Futuristic The Blue Betty

[Vudukudu]

I was a highwayman


Along the coach roads I did ride


With sword and pistol by my side


Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade


Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade


The bastards hung me in the spring of '25


But I'm still alive.


I fly a starship


Across the universe divide


And when I reach the other side


I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can


Perhaps I may become a highwayman again


Or I may simply be a single drop of rain


But I will remain


And I'll be back again.


The year is 2194. Humanity has achieved Faster-Than-Light travel, and with it, we have spread across the stars. We live out our lives on a few planets and a fair number of space stations distributed across them.


Despite what you'd think, life is still rough for most of us. Two hundred years ago, people were saying "The future won't be pretty" , and they were right. Our cities are overcrowded, impoverished, and crime-ridden. The frontiers resemble the American Wild West of those ancient movies. Cattle ranching and farming are a big deal again in places like those.


Space travel ain't cheap, and it certainly ain't easy. That's why so few people do it, and it's part of why each planet considers itself self-governing. It's rare to see people from other places unless you're among the super wealthy who can afford their own spacefaring vessel. Or, well..


The people like us. The adventurers, the rebellious ones, the thrill-seekers, the explorers, and the lost souls. It's people like us that crew the Blue Betty. She's a small vessel, mostly meant for carrying cargo, and she's got a working crew of six plus some others.


But it wouldn't be any fun if we just did some shipping, now would it? And on the Blue Betty, we're all about fun. We like to call it "Fair business" but most planetary governments call it smuggling, black marketeering, and some other downright rude things.


So come on in, find a bunk, and lets have us some fun times.


MAPS


Planets: (will add images when I have better internet)


Korus:


Korus is roughly Earth-sized, with a breathable atmosphere. It lies in the center of the Bokotan system, and is considered the "core" world. While most of the planet's land is used for farming and ranching, it is home to eighteen large cities. The capital is Tilder, which is home to the planet's major starport. The main exports of Korus are cattle, firearms, and food products.


Buter:


Buter is a fairly small planet, and most of it's surface is an ocean. The single island has been made into one fairly large city, bearing the same name as the planet. The main exports of Buter are fish and ship parts.


Nimrod: Nimrod is an orange gas giant planet, surrounded by several asteroid rings. Lying just outside the orbit of the asteroid debris is Station 12. Station 12 is an infamous trade port, mostly known for it's criminals, black market, and illegal activity. Station 12 is home to about a million people, but the amount of visitors often adds another few hundred thousand.


Hesitus: A mid-sized desert planet, Hesitus is home to no major cities or starports. It's total population ranges in the 400,000s, and almost all of them are farmers. Hesitus is still in it's early stages of colonization, and has little to export. However, because Hesitus is still developing, it is a heavy importer of all products.


Lotari: Called "Korus' Twin", Lotari is almost identical to Korus, although it is far less developed. It only has 4 major cities, although there are hundreds of small towns spread around the frontier. It's total population is about two billion. Lotari's main exports are cattle and other food products.


Horus: Considered a dead planet, Horus has no permanent population. The planet's crust is packed with valuable minerals and ores, which have yet to be exploited on a large scale. A few corporations have established minor operations, but no serious attempts have been made yet. Because Horus has no local food supply or factories, the few miners on Horus must import all their goods.


Vallis: A harsh, dangerous planet covered almost entirely by a mountainous jungle. It's 500,000 people live in scattered settlements that are surrounded by walls to protect them from the wildlife. Virtually every lifeform on Vallis is predatory or highly hostile, making it a favorite destination for big game hunters. Vallis exports rare animal products, some minerals, and wood.


Maiser: Maiser has a reputation for being cursed. No colonization attempts have been successful, most pilots avoid flying anywhere near it, and even the bravest explorers dare not travel across it's surface. No one knows exactly what makes Maiser so horrible, but folk tales include everything from cannibals to aliens.


Ardar: A well-developed colony, home to some three billion people total, Ardar is primarily urban. Those who do not live in the main cities are farmers who grow non-food products, such as tobacco and occasionally illegal drugs. Ardar mainly exports medicinal drugs, hand-crafted items, and fuel.


Other Locations:


The Nostrid Belt: A large cluster of mineral-rich asteroids. While untold riches lie within the floating rocks, the belt is extremely dangerous. Due to a gravitational anomaly, the asteroids move quickly and in very unpredictable directions. Few have ever had the guts to attempt to fly through it, and even fewer have succeeded.


M31 and M32 "The Twin Stars" : Individually, these stars are fairly small. However, they are almost on top of one another, which makes them about the size of the Sun and just as functional.


97-B: An inexplicable phenomena lies on the outer edge of the system. More often than not, it is a black hole that sucks in anything that gets to close. However, once in a great while, maybe only once in a twenty year span, 97-B releases everything it has collected, perfectly intact. Living people have never survived entering and exiting 97-B, but frozen corpses have been pulled from empty ships.


RULES


1. Good grammar and spelling are required.


2. Make in-depth characters.


3. No one-liners.


4. If you have any doubts about the setting, ask me instead of declaring that something exists. In general, assume it's sorta like Firefly if you've seen the show.


5. Be nice in OOC.


6. Quality, descriptive writing please.


7. Writing Style Points -


Personal Thoughts - Italics


Dialogue - " "


Actions - Nothing special here.


8. Write in third person past tense. I'll drop you like a bad habit if you goof this up to many times.


9. Password is "Like a leaf on the wind", put it anywhere in your character sheet and I'll see it.


1o. Have a good time. On the Blue Betty, The road goes on forever and the party never ends.

 

[Vudukudu]

Vudukudu updated The Blue Betty with a new update entry:


Update #1

-Added map section
-Added "Nicknames if any" to Character Sheet.

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[Vudukudu]

Vudukudu updated The Blue Betty with a new update entry:


Update #2

So, I wasn't particularly clear with this, but the RP is going to open with Aaron going around Station 12 looking for crew. In that case, your intro posts will likely be whatever you were doing when Aaron landed and either hearing the news or Aaron will come find your character himself. Your bio need not include a portion about literally boarding the ship, but perhaps reasons why you would be inclined to.

Read the rest of this update entry... 
The void of space was black, eternal, and filled with opportunities. A billion billions of them lay out there, waiting for the bold and bright to cross the threshold. Fame and fortune were there for the taking. Either or both could be yours, if only you had the right hands to grasp them.


And one such opportunity, a vessel thought long lost, hovered silently towards the rusty hull of the infamous Station 12. Small, sleek, and crewed by a single man, it drew nearer and nearer to the station. The port control operator had detected it on his scanner an hour before, but had waited some time before sending a message. "Station 12, docking control here. Please identify."


There was no answer, but the unidentified vessel flew closer to the station. It slowed down the closer it got, eventually slowing to a near stop right next to the docking operator's tower. The operator glanced across the hull, searching for any name or registration number. Just as he was about to give up, he saw it. Painted across the hull, damaged by years of wear and tear, a few letters still shown in bright white. Process of elimination led the operator to one final conclusion; this mystery vessel was, in fact, the Blue Betty he had heard so much about. He eagerly picked up the microphone again, then took a moment to calm himself so as to not sound excited. "Blue Betty, you have permission to dock at A623. Have a good stay."


Again, he was greeted with silence. But he didn't particularly care, he had a story to exaggerate. He flipped the switch to prepare dock A623 for an inbound ship, then abandoned his post and went down the hall at a dead run, ready to spread the word.


Aaron, seated in the pilot's chair, tenderly gripped the controls. He had grown quite adept at handling the vessel in the last few years of solitude, as one would expect. However, he still felt it wasn't his place, and a small wave of regret hit him each time he sat down in that chair. It was a seat for another man, not him. But maybe he would be able to find a replacement pilot on the Station. He had returned to find a new crew, and he certainly wasn't going to leave without one.


He docked the vessel, waiting for the clamps to lock down before leaving the cockpit. He hoped someone would recognize him. His years of travel had aged him beyond normal development, and he looked perhaps ten years older than he was. Even so, his posture, voice, and mannerisms were all very much the same. Anyone who had really known him would know exactly who he was, even if he didn't look the part anymore.


As soon as the dock was secured and Aaron was given permission to disembark, he thumbed the button to open the cargo bay door and step outside. He hadn't been on hard ground for some time, and he nearly tripped face first into the metal floor before regaining his balance, but did so none too gracefully. He explained the details of his stay to the first dock worker to approach him, then set off into the Station to begin the recruitment process. His first destination was a bar, the Halley's Hangout. It was well known for it's seedy atmosphere, criminal patrons, and cheap drinks. He figured it was the best place to start a talent search, as it had never disappointed him before.

 

[WrittenHollowness]

"Catch him! Someone catch that boy!"


Harm ran past the booths that littered the area. With a bag of fruit and dried meats in his grip, the small man dodged and weaved past the arms that failed to grab hold of him. His blue tattoo flashed in the sun--he was like a hummingbird flitting through a meadow.


If only there weren't vipers in his midst.


He slid past another set of booths managing to snag a canteen of water along the way. A fist flew in his direction, belonging to a burly man who was known for being a tad bit of a prick. As if in slow motion the moves were analyzed and countered with a swift jab to.his throat. This was only one use of Harmony's secret--the ability to react quicker was only one perk of many.


He continued his getaway, taking a bite of a lemon as he neared the more thuggish parts of the colony. He wasn't that far from Halley's, and he was very much in need of dining on his pickings sooner rather than later.

 

[Th3Tru3Cr33p3r]

Trent stepped out from his modest residence near hanger block A as a man came running up to him.


"Trent! Trent!" he called as he approached, "You're never gonna believe who just docked at A623."


Trent merely raised an eyebrow.


"It's the Blue Betty, man. She just docked here. Captain said something about wanting a guard and that he was here to forge the next chapter of the legend. He said he just escaped a fight with some other pirates and he was shot up pretty bad. I immediately cleared a spot up for him. I'm going to find him a mechanic."


Trent reached back into his house and grabbed his shotgun from where it was propped against the door frame while the operator continued to blabber on about being the one who got to direct the Betty to it's dock. The most legendary ship in the galaxy has docked here, damn right I'm going to guard it. Trent locked his door and headed out for dock A623, minigun in hand and shotgun across his back.


The operator, seeing Trent's disinterest in his "monumental" help in docking the Betty, scurried off to find someone else to tell his story too.

 

[KneelingAngel]

Camo hung half out of the ship when she was fixing the engine of a small ship/boat. The only thing you could see was her lower half flaring from time to time and you could hear frustrated groans coming from beyond the metal plates.


"Ha ha!" Camo beamed and hit her hammer against a bolt. She crawled out of the whole she had created and closed the gap again, smearing some oil on her cheek when she wanted to wipe away the sweat. "There." She sighed. "All good to go."


"Thanks, Bolts." An old man said and smiled. "You are an angel."


"I do what I have to." She smiled back. The old man payed Camo the promised amount of money and left. Camo counted the coins the the small pouch and stuffed it into her pocked before she started to gather her tools. She stuffed her wrench, hammer and bolts into the half stuffed toolbox and walked off to her next appointment. She was about to head from the docks when she almost bumped into some. "Sorry." She mumbled and hurried towards Haley's Hangout, dragging the heavy toolbox with her. Somehow the bar kept breaking things and it was always up to her to fix the things... It was her own fault for being cheap, but at least it helped with the bills at home.


(Had some time before the flight. I hope that there aren't too many mistakes, I write this on my phone. Please have mercy! X3)

 

[shadowdude505]

In the shopping district of Station 12, Tora stood in line at the local Chinese restaurant. She wore a trench coat and a cowboy hat to hide her features. So far she hadn't seen any wanted posters with her face on it, but she didn't want to take any chances. She walked up to the counter after the patron in front of her went to a table. She looked at the menu and started to read it before her mind went somewhere else; back to the time when she was a kid helping her parents run a similar shop.


"Can I help you?" the cashier asked, breaking Tora's flashback. "Give me the chicken lo meng," she replied. Before the cashier could tell her how much she owed, Tora placed a twenty on the counter. "Keep the change." She moseyed over to a corner booth in the smoking area and lit a cigarette. She found it strange that she couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling in her gut she felt since she arrived to the station. She reasoned that Station 12 reminded her of her home on Station 13. She kept a weary eye on the door just in case her luck turned sour.

 

[Circus]

The glass slammed against the aged, warped wood of the bar and rang with a hollow thud. “Another whiskey, you ugly goat herder,” Otter said, gesturing a crude finger toward the man behind the bar.


“I’m cutting you off. You’ve had enough for a week let alone one day, Otter,” the barman said in reply.


“I’m pretty sure my limit is when your ugly mug starts to look pretty. Currently, you look like the bottom of my shoe. Now, fill up my glass.” The barman, large and imposing, took two long strides toward the edge of the bar where Otter was sitting and snatched his glass, throwing it across the room. It shattered against the wall without effort. “Well, that’s no way to treat a paying customer,” he said with a scoff.


“You haven’t paid me in weeks and you owe me for that glass. Frankly, I’m sick of your face. Get the hell out of my bar, you washed up pilot!” The barman pointed the door.


“I washed five days ago, thank you very much.” The giant behind the bar stared at the drunken pilot, unwavering. Otter put his hands in the air in submission and stood. The barman rolled his eyes and turned, helping another customer on the other side of the bar.


“Who’s that guy?” asked the patron.


The barman blew air through his nose. “That’s Oswin McLoud: has-been pilot. He’s been getting blackout here every night for months. Tells a good story now and then, been the only reason I haven’t killed ‘em yet.”


“Well he’s stealing some booze right now,” the patron pointed in Otter’s direction, an amber liquid flowing from bottle to mouth, drizzling streams down his chin and chest.


The enraged barman made a move for an object below the bar. Otter’s eyes grew wide as the double-barreled shotgun glared at him. He ducked and lunged for the door, the bottle of whiskey still in hand. A boom shook the bar and a gruesome hole appeared in the wall behind where Otter once sat. “Ugly and an awful shot,” Otter yelled, leaping through the door and exiting Halley’s Hangout.


“You’re dead, McLoud! Don’t ever let me see your face here again,” the barman shook the shotgun over his head, fuming. Otter poked his head through the door, gave a quick finger and ran, alcohol running from his mouth. The sound of the angry barman raised the corners of Otter’s mouth in a wide grin.

 

[Cokes]

Hao sighed, watching Otter get chased out of the bar, again. The sigh was quickly followed by a drag from a handrollled cigarette. "Dumbass."


Halley's was never his favorite dive, a little touristy for his taste, and he never could get over the name. But it was largely devoid of anyone who might recognize him from his youth on the station, and tourists were usually easy marks for his various business ventures. Plus, some of those off-station girls, damn.


And then someone who was definitely not a regular or a tourist stepped through the threshold. Hao's cig fell out of his mouth. You miserable sack of- and then his lit cigarette landed in his lap.


A bit of cursing and flailing later and Hao was on his feet. With a flick, he tossed his jacket's hood over his head and headed for the door. As he passed Aaron, he paused and mumbled, "Hey man, could you spare so-" before delivering a swift punch to his jaw.

 

[WrittenHollowness]

Harmony barely slid past the door when he and saw heard skin comnect with skin. The aftermath of such an act was almost instantaneous: bar brawl. Men and women alike threw themselves into hitting each other, for reasons that Harmony couldn't comprehend. As drinks and chairs sailed through the air he stood and watched while chewing down a piece of jerky.


He walked over to the bar, ducking under bodies and objects to get there. Turning the bag over on the bar, he sat down and sorted through the food, determining which ones would keep him going longer before he had to risk his ass to get more. This colony was a dangerous place and theft was punishable by death.


Without warning a hand placed itself on his back. Harm froze, dropping a bag of granola he was snacking on.


"You're a sneaky one, ya vermin. Hidin' like a roach in the dark." He need not turn around to fugure out who it was. Plenty of bounty hunters had come up to him before and would probably continue for as long as he breathed free air. "Whatdya want?" Harm asked, mimicking a nearby fighter who had yelped out in pain. Maybe he could fool the men that he was another person.


"You know what we want, Li." The stranger's grip became harder, triggering a sense of alarm in the young man. "Now we can do this the easy way or--"


The sound of bone snapping echoed out as the man's head hit the bartop. "I prefer the hard way." Harm drawled, with an accent reflecting his home planet's vernacular flare. "Now, which one of you behemoths is next?" He asked, his body slipping into a deadly looking guard.

 

[Vudukudu]

Aaron was just about to enter when his head snapped towards a man who addressed him. He was processing the voice, trying to figure out where he remembered it from, when he was rather ungraciously punched in the jaw. He reeled from the blow, staggering a few steps backwards and holding his jaw in one hand. Fortunately for Aaron, while he was no skilled combatant, he was quite used to reacting defensively. His other hand flew to his hip in an instant, grasping the handle of the pistol stowed away there.


"I don't take too kindly to such antics, boy." He belted out, thumbing the hammer back on Dolly. It clanged loudly, breaking through even the clamor of the beginning brawl fight. Most people froze, turning towards the man who drew his gun instead of following the general guidelines of bar fighting. "I was only gone a couple years, and you bunch of sh** gobblers already gone barbaric. Shame on you." He said, chuckling just loud enough to be heard. His pistol was still directed at the man who had punched him, but by now he had come up with a possible, although unlikely guess as to his identity.


"And YOU." He continued, turning his gaze towards the attacker. "I've got a riddle for ye. Get it right, and nobody's gotta clean up blood. Get it wrong, and I have to reload. So lets get on with it, eh?" Aaron smirked, lightly tapping his finger on the trigger, just softly enough not to fire. "Here's the riddle, mate. How long is a Chinaman?" He asked, his eyes locked on the man before him.

 

[Cokes]

Hao tossed his head, throwing back his hood. "Yes, yes he is." He scowled at the gun barrel. "Now put Dolly away before I have to take her from you and pistol whip you again." Hao cracked his knuckles and gave his wrist a shake. "Where in frakkin' Boko did you go? Better have been worth it," the increasingly disgruntled man lit another cigarette, "Otter's been drunk for months and he ain't got the tolerance for that, the rest of the crew's run off or frakkin' died as far as I know."


The cigarette isn't lasting very long. "I've been lying low, tryin' to keep my hide from ending up on some ganger's wall, 'cause ya left me without the bank to get off of this screaming metal deathtrap. I've been selling drugs to frakkin' tourists! TOURISTS! Like this is some kinda frakkin' cruise ship stop! 'Oh, let's go visit the crime capital of the system! Visiting hives of scum and villainy is all the rage this season!'" He has begun to draw some attention to himself.


"But no, you're frakkin' Aaron de la Montes, king of the frakkin' system! You don't care, you've got your hunk of floating debris so you're happy!" The scene has alerted the barman. "Frak you! Frak the Betty! You're a worthless captain and you always will be! But let me tell you something else!" Hao's voice dropped to a whisper as he brought himself closer to Aaron's ear, "I run up a helluva bar tab lately, and if you're back I sure ain't payin' it. So, uh, onetwothree- RUN!"


With that, Hao took off into the crowded corridors of Station 12.

 

[KneelingAngel]

Camo walked into the bar and got half run over by someone.. "Hey! Watch it!" She snapped before she turned towards the bar and froze. "You've got to be shitting me." She whined and sighed, shaking her head. "I'll come back when this mess is cleaned up." Camo said to the bar tender and turned back on her heels. She might as well see if there was more work or if she should call it a day.

 

[Vudukudu]

With an overly ceremonious bow and a dramatic wave of Dolly, Aaron spun on his heel and broke into a dead sprint. If Hao said it was time to run, it was time to run, faster than you had ever thought possible. His suspicion was confirmed by a very, very loud "Frakk!" from the bartender, as well as a shotgun blast that ripped apart the floor right behind Aaron's heels.


Surprisingly, it wasn't hard to follow Hao through the first few corridors. With the way the Station was packed, running meant pushing through bystanders as quickly as you could. While he couldn't quite see Hao, he could see the path of disruption he had left behind and was no politer than his first mate had been in running through the crowd. Several people were thrown to the floor, swearing and shouting threats, but Aaron knew few of them were even capable of following up on their cries of anger.


Finally, he caught up to Hao just in time for him to decide it was about time to stop running. "You said somethin' bout bein' a king? I didn't think they could hold absentee elections like that. 'Specially for bein' king." He said, grinning. "Call me faithless, but I figured you'da been pulped by now. But you wouldn't be Hao frakkin' Long if you had been, so I guess I oughta give you more credit. Surprise besides, I'm home, Betty's home, and the list of places to never ever go is longer. You said Otter's still kickin? Good for him, but where's that little cockpit jockey hiding now?"

 

[Cokes]

"Messin' with ya old timer, it's called a feint, if ya still remember how those work. But the punch wasn't a feint, scheisser. The frakk did you go?" Hao took a drag from his nearly-extinguished cigarette. "Dà nǎo jìn shuǐ, it doesn't matter." He checked his bearings. "I wanna say Otter's on hab block B? Maybe C. Frakk, he's on the station and he's a loud drunk, you'll find him."


Hao waved and turned to leave, then paused. "That mech-head chick, uh, Camo or somethin', she's around Halley's a lot, she might know where he lives." He resumed his departure.


"I'll find ya after I clean up a bit, not like the great Aaron de la Montes could hide on this station anyway." The weary, if excited, criminal disappeared into the crowd.

 

[Circus]

Another gun blast came from Halley’s. Otter weaved and wobbled his way through the crowd in the opposite direction. His time at that bar was done. “Glad we got out of there, love,” he said to his bottle. He gave it a gentle kiss and took another swig. His course was aimless –there was no place on Station 12 that he called home. Sure there was the place he slept when he had finished drinking or gambling, but his true home, he knew, was behind the controls of the Blue Betty.


His mind wandered akin to his feet. Gods, that ship was beautiful. That ocean blue hull and those great grey eyes – oh, my gorgeous Blue Beauty, I wish I could see you again. Lay my hand on those controls and take you out into the void. Otter’s surroundings moved in a blur, or maybe that was just his vision. His feet had dragged him to the docks. Some ships were carrying illicit goods, he knew. Others looked so battered he wondered how they would ever sail again. Some looked even vaguely familiar. Yes, the Blue Betty was a blue much like this one, it even had a similar hull. Even the greys were the same. Gods, they even had the same name.


It struck him. Otter looked at the bottle in his hand in disbelief. “What the frakk is this? I think I’ve been drinking too much.” He gazed long and hard at the ship. “This can’t be here. This can’t be her.” The drunken man fell to his knees. “I’ve been dreaming of you, love. Well, when I do dream. There have been other ships but they meant nothing, you have to understand.” He inched closer to the Betty, hands held up in prayer. “I can’t believe you’re back. I can’t believe you’re back!” From the appropriate angle, a tear could be seen welling up in the man’s eye. He let out an outrageous cackle of a laugh.


Then it struck him again. “If you’re here then that must mean Cap’n is back.” He stood and cracked the end of the bottle, jagged edges extending from his hand. “I’ll kill him, I’ll frakking kill him! Cap’n! Cap’n!” he yelled. “Show that ugly, bearded face of yours!” Otter swung the bottle ferociously, aiming at an invisible figure he created in his mind, a shadow to everyone else.

 

[shadowdude505]

A waitress walked up to Tora's table with her order. She thanked the waitress in Chinese, "Xièxiè." Tora grabbed the paper fork and started to dig in. She didn't get very far into the meal when a couple of cops showed up. Just my luck... Tora thought. She figured they were on their lunch brake, but if she made one wrong move that would change.


Acting like she was full, Tora pushed the food aside and started to walk toward the door. Her trench coat got caught on another customer's booth and fell of. Now everyone could see the unique tattoo on her right shoulder. "It's the Tigress, Tora Khan!" one of the boys in blue exclaimed as he drew his weapon. Tora bolted out the door before the man could say freeze.


Tora threw off her cowboy hat to make herself more aerial dynamic before charging through the crown wandering the shopping district. She ran toward the docking bay as the PoPo thundered behind. Once she reached the space shuttles she quickly hid behind one. Once the police passed her she came out from her hiding spot and stated to run the other way. She looked over her shoulder and smiled. Things seemed to be looking up for her, that is until she ran into a man armed with a shotgun in front of a blue ship she hadn't seen before. With a thud she hit Trent and a second later felt the floor. She swore in Chinese under her breath, "Wèile." (d**it.)

 

[Th3Tru3Cr33p3r]

Trent hardly budged when someone ran into him from the side. Looking to where Tora was sprawled on the ground he recognized the tattoo on the criminal immediately. He lowered his shotgun and extended a hand to help her up. He gestured to the end of the Betty's dock.


"Wait back there, the cops won't try to get you through me. They never helped me when I needed it, so I make a habit of making their job harder." The meager police force on station 12 had long since learned that Trent wasn't to be trifled with. If he was guarding it, the cops would just have to wait.


Having said more than usual for him, he turned back to the crowd that was gathering around the entrance to the Betty's dock due to it's reputation. Trent racked his shotgun slide as the crowd continually drew nearer to the famous ship. He didn't have to speak here to get his message across, it was common knowledge that messing with what Trent was guarding usually caused lives to be ended abruptly and the crowd backed up several paces.

 

[KneelingAngel]

Camo walked towards the docks and took a seat on a bench, just enjoying the sight of the ships at station 12. She grabbed something to eat from her toolbox and took a bite. She placed the sandwich down on her lap and pulled a pouch from her pocket.


Came took another bit and counted the coins, but clicked her tongue after a couple of seconds of counting. "Good job, Bolts." She mumbled to herself with her mouth full and a annoyed frown on her face. "This isn't even half of what I earned last month." Taking one last bite and sighing, Camo got up from her spot and headed towards the ships. She would need extra work if she wanted to make enough money for the bills back home.

 

[Vudukudu]

Assuming Hao would follow after him, Aaron set off further down the corridors of Station 12. Taking a few back alleys he hadn't quite forgotten yet, he made it back to the hangar and his vessel in short time. The sight he was greeted by was nothing he could ever be excited about. This was particularly surprising, as there were several things he saw and the odds generally lean towards at least one good thing.


No, no. Aaron was greeted by all kinds of things he wasn't particularly comfortable with. Chief among them were the few blue uniforms (presumably Station 12's entire force of six, last time he checked) were headed towards his vessel. Second was the burly, armored, and entirely unfamiliar man holding a shotgun, standing right next to his ship. Third, and finally, was the one thing that was at least comedic in it's awfulness. There, in all his raging alcoholic glory, was the man called Otter, still swinging a bottle to and fro as if battling some imagined foe.


One problem at a time, 'Arry. Break it down, one by one. Ain't worse than anything you've seen before.


He sighed, took a deep breath, then stormed into the room, playing the belligerent and offended captain. "I have all my documentation! Triple checked, with an order from the Korusian governor himself! You goons have no right to board my ship, let alone enter the hangar! See yourselves out, NOW." He bellowed, garnering the attention of the uniformed men. They stammered excuses, mentioning a thief hiding out aboard his vessel, which only added to the list of things for him to be upset about.

 

[shadowdude505]

Tora's eyes widened with surprise when she realized that the man with the shotgun was helping her up. She was about to ask him why he was helping her, but quickly ran to the back of the Blue Betty and hid when she heard the footsteps of the Station 12 police force. She peaked around the corner to watch what would happen.


She saw the man wave his shotgun around. Was he really going to fire it at civilians? Next she heard and saw and angry man bellow at the cops. By what he was saying, she guessed he was the captain. She quickly ducked back into her hiding place when she overhead the cops mention a thief. Will my luck ever stay constant? Just one day, Yītiān, is all I ask..." she complained to no one.

 

[Th3Tru3Cr33p3r]

Upon seeing the captain return to A623 and hurriedly attempt to reason with the police, Trent fired his shotgun directed at the floor. He always loaded a blank first, as a warning shot. All conversation stopped as everyone stared at him. Without needing to raise his voice he said,


"Seeing as the captain is back, everyone leave this hanger, now. Police included."


Not wanting to anger the Enforcer holding his shotgun, the police and the crowd of people wanting to see the Betty immediately scurried out of the hanger. After everyone had left, Trent turned to Aaron.


"I am the Enforcer. It is my job to guard the few ships that visit this station. Until such time that you leave, I will protect your ship."

 

[WrittenHollowness]

Harm walked away from the small pile of bodies he'd mamaged to accumulate. So he made them bleed? At least they weren't dead, which was for spreading fear than mercy. After all, live man would be more likely to embellish a story than a dead one.


As he headed for the exit with his food cache in hand, he sighed in what could come close to relief. "That was easy..." he thought aloud, opening the metal excuse of a door.


"Too easy." He deduced, letting the door close to reveal a large thug behind it. They stared at each other for what seemed like a millenia before Harm opened his trap. "I'm just gonna...BYE!" He yelled, throwing the bag at the man.


He ran, with the large lump of muscle trailing close behind. Pushing over anyone in his way, he tried to play the innocent scoundrel with his looks toward people. But, in all actuality he was physically exhausted from both the fight and lack of sustenance. People yelped as he stomped on toes and toppled others to get out of sight.


He had reached the hangar, spotting no one but two strangers near a bullet-worn ship. 'A ship!' Harm thought, changing for their direction. He had out paced the brute, but was still being chased. "Help!" He called out to the man and woman. "Please! This man is trying to kill me! Please!"

 

[Th3Tru3Cr33p3r]

Before he could hear Aaron's reply, Trent turned to the sound of the new voice and saw a young man sprinting for his life with a hulk of a man chasing him. Trent leveled the shotgun in their direction and calmly fired a slug round that passed above the both of them and impacted the wall of the hanger behind them.


The thug stopped, startled by the shotgun blast. He quickly turned and ran when he recognized the Enforcer. Trent racked the shotgun slide again and then turned to the man he had just saved.


"Why was he after you?"

 

[Vudukudu]

"Oi! What the hell are you doin', blasting away near my ship? I'll have your dumm ratte head on a pike if I get impounded over this!" Aaron said, swiftly approaching the shotgun wielding maniac in front of his ship. "I've had enough ruckus for one damn day, so I suggest you tell me anything else there is to know before I eject your muscle-bound arse out of my airlock. Talk quick." He continued, waving one hand to speed the man on.


He was in no mood for this. The day had been exciting enough already, and he still had to deal with Otter's drunken belligerence. Perhaps the man would come to him, rather than make Aaron approach him. Maybe the situation would be more controlled that way. On the other hand, it might be worse. Only time would tell.