PirateThe vox crackles to life, and Master Helmsman Ravor addresses you. "What we have here, Lord Cap'n... It is not very noticeable, but there's a voidship sitting in the local asteroid field. It sure is quiet, like it's huddled up in there on purpose. It's not like I am surprised, the thing is more scrapheap than ship at this point. Somebody sure went to town on it. We are registering critical damage to the hull and depressurisation of several compartments. Oh, there is an incoming transmission now, too."
Pirate"...Hear us?" The vox-transmission hisses and abruptly cuts to static. "Do not require assistance... peat, do not require assistance!"
Pirate"...Copy?" The vox relays a different voice. "...Keep following... they'll pass us by, won't they? ...ror protects!"
Pirate"Lord Captain, I am told our augurs cannot determine the allegiance of the vessel. To be brief, there is an unidentified and badly damaged vessel within an asteroid field near the Rykadi Philia colony that is refusing help... Which, not to put too fine a point on it, has not yet been offered to them."
YOU"Ravor, can we establish communication? Let the vessel identify itself."
Pirate"Yes, Lord Cap'n. The connection is established. Unknown vessel, we are receiving you. Identify yourselves. I repeat, identify yourselves."
PirateFor a brief moment the vox only hisses and snaps, and then several voices at once start shouting over one another. "Do not tell!" — "Tell him!" — "We are done for!"
Pirate"This is Thunderfang!.. We are..." One of the voices falters uncertainly and is replaced by another. "...a merchant vessel! Do you copy?.. We are a private ...chant vessel!"
Pirate"A merchant vessel. Of course, they are. Damn my stupid head, where did I hear this name before? Thunderfang..."
YOU"Ravor, damage report on the unknown vessel."
Pirate"Telemetry shows multiple hull breaches, most likely caused by the guns of a combat ship. Several compartments are leaking air. The bridge has been almost completely obliterated. Two of the engines are critically damaged. Somebody gave them a thrashing so solid they barely managed to limp away."
YOU"Ravor, damage report on the unknown vessel."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, why can we not identify you?"
PirateYou can make out hoarse and furious whispering even over the crackling of the static. "Why?! I don't know!.. What if... Certainly not!.."
PirateThe whispering dies and a clear, youthful voice cuts through the static. "Our vessel is badly damaged... amage is preventing the correct inden... ide... indentification! We assure you... ceful merchant vessel. Thunderfang does not require aid..."
YOU"Ravor, damage report on the unknown vessel."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, why can we not identify you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, your vessel is badly damaged. What happened to you?"
PirateThe vox responds by bursting into a cacophony of sounds, words, and emotions — someone chuckles bitterly, another swears with some foul expletives, and yet another hisses, furiously demanding that the others shut up. You manage to make out little from all this noise...
Pirate"We were just flying, minding our own business... Straight out of the blue and opened fire!.. Miracle we could get away... Emperor protected... And then more fire! Who?! Void only knows... Roasted our tail, bombed everything... The folks, our folks are left without our help... We never got to them..."
YOU"Ravor, damage report on the unknown vessel."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, why can we not identify you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, your vessel is badly damaged. What happened to you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, now stop playing games and explain again what your business is here. And this time I highly recommend the truth."
Pirate"Happy now?! What have you done... diot! It is too late now..." The vox-channel is again filled with the angry whispering of several voices.
PirateThe whispers and static are drowned out by a clear and slightly frightened voice. "Do you copy? We are from the Fellow... of the Void. We did not come here to loot... on a different business. To help our own... out of jail... Do not hurt ... lease. We already had our chronos cleaned. How about... striking a deal? Our hold is full of... lunder, I mean, goods."
YOU"Ravor, damage report on the unknown vessel."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, why can we not identify you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, your vessel is badly damaged. What happened to you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, now stop playing games and explain again what your business is here. And this time I highly recommend the truth."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, prepare for commercial exchange."
end of branch
YOU"Main gun deck, on my order! Aim weapons... Target, 'Thunderfang'..."
Pirate"Your Lordship/Ladyship, I beg forgiveness for my impertinence, but let me remind you once again: we are currently locked in the system, without the ability to jump anywhere else. Be reasonable, do you really, now of all times, want to get rid of a trading partner? And remember, the Fellowship of the Void is very likely to learn of what is about to transpire..."
YOU"Main gun deck, fire!"
Pirate"The main gun deck is reporting a successful salvo. The augurs are reporting a successful hit. We do not register any survivors. Death to the pirate scum, glory to the von Valancius dynasty!"
end of branch
YOU"Fine, Danrok, have it your way. Main gun deck, belay that order."
Pirate"May the God-Emperor bless your wisdom!"
YOU"Ravor, damage report on the unknown vessel."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, why can we not identify you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, your vessel is badly damaged. What happened to you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, now stop playing games and explain again what your business is here. And this time I highly recommend the truth."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, prepare for commercial exchange."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Main gun deck, on my order! Aim weapons... Target, 'Thunderfang'..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Keep following the old course."
end of branch
Pirate"Your Lordship/Ladyship, please restrain your anger! The voidship has a spacious hold — perhaps they would be willing to establish trade relations? Let us at least find out who they are before you smite them with your righteous fury!"
YOU"Main gun deck, fire!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Fine, Danrok, have it your way. Main gun deck, belay that order."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Keep following the old course."continues where this line first appears above
Pirate(sequence)
Pirate"In case you are unaware, Lord Captain, the Fellowship of the Void is a disorderly assembly of several dozen pirate factions in the Koronus Expanse. They consider themselves above regular heretics solely because they sometimes have vox-conversations with those whom they are about to board. Were it up to me, I would make them eat a salvo from the macro-cannons to shake the scum loose from the decks. They certainly deserve it."
PirateThe honeyed voice of the High Factotum interrupts the translation with a polite cough. "I would wait on destroying the vessel if I were you. Although the moral aspects of their livelihood do cause some awkward questions, the Fellowship of the Void remains a major supplier of goods to the local market. Perhaps you will find dealing with them acceptable... especially in a situation where performing a warp jump is impossible!"
end of branch
YOU"Thunderfang, prepare for commercial exchange."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Main gun deck, on my order! Aim weapons... Target, 'Thunderfang'..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Keep following the old course."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, now stop playing games and explain again what your business is here. And this time I highly recommend the truth."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, prepare for commercial exchange."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Main gun deck, on my order! Aim weapons... Target, 'Thunderfang'..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Keep following the old course."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, your vessel is badly damaged. What happened to you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, now stop playing games and explain again what your business is here. And this time I highly recommend the truth."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, prepare for commercial exchange."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Main gun deck, on my order! Aim weapons... Target, 'Thunderfang'..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Keep following the old course."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, why can we not identify you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, your vessel is badly damaged. What happened to you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, now stop playing games and explain again what your business is here. And this time I highly recommend the truth."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, prepare for commercial exchange."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Main gun deck, on my order! Aim weapons... Target, 'Thunderfang'..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Keep following the old course."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Ignore the vessel. Follow the charted course."
Pirate"Yes, Lord Captain!"
end of branch
Entry point 2 of 3
Pirate"Lord Captain, will there be any new orders concerning the voidship inside the asteroid field?"
YOU"Ravor, can we establish communication? Let the vessel identify itself."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Ignore the vessel. Follow the charted course."continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 3 of 3
Pirate"Lord Captain, we are observing the voidship, Thunderfang. Laser-based vox-communication is available."
YOU"Ravor, damage report on the unknown vessel."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, why can we not identify you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, your vessel is badly damaged. What happened to you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, now stop playing games and explain again what your business is here. And this time I highly recommend the truth."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thunderfang, prepare for commercial exchange."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Main gun deck, on my order! Aim weapons... Target, 'Thunderfang'..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Keep following the old course."continues where this line first appears above