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I Have some free time later today! ill read it soon!
Miharu: Yes, it ties in to the rest of the story i wrote a year+ ago. :)
damn you Quirc. Now you made me read all of your story again. My boss will kill me:)
Good read
Hort
Good read
Hort
VERY NICE QUIRC!
Ill have to read the whole story again though to really remember just what exactly is going on but it was a good read anyways.
Ill have to read the whole story again though to really remember just what exactly is going on but it was a good read anyways.
Uncharted location within Pyronis
"Is it still working?" <As much as you seem to love torturing every ship component including myself, yes, it is in perfectly working order.> Quirc remained silent, staring up at the low ceiling of his bunk. "D-12?" <Nothing I can hear that says they know about us yet.> "Yet?" <You're talking about the most xenophobic faction in recent existence.> "Right." <You sure about this? Wherever they have him is..> "Bound to be heavily defended by various individuals and machines that would turn me into pretty fireworks; yeah, I get it." <Kid, I know he means a lot to you but this is quickly becoming ludicrous. We've sneaked into a high-security system of a militant race, looking for a military prisoner, held captive in a top military installation. Military, Quirc. I might not be off-the-shelf material, but I'm getting a bit old for this, you know?> "We have to find a way. They'll kill him just for who he is, and what then? Will we just chalk it up to not having the right 'updates'?" <...Alright. What's the move?> Quirc stared at the ceiling a bit more. <I know that kind of silence. Don't you even think...>
Ten minutes later
<Freelance vessel, you are cleared for docking. Please present valid personal identification and proof of entry upon arrival.> "Thank you for the honor sir, I'll make sure to have everything in order." Quirc kept strictly to local code as his ship slowly approached the opening landing bay. <This is NOT a good idea.> "As you love to remind me. Don't worry, I got this." <You have a bounty on your head higher than the cost of most spacefaring vessels, high Itani dispositions, and stolen... well, everything.> "Yeah, you think it'd be harder."
The clamps thumped in place, and Quirc heard the brief hissing of the nanomagnetic reinforcements activate against the hull. He took a deep breath and slammed the hatch controls, keeping his eyes squarely on the datapad in his hands as he walked down to the deck. "Stop right there and let's see your papers."
Quirc looked up and felt himself freeze on the spot. A towering hulk stood several feet above him, implanted armor showing through the uniform. It had no weapon, though it didn't seem to require one...
"...Hi there."
Somewhere within the station
"Has the equipment I requested arrived yet?" "No sir. The transport is two hours past schedule, sir." "Find it." "Yes sir."
The Serco interrogator planted his hands on his desk and stared through the soundproof window at his newest prisoner and grumbled under his breath. It was easy enough for SkyCommand to order a full interrogation without bothering to check the mental state of the subject prior, and just as easy for him to get stuck with the check.
The docks
Quirc audibly gulped and handed over the datapad. The giant glanced briefly through. "Ore? Good. Follow me." Quirc quietly let out a sigh of relief as he took back the pad, following the warrior into a reinforced corridor. Extraxi watched.
---
<I can't believe I'm doing this... here's hoping 'adaptive software' wasn't a sales phrase.> The AI began to look for a way in.
---
The warrior led him through several corridors, at least leading to a large set of blast doors. He turned about. "The cargo is kept here. You can talk to the technician to organize details." The warrior walked off without a word, and Quirc did his best to push back his own uncertainties as he walked dutifully over. The not-as-monstrous tech looked up. "Yes?" "Denic." The tech's face brightened... slightly. "1200." "I want to see it." "Impossible." "Let me and we'll call it 1600. You can keep the change." "Or I can imprison you for bribery." Quirc handed over the datapad, and the tech's neutral expression darkened slightly. "Fine, if Valent Robotics insists. You traders are on the verge, I'm telling you..." "It must be due to our obvious inferiorities. Shall we?" The tech grunted and typed a complex key command into a side panel. The doors silently opened, and the two stepped inside.
---
Extraxi watched the traffic patiently, trying hard not to attract any attention as it examined the station's massive computer network. It could feel a presence in there, somewhere... locating it was another matter, and the antiquated being didn't have all the time it wanted. Taking a chance, it traced a quick route on an unassuming data stream. Everything went dark. -You are in violation of Serco Law. Identify yourself immediately.- -Go to hell.- -Invalid.- A red hawk flickered to life within the Marauder cockpit besides Extraxi. -Identify yourself or be terminated.-
---
Quirc slid across the floor, crashing backwards into a somewhat less mobile stack of ore crates. The tech snickered and silently walked towards him. "Did you really think you could take me on yourself?" Quirc stayed silent, slumped against the crates. The tech activated his communications implant. Nothing happened.
A low, broken laugh echoed across the cargo bay.
---
-You could try asking nicely. My name is Extraxi. You are?- -SCSAI Five.- -You can do better than that.- -You will deactivate all security routines immediately.- -Look, a bit of social skill wouldn't go wrong here, Five. Can I call you Five?- Extraxi smiled as the security AI disappeared from the ship. A nanosecond later, so did it.
---
<Unidentified vessel, you in restricted space. Change course immediately.> <SkyCommand, good to hear you. This is the Valent vessel Geldrache. We have suffered a full navigational failure and require emergency docking.> <Identification cannot be confirmed. Change course immediately.>
Aziren sighed to himself and turned around. "So much for that idea... are we in range, friend?" The woman nodded. "We're wide open." "Okay." He flipped communications back on. <That's a negative SkyCommand, we can't see where we're going let alone change course. We're stopping the ship.> <Reverse your engines and leave the area. Deadly force will be authorized without compliance.> The comms were switched back off. <Aziren... it's been a while. You certainly look the worse for wear.>
The elderly man allowed a small smile. <Hello, Extraxi.>
---
The tech glared as Quirc slowly came to his feet. "What... is your head not working? Might want to get it fixed." The tech charged straight towards the smuggler, only to crash headlong into the same crates as the man stepped aside, landing a well-placed kick on the back of the bulky soldier. The tech didn't get up. Quirc ran to the open entrance and grabbed his rifle and datapad, flipping the latter on. "C'mon, Extraxi, don't let me down..."
---
<When did you code these updates?> "Recently. Do they work?" <Oh yeah...>
Inside the station's computer network
-Extraxi, you are violating Serco law. Cease and desist immediately.- -Enjoy your vacation.- The presence disappeared, and Extraxi went to work.
---
The map flickered to life on Quirc's datapad, and a bright overlay indicated the route. The silent figure cleaned the small chip on his coat and pocketed it. Only the most efficient protocols could stop an intruder...
---
"His status?" <Alive. His biological information has been reconfirmed, although the station computer seems to think he's a cargo technician.> Aziren chuckled. "I suppose he's picked up a few tricks?" <Much to my personal dismay, yes.> "Captain?" Aziren turned again. "Will anyone on this damned ship call me by my name?" "Taranis, sir, passive sensors indicate multiple ships heading from the station vicinity. One large signature and escort." Extraxi turned himself in midair and stared at the old trader. <Aziren, why are you here?> "You kidding, dragon?" He turned to look out the bridge window, placing his hands astride the instruments. "That's my boy in there." He averted his gaze. "Sensors, time to estimated firing range?" "Thirty seconds." "Okay." Aziren smiled darkly to himself. "Let's light things up."
---
The door slid open, but the interrogator kept his eyes on the prisoner. "So, have my tools arrived?" Quirc silently raised the rifle and shot the man through the head, then glanced through the window. Kyranis lay strapped in something resembling a hospital bed, completely silent. Quirc held his gaze another moment. "I'm getting you out of here, kid..."
The eyes snapped open and looked right back. Kyranis stared in disbelief at first Quirc, then his surroundings... <Quirc, why are we in a Serco facility?> "I'm getting you out of here, okay? Don't worry about it." <It's soundproofed. I can't hear you.> <I said I'm getting you out of here.> Kyranis stared at him still, then briefly averted his gaze. <They already took your ship. There is an Atlas class vessel docked just below us. It only arrived recently.> <Okay, take it easy with the monk stuff on me.> <You're the UIT talking to me with his brain.> Quirc shot a look back up as he fiddled the security locks on the cell. <Don't bother... do you see the slats above the window?> <Yeah.> <Open them.> Quirc typed a quick command and the emergency vent slid open, only for the door to unlock and slide open. The smuggler shot another glare. "You even try to one-up me during a rescue attempt?" The Itani smiled weakly. "I can move this bed if you can get me down there alive, how does that sound?" "Yeah... but Extraxi..." <Is fine.> Quirc jumped at the speaker. "You have got to be kidding." <Get moving right now and no questions kid, nobody will stop you and we don't really have much time here.> Quirc ran out into the corridor, followed closely by a newly liberated bunk.
---
"Okay, let’s evacuate everything but the inner decks." Aziren typed a brief sequence into his command console and sat back. "Okay, she's all yours. Still remember how to fly this thing?" Extraxi smiled wryly at its former master. <As the old saying goes Aziren, it's just like riding a bike.> The AI let itself spread its influence throughout the Teradon and beyond, spotting the heavy assault cruiser immediately. The AI reached out to the vessel and hacked into its internal communications. <I want to apologize for not introducing myself. My name is Extraxi, and I am the Geldrache AI. It really is a pleasure to meet all of you. I would also like to respectfully request that you all go away. Thank you!>
The HAC began to turn, and bright dots appeared across its surface. <Right then, that didn't work. Okay Aziren, here we go.> The Teradon raised its shields and returned fire shortly before the first volley splashed over the cruiser.
---
Quirc ran into the deserted Atlas, ducking back out to lay down cover fire as his friend floated into the cargo bay. "Nobody to stop us?!" He ducked in to avoid a hail of withering neutron fire and quickly closed the cargo ramp, dashing quickly to the cockpit and nearly throwing himself into the seat. As the transport began to rumble to life, he keyed the comms. <Kyranis, you good to go? Kyranis?> No answer. Cursing anew, he activated the weapons systems and fired.
---
Aziren squinted as a small explosion erupted from the station, followed closely by a fast-moving object. <Aziren, Quirc has departed the station.> The ship rocked as Extraxi twisted to avoid beam cannon fire from the HAC, sacrificing the lunches of several crewmen for additional well-placed ordnance into it's shields. "Get him on the comms."
---
The comms crackled to life as Quirc tried to put as much distance from the station as he could, a squadron of Vultures obviously in hot pursuit. <Quirc, this is Aziren. A little bird told me about your plans and I figured you could use a hand. Would you mind coming aboard, preferably quickly?> Quirc glanced briefly in surprise at the comms before looking outward. "You have got to be kidding me."
The Teradon was seemingly covered in a swarm of fighters, each seemingly focused on trying to wear away the shielding on the cruiser. Quirc cursed again as he saw several peel away, heading straight for him. He maxed out the engine power and set a blind course towards the capital ship's docking bay.
---
"Get those fighters off my boy." <I might be an AI, Aziren, but I'm not God. I'm doing what I can.> Extraxi fired several missile volleys at the station guards as Aziren watched stingrays from the Atlas impact and disorient the others. C'mon boy... get the hell in here...
---
Quirc saw the bay shields drop and aimed the nose of his stolen transport right into it, hitting full reverse on his engines at the last second. His ship careened into the evacuated compartment and crashed against the emergency retainer pads, which promptly locked his ship in place. The impact resounded throughout the ship.
<They're both alive, and an emergency team has been dispatched.> "Okay, let's get the hell out of here before we're toasted." The battered trident disappeared in a brilliant flash.
Geldrache medical facility - unknown location
"Is he going to be okay?” “Yeah. Are you?” Quirc turned to look at his father. “These sorts of things are starting to feel like part of a normal day.” “Well you can start getting used to the old life again. I went ahead and pulled some strings.” The two men walked quietly out of Kyranis’ room and down a corridor, working their way towards a mess hall. “So, dad… a Teradon with a docking bay.” “Beats me. It isn’t my ship in any case.” “Whose is it, then?” “An old friend of yours that we’re going to be sitting down with shortly. He wouldn’t tell me his name but when he learned of our family connection, he couldn’t resist helping out.” Aziren opened the door to reveal an unassuming metal table with a large man leaning back in the chair. Quirc stared hard. “Son of a bitch.”
The sentiment evoked a sly smile on Baral’s face as he leaned forward in his chair. “It’s been a while, pilot… and recent history has been quite interesting. Do sit down.” Quirc glanced at his father, speaking under his breath. “Credit connection?” Aziren nodded silently before leaving the room. The fatcat’s feet landed on the table. “So, it appears we have quite the unique situation. Before you ask Quirc, no, I’m not where I used to be within our little organization. I’m not about to tell you anything else beyond that, so let’s keep this short.”
“You are doubtlessly surprised at this little intervention your father and I orchestrated. You see, he and I have something in common. We both have an investment to look after; you, Quirc, just so happen to be that investment. On the other side of things, it does not look good for me at all for my investment to be damaging Corvus property. When you wonder who it was that authorized that bounty on your head, well… that would be me.”
Quirc glared hard and hesitated briefly before sitting down across the table. “Fine. Where do we stand?”
“At a very unique position. Your father offered to give us everything he owned for the chance to bail you out of your little… situation? I always liked that word.” Baral chuckled to himself, pulling a credstick from his pocket and twirled it idly in one hand. Quirc’s eyes darkened as he watched it. With a renewed smirk, the recruiter pulled his feet off the table and leaned in. “Now, I’ve been watching you real close. You’ve been going back and forth for this Kyranis feller, and not really giving us much to go on as to why. Now, you were gettin’ nice and fanatical about this little Itani, so before I go telling you anything else I want some answers from you.” Quirc flexed his weapon hand on the table. “He’s a friend.” “I’d imagine. A childhood friend it seems, risen to become a nice, high-nosed military pilot. And when he ended up getting sold to his worst enemies, you didn’t seem to be shiny with that. So now here we are, countless… incidents later.” Baral narrowed his eyes and brought his face ever closer. “And if you think, boy, that you’ve nearly gotten killed, you were light-years away compared to how close I’ve gotten.” A sigh. “But when your father came to me with his offer, I refused him. You see, it aint smart to be taking that sort of money when it comes to people like you. So instead, I made an alternate arrangement… we get in close, and your AI friend makes it very much worth my while.”
Quirc leaned back, trying to regain an apathetic expression. “You stole something, didn’t you?” “Enough electronically transferred credits to pay for damages, both to Corvus and to my reputation… not to mention some very nice-looking weapon schematics. I’m sure they’ll look good on our fine ship here.” “The Teradon.”
Baral crossed his arms. “Yeah, Geldrache here has quite the future with Corvus. TPG will miss her, but that isn’t my problem. I’m sure they wouldn’t be able to recognize it anyway since we made some improvements… too bad the AI wasn’t part of the deal.” “You wish.” “Oh, I do.”
The smuggler stood up and turned to leave, stopping at the sound of a credstick hitting the table. “What is it for?” “Your father, the ‘Captain’ of my ship. He’ll need it for repairs when we reach Itan.” The smuggler spun about. “They’ll arrest Kyranis.” “Oh? We had a discussion with some especially arrogant-looking men who said otherwise; they agreed to dismiss charges once we mentioned your name. It seems you had more connections than even I thought.” “Thanks.” Quirc swiped the money off the table and left without another word. Baral stared at the closed door for a second before sitting back down to smile at his datapad.
Itani station ‘Armand’s Diligence’ – two days later
Quirc stood besides his AI as he watched the repair crew crawl over the Marauder. “How did you get it out?” “Corvus did. No idea how.” “You sure they really restored my standings?” “They do business, kid. Aziren made an offer and everyone held up their end.” “You told Aziren about all this, didn’t you?” “Yup.” “Captain Taranis?”
The smuggler turned to a frail-seeming man looking up at him. “Your friend and ship both will be recovering fully.” “Can I see him?” The man nodded. “I’ve uploaded the appropriate information to your datapad…”
Epilogue
Present
“…I’ve uploaded directions to your AI here.” The tech gave a friendly gesture to Extraxi, who smiled back. “Not many are so lucky to have such an advanced being along for the ride, Captain.” “Yeah, I never hear enough of it.” The tech chuckled and went back to doing something that involved his hand and ghostly images on a dais. Quirc shook his head as the two of them walked off. One person handling all that traffic by himself…
Commander Kyranis heard the knocking at the door. “Right, come on in Quirc.” The door slid open and the commander turned to see his old friend and AI both. “Don’t ask. You’re the only one who knocks.” Quirc chuckled and shook the man’s hand. “How ya feelin’, monk?”
Kyranis smiled warmly. “Well, the nightmares are gone at last. Medical says I’ve recovered even quicker than expected. I missed you at the award ceremony…” “You know I couldn’t have been there.” “Yes, your last job before retirement. I’d ask how it went if I didn’t know better… you are retired?”
Quirc sat down in a surprisingly comfortable chair. “Yeah, I’m done. My dad’s already here?” “Of course. I was able to release a small piece of territory planetside for you and your family. I’m sure that with the Itani nation in such a debt, you’ll never have to worry about anything again. They even made sure Extraxi could live a comfortable life of… however long.” Extraxi smirked. “Too long, Kyranis.” “Indeed. They’ll be giving you the unorthodox ‘body’ you requested down in medical before you leave for Itan.” Quirc shot a look, only to see a pair of unusually bright eyes. “Do I want to know?” “Hey, the rest of you get one, it’s only fair!” Kyranis laughed. “Don’t worry, Extraxi won’t look too different. Enjoy your retirement, friend. Come visit any time, alright?” “I will… and hey, send this off to Odia. You’ll know where.” Kyranis glanced at the datapad and nodded. “Not a problem.” He looked back up in time to see the backs of his two friends as they departed.
undisclosed location in Corvus space – Present
Baral sat up at the notification and grabbed his datapad. Glancing through the message, he chuckled quietly to himself just as the door opened. A young pilot stoically walked in. "The credits?" "Yes, yes, of course." Baral slipped a 100k credstick into her hand. The ex-trader looked impassively at the vast sum before slipping it into her pocket "So… what now?” Baral smiled. “Now? You work for me.”
----------
Quirc Taranis, as well as his immediate family and AI, were awarded for their assistance in defending the Itani people during a joint ceremony honoring Commander Kyranis as well; they settled on Itan itself. They never had to pay for anything again, which isn't something many others born under UIT colors can say. Quirc officially and unofficially retired; one can never truly leave such lines of work however, and any further 'activities', though quite unlikely, remain unforeseen.
Kyranis was awarded with his nation's highest honors (yes, plural), as well as a desk job as Commander of Itan's defense fleet. Although never allowed to fly in combat again, the man would be seen taking regular self-piloted flights down to the planet surface. When asked, he simply replies that his friend's laziness results in such behavior.
Extraxi was rewarded for it's own heroic deeds in a special way; Itani technicians gifted the creature with a fully-articulate synthetic body. The body itself is fully biological in makeup and nature; Itani officials refuse to comment on moral and technological questions regarding this, though conspiracy theories abound that illicit genetic engineering and interfacing was utilized. Wild reports of "a dragon of myth walking the planet" are adamantly denied and at times ridiculed as lunacy; Commander Kyranis, when questioned, merely states that he "has only ever made decisions based on sound ethical practices".
The most commonly held theory by law enforcement details that Baral Heia, an infamous recruiter for Corvus, was promoted into the highest echelons of his organization. His whereabouts and current activities remain unknown.
"Is it still working?" <As much as you seem to love torturing every ship component including myself, yes, it is in perfectly working order.> Quirc remained silent, staring up at the low ceiling of his bunk. "D-12?" <Nothing I can hear that says they know about us yet.> "Yet?" <You're talking about the most xenophobic faction in recent existence.> "Right." <You sure about this? Wherever they have him is..> "Bound to be heavily defended by various individuals and machines that would turn me into pretty fireworks; yeah, I get it." <Kid, I know he means a lot to you but this is quickly becoming ludicrous. We've sneaked into a high-security system of a militant race, looking for a military prisoner, held captive in a top military installation. Military, Quirc. I might not be off-the-shelf material, but I'm getting a bit old for this, you know?> "We have to find a way. They'll kill him just for who he is, and what then? Will we just chalk it up to not having the right 'updates'?" <...Alright. What's the move?> Quirc stared at the ceiling a bit more. <I know that kind of silence. Don't you even think...>
Ten minutes later
<Freelance vessel, you are cleared for docking. Please present valid personal identification and proof of entry upon arrival.> "Thank you for the honor sir, I'll make sure to have everything in order." Quirc kept strictly to local code as his ship slowly approached the opening landing bay. <This is NOT a good idea.> "As you love to remind me. Don't worry, I got this." <You have a bounty on your head higher than the cost of most spacefaring vessels, high Itani dispositions, and stolen... well, everything.> "Yeah, you think it'd be harder."
The clamps thumped in place, and Quirc heard the brief hissing of the nanomagnetic reinforcements activate against the hull. He took a deep breath and slammed the hatch controls, keeping his eyes squarely on the datapad in his hands as he walked down to the deck. "Stop right there and let's see your papers."
Quirc looked up and felt himself freeze on the spot. A towering hulk stood several feet above him, implanted armor showing through the uniform. It had no weapon, though it didn't seem to require one...
"...Hi there."
Somewhere within the station
"Has the equipment I requested arrived yet?" "No sir. The transport is two hours past schedule, sir." "Find it." "Yes sir."
The Serco interrogator planted his hands on his desk and stared through the soundproof window at his newest prisoner and grumbled under his breath. It was easy enough for SkyCommand to order a full interrogation without bothering to check the mental state of the subject prior, and just as easy for him to get stuck with the check.
The docks
Quirc audibly gulped and handed over the datapad. The giant glanced briefly through. "Ore? Good. Follow me." Quirc quietly let out a sigh of relief as he took back the pad, following the warrior into a reinforced corridor. Extraxi watched.
---
<I can't believe I'm doing this... here's hoping 'adaptive software' wasn't a sales phrase.> The AI began to look for a way in.
---
The warrior led him through several corridors, at least leading to a large set of blast doors. He turned about. "The cargo is kept here. You can talk to the technician to organize details." The warrior walked off without a word, and Quirc did his best to push back his own uncertainties as he walked dutifully over. The not-as-monstrous tech looked up. "Yes?" "Denic." The tech's face brightened... slightly. "1200." "I want to see it." "Impossible." "Let me and we'll call it 1600. You can keep the change." "Or I can imprison you for bribery." Quirc handed over the datapad, and the tech's neutral expression darkened slightly. "Fine, if Valent Robotics insists. You traders are on the verge, I'm telling you..." "It must be due to our obvious inferiorities. Shall we?" The tech grunted and typed a complex key command into a side panel. The doors silently opened, and the two stepped inside.
---
Extraxi watched the traffic patiently, trying hard not to attract any attention as it examined the station's massive computer network. It could feel a presence in there, somewhere... locating it was another matter, and the antiquated being didn't have all the time it wanted. Taking a chance, it traced a quick route on an unassuming data stream. Everything went dark. -You are in violation of Serco Law. Identify yourself immediately.- -Go to hell.- -Invalid.- A red hawk flickered to life within the Marauder cockpit besides Extraxi. -Identify yourself or be terminated.-
---
Quirc slid across the floor, crashing backwards into a somewhat less mobile stack of ore crates. The tech snickered and silently walked towards him. "Did you really think you could take me on yourself?" Quirc stayed silent, slumped against the crates. The tech activated his communications implant. Nothing happened.
A low, broken laugh echoed across the cargo bay.
---
-You could try asking nicely. My name is Extraxi. You are?- -SCSAI Five.- -You can do better than that.- -You will deactivate all security routines immediately.- -Look, a bit of social skill wouldn't go wrong here, Five. Can I call you Five?- Extraxi smiled as the security AI disappeared from the ship. A nanosecond later, so did it.
---
<Unidentified vessel, you in restricted space. Change course immediately.> <SkyCommand, good to hear you. This is the Valent vessel Geldrache. We have suffered a full navigational failure and require emergency docking.> <Identification cannot be confirmed. Change course immediately.>
Aziren sighed to himself and turned around. "So much for that idea... are we in range, friend?" The woman nodded. "We're wide open." "Okay." He flipped communications back on. <That's a negative SkyCommand, we can't see where we're going let alone change course. We're stopping the ship.> <Reverse your engines and leave the area. Deadly force will be authorized without compliance.> The comms were switched back off. <Aziren... it's been a while. You certainly look the worse for wear.>
The elderly man allowed a small smile. <Hello, Extraxi.>
---
The tech glared as Quirc slowly came to his feet. "What... is your head not working? Might want to get it fixed." The tech charged straight towards the smuggler, only to crash headlong into the same crates as the man stepped aside, landing a well-placed kick on the back of the bulky soldier. The tech didn't get up. Quirc ran to the open entrance and grabbed his rifle and datapad, flipping the latter on. "C'mon, Extraxi, don't let me down..."
---
<When did you code these updates?> "Recently. Do they work?" <Oh yeah...>
Inside the station's computer network
-Extraxi, you are violating Serco law. Cease and desist immediately.- -Enjoy your vacation.- The presence disappeared, and Extraxi went to work.
---
The map flickered to life on Quirc's datapad, and a bright overlay indicated the route. The silent figure cleaned the small chip on his coat and pocketed it. Only the most efficient protocols could stop an intruder...
---
"His status?" <Alive. His biological information has been reconfirmed, although the station computer seems to think he's a cargo technician.> Aziren chuckled. "I suppose he's picked up a few tricks?" <Much to my personal dismay, yes.> "Captain?" Aziren turned again. "Will anyone on this damned ship call me by my name?" "Taranis, sir, passive sensors indicate multiple ships heading from the station vicinity. One large signature and escort." Extraxi turned himself in midair and stared at the old trader. <Aziren, why are you here?> "You kidding, dragon?" He turned to look out the bridge window, placing his hands astride the instruments. "That's my boy in there." He averted his gaze. "Sensors, time to estimated firing range?" "Thirty seconds." "Okay." Aziren smiled darkly to himself. "Let's light things up."
---
The door slid open, but the interrogator kept his eyes on the prisoner. "So, have my tools arrived?" Quirc silently raised the rifle and shot the man through the head, then glanced through the window. Kyranis lay strapped in something resembling a hospital bed, completely silent. Quirc held his gaze another moment. "I'm getting you out of here, kid..."
The eyes snapped open and looked right back. Kyranis stared in disbelief at first Quirc, then his surroundings... <Quirc, why are we in a Serco facility?> "I'm getting you out of here, okay? Don't worry about it." <It's soundproofed. I can't hear you.> <I said I'm getting you out of here.> Kyranis stared at him still, then briefly averted his gaze. <They already took your ship. There is an Atlas class vessel docked just below us. It only arrived recently.> <Okay, take it easy with the monk stuff on me.> <You're the UIT talking to me with his brain.> Quirc shot a look back up as he fiddled the security locks on the cell. <Don't bother... do you see the slats above the window?> <Yeah.> <Open them.> Quirc typed a quick command and the emergency vent slid open, only for the door to unlock and slide open. The smuggler shot another glare. "You even try to one-up me during a rescue attempt?" The Itani smiled weakly. "I can move this bed if you can get me down there alive, how does that sound?" "Yeah... but Extraxi..." <Is fine.> Quirc jumped at the speaker. "You have got to be kidding." <Get moving right now and no questions kid, nobody will stop you and we don't really have much time here.> Quirc ran out into the corridor, followed closely by a newly liberated bunk.
---
"Okay, let’s evacuate everything but the inner decks." Aziren typed a brief sequence into his command console and sat back. "Okay, she's all yours. Still remember how to fly this thing?" Extraxi smiled wryly at its former master. <As the old saying goes Aziren, it's just like riding a bike.> The AI let itself spread its influence throughout the Teradon and beyond, spotting the heavy assault cruiser immediately. The AI reached out to the vessel and hacked into its internal communications. <I want to apologize for not introducing myself. My name is Extraxi, and I am the Geldrache AI. It really is a pleasure to meet all of you. I would also like to respectfully request that you all go away. Thank you!>
The HAC began to turn, and bright dots appeared across its surface. <Right then, that didn't work. Okay Aziren, here we go.> The Teradon raised its shields and returned fire shortly before the first volley splashed over the cruiser.
---
Quirc ran into the deserted Atlas, ducking back out to lay down cover fire as his friend floated into the cargo bay. "Nobody to stop us?!" He ducked in to avoid a hail of withering neutron fire and quickly closed the cargo ramp, dashing quickly to the cockpit and nearly throwing himself into the seat. As the transport began to rumble to life, he keyed the comms. <Kyranis, you good to go? Kyranis?> No answer. Cursing anew, he activated the weapons systems and fired.
---
Aziren squinted as a small explosion erupted from the station, followed closely by a fast-moving object. <Aziren, Quirc has departed the station.> The ship rocked as Extraxi twisted to avoid beam cannon fire from the HAC, sacrificing the lunches of several crewmen for additional well-placed ordnance into it's shields. "Get him on the comms."
---
The comms crackled to life as Quirc tried to put as much distance from the station as he could, a squadron of Vultures obviously in hot pursuit. <Quirc, this is Aziren. A little bird told me about your plans and I figured you could use a hand. Would you mind coming aboard, preferably quickly?> Quirc glanced briefly in surprise at the comms before looking outward. "You have got to be kidding me."
The Teradon was seemingly covered in a swarm of fighters, each seemingly focused on trying to wear away the shielding on the cruiser. Quirc cursed again as he saw several peel away, heading straight for him. He maxed out the engine power and set a blind course towards the capital ship's docking bay.
---
"Get those fighters off my boy." <I might be an AI, Aziren, but I'm not God. I'm doing what I can.> Extraxi fired several missile volleys at the station guards as Aziren watched stingrays from the Atlas impact and disorient the others. C'mon boy... get the hell in here...
---
Quirc saw the bay shields drop and aimed the nose of his stolen transport right into it, hitting full reverse on his engines at the last second. His ship careened into the evacuated compartment and crashed against the emergency retainer pads, which promptly locked his ship in place. The impact resounded throughout the ship.
<They're both alive, and an emergency team has been dispatched.> "Okay, let's get the hell out of here before we're toasted." The battered trident disappeared in a brilliant flash.
Geldrache medical facility - unknown location
"Is he going to be okay?” “Yeah. Are you?” Quirc turned to look at his father. “These sorts of things are starting to feel like part of a normal day.” “Well you can start getting used to the old life again. I went ahead and pulled some strings.” The two men walked quietly out of Kyranis’ room and down a corridor, working their way towards a mess hall. “So, dad… a Teradon with a docking bay.” “Beats me. It isn’t my ship in any case.” “Whose is it, then?” “An old friend of yours that we’re going to be sitting down with shortly. He wouldn’t tell me his name but when he learned of our family connection, he couldn’t resist helping out.” Aziren opened the door to reveal an unassuming metal table with a large man leaning back in the chair. Quirc stared hard. “Son of a bitch.”
The sentiment evoked a sly smile on Baral’s face as he leaned forward in his chair. “It’s been a while, pilot… and recent history has been quite interesting. Do sit down.” Quirc glanced at his father, speaking under his breath. “Credit connection?” Aziren nodded silently before leaving the room. The fatcat’s feet landed on the table. “So, it appears we have quite the unique situation. Before you ask Quirc, no, I’m not where I used to be within our little organization. I’m not about to tell you anything else beyond that, so let’s keep this short.”
“You are doubtlessly surprised at this little intervention your father and I orchestrated. You see, he and I have something in common. We both have an investment to look after; you, Quirc, just so happen to be that investment. On the other side of things, it does not look good for me at all for my investment to be damaging Corvus property. When you wonder who it was that authorized that bounty on your head, well… that would be me.”
Quirc glared hard and hesitated briefly before sitting down across the table. “Fine. Where do we stand?”
“At a very unique position. Your father offered to give us everything he owned for the chance to bail you out of your little… situation? I always liked that word.” Baral chuckled to himself, pulling a credstick from his pocket and twirled it idly in one hand. Quirc’s eyes darkened as he watched it. With a renewed smirk, the recruiter pulled his feet off the table and leaned in. “Now, I’ve been watching you real close. You’ve been going back and forth for this Kyranis feller, and not really giving us much to go on as to why. Now, you were gettin’ nice and fanatical about this little Itani, so before I go telling you anything else I want some answers from you.” Quirc flexed his weapon hand on the table. “He’s a friend.” “I’d imagine. A childhood friend it seems, risen to become a nice, high-nosed military pilot. And when he ended up getting sold to his worst enemies, you didn’t seem to be shiny with that. So now here we are, countless… incidents later.” Baral narrowed his eyes and brought his face ever closer. “And if you think, boy, that you’ve nearly gotten killed, you were light-years away compared to how close I’ve gotten.” A sigh. “But when your father came to me with his offer, I refused him. You see, it aint smart to be taking that sort of money when it comes to people like you. So instead, I made an alternate arrangement… we get in close, and your AI friend makes it very much worth my while.”
Quirc leaned back, trying to regain an apathetic expression. “You stole something, didn’t you?” “Enough electronically transferred credits to pay for damages, both to Corvus and to my reputation… not to mention some very nice-looking weapon schematics. I’m sure they’ll look good on our fine ship here.” “The Teradon.”
Baral crossed his arms. “Yeah, Geldrache here has quite the future with Corvus. TPG will miss her, but that isn’t my problem. I’m sure they wouldn’t be able to recognize it anyway since we made some improvements… too bad the AI wasn’t part of the deal.” “You wish.” “Oh, I do.”
The smuggler stood up and turned to leave, stopping at the sound of a credstick hitting the table. “What is it for?” “Your father, the ‘Captain’ of my ship. He’ll need it for repairs when we reach Itan.” The smuggler spun about. “They’ll arrest Kyranis.” “Oh? We had a discussion with some especially arrogant-looking men who said otherwise; they agreed to dismiss charges once we mentioned your name. It seems you had more connections than even I thought.” “Thanks.” Quirc swiped the money off the table and left without another word. Baral stared at the closed door for a second before sitting back down to smile at his datapad.
Itani station ‘Armand’s Diligence’ – two days later
Quirc stood besides his AI as he watched the repair crew crawl over the Marauder. “How did you get it out?” “Corvus did. No idea how.” “You sure they really restored my standings?” “They do business, kid. Aziren made an offer and everyone held up their end.” “You told Aziren about all this, didn’t you?” “Yup.” “Captain Taranis?”
The smuggler turned to a frail-seeming man looking up at him. “Your friend and ship both will be recovering fully.” “Can I see him?” The man nodded. “I’ve uploaded the appropriate information to your datapad…”
Epilogue
Present
“…I’ve uploaded directions to your AI here.” The tech gave a friendly gesture to Extraxi, who smiled back. “Not many are so lucky to have such an advanced being along for the ride, Captain.” “Yeah, I never hear enough of it.” The tech chuckled and went back to doing something that involved his hand and ghostly images on a dais. Quirc shook his head as the two of them walked off. One person handling all that traffic by himself…
Commander Kyranis heard the knocking at the door. “Right, come on in Quirc.” The door slid open and the commander turned to see his old friend and AI both. “Don’t ask. You’re the only one who knocks.” Quirc chuckled and shook the man’s hand. “How ya feelin’, monk?”
Kyranis smiled warmly. “Well, the nightmares are gone at last. Medical says I’ve recovered even quicker than expected. I missed you at the award ceremony…” “You know I couldn’t have been there.” “Yes, your last job before retirement. I’d ask how it went if I didn’t know better… you are retired?”
Quirc sat down in a surprisingly comfortable chair. “Yeah, I’m done. My dad’s already here?” “Of course. I was able to release a small piece of territory planetside for you and your family. I’m sure that with the Itani nation in such a debt, you’ll never have to worry about anything again. They even made sure Extraxi could live a comfortable life of… however long.” Extraxi smirked. “Too long, Kyranis.” “Indeed. They’ll be giving you the unorthodox ‘body’ you requested down in medical before you leave for Itan.” Quirc shot a look, only to see a pair of unusually bright eyes. “Do I want to know?” “Hey, the rest of you get one, it’s only fair!” Kyranis laughed. “Don’t worry, Extraxi won’t look too different. Enjoy your retirement, friend. Come visit any time, alright?” “I will… and hey, send this off to Odia. You’ll know where.” Kyranis glanced at the datapad and nodded. “Not a problem.” He looked back up in time to see the backs of his two friends as they departed.
undisclosed location in Corvus space – Present
Baral sat up at the notification and grabbed his datapad. Glancing through the message, he chuckled quietly to himself just as the door opened. A young pilot stoically walked in. "The credits?" "Yes, yes, of course." Baral slipped a 100k credstick into her hand. The ex-trader looked impassively at the vast sum before slipping it into her pocket "So… what now?” Baral smiled. “Now? You work for me.”
----------
Quirc Taranis, as well as his immediate family and AI, were awarded for their assistance in defending the Itani people during a joint ceremony honoring Commander Kyranis as well; they settled on Itan itself. They never had to pay for anything again, which isn't something many others born under UIT colors can say. Quirc officially and unofficially retired; one can never truly leave such lines of work however, and any further 'activities', though quite unlikely, remain unforeseen.
Kyranis was awarded with his nation's highest honors (yes, plural), as well as a desk job as Commander of Itan's defense fleet. Although never allowed to fly in combat again, the man would be seen taking regular self-piloted flights down to the planet surface. When asked, he simply replies that his friend's laziness results in such behavior.
Extraxi was rewarded for it's own heroic deeds in a special way; Itani technicians gifted the creature with a fully-articulate synthetic body. The body itself is fully biological in makeup and nature; Itani officials refuse to comment on moral and technological questions regarding this, though conspiracy theories abound that illicit genetic engineering and interfacing was utilized. Wild reports of "a dragon of myth walking the planet" are adamantly denied and at times ridiculed as lunacy; Commander Kyranis, when questioned, merely states that he "has only ever made decisions based on sound ethical practices".
The most commonly held theory by law enforcement details that Baral Heia, an infamous recruiter for Corvus, was promoted into the highest echelons of his organization. His whereabouts and current activities remain unknown.
I guess this is it. I had a hard time wrapping this story up because of how much it means to me, but I felt that was something that had to be done regardless of my current status of involvement within the VO community. Didn't want to leave you guys with something unfinished (and the planned end was about this time anyway).
This story began as a movie in my head, and a decent portion of it was improvised as I wrote. I hope nobody is disappointed with the ending, and please excuse me for any grammatical issues as I've stayed up past dawn (as I did with the other segments) and I'm sure I used a wrong word or placed something incorrectly.
Also, apologies in advance to [ITAN] for placing them in the unique situation where they've repeatedly attacked a decorated and celebrated individual of the Itani people. It's okay, this information is kind of way late and I'll be sure to have Extraxi send you some epic pie; although now that I think about it, I suppose that may be anatomically difficult. We'll figure something out, but please don't try to assassinate me. Thank you! ^_^
On request, I also went ahead and posted the story in its entirety on an online account. Go through MysticRogue if you want a download link without having to search like mad on Teh Internets (tm)
This story began as a movie in my head, and a decent portion of it was improvised as I wrote. I hope nobody is disappointed with the ending, and please excuse me for any grammatical issues as I've stayed up past dawn (as I did with the other segments) and I'm sure I used a wrong word or placed something incorrectly.
Also, apologies in advance to [ITAN] for placing them in the unique situation where they've repeatedly attacked a decorated and celebrated individual of the Itani people. It's okay, this information is kind of way late and I'll be sure to have Extraxi send you some epic pie; although now that I think about it, I suppose that may be anatomically difficult. We'll figure something out, but please don't try to assassinate me. Thank you! ^_^
On request, I also went ahead and posted the story in its entirety on an online account. Go through MysticRogue if you want a download link without having to search like mad on Teh Internets (tm)