28000 credits, that was the amount they ripped from him. But at least Hortan was now again owner of The Ole Sloth Moth XC, this time number VI. And in the right neon yellow colour too. He would find something very valuable and trade it, save the surplus and do it again. Eventually he would be able to give the guild the money back, that he had been responsible for loosing. The public data terminal beeped softly, and he put more credits into the slot in the side of the interface. As far as he could see, the best thing to sell was luxuries, and in Latos C-2. He was so focused on the readout, that he didn't notice the person thrashing into the seat next to him.
"Lukshuriesh hmm? Not worth it if you want my two credsh worth, which incidentally you are going to get whether you want to or not. No, shelling Ion coresh is what worksh, you know hmm? And Latosh is a deathtrap theshe days"
Hortan turned to the person and saw Pasqual seated next to him, a bottle of Helio Mists in his hand.
"Wanna have a swig there mate?" Pasqual enquired. Not one to say no to a drink of whisky, Hortan pulled his small silver cup and poured one.
"To the Queen" he said, and tossed the fiery liquid down his throat. Immediately, he could feel the strong liquor hit his belly, like an 500 degrees hot anvil, the familiar feeling he had tried so many times amongst the roids. It felt good.
"At leasht you should get an escort if you wanna go there mate," Pasqual stood on slightly wobbly legs, "and it ain't gonna be me. I had more than enough of fighting to last a lifetime. Anyhooo, I have a hot date with Ms Beatha here" he said and looked lovingly at his bottle. Hortan looked as he walked slowly but purposefully down the corridor towards the cubicles. As he came to the entrance, he turned and raised the bottle in Hortans direction and smiled.
"Best of lucks mate, you're gonna need it" he said, turned and staggered off.
Hortan turned and pressed enter. He was now the lucky owner of 200 crates of assorted luxuries, including packaging and loading. He took his card and walked to the prep room. Just in the unlikely event that he would get shot to bits.
He got his trusty pilot suit out of the locker, filled the correct forms and went to the pilot seat. Taking a deep breath, he filed for launch permission and engaged the cold thrusters. Free, once more free. Damn, he had missed flying his ship. He aligned the Moth XC towards Azek, ensuring to stay free of the roidfields, passed through Azek and moved towards the Latos wormhole. With a belly full of trepidation, he engaged the jump engines upon reaching that imaginary point in space.
"kalb: Pay me 500k or die"
"Death Incarnate: yarrrr die or pay 473.187. Me no cares"
"yoda: Live or die. 1.000K or run"
"Gavan: Death or Moneys. Your choice. 500K or more"
Hortans intersystem comms unit almost crashed with the amount of messages. He instinctively hit the scan button. and could see two more pirates around the wormhole. One, a Marauder was bearing on him with maximum speed, Unknown player node, and the other was in the background. The Huntress, his Queen. The Marauder with the running lights under the cockpit flashing "12831 served. You're next" threw hard radiation in the form of antiprotons, from the two sideguns directly into Hortans engine section, effectively stopping his acceleration. The vicious looking craft withdrew to 200 meters distance and kept moving in the same velocity as The Ole Sloth Moth XC VI. Hortan responded on the sector universal hail.
"I am merely here to trade and mine. You can attest to that My Queen?"
At that, Unknown player node turned his ship and fired repeatedly into the power coupler...
Hortan awoke in the TGFT immediate recovery facility, the usual extreme hunger submerged underneath the feeling of insufficiency and shame. He went directly to the ship shop and bought another Moth XC, completely ignoring the colour. He went into the seat and launched towards Latos. As he pushed the enable button, he closed his eyes firmly.
"Death Incarnate: yarrrr die or pay 473.187. Me no cares"
"kalb: Pay me 500k or die"
"yoda: Live or die. 1.000K or run"
"Gavan: Death or Moneys. Your choice. 500K or more"
The hails punched through the hard vacuum. Hortan opened his eyes, and saw the Marauder rushing him. The running light was up a notch he noticed, it now read 12832. Once more the harsh light of anti protons interacting with the xithricite in the armour plate on the Moth bathed the cockpit. The engines cut out, the silence almost worse than the crackle of disintegration. Again, the Marauder moved to 200 meters distance. After about 15 seconds of silence the Marauder turned on the Moth XC. Hortan closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, it was to the white light of the immediate recovery facility. Tired beyond comprehension, he reached for his green pilot suit and put it on. He rose from the berth and only then did he notice that he was not alone.
"Want to tell me about it?" Vardonx trust a protein drink into Hortans hand. Hortan took it and drank greedily.
"I mean, you look just like I felt after the last bout with the pierats;" Vardonx smiled, "even if it was good fun and all. The APRS is kinda hard on your system, especially when you are not used to it."
"He keeps on shooting my ship to bits. Almost as if he takes a savage joy in first making me helpless, and then killing me. I gotta go back," Hortan started to get up, but was pushed down again by Vardonx.
"Whoa there, who does what?"
"Unknown player node. I don't know why he hates me so" Hortan sighed.
"Listen, I'll get Mor and fly on your six, ok? Lets see if we can help you there."
Hortan got up and staggered towards the ship shop, the fatigue almost making him crawl. He did not even notice the girl in the light blue flightsuit with the worried expression. Getting another Moth XC, he launched as quickly as possible. Outside, Vardonx and Mor Isil were waiting in a Centurion and a Valkyrie respectively. Behind them he could see the sleek form of a Corvus Vulturius in the colours of The Vipers. The IFF read as Strat.
"You couldn't find anything less manoeuvrable? Or slower?" Mor Isil asked over the comms. "Or smaller?" Vardonx chipped in.
"No, this is the only vessel currently not able to mount a weapon, and so is completely harmless," Hortan replied, "I mean, normally you do not shoot the trader, you ruffle him and extort him and let him go."
"You really are a special case" Mor Isil said, "but it's your call"
The quartet set the course towards Latos, and once more at the wormhole Hortan closed his eyes ready for the jump. Only seconds before him engaging, the three combat ships had disappeared into Latos to scout ahead. Hortan jumped.
"yoda: Live or die. 1.000K or run"
"Death Incarnate: yarrrr die or pay 473.187. Me no cares"
"kalb: Pay me 500k or die"
The Marauder was thrusting frantically to engage Mor Isil, but upon seeing the Ole Sloth Moth XC VIII, Unknown player node disengaged and turboed towards Hortan. Death Incarnate pumped a single gauss shot into Hortans engines, and yoda finished them with a flare. Unknown player node halted his ship about 200 meters away. Gavan and Vardonx were fighting, and The Huntress and Mor Isil were facing off too. Strat had shot straight for Jolly Roger, who had joined the party, and the two were circling each other warily after the initial very damaging fly-by. The four pierats around Hortans ship were about to let Unknown player node serve number 12833 when a lone Marauder entered the sector.
Immediately the intersystem comms crackled. "Having a gankfest are we? You pirates make me sick. Die all, honourless scum"
Hortan looked at the IFF. Roda Slane. Obviously the pierats saw it too, because they immediately turned to engage the most hated of pilots in grey. Except for Unknown player node. He turned his marauder slowly towards Hortans ship and shot single streams of anti protons, prolonging the kill. In the background a swirling melee was taking place with at least one pierat turned plasma. The last shot hit the power coupler, just as Hortan closed his eyes.
He awoke, but could not get himself to open his eyes. He could sleep for a year and still take a nap afterwards. He curled up in fetal position and stayed like that for too little time. Somebody was shaking him. He turned his face, but still did not open his eyes. Coffee...real Eo coffee. He opened his eyes to a big steaming cup. Looking up, he could see Waldoze standing in front of him, the usually cheerfull mouth and eyes now looking sad.
"Drink lad, me and the boys are gonna have a wee blether with you"
Behind Waldoze he could see Mor Isil, Lambin, Vardonx, and John Eldritch. Behind them all, with a tin hat under his arm, Ecka was looking worried.
