captain Ethywin Mortibund "I don't like it it is as if they are waiting for something. Captain Emmabelle Bailycourt what is taking you so long get over to that ship and board it.

Captain Emmabelle Bailycourt we can't sir some idiot is docking in the shuttle bay.
Captain Nigel Farnstorm what in the H*ll is going on!"

**The E.E.S. Volgograd and the E.E.S. Trenton, two Destroyers and a corvette the E.E.S. Marlin jump out of hyperspace about 4000 meters to the port side of the two empire ships they open up a general hail to the local ships*

Ivonava: This is Captain Sussan Ivonava of the E.E.S. Trenton, we recieved a distress call from an ES vessal.... we are responding to that call... EEOS ships do not interfere or we will open fire....

*On the Zebra8

Zofia: OH THANK THE GODS THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!

*On the Volgograd*
Commodore Sheraton: Zebra... what is the nature of your emergency....

Zofia: THERE ARE TWO OWEN SOUND DESTROYERS IN FRONT OF US!! WHAT DO YOU THINK OUR EMERGENCY IS?!

Sheraton: Well... I don't know....

*they move the Three E.S.S. ships in closer to where the action is, their shields and weapons powered up*

**The E.E.S. Volgograd and the E.E.S. Trenton, two Destroyers and a corvette the E.E.S. Marlin jump out of hyperspace about 4000 meters to the port side of the two empire ships they open up a general hail to the local ships*

Ivonava: This is Captain Sussan Ivonava of the E.E.S. Trenton, we recieved a distress call from an ES vessal.... we are responding to that call... EEOS ships do not interfere or we will open fire....



Captain Ethywin Mortibund "Judas Priest, what next! Hail the E. E. S. Trenton."
**This is Captain Ethywin Mortibund of the EEOS Revenge, we have apprehended the ship in front of you for attacking and causing the disappearance of the EEOS Repulse. She is claiming to be an Edenstein vessel but has the markings of Henceland Omega. This is clearly a violation of the "Four Blue Tiles" Treaty marking the end of the Empire/Tetris War Phase III. Edenstein was a signatory of that treaty as the host nation for the peace conference. Article 37 Section 21 Clause 3 specifically states "No ship shall disguise itself as to and forthwith obscuring its country of origin." We are preparing to board this ship as a spy vessel and would allow a team of your most experienced marines as observers.**

Captain Ethywin says to his XO Commander Marybelle Ortibund (the ugliest humanoid on this side of the galaxy) "The only thing that could make this worse is if MAX shows up."

Captain Ethywin tells Commander Marybelle "Tell the EEOS Vengeance to fire that disrupter, it will stop MAX if he tries to get here, and it will stop anyone from jumping out of here in the next hour or so.

OOC: MAX is the Emperor's sadistic eldest son.

On-board the EEOS Vengeance

Captain Perry Bogsworth CO of the Vengeance gets the message to fire the disruptor. He relays the message to the OPS officer LT Canan Fitzgerald.

LT Canan Fitzgerald inserts his weapons key into the disruptor panel at the same time as the Captain inserts his key into the CO's panel. Fitzgerald checks the targeting screen making sure no ship is in the way and flips the discharge switch. Nothing happens.

LT Canan Fitzgerald "What the hell happend? Chief get me "weapons"

Chief of the Watch "Aye Aye sir."

"Weapons Chief Nobleskirsky here sir, what is the problem."

LT Canan Fitzgerald "The damn Disruptor didn't fire what is going on down there?"

Chief Nobleskirsky glances over towards the two idiots in charge of bringing the disruptor cannon on-line and curses as only a chief in the Navy can. He runs over to the control panel and initiates the two second over-ride.

Lights throughout the ship dim, sparks fly out of control panels as if this were a "B" Sci-fi movie. Chief Nobleskirsky taps the comm panel and says "The disruptor is ready sir."

LT Canan Fitzgerald again checks the targeting panel and flips the switch. Every electrical display, every fan, every motor, dims, slows down or shuts off. The Vengeance shudders and to every crewmember it looks like they are in a strobe light filled dance floor. Down on the mess decks a mess cook disappears right in front of three of his shipmates. Where he went is anyone's guess, to another star system? to another dimension? Unknown.

In the space around the two empire ships, the Zebra, the three Edenstein ships, and the Crusader it looks like a space-time fold opening but much too large. Ship sensors report it as an anomaly with no exit.

On Owen Green Two

Owen Green Two is a large iron nickel planet inside the orbit of Owen Sound prime. It is a factory planet with a caustic atmosphere and barren landscape. Orbiting Owen Green Two is Max, his ship is a massive cross between a battle cruiser and a luxury hotel. Max has been tracking the traffic from Seti 9 and decides he wants to visit. His ship almost completes the space-time fold but is deflected by the disruptor and he winds up in the neutral zone between Tetris and Edenstein.

Ivonava: ARE THEY TRYING TO START A WAR?
*she turns to Cmdr Siko*
Cmdr: Captain it appears that the the owen sounds ships have setup what appears to be a imploding rip fold bubble... stooping anything from getting in or out...

*over com*
Sheraton: Ivonava, are you affected by this as well?
Ivonava: Yes Commodore....
Sheraton: Make sure shields and weapons are armed.... and ready the space marines.. we may have to bored....

*hail to the Revenge*

This is Commodore James Sheaton of the E.S.S. Volgograd and battle group Chi Theta Tau. If one wishes to discuss treaty violations let us proceed....

Article 203 section 49 sub-paragraph 4 letter A states No vessal of war may knowingly interupt the function of Ripfold Space, Hyperspace, or Normal space routes unless in times of war.

Which if you do not immdediatly shut off that field will quickly become one....

Now.... can you tell me beyond a shadow of a doubt that this barely 100 meter long vessal, destroyed an EEOS *checks stats* Bulwark battle cruiser? Our scans have not dectected any wreckage... but we have picked up strange energy emissions.

*on the Trenton, Ivonova sits impatiently watching this transpire*

*Listening post Zulu Indigo Paradigm Shacko along the Edenstein Tetrian neutral zone was quiet, as it was every day... 531 days a standard year. This station was one where not many wanted to be stationed but where anyways because of a major Fubar at the acadamy.. or out in the field... Ensign Charlie was one of the few unlucky one... although he passed, the night before graduation he had an unlucky incident with Owen Sound Ale.... at gradutation the next day, dropped his drawers and wanked it before the supreme council, so here he is...

Charlie sat at his consul looking at the shadow scanner images... the shadow scanner where just installed and give a 59% increase to the range of the normal
scanners... He almost fell asleep when a massive blip appeared on them, he immediatly started to hone in on what it was, just then his lt, walked over.

Lt: What is it????
Charle: Big... looks like a cross between a battlecruiser and a regency hwyatt...
Lt: Orgin?
Charlie: Matches no known ship types, not even Tetrian....
Lt: Signal the red alert, whoever they are.. they are in the neutral zone.... get me the tetrians.. I hate talking to them but..... well this warrents it...

*to the tetrian station on the other side of the border*

This is Lt. Emmanual Hutchinson... this vessal's intrusion is in direct violation of Article 1 Section 1 Clause 5 of the Four Blue Tiles Treaty secting up the existance of the Neutral Zone.... If no response is given, we will interpret as a n act of war....

*to the ship*

This is Lt. Emmanual Hutchinson... Your vessal's intrusion is in direct violation of Article 1 Section 1 Clause 5 of the Four Blue Tiles Treaty setting up the existance of the Neutral Zone.... If no response is given, we will interpret as a n act of war and a threat to Edenstein Sovreignty.... please respond..

*to Charlie

Alert all stand by fighters, and ships in the area

This is Commodore James Sheaton of the E.S.S. Volgograd and battle group Chi Theta Tau. If one wishes to discuss treaty violations let us proceed....

Article 203 section 49 sub-paragraph 4 letter A states No vessal of war may knowingly interupt the function of Ripfold Space, Hyperspace, or Normal space routes unless in times of war.

"Captain Ethywin Mortibund of the of the EEOS Revenge and I do agree with your stated reference but if you read further it says in Article 203 section 49 sub-paragraph 4 letter A.1.1 unless the aggrieved ship is stopping a spy or blockade runner

The ship in front of us is clearly claiming to be an Edenstein ship yet has the markings of a HO ship. If I remember my Edensteinian law ...and I am paraphrasing this "We are proud of our heritage and we will always display only the markings of Edenstein on ships, land vessels, and other conveyences."

on board the EEOS Revenge
XO Commander Marybelle Ortibund says to Captain Ethywin "I didn't know you were so familiar with Edenstein law."

Captain Ethywin "I'm not but every country has something like that in their charter it will take those guys a couple of hours to find the exact wording and it will be close. It will give us more negotiating time."

Max's comm officer receives the following This is Lt. Emmanual Hutchinson... Your vessal's intrusion is in direct violation of Article 1 Section 1 Clause 5 of the Four Blue Tiles Treaty setting up the existance of the Neutral Zone.... If no response is given, we will interpret as a n act of war and a threat to Edenstein Sovreignty.... please respond..
He informs Max that someone is hailing them and talking about some treaty.

Max "Blast them into high energy particles with the ion cannons."

Comm Officer "Er with my apologies sir, but we are out of range for the ion cannons."

Max "Use the Tachyon cannon, the torpedoes whatever."

Comm Officer "The only thing we have that could reach them from this range is the Plasma cannons and they would be 50% effective at that."

Max "What are you waiting for do it." he says as he finishes torturing the last of the prisoners from Owen Sound Two.

The Comm Officer directs the Weapons officer to fire the Plasma cannons at the object that sent the hailing message.

Weapons officer Plasma cannons at this range? What an idiot. If that object has Hyper-Tensive Futronic shields the plasma will just bounce off at that strength. "Yessir, I have opened the firing ports in our shields and preparing to fire."

The six plasma cannons fire three volleys each sending hot charged plasma particles at just slower then the speed of light at the object hailing the luxury battle crusier.

This is Lt. Emmanual Hutchinson... this vessal's intrusion is in direct violation of Article 1 Section 1 Clause 5 of the Four Blue Tiles Treaty secting up the existance of the Neutral Zone.... If no response is given, we will interpret as a n act of war....


Two Tiles Blue Vertical "Someone is in the Neutral Zone RED RED RED Contact The honorable Clear Screen himself.

Clear Screen leader of Tetris Prime "There are blocks in the Neutral Zone??"

Six Blocks, Chief of Staff "Yes, Your Emptyness. It must be the Evil Empire again!"

Clear Screen "We must see what form they take. Open the window to the Neutral Zone."

::The Rogue Blues exits a ripfold and takes orbit over Regula 9. After securing landing permission, Dantaree takes the ship in. She and Chrono step out where they are met by Mr. Doowadiddydiddydumbledorfendat, friend of Dr. Scratchensniffenuberwas::

Doowadiddydiddydumbledorfendat: Why, you aren't the people I was supposed to meet. Why did you tell me you had the data? Are you Empire spies?

Dantaree: Hardly! I'm Dantaree Highwind, and this is my associate, Chrono. I assume that you are Mr. Doowadiddydiddydumbledorfendat?

Doowadiddydiddydumbledorfendat: Please, call me John.

Chrono: Does everyone on Regula 9 have such long names?

John: Ha ha! Of course, not everyone has such long names Chrono! Only the native Regulans do! Ever since they began their routine executions of people with hippomonstrosesquipedaliaphobia, there's no reason not to!

Chrono: What?!?

Dantaree: Fear of long words... The guy that came up with that one was probably the same cruel heartless soul that came up with the word 'lisp.'

Chrono: But why execute people?

John: That's not important right now. What is important is that you tell me how you came to be in possession of the data you say you have, and it is more important that we figure out exactly what that data is! Come with me, I'll take you to Dr. Scratchensniffenuberwas!

::They leave the landing are and walk to John's shuttle. Chrono shakes his head::

Chrono: There are some things about the universe I'll never understand...

*to the eeos Revenge*

Commodore Sheradin: Regulations be damned.. that ship called for assistance, we show up and there are two empire ships shields charged and ready to fire upon it, also, you have hindered normal space operations, unless you can prove desicivly that this ship caused the loss of your vessal, we will bring this confrontation to a decisive end....

*the Three Edenstein ships shields raise and weapons arm*

==On the outpost==

*they watch as the plasma cannons on Max's ship fire, the charges slowly get closer...

and closer
and closer
and closer
and closer
and closer

until they dissipate on the hull of the station*

*The lead comm officer hails the tetrians on the other side of the zone*

This is Outpost ZIPS, requesting permission to enter the neutral zone to eliminate threat....

*a squdren of mk-8 Wraith fighters are dispatched from the station and get ready to fly into the neutral zone*

The Weapons officer onboard Max's ship watches on the weapons displays as the plasma charges dissapates doing no harm what-so-ever. Oh crap nothing happened they must have good shields. "Enemy is deploying fighters, Your Excellence."

Max "Good, Conn move us closer, weaps deploy the x-dragon fighter shield followed by the robotic anti-fighter mines."

The Weapons officer "Aye Aye sir!" he flips the switch scrambling the fighters and as soon as they leave the fighter bays fires the mines. The mines leave the ship on little rockets and they will maintain their pattern and distance from the mother ship.

The Conn direct the helmsman and the lee helmsman to move the ship towards the enemy object. The massive ship moves at sub-light speed towards the station.

The Communications Officer announces "Sir we are getting long range probes suspiciously like those the Tetrians use."

Max "What in the hell are Tetrians doing in Seti 9 space? We might have a fight on our hands." he says gleefully.

::Dantaree and Chrono exit Mr. Doowadiddydiddydumbledorfendat's shuttle at a small apartment complex. As they walk inside they see a secretary sitting at a desk. Chrono notices the name on the desk says, "Kelly Hobblegobbledygookenglatgengust"::

Kelly: Hello John.

John: Hello Kelly. I need to see Dr. Scratchensniffenuberwas right away!

Kelly: Are these the people he told us about?

John: No, but they are the ones with the data we need!

Kelly: This child too?

Dantaree: He is my partner.

Kelly: How odd! Just a moment... ::She pushes a button, revealing a closet door. Doowadiddydiddydumbledorfendat opens the door. Chrono frowns::

Chrono: A closet?

John: It only appears that way. ::As they enter, Chrono's jaw drops. The closet opens into a room that appears to be bigger than the entire apartment. The room is filled with computer terminals, archives of disks, maps, expermient stations, and a desk. At the desk is a man wearing a stereotypical lab coat::

John: Dr. Scratchensniffenuberwas! We have retrieved the data disks you required! These two have arrived from Seti 9 to give them to you!

Dr. Scratchensniffenuberwas: Excellent! Now, I need to know a few things about you before we continue...