Intro: Strange, beautiful, deadly

Dan'lo flips on the comms, and gently clicks the 'scan' button before spinning lazily in his chair. He doubts he'll pick up anything useful at this distance, not to mention it's likely to be last weeks news, at best. Still, the number of voices he's had to listen to lately are just a bit limited. The way Colin rolls his R's when he's distracted, it's like a rusty chain across Dan'lo's spine. It'll be good to get dirtside and bask in the chatter of the masses.

Turning back to the comms, Dan'lo wonders if he shouldn't learn how the rest of these buttons work someday...

Ben flips off the intercom after making his announcement and returns his attention to the controls in front of him. The voyage had been quiet but launch and landing are always the parts to most worry about. He hits the communicator controls and starts broadcasting. "Aurora, to Aphrodite Control, Aurora to Aphrodite Control. We are on approach vector Delta-Sigma-One-Nine. Requesting landing clearance. Over."

Killdare had been sleeping or at least trying. He'd been uncomfortable the whole flight, still sporting a nasty cough since he was recovering from that last bit of nastiness on Gideon-7. Figured he get fragged with only a few weeks left till his muster-out date. Nothing like a piece of shrapnel to the lung to make you rethink your career path. He reached into his medkit and fished around until he found the bottle of pills he was looking for. Popping the cap, he swallowed a couple and washed them down with a swig of synthehol.
"Physician heal thyself" he said under his breath then coughed again, a nasty wet cough, and spat back into his cup. He stared at the sputum in the cup. "Well at least no blood. That's a good sign" he thought. He'd been lucky. He'd seen plenty of jarheads cough their last breath with a similar wound.

He'd spent a few weeks recovering and then looked for the first ship out. He had bounced around a few planets until his creds ran out, and then found a paid berth on the Aurora as the ship's medic. He didn't care where it was going, he hadn't even asked, he needed the creds and it seemed like an easy gig while he was getting back on his feet.

Colin is sitting cross-legged on the floor of his quarters, meditating with his eyes closed and the lights dimmed. In his mind's eye, he is trying to release himself from his attachments. Thoughts of his homeworld have been intruding on his calm as of late. He tries to let the memories of the hot sun on his neck or the smell of fresh mountain air pass through him, but he gets tangled in them instead.

"I've been in this tin can for too long," he thinks, but then the smell of recycled air and the hum of the engines fills his mind instead. It's like he's been in a waking stasis through this extended voyage, unable to move forward with his quest. He lets out a sight, opens his eyes, and decides to try something else.

He lifts the leather belt resting on the foot of the bed and clasps it on. His two holy weapons cradled in their hide sheaths that he had crafted from a barantha lizard he slew when he came of age. He draws his laser pistol - an old Sigmar 77 he had restored to working order and tuned religiously - in his right hand. He draw his monoblade - a black carbon fiber xiphos with a handle handle made from horn - in his left hand. Then, he begins to run through all of the Katas from beginning to end, then back down from end to beginning. He does this over and over again until his mind is clear, focused. There is only the holy trinity: the blade, the gun, and himself.

Then a voice comes blaring over the intercom declaring their arrival. He wipes the sweat from his brow and lets out a long, measured sigh. At last, the journey can continue. He knows his impatience is dangerous, and he tries to center himself as gets readiy for security detail. He adjusts his hat and heads out into the corridor, looking for the others.

Topher wipes sweat from his brow, leaving a dark stain of oil on his forehead. Grabbing the wrench he continues his work adjusting the primary feed before going in for landing. His big shoulders were really a impedement in getting into the tight spaces in the engine room. A little adjustment and the ship should purr like a kitten, though he remind himself that the catalytic capacitor should really be switched soon.

With the final check in place he reaches for his communicator to inform the rest that they're good to go. "Everything in order down here."

Alex hurredly finishes up cleaning the kitchen when he hears the announcement. He's brimming with excitement at the thought of visiting Aphrodite Prime. He's a fan of a few well known sculpture artists on that planet, and he hopes to be able to visit a few exhibits during his time there.
At the same time, he has a strange sense of something foreboding, and he's not sure if it's just his imagination, or his psychic sense. Probably my imagination, besides we got Topher and Colin to take care of danger. After doing a quick stock check, he heads into the corridor.

Dan'lo finishes scanning the feeds, Nothing of note in the news...", that was always good. The quieter the better, nothing like showing up for a shopping trip to find the locals burning down the spaceport. This should be easier credits than most jobs he'd been forced to take. His poor parents are probably shaking their heads, said he'd never amount to anything after dropping out of Primary schooling. But, it's really who you know, Public school diploma, 2 college degrees, Merit award, all paid for with barely a day in a classroom. Success does come from hard work, but it doesn't have to be as hard as they want it to be.

Anyways, back to the present, cinching up his straps Dan'lo settled in for re-entry. Time to trade knick-knacks for paddy-wacks and make some profit.

"Drek!" Ben does not wait for his Captain's orders, his hands already activating controls and setting automated systems calculating. "Plotting escape course. Initiating evasive maneuvers!"

Topher tumbles backwards at the sudden movement before he's able to catch himself. He struggles back to the internal communicator and calls out "What the hell is happening?"

Killdare reels backward against the gurney, dropping his cup. "Christ almighty what are they doing up there?" This isn't his first rodeo, so his first priority.. "strap in and hang on". After his harness is secure, he activates the comm unit, "Medical to Bridge, hey Ben what's going on up there? We got pirates?"

Damn, I should've trusted my sense! Alex quickly sprints to his cabin and puts on his vaccsuit. Probably overkill, but better safe than sorry. Alright sense, I'm listening to you now!

As the lights and sirens paint the interior of the ship red, Colin steadies and secures himself along the handrails. As he makes his way to the bridge in the hopes of make himself useful, he is reminded of an old proverb:

A crisis is an opportunity riding the dangerous wind.

He prepared himself to seize these opportunities head on

Ben ignores the question from intercom. Let the Captain handle that. Ben smiles with satisfaction as the first missle flies past. Then the ship is rocked twice and the ship goes dead.

Fortunately, Ben never approaches a planet without scanning for emergency landing options. It's just a matter of which one he can persuade the crippled Aurora to reach.

"Bloody hell!" Topher exclaim as all the electronics dies in a flash. He quickly get to work, hoping to restore some power in secondary drive.

Dan'lo watches the screens in front of him go dark. Perhaps a decision to learn what those buttons do was premature.

It appears Ben has his hands full, not that Dan'lo's 'ship skillz' amount to much. Well, in times of crisis, go with what you know. Leaning his face down to the console, he gently whispers. "Lady Aurora, I know we haven't known each other that long, but you're one mighty impressive ship, sleek lines, powerful engines. Those missiles were a surprise, but let's not let that get us down. Me and the boys would be really grateful if you could just grab a fresh breath and power back up for us..."

As the ship shudders and shakes, Colin makes his way onto the bridge. He does not bother to ask what is the problem is - seing Dan'lo whispering to the ship is surely a bad sign. He uses his eyes and wits to determine what is going on instead. Electronics down after warning systems were engaged and a blast hit them - missile fire took their power plant? An EMP blast maybe? Somebody, pirates maybe, knocking them out of the sky. Probably want the cargo, which means they'll be boarded if they can't get away.

He pulls the Sigmar 77* from its holster and checks to see if it was damaged in case it was an EMP.

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* - Laser pistol.