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OOC for this thread.

306582.6 Galactic Time, mid-evening Lor Republic core space, G'Nüzz system, G'Nüzz II, Ahri-Bodhi Megaplex The Black Hole would have looked pretty good to the average Terrestrian, with its gleaming silver furnishings, high ceiling, low volume of music and talk, generously-stocked bar, energetic staff, sections with varied lighting and entire sealed compartments for differently-atmosphered patrons. To the Voidrunners it looked like an utter dump. The bar's liquids were a subtly unhealthy shade(its gases and solids were no better), the low volume was on account of the crowd of various beings carrying out business of various legalities. The staff had the telltale signs of being blissed out of their minds and likely on their third consecutive all-diurnal shift. But the hygenic needs of hundreds of varying life-forms meant that even the worst places had a spotless santitation record. Anyone trying to buy their way to one was tragically never seen again. Universal health care was a deserved point of pride in the Republic, but nobody wanted to take any chances. However, the Voidrunners were here specifically to take a chance. Which did not include not taking a secluded booth. "...So, that's the story. Near as I can tell, it's here, got it?" Her tail lashing restlessly behind her, Loma Slife pointed to the lonely cluster at the fringe of civilized space. Even in the generous dimensions of the bar, the rogue Chorna had to stoop a little, but was no less a looming, menacing sight. With her bulging muscles and vicious spines and thick hide, it was easy to forget that she needed weapons at all, let alone that she could summon them to her side with a thought. Slumping back into the seat and propping up her legs on the foursome's table, her feet resting on the next one, the fearsome bounty hunter inspected her massive hands "This thing, officials call it the "Visitor", far as I know it's not got much punch. Just gets around everything, can hide anywhere, and hitting it is a s*n' **k and a half. So I say we team up, go in, flush the thing out and I help bag it, get the picture?" Swiping Ruby's mug, Loma downed half of it, paused, and spat its contents on the floor. Grimacing, the bounty hunter went on "Since this thing is from the Swarm, no non-mentato but me's ever made a dent in that nano-cloud 'o mystery, and everyone ELSE is after it too, I think it's only fair I get half of the ः120 billion credit reward, while you Voidies split the sixty billion amongst yourselves. Dunno what bills you got, but that should pay 'em off pretty nicely, know what I'm sayin'?" Her hands busy supporting her crested head, her spiny tail reached out to each of the Voidrunners in turn.

OOC for HERE.

Equivalent to October, 2015, in Terran cycles. Outpost P-32, Ledas System, on Ledas 4. This place was a frigid waste. Not that they would go out among the ammonia shoals among the dark skies, and ever present snows. It was toxic to most, and even if it wasn't it was way, way too cold to be there. Still this place had minerals that were useful, and it was a good place to hole up a research station. The outpost was nice, or nicer than the places they frequented, and there was enough facilities for them to take care of things, little repairs and such that built up. Plus a couple nice watering holes, including some places that Roulette could duck off to, to place some games, and swindle some people. Bliss hated the cold. Her homeworld was far more warm, though while she wasn't mammalian, she was assuredly endothermic. So that accounted for something. Still, she was the strongest of the Runners, and so she relented to leaving her room and helping Ruby get supplies. Plus, sometimes they got discounts if she was glaring. When in her enviro suit she looked a bit more intimidating. Which they were benefiting from, with the Xuli'pan was off to the side, waiting while Ruby did... something... She didn't know. They were in one of the trader stations here in the outpost. With their crates of the supplies that would be here, the rest would be delivered after they got back to the station. Bliss was propped against the wall, staring through one of the porthole style windows that aimed towards the main concourse of the outpost.

Planet Rath Inner edge of the Perseus Arm October 16, 2015 (Terran Calendar) Under Ruby's expert guidance, the Voidrunner skimmed over the treetops of a vast forest on the planet Rath. Burst of bright red energy could be seen out the cockpit viewport, slicing past the star cruiser, one of the lower bursts blasting off the tops of a few trees. Things had started out as a simple bounty collection, the Void Runners following information on their mark to Rath. The locals had little interest in prevent the removal of a wanted criminal, and now the mark was secure in one of the Voidrunner's holding cells and everything seemed to be going according to plan. That was until the group had lifted off to depart Rath, and almost immediately come under fire from four starfighters of unknown design. Thus far, Ruby's attempts to outrun them had been unsuccessful. The Voidrunner shook as it took another glancing hit from one of the fighters, and several more misses streaked past...

March 1, 2015 51 Pegasi 50 light years from Earth 51 Pegasi is an LV-type star, the kind of small yellow dwarf utterly undistinguished except for the simple accident of longevity and luminescence that means they are, by a wide margin, the stars most likely to support Lor-type life across the galaxy. 51 Pegasi does have one novelty - 51 Pegasi B, the gas giant trapped a little more than 4 million miles from its home star. 51 Pegasi B is a burning hot world, wracked by storms and super-heated winds that make the planet one of the most hostile in Lor space. Even so, the scientific research station on 51 Pegasi Ba, the single asteroidal satellite of the planet, has always been something of a backwater. The fluid dynamics of superheated gas giants is a vigorously debated scientific discipline, but one with few practical applications. The team from Ohtalv University arrived for their year-long assignment five and a half months ago, a few weeks before Ohtalv University and the rest of Lor-Van was atomized by strong-nuclear suppression from the Communion. A routine scientific posting had suddenly become a refuge, but also a cage - the picket ship usually assigned as their rescue vessel was called away for convoy duty months ago and they have nothing on the base rated to so much as leave the shadow of the asteroid. Of the five person team from the University, their world gone and families dead, supplies dwindling more and more every day, four are still alive. It's a sad story, but a story repeated again and again the Lor Republic. Nothing out of the ordinary here. Until recently. As he sat in the station's control center, Narab Zober watched what would have been the career-making discovery of a scientist a year earlier play out before him with calm interest. Only the cool discipline of his Hephestian martial heritage kept him here, kept him working, and kept thoughts of home, family, and all he had lost out of his mind. Lives had ended - but life went on. "...from deep neutrino scans, the entity has reached the rocky core of Pegasi 51b and has begun what can only be described as _feeding_ on the heavy metals and other materials within." He watched the rippling clouds, gone chaotic in recent days, and raised a long feathered eyebrow, his padded fingers folded on the table in front of him. "To survive at the heart of a super-heated gas giant, the Gorgon's energy and matter absorption abilities must be even greater than previously estimated. Fascinating. At current rate of consumption, I estimate that within seven standard days, Pegasi 51b will have lost its gravitic cohesion and begin breaking up." And then plummet into the burning heart of the star - along with this station. "This is Dr. Narab Zober of Lor Science Station #0047, ending this rotation's report. Tomorrow Dr. M'Kelley will offer her report on the fluid dynamics of a gas giant in the process of core destruction. End transmission." When he was done, he stared at the communications terminal, as if willing a reply by sheer force.

The OOC

GM The Rock Outer Reaches of Contested Space Tuesday, May, 5th, 2015 When the Stellar Khanate initally rose to power, Star Khan needed a prison facility for all criminals too value to simply kill off. Known informally as "The Rock",. the Khanate's best architects created a hidden prison on an asteroid field within the oribt of a resource fueled planet known as Veritas. The prisoners were periodically brought down to a mining colony on the Veritas to participate in forced labor.The prison was designed almost entirely with "re-purposed" technology. Namely Lor technology. Every guard an emotionless Lor Enforcer robot. Only the Wardern and the on site doctor were flesh and blood Zultasians. The various defense measures made the prison impenetrable. With not a single documented escape or break in. The Rock was basically a fortress in of itself. After Star Khan was bested in the Lor-Khan war Veritas broke away from the Khanate. And with it the prison planet. Most Government bodies were led to believe the prison fell out of use. In reality, The Rock became a private enterprise. Storing prisoners for those willing to pay the right price. The Enforcers also acted as bounty hunters collecting prisoners and faking their deaths before transferring them to the Rock for the credit reward. Providing the Warden with a never ending stream of prisoners to act as miners even in the present day. Every criminal worth his salt knew to avoid the Lor's Enforcers. Never knowing if they were the genuine deal or hired goons for someone with enough pull. Unfotunately, Star Shot's crew of intergalactic environmentalists were not criminals proper. When Lor Enforcers boarded their ship they assumed they were being questioned on a routine stop. They were wrong and promptly arrested. In reality, a Lor Diplomat faked footage claiming them to have been poaching rare interplanetary wildlife. All to prevent them from bringing to light evidence of his own illegal gaming. Deep Freeze thought ahead. Sending out a request to an underground crimenet for a cash reward. Anyone who could rescue the captured crew would be generously compensated. Only one crew was reckless enough to actually willingly get captured by the Enforcers. In the middle of being processed for their own suspect criminal history, such as attacking a certain law enforcement officer made of sand, the Voidrunners grumbled as all their equipment was taken by the Enforcers. Bliss and Ruby instantly regretting going along with what could only be described as another plan Roulette purposely designed to tick off his comrades. Elsewhere, in the prison cafeteria, Seika had just accidentally bumped into a bloated round shaped purple skinned extraterrestrial creature with eight arms. The creature's tray fell on the ground and it snarled. Almost instantly the purple creature was joined by three other large creatures. "Stinky two arms!"

OOC for this thread.

Outer Reaches of Contested Space 38 Hours After Destruction of Lor-Van It was a truism that any seasoned spacer could have sworn upon: the heart of galactic civilization could be on fire, the proverbial wolf could be at the door and everything anyone knew could be turned upside down but there would still be someone willing to pay hard coin to make sure somebody else got what was coming to them. Since energy cells and starship parts hadn't suddenly become free, the crew of the Voidrunner had made their way out to the raggedy edge of known space, far enough out that nobody bothered to argue if it was technically Republic or Khanate territory, looking for a scumbag with a price on his head. Only this time the heart of galactic civilization really was on fire and the rush of reentry outside the airlock was starting to sound an awful lot like that proverbial wolf growling. Orbital traffic was ten times over denser than it should have been, packed with the ships of refugees who'd either thought they could avoid what was coming by running far enough away or who just didn't have anywhere more attractive to go than the dustball known as Ke'Pinree. Many of the vessels looked barely space-worthy; it was doubtful their passengers would be able to make it to the next closest habitable world if they were turned away. Once properly assured that they were there on business, a harried sounding woman with a thick provincial accent had cleared the bounty hunters for landing, directing them to was passed for a spaceport on her world.

The OOC! Let's see some Sense Motive rolls.