I sat at the used shipyard at Caelestis Watch, waiting for the dealer to finish “asking his boss about my offer.” I took another look over the ship, an ancient UIT fighter hog that had seen better days. The dealer said it had only been used once, by an Itani lady, and then only for transporting her quilting circle's products to her grandson's shop in Deneb. But I could see the battle scars on the old boat that even expert patching couldn't completely hide. I could see the green patina on the cargo scoops that were characteristic of an old xith runner. This lady had seen battle, but she still had some life left in her. And she came with a nice, comfortable Itani cot – a relic of her quilt running days, according to the dealer.

*Aton Bo-Remik, as the salesman was calling himself this week (I think he put the star in his name to make himself sound younger), reappeared and told me that his boss was considering my price. I climbed back into it and had another look around at the inside and a last check on the console. It wasn't as roomy as my old Winnebago, but it was certainly more advanced. My days as a UIT Merchant Marine tech were invaluable when it came to buying ships, which was becoming a regular occurrence now that I had established some decent trade in the unclaimed territories. But escape pods are, at the very least, near infallible these days, and Corvus Hold pays well to anyone willing to bring cargo out that way. And I had a good thing going with second hand textiles from Dau. I didn't ask who made them (or how old they were) and they didn't tell me, and neither did Corvus when I showed up in port asking three times what I paid for them. And according to the dealer, this ship had experience in the civilian textiles industry.

It is sometimes said, although certainly not by me, that it is possible to pinpoint the exact moment that your life changes. It's called an epiphany. Well, sitting there in the cockpit having a second look over the console and making some last minute checks before blowing a few thousand creds on a used quilt trader, I had one. My epiphany was idly making his way toward me in the form of that louse of a pirate, Borb. That Itani-Serco crossbreed had been tailing me for months over a few grand that he mistakenly thought I owed him. I say “mistakenly” not because I hadn't taken the money, but because I had no intention of paying him. It wasn't even a real game. Poker, now that's a real game. But go? I'd never even heard of it. He said some Itani taught it to him in Sedina. I personally suspected he was making up the rules as he went along. But that was neither here nor there. What was here, however, was Borb, casually ambling toward the ship, hand resting on a holstered fusion gun at his hip, cowboy style. Shit.

You could practically see the dollar signs in his eyes. So I did what any sensible, honest person would have done in the situation. I winked at him, fired the old bird's engines. A black plume erupted from the drive's exhaust, covering *Aton Bo-Remik in soot, and blowing out what must have been ten years worth of rust and poor maintenance by an Itani seamstress. My epiphany watched calmly as I gunned the engines to the limit in what must have been the most vertical takeoff since that legendary first barge left old Earth for Serco Prime.

Outside of the atmosphere, I set a course to evade pursuit and flipped on the comnet, listening for activity. A little local police traffic, but nothing to worry about. I was, after all, the respected son of a Dau Senator, and a licensed UIT bounty hunter to boot, and this was a UIT station. To prevent bad feelings, I comnetted a few thousand creds to the shipyard and left the sector. I headed toward the Xang research facility where I heard there was ishik going cheap and promptly put the whole affair out of mind. It's a big galaxy, and it was probably just a coincidence that Borb happened to be in the right place at the right time. Heh, I was well out of that...

Will Borb find Lonestar? Will the ship hold together long enough for him to collect on his go debt? And will Lonestar be intercepted by an enraged Itani seamstress and her quilting armada, victimized by ship-stealing pirates? Tune in next time for:

Lonestar Apprehended

- or -

Borb's Night Out

EDIT: Fixed to Shape's specifications :)

Hehe, how could I not read a story with my name on it. :D Nice read, but if you had looked more closer you would have seen that it was a vintage 1911 .45 made in Texas, on my hip. :p

Well, I didn't want to assume :)

hehe, goban is the board, go/weichi/baduk is the game. But... um... I wouldn't know anything about that...

EDIT: yah more!

more

Yarrr. more ye scurvy ....UIT Senator's son o.O.

hrm, borb is a good man and i like to see things come to people who are good. but i think i'll root for lonestar on this one. GO LONESTAR, GO!!! :D

My well worn combat boots thudded low and dull every time I took a step. Caelestis Watch... I looked around with distain, I've seen worst, and I've seen better. Lot's better.

I had not been a pirate all that long, I guess I picked it up fast. Or maybe it was the fact that there were just way to few of us, regardless I had already be come some what well known. I had first met this UIT who goes by the name Lonestar on the Itani CtC route. See back then I still had romantic ideas about helping bring about peace and saving every one. I was so ignorant back then. Any way so there I am guarding the Itani voy and up pops this trader with a funny call sign. He starts babbling on in the bar about how he is gonna become the best there is and gonna help the Itani and fun little things like that. I guessed he was some rich UITs kid, why else would he be out in grey space with out a care in the world, then there was his whole attitude, and the fact he had a girl with him... Yeah she was nice, I think he got mad at me for hitting on her. (can I really help it that I'm way better looking then him and his woman liked me better?) So he decides after telling me he would help with the guard work that he's gonna take it all. And he did. His little chickie thought what he did was mean to me, but she did nothing to stop him when I chased him all the way to search space. (and then some :D ) Yeah that kinda started things off nice with me and him.

Later on after I joined Black Lance we met up again in Odia M 14. There I was playing Wei Chi with one of my bro's mostly waiting for him to leave the station so we could "help" him deliver his cargo some where. He ended up playing with me and betting 25k my usual fee for "safe passage" that he would win. He lost and ended up getting outta there alive and with out paying me.

About an hour ago I go a message on the com from Martin that went some thing like this:
Martin: Your still mad at the Lonestar guy right?
Me: Well not really but I would not mind making him pay up for that game...
Martin: *laughs* I still can't believe you feel for that "I gotta go to the bathroom thing."
Me: Yeah, it was funny I'm still laughing about it. Not.
Martin: Heh, so you are still mad at him?
Me: Yeah, he owes me some money.
Martin: Well then guess who I found?

Long story short I ended up here. I looked down one last time at the .45 mid-hip in a low slung tactical holster. It was packing .45 smart bullets. Most people like their fancy little energy guns but I like good ol bullets, more tissue damage and way more blood loss with bullets. And these bullets we're special, right from Corvus Prime these little joys create a small explosion once they enter human flesh. Can you say pain? As I turned the corner in the stations main hall leading off to a second hand ship lot I reached up and made sure my other gun was still in place on my chest. hidden mostly by my leather (or at least that's what the sells man told me it was) jacket that went down mid-hip was a small phase SMG. Now as much as I hate energy guns this one is a beut with it's high-cap batt allowing me more then 200 shots in less then 3 seconds.

I saw him standing just out-side the cockpit of the ugliest hog I have seen in a long time. He saw me just as I pulled my jacket back reviling my .45. He winked in my direction and quickly jumped in side the hog. Then despite the sells man's (or was it a woman? I could not really tell) protesting he fired up the ship leaving the sells person covered in what ever a hog that old shoots out it's back side. Once again he was gone, but this time he was in a bad ship.

I slowly walked over to the sells person who was still swearing at the top of it's lungs.

"Y'all sell any good fighters here?"

I asked while looking out of the docking bay.

An excellent addition to the story Borb. It's nice to hear the story from the evil, horrid, loan sharking, bad guy's perspective ;)

I hoped you would like it. :D

Keep up the good work guys. I love it.

I'd been following Borb's progress as a pirate for a while. He certainly picked up the art of piracy quickly and rapidly became a useful and well liked member of the Black Lance pirate guild. I'd heard about his win at Go and of the person who'd "gone to the bathroom" instead of paying the bet. I personally thought it was funny but we couldn't have people roaming around ripping of pirates. That would would be upside-down, back to front and just plain wrong.

We did some poking around after this character disappeared. Our guild database gave us his name, ship info, and the fact that he was the son of a Dau Senator. Guess that explains the devil may care and somewhat arrogant attitude.

Fortunately he obviously never considered us much of a threat and never attempted to hide who he was, as I discovered when I stumbled across his trail in Sedina D14. The barman there remembered him as a bit strange and passed his information on to me without prompting. He even told me where Lonestar was headed and why he had to replace his ship. Apparently his current ship was an early model with a glitch in the nav system. One slight brush with an asteroid at the Odia/Sedina WH and he'd decided that being an early adopter wasn't always the best choice.

The information I'd heard rapidly found it's way to Borb who rapidly found his way to Arta Caelistis where a salesman rapidly found where not to stand when a fighter takes off in a hurry.

Borb tailed Lonestar to the Edras system but lost him in the vast maelstrom of ion storms in that area. We decided that someone with that attitude would no doubt show up in the future and put the matter to rest till then.

A few days later I was headed from my Odia base to Bractus to grab some purified Xith from the Itani convoy. Our geek guys wanted some to continue work on a blaster to compete with the Neutron 3 and the Itani's had so much they wouldn't miss the little bit we needed for the research. I warped in 6km from the Bractus wormhole. As I turboed to the wormhole zone I saw the distinct pulse of a ship passing into Odia from Bractus.

Checking my targeting computer I was surprised to find Lonestar had just warped in in front of my heavily armed Valkyrie. Surprised because he was there, in the heart of pirate territory and also surprised because he'd swapped the warthog for a Marauder.

Here I was facing the fellow who'd made a mockery of us. He was heavily outgunned and had no choice but to opt to pay the money or die. He opted to die so we began the dance of space combat. I considered him to be a spoilt brat of the Dau Senate and was surprised when he showed he had some skill in a battle. I was even more surprised when I found myself at 50% with him. I found myself somewhat humbled when my escape pod began it's auto-eject sequence as he watched from his battered trade ship.

I messaged him from the escape pod as I shot back to my home base.
Martin.mac.au: I'm most impressed. I thought you'd be an easy kill but you have bested me easily"

Lonestar: "It was a good fight. You fellows seem to be a pretty entertaining bunch"

Martin.mac.au: "I was after the money you owe Borb. however I doubt i'll be able to collect it. Where did you learn to fight, I've never met a better UIT fighter."

Lonestar: "A friend, Gavan, and I have spent a long time practising against each other, we took the training the UIT teach and expanded on it to include more effective techniques."

Martin.mac.au: "Hmmmm. I'm interested. I can give you two choices. Join our guild, pay Borb what you owe him and fight with us under the Black Lance banner or, keep running."

To be continued by another BL member :P
..................................................................................

I'm going to start collecting entries to this by BL members and create a collection (erm, a highly spell-checked collection, that is) that shall be called "The Saga of the Black Lance". This is great stuff. I'm enjoying this. The next entry shall be along shortly...

Hehe, all my stuff may break the spell checker. ;p

Nice story btw Martin. :D

I am not a company man. By my own admission, I do not play well with others. Of course, if you are a pretty girl in the bar at Daltas Hold, I will of course say that this is because of my indomitable spirit and chutzpah so thick you could dam a river with it. If I'm being honest and you've bought a few rounds, though, I might even admit that it is because I never had to get along with anyone. It simply wasn't part of my upbringing. The son of a senator does not even blink for any mere CEO, and he certainly doesn't do the requisite amount of boot licking to become well respected in a company like Axia Corp.

That does not make me above using their goods, however. I have to admit, they make a damn good ship. And the stuck up bastards won't even sell you one of their well-armored 'corporate raider' mauds unless you do a certain amount of work for them. They are as bad as TPG, elitists that they are. So it was that I was doing some under the table moving of goods for Axia Corp in preparation for their ever-pending secret merger. I was taking the long way around from Verasi to Latos, hoping to evade anyone who might have a biometric scanner aimed my way. Axia was very particular about getting this cargo to Latos unnoticed. But I didn't mind the secrecy. They had given me one of their fancy mauds to take it in. I am certainly not going to complain about a free ship. I didn't even mind the secret tracker they had planted on the landing gear. After all, it didn't last past Edras (where I had discovered it in an incident that had proven that Axia wasn't above selling me out to a more reliable trader and had it removed by those genius mechanics at the Tunguska Mining outfit).

I was about halfway home when I came through a wormhole and my console alarms started pinging at me. A ship flying pirate colors was several kilometers off of port and moving to intercept. It was an old model Valk, from the days when the Itani Nation's sense of 'fair play' in their war with the Serco had lead them to produce a line of poorly maneuverable ships made from second-hand parts in the shape of a big round target. My ship's computer was reporting that it was piloted by a geezer of a rogue UIT with an old-style ComNet call sign, Martin.mac.au. I was hailed with the standard “Yarr!” and a request for a handout. Now I am not an insensitive man, but I believe a man should make his own way in the universe and I have little respect for beggars, especially those armed with Neutron blasters. And I become even more libertarian when I am in an Axia Maud with their evil little positron blasters burning a hole in my gun ports.

I dodged around a bit, getting a few potshots in while running some standard maneuvers to get a feel for how this rogue flew. His flying target helped me by flying into a few stray shots and I started to put the pressure on. When the smoke started billowing into space from his thrusters, I put on my gracious senator's son smile and waited until I saw his pod eject, big old sop that I am. Then I made sure that he'd have a long ride in it and finished off the Valk.

The aggressor hailed me as I scooped up what little cargo that had survived his ship's destruction. He started off nice, a good sport of a pirate. You are a good pilot, great fight, whatever. After that, he started turning a bit threatening and told me that I was now working for the Black Lance. He said I had two choices. I told him that his escape pod was not a big target but my positron blasters were certainly interested in the challenge. The ComNet went dead and I went on my way.

* * * * *

I was waiting in the bar at Epsilon Hold, Latos, while their mechanics stripped the last standard trackers and governors from my ship and the Xang suits removed their undisclosed cargo from my hold. I debated with my lager the offer that was made to me by the geezer pirate.

I still had the weird cargo I had “re-appropriated” from the pirate sitting in my briefcase (another armored gift from Axia Corp). It wasn't the board that I had lost to Borb on, but it was unmistakably a goban, made from old, worn stone. Perhaps go was just a weird obsession for the Black Lance, but this one looked different. Had history to, it, obviously. Very ominous thing to find. Boding. Not sure what it bode of, but it bode nonetheless.

As I sat, brooding in my beer, a bald little Itani monk (well, maybe a monk, they all look like that) stepped into the bar and ordered a drink. He was very obviously not looking at me and obviously not sitting just close enough to me to keep an eye on me. He didn't obviously watch as I paid for my drink and I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed him following me back to my ship. If I had noticed, I wouldn't have been cornered by him in a little service passage I had taken as a short cut.

“Hello,” he said in a vague Itani accent. “My name is Shape.” Another figure outlined itself against the bright fluorescent lights from the main passage. I would have recognized the sidearm even if this Shape hadn't spoken again.

“Ah yes,” said Shape, “and I believe you have already met my associate, Borb.”

Senator Starr:

Your son has been captured by the Black Lance for defaulting on his gambling debts. If you wish to avoid both his torture and death as well as the political scandal that this would cause, we recommend that you immediately dispatch your personal courier with 1,000,000 credits worth of gold bullion to Corvus Hold in Odia System, sector M-14. Anticipating your first response concerning your estranged son, be sure that we will use any means necessary to collect on his debt, plus interest, and that in so doing it may become advisable for you to send a physician as well.

Yours Truly,

The Black Lance

He's lucky I'll give him that. I ran all around grey space trying to kill him. I dropped him down to 20% (though that roid he ran in to helped greatly. :D ) before he lost me in a storm. That's three times now he has met me and lived when he should have died. Now don't get me wrong I love rich snobby trader kids who never pay up just as much as the next guy. How ever unlike the next guy I act out my love for them, and I love doing it it. This lonestar would be the same, and after the way he snubbed Martin... Well all of BL wanted too hurt him just on prince-able. We even had a small bet going on who would get the kill, so far there was 100k saying I would beat Martin to the kill, and 200k saying Shape would beat us both to the kill. Beer, bets, and death. There is no better way to live.

Com:
Shape: Guess whose down here at the bar?
Borb The Second: M. Duncan?
Shape: Heh, no. Lonestar.
Martin: Damn and I'm too far off.
Borb The Second: To bad martin looks like win the bet.
Shape: Looks like he's just drinking it up.
Borb The Second: I hope he likes it cuz it's gonna be his last one.
Shape: Now let's be nice, he could be a fun one...
Martin: Hit him one for me.

I docked in Epsilon Hold, back in these days I was still flying a Rev C so this base was not that far off from where I was homed at. I always loved the speed and grace of a Rev C and thanks mostly to the speed I was able to make good time. I ran outta the docking bay and in to the bar fast as my evil little legs could take me. As I walked in to avoid suspicion it looked like Shape had stared a conversation with Lonestar near the back exit. I pulled out my posi SMG and stuck a 50k cred chip on the bar table winking at bar keep who we just called cracka for her ability to crack heads. She was a no nonsense Serco who knew us BL guys well. She even once joked that we are the only reason she can stay in business. Due to this she picked up the 50k and walked back in to the kitchen, see no evil, hear no evil and all that I guess.

Lonestar still had his back to me as I walked up to the start of the little hall that lead outta the bar my gun level with his back. If he ran I would mow his pompous body down. He started to turn around as he saw my shadow.

“Ah yes,” said Shape, “and I believe you have already met my associate, Borb.”

I grinned, there was no way out for him.

Ok. I've heard all that about this Lonestar fella, son of some rich-ass UIT senator no doubt. In fact, that's all I've been hearing about among BL members lately, and it is getting tiresome. I mean, a GOBAN? Gimme a break, real men play chess, not some silly game which has too many pieces that'll just get lost if you are not careful.

So, when I got a commessage from Shape that we've got Lonestar why not you come over and play, I ho-hummed and clicked off to the next message, which turned out to be the next issue of my lifetime Play-Serco subscription. Yeah, I must admit, those implants turn me on, damn my mother for not being Serco.

I was about to settle down to a nice night enjoying my magazine when my eye caught the next message on the list. Now, it's not the guy's name that grabbed the attention of my eyes. "Cazzaro". Who the heck has such a lame name. But it's the flashing ignore-me-and-we-send-the-army-after-ya bright red icon that says the message comes from an ultra-encrypted super=duper top-secret for-your-eye-ball no-shitting-me highest level UIT Diplomatic channel.

It said

"UIT Senate requests Meeting with Black Lance"

Uh Oh.

I flipped on the comlink for a pronto message to Shape. Not so pronto actually, since I messaged him only after I've
(a) Paid off the innkeeper to erase any trace of Holden Caulfield in his records
(b) Sent my old ship into a star, and bought a new one with a different name
(c) Got some of them serco implants to make myself look a lot more different than yesterdaay.

Great work guys.

First one to break the story has to pay 100k into the bank :P

And I'm not a geezer :P