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Three days from Earth, Three days from the Primrose's destination, three days from another job completed, three... "...Two....One." James Radcliffe counted down, igniting the thrusters on his Rick Dom and barreling down on the cargo ship at full speed. "Captain! We've got an incoming heat source! I think it's a---!" The crewman didn't have time to finish before the main window of the bridge was filled with the glow of a Rick Dom's monoeye. Tense moments passed, and suddenly the crewman spoke again. "I-incoming message... I'll patch it in." "To the captain of this cargo ship, Prepare to be boarded by the Pirates of Black Rock. Neither your health insurance nor my good graces will cover the consequences of resistance. You will now signal the ship off your port that you comply." James said calmly. He'd ran this scenario many times, and knew that the defenseless ship would give them no trouble. His confidence was rewarded as the cargo ship sent a signal both via laser channel and old fashioned morse code lamps. James smiled as the Bones acknowledged and began to slide gracefully alongside the smaller ship. "Captain, we can't just hand over the ship!" One of the crewmen shouted at the old captain, his youthful face red with anger. "What would you have me do? Ram their ship? Try to outrun an armed mobile suit? Fight them in the corridors? Young man the years will teach you, surviving is the most important part when facing an enemy. Cool your head and do as they say for now, and we'll live to sail the sea of stars again." The captain replied, calming the young man with his experienced wisdom. Sometimes there is nothing more beautiful than seeing friendly allies and friends. With the carnage behind them, the wrecked Medeas of the 42nd Brigade are ecstatic when they made contact with the Tin Cods of Odessa Task Force Zeta. Lieutenant Nigel Ferdinand breathed a sigh of relief. He blinked his tired eyes while taking another cup of coffee offered to him. Ferdinand has got to stop staying up with his bridge crew like this. They need the Dutch prince's mind to be sharp, not sleepy. But at least they are among friends and a lot of them. Jet Core Boosters form up with the Tin Cods as the three Medeas soon spotted the wake from the Himalaya-class Lleu Llaw Gyffes and the Hillock-class Ursula. Ferdinand can only imagine the amount of stress the pilots, sailors, and soliders had endured. They are most likely resting and repairing in preparation for the next fight. But there will be no easy reprieve for Odessa Task Force Zeta as it limps away from North America. The Lugunns of no fewer than four Zeon patrols detected the enormous amount of air activity over the Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Very quickly, forces from all over the region converge on the Federal fleet. The first to attack are the Dopps of the East Coast Air Patrol. Task Force Zeta's Dish aircraft saw them barreling in and tried to vector Tin Cods to meet them. But the more agile Dopps sliced through the few Tin Cods that were in position to oppose them. On the Himalaya, a klaxon blares loudly as aircraft are moved up the launch queue. But the damaged catapault isn't as fast it normally is, much to the dismay of the crew. The second wave of attackers nearly got Nigel Ferdinand killed. Far too many times did the Dutch officer saw Tin Cods scramble under alert orders from the Dish aircraft. He was watching the blossoming aerial battle when the Medea-class Ohio exploded in a fireball. Ferdinand can only watch as his and the other Medeas tried to pull pitiful evasive manuevers as the Goufs of the Flying Dragons made a beeline for the Himalay-class carrier. Destroying the Ohio was only an added bonus to them. The Dodai IIs with their Goufs surprised the rear flank of the Tin Cod force. But by this time, the first batch of the new Jet Core Boosters are up in the air, cutting off the Goufs on their first attack run. But then the Dopps of the West Coast Air Patrol arrived. They raced here on full throttle and were sufficient enough of a surprise to force the Federal defenders off the Goufs. The Flying Dragons soon dived around the AA fire from the Ursula and the Lleu Llaw Gyffes while strafing both ships with gunfire. While everyone's attention is on the air battle, three dark shadows lurked in the dark waters underneath the fleet. Three monoeyes lit up as the Goggs of the Sea Snakes rushed the Federal ships. Just as their large torpedoes they launched are closing in on the ships, a hail of underwater 90mm rounds blew them up prematurely. The explosion rocked both vessels as the GM Divers confronted the Goggs. As the vicious underwater battle raged on, both the Ursula and the Lleu Llaw Gyffes tried to move away in order to prevent themselves from being collateral damage to the aquatic fight. But as they pull apart, their AA fire became less concentrated. This opening gave some Dopps the oppertunity to hunt down Fly Mantas that were trying ot hide underneath the AA umbrella. The shattered aircraft tumbled into the water where they sank. But the odds are soon catching up with the Zeon attackers. The damaged flight deck managed to put enough of the Tin Cods and Jet Core Boosters into the air that the Dopps and the Flying Dragons cannot get close enough to the Himalaya to launch their weapons. Below the waves, the Goggs are torn apart by the ace GM Diver stationed onboard the Himalaya. But not before a Gogg's claw tears apart the torso of a new GM Diver. Very quickly the area around the Odessa Task Force Zeta became quiet. Save for burning fires and the excited shouts of damage control teams, all is silent. What is left of the Zeon attackers withdrew out of range of the Federal aircraft. Most of the Federal pilots will not land until much later since the Lleu Llaw Gyffes cannot recover as many aircraft as quickly as it used to. Arriana Elvy Saoirse - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Aurem Senaiha - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Charles Gano - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Hirsch Munchek - 1 VP Gaine,d No Damage Jim Irwin - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Nigel Ferdinand - 7/2 VP Gained, Fatigued +2 Scott Archer - 1 VP Gained, No Damage Thorvald Siggurdson - 1 VP Gained, No Damage There are many dangerous things one can do in this world. Most of them are foolish but some of them comes with the job at hand. But no one ever expects to find earning a decent living to be life threatening. Such is the life of the Rogue merchant. Carrying goods through times of peace can be boring and repetitive. But through an active warzone is a different matter. It is like delivering pizza through a minefield by foot. Roslyn O'Hara had departed Von Braun City the other day and bidded fairwell to the Moon. But she knew she would return in a matter of days. The circuit between Earth Orbit and the Moon is a well-established one. So long as she stays away from the Duchy of Zeon and Earth Federal Space Force manuevers, her Zinnia cargo transport craft should be safe. Or so she thought. As the rest of the Pirates of Black Rock fleet move through space, a single Modified Interplanetary Transport Craft broke formation. Onboard, final preparations are being made as Jacobin Conroy walked among his Martian Free Men and the Guerillas they recruited. A sense a pride gave him a spring with each step as he breathed through his oxygen respirator. Their victory over the EFSF's Damocles Fleet is hard fought and well-earned. The crown jewel to their success is the newly named Gwazine-class Addie's Ghost. As he rested one hand on his sheathed knife, Conroy looked out a viewport. He prayed that their luck would continue. Outside the transport craft, Robin Sayer stretched like only an Irishman would as he got comfortable in his Zaku IIC. He and the boys on the Salty Cow transport craft are about to ruin someone's day. The day indeed got worse for Roslyn O'Hara as a stream of 120mm shells struck the Zinnia. As alarms cried out like startled children, she grabbed onto the back of her captains chair on the bridge. "Damn!" she cursed," who the hell is firing on us?!" "I-I think it's the Black Rock Pirates ma'am!" stuttered one of her crew members. "Well that blows," she muttered. "Hey! We got more light sparkles on the scope!" "Great, they're bringing over reinforcements." "You should be flattered," snarled O'Hara. Maybe all they want is her cargo? Well they can take that if they let her live... "Wait a minute, those aren't pirates-" began O'Hara. "-Those are bloody Zeek Mobile Suits!" cried Sayer in his Zaku IIC as a platoon of more advance Zaku II F swung around them. The Irishman stopped shooting to avoid starting a firefight with a real military. A good choice too because at that point, Conroy saw the Musai-class Daimler approach with her mega particles pointed at both transport craft. A voice spoke over an open communications channel. "Attention unidentified crafts! You are starting an illegal firefight in this sector! Under the orders of the glorious Duchy of Zeon's Space Assault Force, we are placing you under arrest! Cease your movements and prepared to be placed under our custody. This is your only warning!" O'Hara saw her chance as she grabbed a radio headset from the Zinnia's radio console. "Thank goodness you got here just in the nick of time!" she transmitted," they attacked us without warning! Now thanks to you we can continue on our-" "You will be boarded and inspected as per proper procedures. Any actions to delay or resist will be met with deadly force." At that moment both Conroy and Sayer saw the assault shuttles approach both the Zinnia and Salty Cow. As the airlocks finish cycling, Conroy saw the dark armor of Panzergrenadiers move into the Salty Cow. On the Zinnia, Zeon Marines took control away from O'Hara. Outside, Sayer allowed the Zaku II Fs to disarm his mobile suit. This is not the end for these two Pirates of Black Rock. Only a hinderance. Jacobin Conroy - 1 CP Gained, Captured Robin Sayer - 5 VP Gained, Captured Roslyn O'Hara - 6 VP Gained No Damage |