The Snake and the Wolf

Carmilla left the medical centre and headed up to her room, dropping her kimono on the floor and shouting for her geisha's. Thumping a panel a terminal appeared behind a sliding mirror and she sat down infront of it. Flipping through a small notebook she tapped a few keys and a face in shadow appeared on a screen. She paused as the face blew a plume of smoke at the screen.
"Carmilla. Been a long time. Hows the slaving business?"
"It's good Carlo. I need a favour."
The face paused in shadow and blew another smoke plume at the camera.
"What do you need? You know it'll cost."
"It's worth it. I need the flight plan of a shuttle," she reeled off an identification code,"I need to know where it started off. Chances are he switched ships wherever that is. So when you find the station send me a list of ships which have wolf in the name, or are wolf class ships. It's a tall order and I need it yesterday."
"You are asking a lot. You sure you can afford it?"
"I can... I have to. You have my personal terminal address, I'll be in space by the time you get it."
She keyed off the terminal and turned to the geisha who were in the room now.
"Hinare is in the medical bay. I want him kept there. Be creative, and make sure he is comfortable. Be careful of him as he's a wolf and he will bite. Now, get me my black kimono I have work to do. And find me Kim and Korinne and tell them to meet me at the landing pad."
She stripped and headed into the shower, returning after a while and slipped into her kimono. Accessing the Terminal she saw a message. A ship name and it's travel plans. She smiled coldly, now she had a destination.

Kim and Korinne walked towards the shuttle and looked up Carmilla. Together they all jumped into the shuttle and headed off towards the jumpgate.
"Carm... what's going on?"
"I have to kill someone. But I need... someone to help me do it."
"Who? And why am I here?"
"You are here Korinne... because the person i'm getting to do this I can't trust and she is dangerous. And I may need you to stop her."
"Who is she?"
Carmilla was quite for a while until she was prodded. Even then she spoke slowly and deliberately.
"She is me. The old me. The clone that survived Galilcia and the Serpentis for six years."
The shuttle was silent until they docked in the destination station.

From their hotel room Carmilla and Kim hacked into the security systems. Together they spooled through the footage until they came across what they were looking for. Hinare, wounded heading for the docking bay and his ship.
"Okay, now we just need to wind back... see which room he was in and who his target was."
"Carm. What are we after?"
"Hinare's target got away from him. I need to find him."
"Why?"
"So I can kill him. I almost lost him and people will pay for that."
Kim smiled and said nothing. Korinne simply raised an eyebrow.
"He means that much to you?"
"Yes. No wher near as much as Ithiria means to me... but enough to do something foolish."
Carm flipped back through the security footage and watched the assassination attempt.
The assassin approached the target swiftly. The bodyguard moving to intercept, a weapon firing with uncanny speed and accuracy. A blade flickering and the bodyguard falling, but the target escaping.
She looked at the frozen face of the target and printed it out and gave Kim a copy.
"Find him. I will meet you at the cloning station. And when you do, find the room two doors down from it. Either rent it or arrange something at it, a dancer gift for the occupant. There is a reason..."

Serpentis Prime has numerous cloning centres, several large ones for the use of the faithful and an unknown number of hidden secret ones. It was to one of these that the cloning master awoke to the sirens indicating a clone was activating. He dragged his old bones to the centre and checked the console, gasping as he saw which one was activating and selected the clones posessions.

Carmilla awoke and stood up, the memories of her last couple of years slowly imprinting themselves on the clone until the memories were perfectly synchronised. She flexed muscles that she had forgotten and writhed in a sensual way, music in her movements. Her body was covered in healed scars, great tattoos of serpents writhed across as if alive. The three tattoos that she was known to have, dwarfed by the size and beauty of what was on her now. She pulled her hair back, wiping the slickness of the cryo liquid from it and looking around. Each movement accentauted her body, muscles rippled and the look in her eyes was pure darkness, steel as black as night, yet as blue as the never ending sky.
"I never expected to see your clone, Little Snake."
"Quin... I never expected to be back. But there are things that have to be done."
"You said you would never use this clone again. If Gallicia spots you, you know you'll be powerless before him. It'll be like you never escaped."
"I know, but I have to do this. Do you have my things?"
He smiled and opened the box and she looked inside. She pulled out a dancers garb and a silver bodice decorated with the serpentis sigil. Boots of quicksilver with heels in the shape of snakes tapped on the floor as she walked to a mirror. Quin passed her a small bag and before long she was ready. She looked in the mirror...and remembered.
"I was beautiful, Quin."
"You still are. But you are also deadly. Be careful Little Snake, hide this clone well when you change back."
"That's if I change back.... this body is so much more than what I have currently."
"This is not you. Never forget that... if you stay in this body, Gallicia will own you again. You cannot break the conditioning he placed on you."
"I know... pray for me Quin."
She wrapped a long red silken cloak aroudn her and stepped out of the cloning centre and headed towards what she rememebred was a starport.

Kim walked purposefully towards the lobby of the building, behind her Carmilla, clad in the crimson hooded robes skipped and danced. Korinne walked behind them both, keeping her distance, watching all around.
"We have a delivery for room 338. A dancer has been arranged for Sire Kirla."
The receptionist smiled and nodded and tapped a few keys behind her.
"Aaah, yes we have you on the list. Please go straight up."
Kim nodded and smiled and slipped a credit chip across the top to her and they made their way to the elevators.
"Are you sure this is what you want Carm?"
"I'm sure."
"I'll back you up, you know that. And Korinne will back us both up."

The bodyguards stationed outside of room 340 watched in amusement as Kim and the dancer walked up to the 338 and knocked. The conversation was brief and the two of them went into the room. However a few moments later screams were heard and a young child ran out the door, covered in blood and down the corridor. Seconds later, the red robed figure walked into the corridor and flung back her hood and walked towards them. Blood covered both of her hands and the look in her eyes was unnerving to them. They pulled their weapons out, but even before they had them raised she was at them. Blades appeared in her hands and into the throats of the bodyguards and with a leap she kicked the door and rolled inside. As Kim made her way out of the room and looked down the corridor she saw the two guards dropping and the guards in the room slamming the door shut as they surrounded her daughter.

The target looked up as the ten men surrounded her. All of them had weapons out, guns, swords, stun sticks. Carmilla stood in the middle of them and her cloak dropped to the floor. Her snakes moved around her body as they all watched. The target laughed at her and slapped his table.
"I knew someone would come again. I didnt' know it would be a Serpentis Assassin. And such a beautiful one. I think my men and I will have our pleasure with you before we kill you."
"I'm not Serpentis. Though I am going to definately have my pleasure with you and your men."
The targets laughter died in his throat and he growled. As he heard someone hammering on the door.
"Kill this bitch... then kill whoever is at the door."
Carmilla... smiled with a look of pure evil.

Korinne gave up kicking the door and pulled out a heavy bore pistol and blew the lock off. Together they opened the door and ran in, stopping suddenly. Carmilla stood by the window holding the target up in the air. All around there were the bodies of the ten men, all dead.
"Carmilla, by the seven moons...."
"This.... you bastard... is for Wolfbane. You should have died the first time!"
With a roar she threw the body at the window. It smashed and his screams could be heard as he fell. She threw her head back and laughed and stood at the broken window and looked down. Three hundred floors. With a twirl she was back in the room, dancing and laughing.
"Now... we can go and have some fun!"
Kim looked at her and shook her head.
"Korinne."
Carmilla turned her head and looked at Korinne as Kim pulled the trigger on the hypo and fired a tranquiliser dart into her daughter. She swore and pulled at it, only to have Korinne fire a stunner at her. As blackness covered her thoughts she felt Korinne pick her up and throw her over her shoulder.

Kim and Korinne pushed the now naked Carmilla into the clone tube and initiated the transfer. The clone of Carmilla that Ithiria had placed under the Geisha House was ready.
"What will she remember?"
"Everything. But she will be our Carmilla... not that one. Not the Little Snake, not any more."
"I'll take care of her, Kim. I promise you that. Hinare is waiting for her... we should move before someone suspects something."
Kim activated the board and the clone transfered and awoke slowly while a metal sheath covered the other clone tank.

Carmilla walked into the medical bay and saw Hinare on the bed. He looked strained, but then so did she.
"I killed him Hinare. I killed your target. Dropped him 300 floors. No one hurts someone I care about."
"Carmilla....."
Carmilla sat down on the end of the bed and took his hand.
"Now I have to tell my Master what I have done. And my Mistress."
"They will be angry."
"Most likely. But you will learn this about me. I am theirs, totally...."

Rest in Peace

RIP Kazeraith, you will be missed and nothing will make me feel less guilty for your passing

I truly am sorry

Angelina

Tribal Sin

Carmilla D'Morenta ran down the corridor dodging the gunfire from the republic fanatics, firing back when she could. Across the causeway Leopold and Misha were under a similar attack. They had expected them to be waiting outside the station, not outside the Tribal Sin bar.

She fired a few more shots at them allowing Leo and Misha to break cover and run across the bridge to her.
"Goddam... who are they?"
"Republic Police.... they're probably after me..."
"You're shooting cops?"
"Well.. shooting back.. they started, but I bet we get blamed for this! Get to your dramiel and get it powered up my ships all ready, I'll cover your escape...."
She ran back to the elevator leading to the landing bays and covered them as they approached and fired a few more shots and slams the doors shut.

As they entered the landing bay they saw the group of republic police looking over the Dramiel. As a group they ran for the Panther 'Zinc Alloy' and met a geisha at the bottom of the ramp.
"Whisper, get Carli over to that Dramiel and get it cracked when the police leave. Meet us at the Geisha House."
The Geisha smiled and summoned a small woman and the three of them entered the ship. She ran to the command deck and slammed into the chair.
"Get us out of here. Ignore docking control, take us out on manual."
Docking control to Zinc Alloy. Power down your engines and prepare to be boarded
"Ignore it. Punch it and don't crash into anything...."

The Panther pulled away from the docking bay and maneauvered through the station and out into space. Police Cruisers were waiting, targetting almost as soon as the ship left the station.
"Cyno locked on, can jump when ready."
"Hit it!"
With a scretch of metal under stress the jump engines whined and projected the ship several light years away to the desolation of the Amamake system. She scanned down the system and noticed the people in local. None of them friendly. They laid in a course back to Seshala and activated the cloak as the ship jumped, mere seconds after several ships converged on the now doomed cyno ship.

A few hours later with the ship in orbit Carmilla, Leopold and Misha shuttled down to the Geisha house with Whisper. The Geisha headed off to prepare and Carmilla was left to show them around.
"It's not much, but it's home to me and my Mistress when she's here. And until your ship arrives, my house is your house. There are bars, pools, and the ocean."
"You are far to kind. And thank you for getting us here."
Whisper returned with two bottles and a tray of glasses and started to pour out the shots.
"Now, I belive we have some drinking to do."
Misha looked at them and laughed as they started knocking them back.

Lot #701

The Aeon 'Slaves Despair' was watched by countless people and countless ships as it appeared at the cyno just off the station, flanked by two archons. For all who were invited the slave auctions would begin as soon as the cargo was unloaded and the Aeon safe. Shuttles and transports moved back and forth from the mothership under watchful eyes. The disembarking of the cargo took longer than usual, though after an hour the Aeon and it's escorts engaged their warp engines and departed.

Their departure was seen as the signal for the ships to dock and make their way to the various rooms, warehouses and events that had been setup. 'Slaves Despair' was always an anticipated venture as she never failed to bring the most sought after slaves for the block. The auction sheets that had been dispatched to priority buyers had drawn many in, and transmitted images of many of them were available. As ever they were segmented, Minmatar, by far the largest with over five hundred lots, gallantee and caldari only a hundred or so each, and even a handfull of amarr.

Amongst the buyers who were in the main function room sipping champagne and checking the catalogues an obscure holder walked slowly around, smiling to those she knew and nodding. Her long skirts just touching the floor, and the decorative armoured corset inlaid with golden Amarri sigils proclaimed her rank and status, though not as much as her aire of nobility. A thin silken cloak with her house emblem ran down her back, and caressed her figure. She stopped at a railing and looked down into the pits. Acoustical barriers prevented the cries and the screaming from the slaves from disturbing the viewers pleasure, though secretly she yearned to hear their cries almost as much as she yearned to be making them cry out. Slaves had their place, regardless of their breeding. Once a slave... always a slave.

As she looked down, trying to spy out the caldari section a man stood beside and looked down as well.
"You buying?"
"If something is worthy of my time and effort. I need a challenge."
The man chuckled and turned around leaning back against the railing and folded his arms. She look at him, taking in the pitted scars of the side of his face, his arrogant look and his classic Khanid frown. A small serpentis pin on his collar seemed to indicate his allegiance.
"And what are you doing here? Business or pleasure, mr?"
"Tavrook, Gallicia. I'm selling here today. Lots three fifty to three seventy. And you, Miss?"
"Marika Sato, Holder of the Khanid, chosen of... blah blah... so many titles. You selling any Caldari?"
"No, I only deal in Minmatar. Caldari are too much trouble. Though you might like Lot #701. She's Caldari and a real hell cat."
"You know her? What are the chances of that mr Serpentis."
"Oh.... we have history, 701 and I. She's cost me a lot. Actually wasn't expecting to see her here, I thought she was out give tongue baths to Goons."
Marika flipped through the catalogue on her datatablet and brought up 701. She smiled and licked her lips. Caldari. Cute. Ex-pirate. A finger traced down and brought up her name.
"Angelina Ballentyne. Lot #701."
Gallicia laughed, a most evil laugh and took two glasses from a passing waitress, handing one to her.
"Here. Lets drink to us being on top and them on the bottom, where they belong."
She took the glass, clinked and drank while looking at the lot description and smiling.

In the cells below Angelina paced up and down the cell she was in like a wild animal. Lashing out through the bars. The others in the cell were huddled at the back, fearful not just of the wild caldari but also of the others outside the cells. Guards outside just laughed at them, occasionally striking out at her. But none of them got too close, that had come from experience.
"Please, don't antagonise them. If they notice you things will go worse for you."
Angelina turned around and spat on the ground, her nakedness not phasing her in the slightest.
"It's okay for you. You have one life to live and then you are dead. I have countless, my suffering will be legion compared to your pitiful life."
"You sound like they do. Selfish and uncaring....."
"I'm wanted by all four powers as well as holders.... and of course I'm selfish and uncaring... I'm a pirate...."
"No.... just a slave."
Angelina screamed and grabbed the bars looking up at the higher tier and those who would soon be bidding on her.
"We are free men and women! We are not slaves! You will never break us! Never!"
One of the guards laughed and jabbed foward with an electro-prod, dangerously modified and slammed it into Angelina's side, throwing her back into the others. The other prisoners edged away from her and waited out their time.

Marika made her way to the auction hall and took her chair, noticing Gallicia a few chairs down. Smoothing out her skirt she sat down, sitting straight up and opened the catalogue. On the dias before her a young minamater girl, a burtor was brought out in chains and dragged to the centre.
"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome to our monthly slave auctions. I hope you are all ready to bid? We have a wide variety of slaves for you tonight. Minmatar.... Gallentey.... Caldari... even a few Amarr....."
He waited while the applause died down and smiled.
"And the pride of our auction... for which we do occasionally have... the rarest of the rare.... the jewel in our crown... A capsuleer."
The assembled host went silent for a moment, then cheers and oaths filled the air, feet stamping on the floor. She picked up her catalogue and flicked through trying to find which one when a hand took it from her. Gallicia flicked to a page and handed her his own, dropping into the seat next to her.
"Lot #701..... They don't mark it in the catalogues incase it arouses too much suspicion... and it makes the auction so much more...."
She looked over his copy finding much more information. Sellers it seemed had access to more information. Checking it over she nodded smilling, this was what she wanted.
"She will be mine.... "

Hour after hour the slaves were paraded and bid on. Single slaves, couples, even entire families. Marika watched on with rising anticipation, not caring about those who went before, not even noticing the other caldari who appeared and waited for what she was after. She was not to be dissapointed. Five guards dragged a kicking and screaming slave to the dias. Chains from a collar around her neck were attached to rings on the dias. All around looked at the lithe female form before them, the tattoo on the left ass cheek, the capsule ports on her back and arms and neck.

"Lot number 701. The prize auction! A capsuleer, so you'd better know how to keep her because once she leaves here that's your problem. An impressive pedigree in this one, she is fit and healthy, has a good set of lungs on her as you can hear, and is breedable. She is a pirate, affiliated with the Guristas. A mass murderer, a heretic, wanted by the Amarr, the Caldari, the Gallentey and the Minmatar. And best of all.... she hasn't been broken....."

Marika listened to the rest on autopilot. She had made her decision, this slave would be hers. She would break her. Or kill her trying. Again... and again... and again. As the bidding went on Angelina hurled abuse and pulled at her chains. All music to the ears of the bidders. Eventually it ended with a slam of the hammer and the jealous gazes of those beaten and a howl from Angelina.
"Sold, to Marika Sato."
She turned to Gallicia and smiled.
"Do you want to come and see my new slave close up? I'm sure it would amuse me. And you."
Together they laughed as they were led backstage.

Marika walked into the cell with Gallicia behind her, watching her new slave. She was naked and chained from a corner of the room, her hands behind her. Now, she was gagged, and the fire in her eyes when she saw them both made Marika shiver with delight.
"Oh you are a pretty one, and the fire in those eyes. I see now how much of a problem you are going to be. You don't know your place. But you soon will. Won't she Gallicia?"
"That she will. And if she's half of what her sister is you are going to be very happy with your new slave."
He looked Angelina in the eye. Could taste her hate.
"I guess I'll have to visit her again and taste those wares. I'm sure she misses me. Dont you think?"
"She has a sister? I wonder if i can have a matching pair."
Her scream, even behind the gag was loud and could be heard even after they closed the door and walked towards the nearest resteraunt.

Midnight on the Firing Line

Hello Great Wildlands! This is Rocking Ricky, bringing you another slice of audio heaven in stellarcast brodcasting across the region, into the next one and beyond! As ever we have music, news, hot gossip and all the sounds that you rave about. But lets start off with an oldie, this is Chromium Oxide Rifter with Shiny Love....


1st Instance...

Carmilla sat at her dresser deep in the Geisha House, head in her hands weeping. Before her on the top of the dresser there was a box that was opened, inside glinting in the light was her downfall. A chrome collar nestled in a silk wrap. Whisper sat beside her, her arm around her comforting her. At the door several other Geisha looked in, perplexed.

She wept, the chrome circle burning it's way into her mind. There because of what she did. Removing the emotion chip, bringing Ithiria back, she knew there would be consequences. But this? Before it was easy. The love, the lust, the feeling of belonging, the knowing. To serve someone so strong and place them above all others. A more pure love she had never known, so pure she had married her. Slave and wife.... Then just wife.

After all the she had done being discarded had been the ultimate failure. More scathing, more painful than anything Gallicia had done. Even the burn from the plasma torch when her collar had been removed by force was less painful. And yet, now, here with the collar before her, she found she couldn't put it on. Angelina was right, the last few words she said before they parted in anger, words that even Ithiria didn't know about had come true. So bitter that they echoed the words that Mizhara had said so long ago.

Never take that collar off, my dear sister, or allow it to be taken from you. For if you do when it is given back to you, you'll not want it. Freedom is a natural state, and we Minmatar are realising that it is our true birthright. Freedom has to be fought for. People are fighting for your freedom, just as people are fighting for my enslaving. One day you will realise why I must flee to the ends of the universe to escape my fate. One day, you will forgive me.

She was right. They were both right. And yet, they were both so wrong. And yet she looked at the collar and weeped for soon she would have to make the decision and either way, she was damned.


Of all the places I like to go and hangout and eat there are few I enjoy more than 'The Broken Piano'. You see people from every walk of life there, mostly friendly. Caldari navy sitting with slaves, Minmatar patriots rub shoulders with Khanid slavers. Sure, there are the occasional tussles, but mostly it's a relaxed place. The beer is cold, the food is hot and we are reliably informed there are no ladies of pleasure in the back rooms. A waste if you ask me. Lets spin some air with Murasama Lady and Neon Radiation Burn....

2nd Instance....

There was a sharp sound, of a blade being sharpened on a whetstone. The woman watched the security camera footage. It was a pirated feed and there was static. But she could hear every word. Snick. They were there, the man and his contact. Emotions were dulled by memory, but memory was tainted by desire and loathing and hatred. Snick. She listened to his words, as they spoke in the hotel room. Listened with fear and anger. Snick....

The blood dripped onto the table as she listened to the two of them arguing, the blade having cut a deep gouge into her hand. He had said it, what she had known to be true, but confirmation was required.

Placing the blade down she wrapped her hand in a bandage and looked at the picture, then pulled her terminal over and began tapping away. A stream of access denied came up on the screen as she tried various attempts to hack into the security system. Eventually she accessed what she was after and looked at the name. It was the same, the bounty hunter had returned and his contact had said two names. Two names that meant they both had to die. Gathering her things she handed them to her assistant and pulled out a grenade. As she left the room and stood at the door next to her room she pulled the pin and kicked in the door. The bounty hunter spun around and reached for a weapon as the contact looked at her and screamed and pointed.
"Its her! It's Marika Jobias, the reaper is back....."

The grenade landed in the middle of the room and exploded, throwing the bounty hunter and the contact back against the walls. Flames and smoke filled the room as Marika Jobias, also known as Doctor Kim Leannder, and known by few as a genocidal madwoman walked in and closed the remains of the door. Two shots in the forehead took care of the bounty hunter and then she looked at the contact, crawling along the floor, her entrails dragging behind her. Kim's assistant was busy covering the bounty hunter with fuel and setting alight to it while Kim stood on the contacts guts. She screamed and turned around.
"I wasn't going to tell him!" she screamed "I swear on the Empire!"
"But you did. You told him my name. You told him my husbands name. You gave him my daughters name!"
With every sentance she stamped on more of the guts eventually letting her foot rest on her neck. As the contact writhed in unbearble agony she lifted her foot and dug the stiletto heel into the base of her throat with a thrust. She watched the blood well over her boot and the eyes flicker and slowly die. So her assistant couldn't see she pulled a box from her pocket, placed it beside the head and pressed a button.
"I thought you were going to keep that one for your jars?"
"No, just burn them both. Then I'll burn their offices, their homes. I'll check on their closest friends and family. I may find a head there for a jar. Finish up here, I'll be next door cleaning up."

Kim Leannder walked into the next room, leaving bloody footprints where she walked and stripped off all her clothes, leaving them in a pile and changing into a tight fitting flight suit and strapped on a heavy backpack. Looking in the mirror she smiled and wiped some blood from her face as she heard the whoompf as the room next door exploded, the screams of her assistant loud as the box opened spraying a volatile chemical into the air, coating everything nearby and catching fire. She didn't see him running from the room in flames and over the barrier, falling over the edge and down the side of the hotel, but she heard his dwindling screams. Moments later she left the room and pulled out a small transmitter as she too leapt over the edge, triggering the explosion that tore apart the hotels foundations, letting the whole structure shake and moan and then finally crumble into what would be coined a terrorist attack. The parasail opened from her backpack and she flew over the city for a while, occasionally turning to see the pyre of flames that was the hotel.

She laughed into the night as she spiralled downwards, another who dared to tell people who she was dead, and hundreds with them. One never stops being a monster to protect the ones you love.


So once again the Goons are taking the attack to the land of the IT. Whole fleets of ships and capsuleers are heading down to a fight that could spill out for regions on all sides. Well, we've seen this before, we've seen how it ends. As the old saying goes, war is hell. I can remember when the Goons were just a bunch of low tech wannabes who literally flew a cloud of rifters. Now they have titans and super carriers. One can't help wonder if they have grown up as they have gotten older, either way the war is a long way from here so lets hear the sounds of Noctollis Billy and the Salvage Queens, I'm going to tear out your reactor core.....


3rd Instance....

Angelina Ballentyne woke to darkness. She remembered the recent events, helping the cruise liner escape, her ship being destroyed and being dragged into the bay of the Nightmare. Once again it seemed she was in the hands of people who wanted her for some reason. Feeling down her body she was naked, the floor was metal, as were the walls when she found them. Through her stumbling around in the dark she found a bunk on one wall, a thin mattress and a pillow.

If they want me, she mused, they can wake me. Lying down on the bunk she looked up into the darkness. Why does this always happen to me? Is this time to change my lifestyle? Was saving that cruise liner the force I needed to do what is right? She drifted off to sleep.

"She did what?"
"She went to sleep. Took a few moments to find the bunk, then she laid down... and went to sleep."
"I thought I told you I wanted her kept awake and offbalance."
"You did sir, but I had higher orders. When she found out that we had her here, she told us what she wanted done."
The adjutant handed over a datapad and saluted. The Captain of the Nightmare looked at it, then over at the optic on the wall that was a link to the pod that ran the ship. The capsuleer was watching, godlike from her pod. He read the instructions again, and saluted the optic.
"Post extra guards outside the quarters and I want that corridor locked down. And get us back into the wormhole. Take us back to the barn."

In her sleep Angelina dreamt of the old days, of piracy and fire and death. It was an unsettled dream. In the pod in the centre of the ship, the capsuleer watched the pirate sleep. So strange to see her here. Life, she mused, was so unexpected at times.


And so that wraps up another evening of musical delight from Rocking Ricky as the old chrono ticks aroudn to midnight. As you fly off into the blackness of space, and dance through the nebula remember this. Life is fleeting and no matter what you are flying you will loose it one day. Everything dies, but the music lives on. This is Rocking Ricky signing off as I head over to grab my battleship and join my corp members on the firing line and safeguard our territory, remember if you see me in space, dont' shoot. The music may never die, but I sure can!

Denial

Rakapas system - 07:52

The pilgrim 'Denial of Interest' hovered two hundred away from the Home Guard Assembly Plant. Sensors licked out from the ship as it hid under it's cloak. Somewhere in the area the backup covert ops frigate was waiting, also cloaked up. Integral systems in the pilgrim, backed up by those worked by the crew worked on everything of interest. The locations and courses of comets, asteroids and floating space debris were located, plotted and a course indicated in phosphor lines across the pod display to avoid accidental decloaking. Most of the unimportant comms traffic the pilot filtered out, but a few kept recurring.
...spike in local gravimetric and tachyon emmissions...
...pulse signal, source unknown, too quick to locate, request....
...increased activity amongst concord forces in the region....
The pilot directed increased resources to the scanners and changed the vector towards the outer marker, with a course plan laid in to the jump zone.

The local area was quite, the few capsuleers docked. The pilot watched a large cruise ship decelearate to the outer marker and begin heading in.
"Denial Prime to Homebase. System is stable, no visible threats. Can drop cyno when necessary, just give me the word."
"Homebase to Denial Prime. Acknowledged, standby."
She cursed, why won't they just hurry the hell up. Flexing in the pod she accesed thruster controls and changed the vector. External sensors picked up a distortion in space and passive sensors were redirected to survey. The crew began animated chatter and the pilot noticed data was pouring in from the probes that had been launched hours earlier.
...emmissions increasing exponentially...
...We have a local alert being broadcasted by concord....
...By the maker, we have a wormhole forming 214 mark 67, range 300....
...Sensors are down, recalibrating....
The pilot listened to the chatter and swivelled the external optics and watched the wormhole forming. Great swirling eddies swept away from the eye, several warning sigils flashed and were dealt with.
"Nothing to worry about," she thought,"Just a wormhole. They happen all over the place, all the time."

A whisper filled her pod, DANGER, her ghost warning her. Biosystems flagged up increasing bio-feedback,DANGER, and subtly altered the fluid in the pod.

She slammed the ship into a hard bank and accelerated as much as she could. Moments later a trio of ships emerged from the wormhole. Their unnatural design, the spikes that adorned them, the gaping maws of the laser batteries, the sun glimmering on their hulls, Angelina watched, slightly in awe as the phantasms appeared. Sansha had come to Rakapas.

The covert ops frigate watched the unfolding scene as the three phantasms flew in an attack vector towards the cruise ship. Across the board alarms could be seen as local network went ballistic. Still the frigate stayed on post. This was not part of the plan.

Angelina stirred in her pod. The sansha cruisers would be in firing range on the cruise ship within a few minutes. From memory of her pirating days that cruise ship could carry upwards of four thousand people. It was a ship like that that Kim was on when she was taken. Sansha, she cursed, at least with the Blood Raiders there was a chance of living. With the Sansha.....

The pilgrim moved on an intercept course towards the three phantasms. The crew looked at each other as the red alert flashed up. Power systems for the energy destablisers and vampires whined into operation, the hull creaked as the hardeners were activated. In the drone bays automatic systems loaded ammunition and loaded fully charged powercells. Several more phantasms exitted the wormhole and warped almost instantly away.
"Denial Prime to Homebase. Minor Sansha incursion underway. Will inform of conditions."
"Homebase to Denial Prime. Do not engage. Repeat. Do not engage..... ackhowledge and respond."
She watched as the first beams impacted the shields of the cruise ship which was powering to the station as fast as it could go. Not fast enough, not fast enough by far.
....confirmation cruise ship Freedom's Grasp is carrying 5204 passengers....
Freedom's Grasp.... an omen, DANGER, no! NO!
....pulse signal is activated, unable to lock down while in cloak....
....Nightmare class detected in system, engaging local milita forces....
....Freedom's Grasp is relaying a mayday....
"Denial Prime to Homebase. Fuck you. Angelina Ballentyne to the crew. We are engaging the Sansha threat to rescue the cruise ship. Deactivate cloak, acceleate to attack speed, deploy the drones....."

The Captain of the Freedom's Grasp looked at the screens and despaired. There were no ships within range to help him. Navy and militia forces were already engaged and he was under attack. With luck he would be able to get within the range of the defensive. The shields were falling steadily but would last. With luck they would last. His crew, the passengers depended on it. Falling to the Sansha was worse than death.
"Captain, we have recon decloaking behind the phantasms. Pulling the ident codes now.... aaah hell she's a pirate! Damn those vultures!"
"She's not targetting us. Repeat, she is not targetting us!"
"By the seven moons... what is she doing?"

The drones that tore through space bore little resemblence to the valkyries that they once were. Adapted beyond belief with the technology of the rogue drones they were a more dangerous entity. AI's on board scanned the phantasms down and pinpointed weaknesses, firing point blank as they passed. The Phantasms noticed the pilgrim and locked her, but their weapon systems failed to track properly, beams of laser light falling past the recon. Arcs of lightning flashed between the ships as energy was absorbed and destabilised. Onboard systems boosted the drones abilities and the pilot of the phantasms changed their attack. A new prey had been found, one they needed to kill.

The covert ops decloaked with a scream as it's lasers fired into the frey. Too fast by far for the cruisers to target it, and it flew straight through the exploding mass of the first phantasm, it's sheilds screaming. Scrambling systems caressed the spiked cruisers and forced them to stand and fight while the recon pounded them into oblivion. But even they were shocked when the nightmare decelerated almost right on top of them and began targetting.

"For the love of God Angelina we have to retreat, we can't fight a Nightmare!"
"Just keep it busy, make sure it doesn't leave!"
"Denial Prime to Homebase... request carrier support.... Homebase? Come in Homebase?"
A quick check of the systems, signals being jammed. Wide band jamming signal and unknown interferance. Pulse signal stronger, directed at the battleship from the recon. Treachery?
"You can dodge the battleship, it's no where near capable of catching you, you're too fast!"
"Goddam you Angelina......"
The last phantasm exploded in a silent fire ball moments after the covert ops. The recon turned to face the Nightmare, coming between it and the cruise liner. Heavy fire lashed out, slamming into the ship, tearing it's sheilds apart and renting the armour. Systems whined to take over and when the second hit slammed in they were still trying to repair the original damage. Red sigils flashed across boards, the Pilgrim was mortally wounded. It was dying.

"This is the Pilgrim Denial of Interest to the Freedom's Grasp. Are you in range of the station defences yet?"
"We are. Thanks to you, now get out of there!"
"Negative. As long as you and your passengers are safe that is....."
The transmission cut and the captain looked out the window at the Pilgrims wreck. It turned in space, gaping holes burned into it from the Nightmare. Escape pods fired away from the doomed ship and after a few more attempts to contact it the hull exploded. He watched in horror as the Nightmare tractored the pod that was floating in the debris into one of it's cavernous bays.
"May the seven moons protect that capsuleer. Even if she was a pirate, that was the most noble soul I've ever seen. She doesn't deserve what is coming to her."

Office Break

Perimeter II - Moon 1 - Caldari Navy Assembly Plant

Carmilla Deritan, clad in a form fitting business suit exitted the interstation shuttle and stood before the administrative offices. Two geisha carrying large cases flanked her as she walked towards the entrance and up to the reception. Behind the expansive desk a cold looking civire sat tapping away at a computer. Carmilla stopped infront of it and coughed gently, the civire looking up into Carmilla's round glasses and red lipped smile.
"I'm here to see Hinare Etherus. Can you tell me where I might find him?"
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No. I just...."
"Then you can't see him. Feel free to make an appointment and you can see him. Good day."
"Can't you just tell him I'm here? I'm an old friend."
She smiled again, the Civire did not.
"No visitors. Make an appointment."
"Can I make an appointment here?"
"What is your business?"
"I'm just here to say Hi."
"That is not official Caldari Navy business. Please leave before I have you escorted out. Good day Madam."
The receptionist went back to her computer and Carmilla watched thoughtfully for a few moments then turned on her heels and walked out the door, the Geisha in tow. She stopped at a terminal and held out her bag. One of the geisha held it while she opened it and then took a tool to the terminal casing, cracking it open and revealing the insides. The second Geisha kept a wary eye on passers by. After a few minutes she closed the casing and started tapping at the keys and pulled out several datacrystals from her bag and slipped them into the terminal. Guristas logo's flashed over the screen and she went to work.

Deep in the offices, settled at his desk Hinare Etherus, Administrations clerk for the Caldary Navy worked his way through a pile of paperwork. His terminal flashed and a message appeared on his screen. He frowned, mostly because this was a secure terminal, but also because no one was supposed to know he was there.

To: Hinare Etherus, Admin Clerk, CN
You have a 3:15 appointment in your office with the representative of Autumn Breeze Enterprises regarding an entertainment licence.

With a chuckle he accepted the appointment and looked at the clock on the wall. 3:12. He had just enough time to make it to the reception to meet her.

Carmilla walked back in flanked by the Geisha and stood before the reception. The civire didn't even look up.
"If you wait there I will call the guards.....
"If you check, girl, I have a 3:15 appointment with Hinare Etherus. Please check before you throw me out, that way when I do complain I can have you busted down to washing ships in the furthest pit the Navy has an office in."
She flushed and tapped, just as Hinare walked up.
"Aaah, Carmilla Deritan. So glad you could leave our receptionist able to understand the error of her ways."
Carmilla held her hand out and smiled as Hinare kissed it and slipped her arm though his.
"My office is this way, ladies, shall we?"
The receptionist glared, then went back to her terminal.

They stopped outside of his office and Carmilla held him back.
"Let my girls enter first. We have a surprise for you."
She ran her eyes up and down him, taking in his white navy uniform and biting her lip.
"How have you been? The girls say you keep to yourself when you are at the House."
"I've been busy, but I'm glad you made the changes to the room. It was a bit to big for me. But it has been nice to relax on the beach, swim in the sea." He chuckled to himself. "I do miss it."
"Then I have a nice surprise for you."
She smiled warmly and leant back against him, feeling his arms around hers, and a slight twitch. They watched officers and office staff look at them as they walked past and ignored everyone until a Geisha opened the door and beckoned them in.

The furniture in the room had been pushed up against a wall and covered with cloth. A holographic projector was covering all the walls with a surround of the beach and environs at the Geisha House. A filter over the lights was now the same colour as the systems sun, and a portable terminal was playing the sound of the ocean. The carpet was covered in a thin layer of sand and a large towel had been placed on it, along with a bottle of wine and two glasses. Hinare looked at it and laughed, then dragged Carmilla in while he unbottoned his tunic and laid down on the towel. Carmilla knelt beside him, her own jacket now off and poured two glasses of wine.
"I thought you could do with an office break, Hinare. And what better than to remind you where you can call home."