GreenDragonPage
      
   SPEEDY's INTERSTELLAR POSTAL SERVICE!    

Are you tired of living an ordinary life on an ordinary planet? Do you dream of traveling the stars and seeing sights that most people can only imagine? Do you crave adventure and excitement? Then join Speedy's Interstellar Postal Service, the most trusted name in package and message delivery across the sector!

As a member of our team, you'll travel to exotic worlds, meet fascinating alien species, and experience the thrill of faster-than-light travel. You'll be part of a close-knit community of pilots, navigators, and support staff who work together to make sure that every package and message is delivered safely and on time. And best of all, you'll be well-compensated for your hard work, with generous benefits and opportunities for advancement.

But let's be honest: life in space isn't all sunshine and rainbows. There are dangers out there that we can't control, like navigational errors that can leave you stranded in the void, pirate attacks that can threaten your cargo and your life, and hostile empires that will stop at nothing to protect their interests. But don't worry - our experienced crew will train you to handle any situation that comes your way, and we have the latest technology to keep you safe and secure.

So what do you say? Are you ready to take the leap into the unknown and join the ranks of Speedy's Interstellar Postal Service? Apply today and start living the life of a true space adventurer! 
 
  
 

The world of Olaf Oshima's largest city is Anbura. It rests within a massive, primordial crater that has been domed over to protect its inhabitants from the environmental dangers that befoul the planet. A ring of industrial hubs were founded out in the wilderness surrounding the capital city. The largest of these hubs is the city of Haruka. The city was founded in a twenty-kilometer-long river canyon that winds its way through the rugged western badlands. The canyon's width narrows to just fifty meters at some points and one hundred meters at the widest. Much like the crater in which Anbura was founded, the natural walls of the canyon proved to be an affordable means of enclosing the city. The dome allows for temperature regulation, air filtration, and protection from both severe weather conditions and the general inhospitable nature of Olaf Oshima.

The Neko River, a vital artery that runs through the city, serving as the main road and transportation highway for goods and people alike. It is often congested with a wide array of ships and boats of all different shapes and sizes, ranging from cargo vessels to sleek personal boats to flat bottomed public transportation boats. The river's waters are murky, and the riverbanks are often lined with warehouses and factories, producing a constant hum of activity. High above, along the dome, rests the desiccated remains of a monorail the government was building to help alleviate traffic. Its inaugural voyage proved deadly, as the monorail cars slipped their tracks and fell to the earth below, killing fifty. Since then, no effort has been made to find alternative mode of transportation within the city. For better or worse, everyone and everything floats on the Neko River.

Despite having a functional air filtration system, the city's rapid industrial growth has outpaced its ability to keep the air clean, resulting in a thick smell of chemicals and smoke that permeates the air. The city's residents have become accustomed to the smell, with many wearing masks to filter the air when outdoors. Despite the pollution, the city is a hub of activity, with workers bustling about in their protective gear, moving goods and materials throughout the city's extensive network of factories and warehouses. Tourists and visitors are advised to wear protective re-breathers but many also wear goggles (just to be safe).

Speedy's Interstellar Postal Service is located along one of the busiest sections of the Neko River in a basic and unassuming building that almost blends in with the surrounding structures. Upon arriving at the location as instructed by the recruiter, a VI hologram of a woman named Hikaru appears in front of you. She greets you warmly in Japanese and Mandate, asking how she can assist you. You inform her of your recent employment, and she directs you to a door on your left, indicating that the manager is expecting you.

Stepping through the door, you find yourself in a conference room with a long black oval table in the center and several black, wheeled office chairs positioned around it. The manager, a white-skinned man with bright blue eyes and spiked golden hair, sits at the end of the table. He wears a trendy, form-fitting business suit that seems to be one size too small for his frame, likely intended to emphasize his well-built musculature.


  "Like, hello and greetings fellow employees."   The man's tone is surprisingly laid back and casual.

  "Like I am Chad Wheeler, and I am the manager of Haruka's branch of Speedy's Postal whatever. Like - JUST -  promoted too. Like, I was as surprised they gave me the job. Happy they did, it came with a decidedly big pay raise. Anyway, fellow employees, I am your manager. You can call me Chad, or Akuma Ha, if you want. That's what my atmo-diving buddies call me.

Anyway, was going to send you on a totally basic delivery to Takahashi but, like, we just got a priority order sent to us. We need you to deliver this,"   

Chad pauses for a moment as he picks up a very heavy steel crate from the ground. The manager drops it onto the table with a thunderous thud. The table groans under the weight.

  "This package to a space station in the Lookout Mountain system. Apparently, this is going to a guy named Werner von Franzburg. He's some dude from Wiener Carneval that was, like imprisoned, or something. Anyway, this package has some stuff he requested like antique books and other heavy things. Anyway, you need to head to the system, dock with the Dämonenkäfig station and hand deliver this package to Mr. Franzburg..? Mr. von Franzburg...? Does the von get used when you say Mr...? I never remember

Anyway, both that guy and the Warden will need to sign the documents stating you delivered this crate. After that, you will have some downtime. The System Postal Master there will likely have some jobs to offer you or you can come back here. I have some other fun deliveries for you guys.

Do how you do, I'm not your boss..."   

Chad immediately catches himself, then laughs,   "Well actually, I am your boss... Well, kinda. I am your go to dude for jobs. That's kinda like a boss. I guess.  
  "Oh!"    exclaims the manager, as if remembering something important,   "We at Speedy's operate under a 5-tier priority system. Priority 5 is "drop everything and deliver this ASAP," while Priority 1 is "whenever we can best manage it." Priority 5 deliveries take precedence over all other deliveries. The System Postmaster General, upon receiving a Priority 5 delivery request, will order one of the teams in the system to pick the package up and deliver it ASAP."

"Most deliveries are Priority 1 or 2. There is usually a big list, teams can select the deliveries they want to make. The more jobs you do, the more money you make, or whatever."  

Chad thumbs through his notes several times before asking   "It looks like you took out a loan for the Wuwei-class ship? Good call my guys. Those ships are fast and reliable. My atmo-diving buddies and I once jumped out the back of a Wuwei when we were parachuting onto the moon. It was rad!"   The manager then mimes how he pulled the ripcord cord and floated down to the lunar surface.   "You guys should try it sometime. No bigger rush than atmo-diving."  
  "Anyway, I am, like, here to answer any questions you may have before you jet off to your first delivery, or whatever."  
 
 Spoiler: Connected Threads 
  Connected Threads  :
-  Recruitment  
-----  Thread 1  
-  OOC  
----  Thread 1  
-  IC 
----  Thread 1 
 
MutantDragon
John, dressed in a black leather jacket and long grey cargo pants, with a laser pistol holstered low on his right hip and a monoblade knife sheathed at the left hip, steps forward, runs a hand through his short black hair and speaks up, saying, “  Well, I guess I’ll ask the obvious question first. How much will this job be paying? ”
GreenDragonPage
Chad thumbs through his notes,   "Hmmm... It looks like the payment is ₡10,000. ₡2,500 up front, ₡7,500 upon completion. That's not bad, especially for such an easy delivery. OH!   exlaims the manager,   "Also, a three night stay at the famous Eckharts Landung Hotel in Ewaldstadt... Which looks like... Some kind of tropical resort on Wiener Carneval."  
Janwin
Tadeshi listens silently as their boss delivers his speech and the job, and nods once at the instruction to deliver the box to Mr. von Franzburg.

 "Hai, Akuma-sama.  What priority rating is this job, and is there a date or time at which this package must be delivered by at the latest?" 
CardTrick
Elliot trails into the room a bit behind both John and Tadeshi, dressed in fairly drab street garb mostly covered by a common set of workers' overalls slightly, notably huffing in his breathes and with eyes still a bit red and watery from exposure to the areas outside the business. He'd managed to reign the actual coughing fits before being directed by the hologram lady, but nonetheless, he wasn't much of a fan of the native environment of his new employers office.

Glancing at the singular box the group was apparently delivering to a prison, Elliot adds to the other's queries,   "Umm.. where are those papers that were supposed to need signing? They in the box?" 
Gyrfalcon
Todd is fourth into the room, dressed in a spacer's jumpsuit with the zipper unzipped to his stomach, a black undersuit visible underneath. he has a toolbelt around his waist with a variety of tools hanging from it, a pistol mixed in among them.

He has short dark hair buzzed to a fuzz on his scalp and his features are one of those generic mixes found across the sector. The one standout to a surfacer would be his extremely pale skin - a sure sign of a spacer who hasn't spent much time planetside with a star bathing him in radiation.

 "I agree, how priority is priority here? Ideally I'd like to take as many deliveries as possible that are going to Lookout Mountain - we have enough space in a Wuwei that it'd be insane to fly it nearly empty there." 
Sleepy Shade
Stanley looked over his new boss and felt like Chad was slightly buzzed off whatever the recreational drug of the planet was. He had expected to be stationed at some sort of space station or something not a polluted hot box. He adjusted his rebreather and looked down at his clothes:street sneakers, khaki pants and a navy blue button up shirt and felt a little over dressed compared to the others.
When the topic of Dämonenkäfig comes up he asks  " Wait imprisoned I thought Dämonenkäfig was some sort of military research base." 
 
 Spoiler: Stanley description  

Stanley is a human male with pale white skin with black hair, green eyes and no beard. He is slim and does not have much muscle but is is handsome. He is wearing brown khaki pants,Navey blue button up shirt, and street sneakers.
 
GreenDragonPage
Chad responds to Tadeshi,   "Hmmm, looks like the mission is a priority 4. Not because it is time sensitive or anything. The dude just paid a lot of money for a fast delivery."  

The manager fumbles through some papers before finding the documents.   "Righteous!"   Flashing a wink and a smile, he jokes to Elliot,   "Here you go. Good call. Hate for you to have to come all the way back here for those!"  
  "Hmm, the job list says there are 4 other deliveries for the Lookout Mountain System,"   reports Chad to Todd. "  Most are just bulk orders of industrial parts. Looks like 100 tons or so in total. ₡250 each. I was just going to stuff them on a bulk freighter but if you want to deliver them, feel free. Looks like they are all going to Jäschke, one of Carneval's big industrial hubs. Like here but not domed and sprawled out across a whole valley."   
  "Na, Dämonenkäfig is where they keep the high value prisoners. Wonder what this guy did to earn a spot up there..."   Chad ponders the question for a bit then continues,   "Anyway. I think you are thinking of Weltraumsäbel, which is where all the military companies go to do their probably-not-illegal researching. I had a friend of a friend of a friend of a cousin go there and never - ever - returned. Not from, like, delivering stuff. He was an activist protester. Maybe he is in the prison too? Hey! Not for nothing but if you are at Dämonenkäfig and you get to look around, maybe see if Yamamura Kano is held there? I bet he isn't. Military Industrial types like quick murder rather than incarceration..." He trails off for a second then quickly adds, "That's not part of the job or Speedy's official policy or whatever. Don't do stupid stuff - which is my motto! Also, my other one is, never jump out of a ship in orbit without gear. That's not really a motto as much as sound life advice, really."
  
MutantDragon
John arches an eyebrow and says deadpan, " Really? And here I was looking forward to going through re-entry without any means of surviving it. "
CardTrick
Off the bosses' responses and Johns comment, Elliot awkwardly adds,  "Umm... I'm sorry to bother again... but we're like already uh... what's it called... umm... in the system, I guess. Like, even though we're all new, when those jail folks go checkin' to see if we is who we says and works for who we claim... it won't come up blank on Speedy's end, right?" 
GreenDragonPage
As if reciting something from a manual, Chad responds,   "Speedy's Interstellar Postal Service recognizes it takes a certain kind of person to brave the vast, unknown void to deliver packages safely and securely. Speedy's IPS vouches for all of its delivery personnel. So long as you do not commit any illegal activities while on duty, you will not experience any issues with the authorities."   The manager smiles then chuckles,   "Don't rock the boat and the boat won't rock you."  
Sleepy Shade
Stanley realizes his mistake when Chad mentions the other space station.   "My mistake I got those two mixed up. Weird that their paying with a vacation voucher as well. One last question from me have you received any notifications of outgoing mail from the space station?"  

ooc:   changed speech to Bold Dark Slate Gray  
CardTrick
Elliot momentarily looks equal parts concerned and vexed at the boss' nonanswer of his query, but quickly attempts to shrug it off,  "Yeah, of course I figured they'd vouch for us... its just... oh, nevermind I guess. I'm sure it'll be fine."  
GreenDragonPage
Chad looks over the notes,   "No requests that I have listed but that is not unusual. The System Postmaster General will know about local mail in their system."

"Are there any other questions? If not, I will hand you your fuel voucher - good for one free fill up at Speedy's Fuel Station and bid you さようならと安全な旅   [Goodbye &amp; safe journey].

Chad then nods to all of you and adds, "  Feel free to use the conference room to plan your voyage. The next group won't be heading in until, like, 15:30. So take your time my guys."   
Gyrfalcon
Before Chad takes off, Todd makes sure to wrangle the paperwork for the bulk cargo for Jäschke. The spacer goes over the paperwork with practiced efficiency before nodding.

 "Okay, this all looks to be in order at least. We've got around 60 tons of cargo space left over - we can check if there is any open market contracts heading Wiener Carnaval that fall within the space we have left.

We'll want to make sure that our supplies are topped off, but I'm confident I can cut the transit times, maybe start making a name for ourselves for quick deliveries.

Speaking of supplies, do any of you need to buy anything against our advance?" 
MutantDragon
John pauses to think for a moment before shaking his head and saying, “ Considering how much debt the lot of us are in just for the ship, I’d advise we don’t go crazy on spending what cash we get our hands on. Still, it’s not like it’s all mine. You guys are certainly free to spend your shares as you please, so long as it ain’t biting me in the butt. ”
Janwin
Tadeshi also shakes his head.   "As long as there's food on the ship, I have nothing else I need." 

He glimpses at Todd's papers and asks,  "Is there a ground crew that will be loading our ship, or do we need to attend to that ourselves now?" 
Sleepy Shade
Stanley sighs   "Work, work, work. We'll let's get to it a resort stay sound pretty good. But I'm gonna get something incase stuff goes wrong."   Isaac if no one goes with him looks for a gun shop and gets a revolver nothing fancy just a simple gun in case he needs to defend himself.
MutantDragon
After a moment of internally struggle, John sighs and offers to go with Stanley, reasoning that he, presenting himself as both defenseless and affluent, might well get mugged the second he's alone. Besides, if he's going shopping for a weapon, John wants to make sure that it's nothing fancy, but something that will actually  work  if he needs to defend himself.
CardTrick
Elliot nods at his new crewmates statements of intention, then with notably more difficulty than their extreme sports enthuistist, body builder boss, tugs on the heavy steel box on the table with a grunt and abrupt underbreathed splurt of mild Greek obsenities,  "Umm, already got my travelin' sorted, so I'll just try and drag this honking thing over to the ship. Might probably need a little help actually... thing weighs more than I do. While I'm waiting on y'all, I can put the word out at the dock that we got a seat open if someone's looking for a fare. Course, leave the actual hagglin' and vettin' til they speak with y'all."   
GreenDragonPage
The crew stepped out of the office and onto the bustling streets of Haruka, the air thick with the sound of business types talking loudly on their communication devices and industrial workers hurrying to their destinations. Stanley and John weaved through the crowds towards the Neko River, where they boarded a ferry bound for the Grand Forum.

As the crew entered the Grand Forum, they find it to be circular in shape, lined by a two-story tall arcade. Between each arch of the arcade is located a small shop. Statues of local heroes and spaceships dot the open space, while merchants set up tables hawking everything from finery to used electronics to rare collectibles. In the center of the forum stood a towering eight-meter column dedicated to the great explorer, Olaf Oshima.


After inquiring with a few locals, Stanley and John find their destination: Matthiesen Defense &amp; Offense Emporium, located on the second floor of the arcade. The shop featured two display cases filled with an array of weapons, and behind the counter stands a bleach blonde-haired woman with dark brown eyes.   "Welcome to Matthiesen Defense &amp; Offense Emporium,"   she greeted them warmly.   "What brings you to my little shop?"  

~~~~~~

Elliot spread the word that there was a spare spot on the ship for a passenger. After an hour of waiting, he received a message requesting an in-person meeting at a local restaurant called the Charming Garden. The place was a converted soup-of-the-day diner that now served cheap alcohol alongside its soup. The joint was packed with rough-looking spacers and industrial workers, with dartboards and holographic video games lining the walls.


As Elliot entered the establishment, the barkeep, a potbellied man with a scarred face and a cheap cybernetic implant for an eye, yelled out his order.   "One beer coming up. You want some Sanpeijiru?"  


A willowy old man wearing a brown robe waved Elliot over to a booth in the back corner. The man had his hood up, concealing his face.   "My name is Publius,"   he whispered.   "I am seeking passage to Wiener Carneval for myself and a piece of fragile cargo. The cargo is a 2 meter long, 1 meter wide, and .5 meter tall box."  
  
  ~~~~~~
 
After Tadeshi exists the office, he receives a message from someone named "Akuma Ha" which states,    "Hey, don't think I missed you using my nickname in the meeting. To me, that says you are interested in Atmo-Diving. Next time you are in system, hit me up. My boys and I can hook you up with some gear. We'll head up to Olaf's Folly and ride some gnarly dives."  
CardTrick
Elliot feels a little bit weird as he sits down the cyber-eyed man. Whilst doing random grunt work on Jersey, he'd seen and overhead a few of these kind of shady, cloak and dagger type meetups. And this one was literally in the shadows of a tavern and the guy here was actually even wearing a hooded cloak. Restraining himself from inappropriately smirking at the novelty, the young Jersian matches the man's whispers,  "Yeah... um... we got room for that too, sure. Don' right care what it is, and if its fragile, you can anchor it down in the cargo bay and personally sit with it the whole way iffin' thats what you want. Again, don' right care. But you should know our first stop in system is Dämonenkäfig. Security folk there might snoop about, ya never know, so if ya got somethin ya shouldn't, that'll be between you and their warden. Just bein' straight wit ya."  

Elliot pauses a second to see if mere mention of the prison stop is enough to scare off the man, before continuing, still in a hushed tone for Publius' benefit,  "As for the passage itself, our pilot was just braggin' about the trip only takin' a few days. So, pretty swift. The ship ain't fallin' part, we're armed well enough to fend off pirates or whatnot gettin' to you or yer cargo, and we have myself if ya have any medical type emergencies... Sophia forbid. So, pretty safe. We ain't however set up  a proper mess, so 'fraid you'll be needin' to bring and make yer own grub and drinks. If all that sounds bout right to you, what are you wantin' to pay? Mind ya, whatever yer quotn' me is just fer me decidin' whether to direct ya to the ship. Our pilot and umm... well... I guess quartermaster is the word... they'll be the ones makin' the final yay or nay about it."
 
GreenDragonPage
The cloaked man nods at Eliot's statements,   "Your ship is fast and its navigator will versed in their craft. That is good. I do not mind being waylaid by another stop in the Lookout Mountain system. My only desire is to avoid..."   He leans in and whispers,   "Dominion entanglements."   He leans back and takes a sip of his beer. Then adds,   "I will pay extra to avoid such... Snarls."   
CardTrick
Elliot shrugs,  "We ain't affliated with nor got no contracts or personal ties with the Dominion... least not as far as I'm aware. I'm a Jerseian myself. So, I don't figure any of the crew should have a problem. We're just a Free Merchant making some deliveries that happens to have an empty seat available." 
Gyrfalcon
Todd makes his way to their new ship to supervise the cargo loading, make sure all the necessary paperwork is in order and then, finally... indulge in going over the ship with a fine tooth comb. The man may be a competent administrator and a passable pilot, but working on spacecraft is obviously a passion for him, and Todd hums to himself as he familiarizes himself with their new spacecraft. One of the first things they'll need to do when everyone is aboard is pick a name for their free trader.
GreenDragonPage
Todd boards a tram that leads out of the city proper and over to the nearby space port. The port is decently-sized, completely paved with concrete. Lots of cranes and auto-loaders can be seen moving massive crates onto and off ships of all various shapes &amp; sizes. Your ship is located at the far end of the port, in Speedy's Interstellar Postal Service's new hangar. Inside the hangar, there are four ships, two Arrow-class free merchant, your Wuwei, another Wuwei free merchant (that has been painted bright red), and a souped up Siren-class shuttle painted dark forest green with gold highlights.

Docking crews arrive right around when Todd does, which are then directed to load and batten down the cargo for a long haul flight.

The Captain of the Siren-class shuttle saunters over as the the loading on your wuwei is wrapping up. He is a tall man, standing almost two meters in height. He has dark umber-colored skin, with shaved hair and hazel eyes. His most notable feature is a dyed-blonde soul patch under his lip.

  "Howdy, partner. The name's Sampson Cooper. I come from   Arkansas   originally, out in the   Middle Sister system  ,"   he pauses for dramatic effect. Given how far away Arkansas is from Olaf Oshima, it is an impressive journey all on its own.

Cooper looks Todd directly in the eyes and states in a haughty tone,   "Wound up taking a job with Speedy's back when the company was just moving out of the cluster. I eventually became the company's ace pilot."  

Sampson breaks eye contact and looks over at your ship,   "Just made a run all the way to the     Vinegar Hill     system a few months ago. Helped set up a new office on     Sofiya  .   I heard you and your crew just bought this Wuwei. She's a fine ship. Not many upgrades yet but I am sure you will, eventually, be able to afford some."
  
He looks over at his Siren-class shuttle,   "Little Rock over there has a Spike Drive-3 engine. Lets me move pretty much anywhere I want, in a blink of an eye. Upgraded offensive &amp; defensive weapons as well. Beat back a few pirate ships recently."  

He looks Todd in the eye again and his tone becomes deathly serious - almost threatening even,   "My crew &amp; I, we like all you newcomers coming into the company. It's good for business; but just remember, Little Rock is Number 1. Always has been, always will be."
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~

A sense of relief washes over the cloaked figure's face as  Elliot explains there will not be any dealings with the Dominion.    "Good, good."   
 Then, as if suddenly realizing what  Elliot said earlier, he asks,    "Wait, did you say Dämonenkäfig? As in the maximum security prison? Who... Gets packages personally delivered to them when in jail...?"  

Realizing he should not ask such things, Publius waves the question off,   "But that is their and your business, not my own. I am merely looking to get to Carneval."  

Transitioning the conversation back to the business at hand,   "How much are you charging for the trip?"  
CardTrick
Elliot shakes his head with a half smile at Publius retracted inquiries about the prison delivery,  "Yeah, 'fraid where we goin' is all can be said. Ain't right to yap bout customer's whos, whats, and whys. Top privacy is top policy and all that."  

However, Elliot is immediately a bit ruffled when the man opts to not just put out his offer. Between Chad earlier and this guy, didn't seem like the denizens of this world were super keen on just answering simple questions directly. Stifling a sigh, he again shrugs,  "Honest and true, I was gonna bring somone quoting at least a half fare, bout 250 credits, back to the ship. Just for a quick, last minute butt in seat." , before cocking an eyebrow and furrowing his brow a bit,  "But, no offense, ya kind of come off a bit risky-shady, what wit all the whispers and the voidin' Dominion talk. And ya want some bout person-sized cargo moved too. So..."  

Involuntarily tapping the table for a moment, Elliot eventually continues,  "So, umm... like I said, I'm not really the final say... but I figure the crew'll be fine wit 500 for you and 500 for yer cargo, assuming it ain't super heavy for its size."  and then abruptly pops his neck as his own words cause him to recall that steel box he'd dragged about earlier,  "Bout broke my back on somethin' like that this mornin'."   

Rising from the table, Elliot realizes he needs to get himself back to the ship soon, with or without the fare,  "Anywho, passage is upfront, while cargo can be half and half, but ya know, if you don' pay on-arrival, cargo don' leave the ship. Oh, and don't forget to bring your own travelin' grub, like I said before. You good with that?" 
GreenDragonPage
The cloaked figure reaches into his robe and pulls out ₡600 worth of credit chips and slides them over to Elliot.

  "₡600 now, ₡600 when we arrive."  

Publius pauses, then pulls out 300 more credit chips, slides them over to Elliot &amp; whispers,   "Keep my name off your manifest. I will give you - personally - ₡300  more  when we arrive."  

The man then stands up and awkwardly declares in a loud voice,   "Thank you for the beer and soup my friend but it is late and I need to get going to my... Job at the industrial plant... On the other side of town. You know what... River traffic is like this time of day. Am I right?"   He laughs incredibly awkwardly then leaves the restaurant.
Sleepy Shade
Stanley smiles warmly and introduces himself   "Thank you I'm Stanley but you can call me Stan. I'm looking to get something small a self defense weapon. I don't have a lot of experience handling guns so my friend here-"  Stanley gestures to John   "seems to want to help me choose and I was thinking something like a revolver. Nothing big or one with a bunch of bells and whistles just a simple revolver that I can use in a emergency."  

He walks over to the case with what looks like hand guns and begins looking. He looks over at one gun that seems to have a camo pattern and whispers to John   "Uh the camo pattern means it's simple right?"  
GreenDragonPage
The woman's eyes light up as Stanley points to one of the revolvers in the case,   "Ah I see you have an eye for simple yet sophisticated. Yes, this is a POB 809, which is run by a delightful little company over on Wiener Carneval called Production of Berlin. The company is known for adding these aesthetically pleasing camo patterns skins. In fact, I have several of these revolvers in the back..."  

Ms. Matthiesen ducks behind the curtain and returns quickly with a display box with seven revolvers, each with their own unique camo pattern,   "As you can see Production of Berlin prides itself on quality. We have a swamp, a desert, a jungle, a taiga forest, an autumn deciduous forest and a winter pattern. Oh, and this final design,"   she points to a jet black revolver,   "Is called "Weltraum" in German. In Mandate it means, "Outerspace." It is my favorite. Now, I normally charge ₡60 for these imported revolvers but for you, I am willing to part with any one of these - except the Outerspace revolver - for ₡49. The "Weltaum" is a limited edition model and thus, I could not take less than ₡100 for it."  
MutantDragon
John tries, but fails, to suppress a sigh, and he narrowly escapes an eye-roll, too. " Look, " he says, " I understand the compulsion to try and foist these off on the gullible tourists who come by so that you can at least be rid of them. Heck, I feel the quality of my weapons decreasing just by being in the presence of those so-called guns. But...yeah, I'm not a complete fool, unlike my air-headed friend here, and I understand that we would be over paying if you handed one of those to us for free. Uh, no offense, Stanley. " John pauses, perhaps mulling over if he was too...blunt. But then another case catches his eye. He walks over, looks for a moment, then looks back to the woman and says, " Now this one, this one we're interested in. " He glances at Stanley. " This is Ananke military surplus, likely from the mass liquidation of old assets they did a few years back. Not much to look at, but if you want simple and reliable, it's your best bet in revolvers. "
CardTrick
After Publius passes him the creds but before the man's attempt at public subterfuge, Elliot whispers the docking location and anticipated launch time of the ship to him. Then once Publius leaves, presumably to get his previously mentioned cargo, Elliot approaches the bar and orders five to-go-cups of the soup-of-day, as well as five cheap brews if a canned or otherwise portable option is available. He then head back to the ship to inform the rest of the crew of Publius' offer and the terms thereof.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
How many credits should I deduct for the soup and beer?
 
Gyrfalcon
Todd's eyes flicker as he places Arkansas and the Middle Sister system.  "Ah, that's over in Dominion space, isn't it? I grew up over in Federation territory. I assume you jumped through Aneroid Mountain on the way here?"  He doesn't look too impressed by the trip, but warms up when Sampson starts waxing poetic about his shuttle.

 "Ah, it sounds like you've hit the limits of what you can do with your shuttle. Barring some pretech artifact, you simply run into the issue of space and mass. Still, it sounds like you're well equipped to take courier contracts." 

But then the big captain makes the mistake of trying to threaten Todd, and the warmth drains from the smaller man's face. He looks singularly unimpressed as the captain tries to loom and threaten him.

 "Mm. I'm sure that your ship has earned its place. But just as the Supreme Commander might do well to remember... no ruler reigns forever. Those who rest on their laurels are doomed to be surpassed." 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
If Captain Sampson tries to become threatening with a weapon, Todd will step closer and manifest a psychic melee weapon between them, out of sight of observers.
 
GreenDragonPage
Ms. Matthiesen visibly - but inaudibly - sighs when John calls her out. She then nods and pulls out the Ananke military surplus revolver from the case to show Stanley.

~~~~~

 
 Spoiler: Elliot 
1 credit for a Beer &amp; Soup Lunch Combo. So 5 total. Since you bought 5 combos, you earned a special can of "Wasabi Beer".
 


~~~~~

Sampson's brow furrows as Todd stands his ground and refuses to be easily intimidated. Quickly switching tactics, Samspon laughs - loudly - in Todd's face before powerfully declaring,   "That's a good one, small fry. You almost had me scared. You are not the first - and definitely not the last - newbie to come into this hanger and think their poop doesn't smell like old rakfisk that's been left out in the badlands for a week. You best watch your back, tiny man. The Little Rock is the sun and you are icarus. Fly too close to our greatness and watch your little wax wings melt."  

Sampson then takes a few steps back, spits in Todd's general direction and yells, "   あなたはゴミです   " ["you are garbage"], as he storms off to his ship.
Sleepy Shade
Stanley rolled his eyes at the shot at his intelligence   "Look I don't know guns so that's why I'm trusting your judgment on these."   He looks down at the Military surplus revolver. It was pretty unimpressive no patterns or designs just polished steel and a black handle. It certainly gave off a more serious vibe than the guns she was showing him earlier   "Looks a bit heavy but I think it will work. So all that's left is ammo, holster and cleaning supplies right?"   He looks over at John   "Or is there something else?"   
MutantDragon
John ponders throwing out another childish insult for a moment before sighing and saying, “  Yeah, that comment was out of line. I’m sorry. As for the gun, yes you just need a holster, cleaning kit, and ample stock of ammunition. Technically. ” Turning to the would-be scammer, he asks, “  Is there a range nearby I could give my friend a crash course in basic firearm safety and the operation of that there revolver? ”
GreenDragonPage
Ms. Matthiesen nods and says that the range is out in a bunker in the badlands, outside the city. Formerly a factory, converted to a firing range. As she says this, she pulls up the holster, a cleaning kit, and three boxes of ammunition. The woman looks at the assembled kit on the table and bluntly states,   "75 credits."  
Gyrfalcon
Todd can't restrain a smirk as Sampson storms away like an offended teenager. The impression is only reinforced when the captain turns around and blurts out something that sounds insulting, though Todd doesn't speak the language. His laughter probably only enrages the man further, but he can't help it, turning away and shaking his head. Even away from the Academy, the same dynamics played out - an older member of the organization feels insecure in their position and seeks to put the new members under their thumb.

The pilot does make a note to go through Speedy's employee database and get the names and faces of the rest of Sampson's crew to share with the rest of his crew so they can keep an eye out for them. The possibility that Sampson would be so insecure as to stoop to outright provocation or sabotage was a possibility, though hopefully remote.
Sleepy Shade
Stanley produces the credits and tips the store owner 10 extra credits for a total of 85   "Ms. Matthiesen it was a lovely shopping experience. I do hope to do business with you in the future and I'll try and send anyone looking for a gun your way."   He smiles trying to leave a good impression on the grumpy owner. As they walk out with his gun holstered he looks over at John   "Look be a little more tactful with your words. I could tell that something was up with the prices but we were trying to do business not start a fight."   Stanley sighs    "But it's water under the bridge so let's get going we need to either get back to the ship or do you want to go looking outside the city for a gun range?"  
MutantDragon
John flashes a sly grin and declares, " But fighting is what I do best! "

 Pause. 

" You're probably right, though. Old habits and all that. I'll  try  to let you do the talking from now on. Unless you're secretly hiding some expert marksmanship behind that supposedly charming smile, though, I really would prefer to give you a rundown of the basics on how to use that thing. At least enough so that your odds of shooting an enemy are slightly higher than the odds of your lead going up my [REDACTED]. We should probably call the folks back at the ship first to at least let 'em know, if we decide to do that. "
Janwin
When invited to atmo-dive, Tadeshi decides the best course of action would be to pretend he never received the message.  He had simply called him "Akuma-sama' because it felt more natural on the tongue than "Chad-sama".

While the others had shopping to do or other matters to attend to, Tadeshi had none.  He had lived on Takahashi most of his life, and had visited Olaf Oshima many times, so he was already familiar with what people could do here and thus had nothing he was curious to seek out.

So instead he made his way to the ship and began preparations.  As the cargo was delivered, he made sure that it was properly secured in the hold and prepared his sleeping quarters for the upcoming trip.  He didn't know much about ships, so there wasn't much else he could do for now.
Sleepy Shade
  "Right let's find the place get a quick course under my belt so I don't accidently shoot myself and get back to the ship"   Stanley takes out his Compad and types up a quick message to the others letting them know where he and John where and that they would be back soon.   "I told them we might be a bit late but we should be able to get back before nightfall."  

Ooc: I'm ok with skipping over this scene and getting back to the ship if everyone wants to get going.
GreenDragonPage
As the sun sets behind the western mountains, the crew regroups at the spaceport on the outskirts of town. They finish loading the last of the bulk industrial goods, and the dockmaster checks the documentation before clearing the area for the ship to be towed to the launch bay. As they wait, a cloaked figure slipped into the hangar unnoticed. He nodded at Elliot before hauling a large metal crate up the ramp and securing it to the cargo hold's floor.

With a mighty tug, the tow truck hauls the ship to the launch bay. After a few minutes of taxiing, the command tower radios the free merchant vessel.   "This is the Command Tower, to the skipper of SIS-0027. The skies are clear for you. We are waiting on two other launches before we clear you. Your ship is currently using your registry number - SIS-0027. Your ship has no registered name. Not a real concern here in our neck of the woods but might become an issue as you head to more populated regions and systems. I would decide on a name and register it when you next land... Hmm, looks like Speedy's listed your ship as heading to Lookout Mountain. If you have any downtime, I highly advise you to check out the Winter Gardens in Wienstadt. It's wintertime there and my wife once had a great time visiting a few years ago."  

Just then, two massive freighters ignite their engines and take off into orbit.   "The other ships have launched. You are up, SIS-0027. You are clear to head to orbit."  

With a loud creak and groan, the Wuwei-class free merchant vessel takes off from the surface of the spaceport and speeds into the skies above Olaf Oshima. As they look out the windows, the landscape grows smaller and smaller. The ship gains momentum and achieves escape velocity, shooting into the vast, black void of space. They come to a stop halfway between Olaf Oshima and its moon, Olaf's Folly, 190,000 km away from the planet's surface.
Gyrfalcon
As the SIS-0027 achieved orbit, Todd started working on their course to the Demon’s Cage. His voice echos across the ship’s com system.  ”Gentlemen and esteemed passenger, we’ve had our first of many successful launches. Our ETA once we drill is three days. Might I suggest we use that time to decide on a name for our vessel - one that you wouldn’t be embarrassed to repeat to a loved one, by preference.” 
CardTrick
Having been well-strapped in for launch, as he was still a bit nervous when it came to such things, once the ship had finished with the turbulence of breaking atmosphere and settled into an orbit, Elliot collected and went about handing out the dinners he'd procured for the crew, taking no particular offense if anyone was uninclined to recieve them. As he figures naming the ship is best left up to the helm-folk he also just nods at whatever doesn't sound too blushworthy, like Todd had already mentioned.
Sleepy Shade
Stanley undoes the straps of his chair and sits up stretching and gives a yawn   "I'm actually a bit surprised the take off was smoother than I was expecting."   Stanley walks around the ship trying to get a feel for the craft. He eventually makes his way up to the cockpit and talks to Todd   "Well if we're talking names I was thinking either Stuttgart or Charlotte. But I wanted to ask you about a passenger he seems a bit jumpy. I know we can't be to choosey but what do you know about him?"  
MutantDragon
John takes the dinner from Elliot with a quick word of thanks. He then appears to go into deep thought on something, though a keen observer could see him examining their passenger out of the corner of his eye. He starts mumbling to himself about possible ship names, such as "The Aluminum Falcon" or "The Endeavor".
CardTrick
Elliot shrugs in Stanley's direction as he sits down to eat his own cup of soup,  "I ain't knowin' nothing more than what he told me and I told y'all already. Sure, he's either a lil' shady or just kinda sleighted in the head, take yer pick... but he's payin' almost twice what we're gettin' for the bulk, so iffin' he minds himself... figure we got no right reason to care." , taking a moment to chew and swallow a spoonful before concluding,  "Prolly wanna keep an eye that he don't go pokin-round our mystery box though, cause he did seem a might bit curious about us having the prison as a priority stop over his." 
Gyrfalcon
Todd takes his meal with a nod of thanks as the crew gathers in the cockpit to discuss things. Its a bit cramped for five, but well doable.  "I agree that we should keep an eye on our priority cargo with a stranger onboard. The person this cargo is for has reach outside his prison to be able to arrange that he receive anything at all, and the last thing we want to do is get on the bad side of our employer and a powerful criminal by allowing someone to tamper with his possessions.

As for the stranger himself... as long as he doesn't do anything untoward, then I think we best leave him be. We're no where near Dominion space, so hopefully there aren't any of their ships operating out here, and if they are, hopefully we're in and out before they would expect anyone. I think we can best deliver him right after we're done with Dämonenkäfig." 
Janwin
Tadeshi had been in his quarters in meditation while the ship took to the sky.  It wasn't that he was necessarily afraid of space travel, but it definitely didn't make him feel comfortable.  And meditation certainly was one way to lessen those feelings.  As the ship's rocking and rumbling calms down upon entering the void of space, he opens his eyes, takes a deep, calming breath, rises to his feet and walks out to find the rest of the crew.

He makes his way to the cockpit as well, as that seems to be where the crew has gathered.

 "If we are concerned about our passenger, I will increase my patrols to the storage hold to ensure nothing untoward is happening.  Perhaps we should determine some ground rules on which parts of the ship are off limits to passengers, particularly if we think that we will be providing passenger service regularly." 
Sleepy Shade
  "I'm just getting a sense of everyone's thoughts on him. I'm just worried that the reason he so secretive an jumpy might make us look bad later. But if everyone is ok with dealing with him I'll back off we only have to put up with him for three days right."  
Stanley looks over at Tadeshi   "I do agree we should set up a list of areas passengers are not allowed. The cargo hold, our rooms and the cockpit unless we need them there would be my list."  
GreenDragonPage
After a thorough discussion between the crewmembers, the as-of-yet unnamed ship ventures off towards Monominotō 1, a small asteroid mine that was converted into a space station. Now operated by representatives of the three worlds in the system, the station serves as the last port of call for outbound ships heading towards the Lookout Mountain System and the first port of call for all inbound traffic from that system. According to the ship's navigation computer, you will arrive at the Monominotō 1 in approximately 36 hours.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

 

The exterior implies two levels - a cargo hold at the bottom, while the top level has the cockpit and all living space. The engine room likely occupies the back half of the top deck and looks to have a quarter to a half deck of additional space for its bulky machinery.

The ship was used when you bought it. You did not receive any indication of what it was used for before. Perhaps it was another Postal Delivery ship; or maybe it was just a merchant freighter hopping between worlds in the system; maybe it was a smuggling ship making runs between the nearby systems; maybe it was a base of operations for some mercenaries; or maybe one of a myriad of other things or a combination thereof.

So what I want to know is - what does the ship feel like.

Please take a moment to describe:

- What do your quarters feel like? Are they fresh and new? Nice and tidy? Are they barren and empty? Does it look like a wild berserk wolverine-bear ran rampant in the room? Obviously you have not customized your room yet, so this description helps indicate in what state the ship is in when you purchased it.

- There are several sections of the ship that could use some descriptions. Please pick one of the following and describe what that area of the ship looks like. What it feels like. What its major vibe is like. First come, first serve on the descriptions.

--- The Cockpit
--- The Engine Room
--- The Common Area/Kitchen
--- The Bathroom
--- The Cargohold

We will say there are 7 crew quarter rooms of various sizes. In which are you housing your passenger? Will he even get a room?

Finally, I want to know what you do over the next 36 hours.
 
MutantDragon
After finishing his meal, John stands and says something about seeing a man about a horse before wandering off in the direction of the bathroom. Upon opening the relevant door, he stands silent in the doorway for a moment. It was a...shocking sight.

" Who in this entire universe would be crazy enough to put      GREEN CARPET      in a spaceship bathroom?!?! And why is it on the walls?!?!?! What the actual Hell?!?!?! "

Aaaaaand, that about sums up the bathroom.
Sleepy Shade
Stanley heads over to his room. The advertisement for the ship had been light on details so he did not know what to except. As the door opened up he caught a whiff of a stale but familiar smell his sister had a pet reptile an iguana like creature and this was the scent of the room she had kept it in. The room thankfully no longer held whatever reptile or animal that the previous owner had kept but the smell lingered a humid damp smell of rotting leaves and dead bugs. Flicking on the light switch he looked around.
The walls had been painted with a mural of jungle plants and exotic birds the floor however was a deep blue linoleum set of tiles. In one corner across from the entrance was a old cat tree that no longer served any purpose. In another four boxy glass aquariums were stacked against the wall two were cracked just junk, one looked serviceable and empty. The final aquarium had something in it. It looked like a bunch of dry oatmeal he pulled out a pen from his pocket and stirred the oatmeal revealing a number small crawling mealworms.   "Ugh Rocky would have loved you guys but you've gotta go"  
He turned around and saw that the room contained a spacer's bed a rough but collapsible bed that was built into the wall with straps in case the artificial gravity went out for any reason. The spacer bed had been put away the back holding a well used but now empty cork board. Stanley lowered the bed delighted that their was also a pillow and blanket. Besides the dust, junk and smell it wasn't the worst thing Stanley had been forced to live in but it was pretty low.
Gyrfalcon
Todd adds the engine room to the spaces their passenger (and any future passengers) absolutely won't be allowed in - far too easy to sabotage something vital through malice or stupidity.

With the food and debate about the ship's name winding down, Todd makes sure the autopilot is locked in and goes to claim his room. As the sole pilot and engineer aboard at the moment, he chooses one in the middle, equally distant from the engine room and the cockpit so that he can get to an emergency as fast as possible. He sticks his head into his chosen bedroom and wrinkles his nose. Whoever the previous inhabitant was, they obviously weren't a clean person. The floor was lost under a scrum of discarded notes, meal wrappers, rags and an old jumpsuit peeks out from under the mess. It was obvious that whoever had lived here only cleaned out the most important and/or convenient things before they left the ship for the last time, and Todd was the unfortunate recipient of their slovenly ways. the spacer sighs and adds another task to his list, deciding that he'll probably sleep in the cockpit until he can sanitize that space to a livable standard.

He returns to the cockpit and looks it over - at least unlike his new quarters, whoever had last used the cockpit was far more tidy. The upholstery is worn here and there but otherwise in good condition, the controls were well maintained and while a few motes of dust glinted in the air, everything else is up to standard.

The cockpit is a typical merchant configuration with seats for four crew members to operate the ship systems - pilot, co-pilot, a small tactical console and a sensors and comm panel. While all of those functions could be routed to the pilot's seat, it allowed the crew to split operations when necessary. Two more seats are folded up in the back, allowing the entire crew to fit into the cockpit, though it becomes quite cramped when they do so.

For the next day and a half, Todd finds himself running at full speed, splitting his attention between the cockpit and engineering, familiarizing himself with the ship as a whole and its maintenance needs, and working on cleaning up his cabin so he can live in it safely.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
With seven cabins, we can place our passanger in one without issues - there's no reason not to. We'll be able to take 2-3 in the future since CardTrick dropped.
 
Sleepy Shade
Stanley spends the first day cleaning up his room junk in one pile his own stuff in another. On the second day he wanders into the kitchen hoping to meet with the odd passenger and at least start up a conversation if nothing else.
The kitchen had been modeled after a style Stanley had heard called Retro. The floor was covered in a simple checkerboard tile pattern with the walls and and metal counters a pastel blue. The The counters tripled as both covers for a stove range that laid under them, regular countertops, and as tables that could be placed around the hall if more tables were needed. in the center of the room was a table (he had heard it be called a bar or island by his father). A number of stools with faux leather seating dyed blue were attached to the floor had been the only seating when they had arrived. He saw their mysterious guest eating a bowl of something as he walked in. He walked over to one of the cabinets full of fresh prepackaged meals and started to cook it. After the meal was done in the microwave Stanley came over and sat down across from the guest asking the man   "Were making good time but I'm guessing you want out of here as soon as we land. You heading to Wiener Carneval on buisness, pleasure or ...?"   he leaves the question hanging hoping to get the man to talk about something. He stirred the bowl of macaroni and cheese idly.

On the last day stanley will help around the ship wherever he is needed if needed nowhere he goes back to his room and flips through the contents of his compad.
MutantDragon
After hastily concluding his business in eye-wrecking restroom, John decided to check in on his sleeping quarters. Entering the room, his nose is hit with the smell of disinfectant. The room itself is stripped bare. The walls, floor, and ceiling are all plain and unpainted metal. The sleeping rack built into the wall lacks any mattresses. There are no personal effects of any variety to be found from the previous owner.

Odd.

John blinks.

Oh, now that  is  odd.

By some strange coincidence, he somehow didn't initially notice the children's doll sitting in the corner of the room. It looks old. Very old. Wooden and possibly hand painted, too. It has dead glass eyes and is dressed in a way reminiscent of ancient times. It also has this unnaturally wide grin painted on its face. It is propped up in a sitting position in the far corner of the room and seems to be staring directly at John. Somehow, he can't quite shake the feeling that there's something...familiar about it.

John approaches the discarded toy and, carefully, picks it up to examine. There doesn't seem to be anything weird about it, other than it being creepy looking. John lets out a breath and chastises himself for being concerned over this plaything and sets it down on the bare rack. He inspects the remainder of the room and finds that everything else about his initial survey was accurate. This room is empty.
GreenDragonPage
On its second day of travel, the Charlotte's Endeavor is flying through an asteroid belt, thick with rocks and debri from hundreds of now-defunct mining operations. Suddenly, the consoles in the cockpit light up with a proximity warning. Another ship is approaching, fast. Based on the telemitry you can quickly gather, it is another ship, a bit smaller than the Charlotte's Endeavor. It is still a ways off but gaining, fast.
MutantDragon
" Maybe it's your 'friend' from the spaceport, Todd, " John muses with a dark smile. " I'll be in the gunner seat if anyone needs me. "
Gyrfalcon
Todd slips into the pilot’s seat and nods his agreement.  ”Good idea to get them warmed up, particularly the Sandcaster. I don’t think he was stupid enough to start shooting in an inhabited system against a ship under the same charter, but stranger things and all that.” 

Todd alters their course a little - enough that if the ship is making best time for the drill point, it’ll pass them by. If it alters course to continue to intercept, well…

Finally, he sends a com message  ”Attention, unidentified ship bearing 176 mark 21, this is the SIS  Charlotte’s Endeavor , you look to be in a hurry.” 
Sleepy Shade
Stanley goes into the cockpit sitting down and strapping himself in   " I told our passenger to stay in thier room for now until we get this all sorted out."   He looks over at the array of controls and tells   "I'll help direct everyone making sure stuff goes as planned"  

ooc: Stanley will take up Leader position if this turns to a fight.
GreenDragonPage
The ship swerves to maintain its pursuit of the Charlotte's Endeavor.

A raggedy, mechanical void comes over the coms,   "This is Shihai-sha of the Torejāteikā. A mutual friend sends his regards. We will not kill you if you remain compliant. Bring your ship to a halt. A party will board your ship and take control of your cockpit. We will pilot your ship back to our base. We will seize your cargo, passengers, and anything else of interest. We will then cut you lose and let you fly away peacefully. Failure to comply will most certainly result in your deaths."   
Janwin
Tadeshi isn't of much use in a space battle, so he has been largely keeping out of the way of those who pilot or shoot in space.  At the mention of being boarded, he frowns.

 "I presume we do not wish to simply let them do as they wish, yes?"   He rests his hand on the hilt of the sword at his hip, meaningfully.
MutantDragon
" I too would vote against putting ourselves at the mercy of brigands, " John states. " The question is, do you want me to blast them  now  or wait while Stanley attempts diplomacy before ending them? Or do you think we should let 'em board then kill them and take  their  ship? Personally, I favor just shooting them with the sandcaster. "
Sleepy Shade
Stanley  sighs   "Pirates. From the sound of it they want to strip us bare, take our cargo, and that's not something we can afford. Get the guns ready and prepare evasive maneuvers . I'll give them a chance to back off."   Stanley turns on the com messenger and contacts the other ship   "Shihai-sha of the Torejāteikā this is Stanley of SIS Charlotte’s Endeavor. This is not a fight you will walkway from richer, we will defend our cargo and have the firepower to back up that threat. Leave peacefully and nothing else will happen. Attack us and we will fight. When we win it may be days before your found and it will be by authorities. Do the smart thing and  back off . " 

Diplomacy  (2d6+2)[ 12 ] 
Gyrfalcon
Todd waits to let Stanley's silver tongue do its work. In the meantime, he hits a button on the console, an alarm wailing in the background as the soothing female voice of the computer calmly announces.

"Red Alert. I repeat, Red Alert. All crew to combat positions. Cargo bays and non-essential compartments will depressurize in one minute. Prepare for hostile contact."

Throughout the ship, hatches seal and lock to prevent boarding, and corridors and cargo bays depressurize to avoid explosive decompression from penetrating shots.
GreenDragonPage
The com stays quiet for a while... A long while... A surprisingly long while. Eventually, a mechanical voice returns,   "Hmmm. We are not looking for your death, just some loot. Give us 1,000 credits and no one has to be hurt, maimed or otherwise made dead. This is a fair bargain. The fairest you will get."   
Gyrfalcon
Todd makes sure the comm line is muted and rolls his neck to relieve the tension.  "It's a good deal on the face of it - we'll cover the bribe with our minor deliveries, and they can potentially do more then a 1,000 credits worth of damage to our ship."  he says, eyes watching the contact on the sensors as his lips draw back in a snarl.  "But I've had it with scavvers threatening me and trying to take what's mine. I'm all for popping their bubble." 
MutantDragon
John snorts when he hear's their offer.  "I used to deal with punks like this all the time when I was in the APDF. We roll over and buy them off now, they'll just bother us every time we come through this system. Plus, we're establishing a reputation here. Do you want to be known as cowards and prey or [REDACTED] heroes? I say we fight." 
Janwin
Tadeshi nods his agreement,  "It is good to make our name now than to be known as prey." 
Sleepy Shade
Stanley looks over at Todd   " I don't think they take credit, we don't even have enough to buy them off... Well if everyone want to fight let's give them one."   Stanley flicks the Comms back on   "Shihai-sha of the Torejāteikā this is Stanley of SIS Charlotte’s Endeavor. We have discussed your tems and have found them to be lacking. We will not pay."   Stanley calls John in weapons   "Light em up!"   He looks over at Todd   "Get us out of here."  
GreenDragonPage
Over the comms the mechanical voice responds,    "Whelp, I gave you a chance! You were fools to not take the bargain! Fools, I SAY!"    

The pirate ship drops back and locks its sights onto the Charlotte's Endeavor and fires its multifocal laser at the postal delivery ship!

 
 Spoiler: Attack 

Multifocal Laser  (1d20+3)[ 14 ] ; Damage:  (1d4)[ 1 ] , AP 20)
 
Sleepy Shade
Stanley sighs as the blast hits the ship   "And this is the start of a prosperous career.."   Looking though the some of the controls he finds the power controls for the Gunnery which seemed to have minimum power he messes with the controls and power starts pouring in to the weapons   "John you got power to do real damage make it count!"  

Support Department (Gunnery)
Gyrfalcon
Todd keeps his eyes on his sensors and hands on the controls as switches start flipping and dials spinning as needed without him moving a muscle. Their ship flips end for end and starts burning hard as he treats the free trader like a heavy fighter. Inertial forces press the crew back into their seats as the  Charlotte's Endeavor  moves to engage.

 "Come on, you void-touched scavver."  he mutters to himself as he orients their ship to bring the pirate vessel into the combined arcs of both weapon systems.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Do Your Duty - +1 CP.

Current CP: +2

1.Captain/Isaac - Support Department (Gunnery)
2.Comms/Isaac - Do Your Duty
3.Bridge/Todd - Do Your Duty
4.Engineering/Tadeshi
5.Gunnery/John
 
Sleepy Shade
In the interest of moving along.
Engineering: Do your Duty
Gunnery:Fire all weapons
Shoot[ (2d6+2)[ 8 ] 
Sandthrower  (2d4)[ 6 ]  Flak
Multifocal Laser  (2d4)[ 4 ]  AP 20