"If you assume lightyears off course can you estimate how far? Extrapolate from the charts you have?  I would like to know which of those problems we are having."  Billy purses his lips as he stares at the group of cloaked ships and wreckage beyond.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 827):

Calculating...

In reply to Dynamis (msg # 828):

"Persephone? Do you copy?"

One way or another, it looks like Faust is our only ticket out of here at the moment, Xander observes quietly over the team com. I think for now we'd better play along. But I don't like this at all. Faust isn't adding up.

He walks over to where Penny is held, and helps bring her to her feet. I'm really sorry about this, he says, gesturing to her handcuffs. Billy is paradoxically both extremely paranoid and completely ignorant of risk or his own mortality, he offers by way of explanation. I hope to get this sorted and get you out of this as soon as possible, but right now it is absolutely critical that you be honest with me. All our lives depend on it. What happened with Ceres?

He pauses a moment, gauging her response. You know what? Fuck Billy's paranoia. He removes her cuffs. Trust has to start somewhere.

The pilot-turned-hacker looks at Penny pleadingly. The truth, please.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:13, Thu 20 Apr 2017.

Curious, Fiernas follows Xander, maintaining a discreet distance from his conversation with Penny, but watching intently.  Leo and Phillip pad around the two of them as well, calm and silent.

"I'd rather print my own ticket than deal with him again," Billy grumbles, "We don't know if that's even Faust." When Xander heads back into the ship Billy shakes his head, "Dammit.  Kayla stay frosty, I don't want to end up like Hubris if an open channel lets them point guns at us," he flicks the comms on, "We found more trouble than we came for.  Didn't know if you'd make it in time.  Good to have some friendlies around for a change.  I meant to ask before we left, but if you're out here then who's running my station?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:49, Thu 20 Apr 2017.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 832):


"The EROS station remains a legally contested property," Faust replies. "We're still trying to figure out how to give it to you without allowing the Alexis Foundation to claim it. The IDA would rather have it than allowing it to fall back into the hands of an AoS shell corporation. We left a contingent behind to protect it, never fear."

He sounds amused.

"To the point, you were supposed to be following Husker's ship until he made contact with the Alliance, and then to report back. When we didn't hear from you, we moved to the intercept point...and found the remains of Husker's ship."

There is a pause.

"Your doing? It is rather thoroughly obliterated for something with your payload, so if so, excellent work. And what did you mean by 'more trouble'?"

In reply to Commander Faust (msg # 833):

"The truth about WHAT, Xander?" Penny snaps, rubbing her wrists gratefully. "Sorry. Tone. I know. I'm just...I'm so confused."

She looks over at Muse, who has not stopped staring at her, and lowers her voice.

"Things have been weird for a while. Ever since we lost the Mastodon, really. Management has gotten a lot more hands-on with the tip-generation process and asset allocation procedures."

Penny furrows her brow.

"Ceres is just one example. I recommended a standard team with medical supplies and salvage rigs, but management rejected it. Said we needed to send a more specialized team equipped to handle high-risk situations. We only have a dozen teams in the field right now, and the first six I suggested were rejected. Your team was the seventh, and it went through. Guess you had what they were looking for or something."

She shakes her head.

"I hope the mission went well -- I really don't know how it turned out. I got kidnapped and have been in and out of various forms of cells ever since."

Penny looks at Muse bitterly.

"This is just another one."

How did you receive intel about Ceres in the first place? Xander asks. How did you know that the IDA needed, or would need, to send help?

In reply to Xander (msg # 835):

"The initial lead came from further down the chain, from a coworker."

Penny frowns, deep in thought.

"Ortega, I think? I'd have to look it up."

She looks at Xander.

"Why? Did something go wrong on Ceres?"

"I feel like the Alexis Foundation isn't going to be as big a problem in the near future.  Last we saw Husker he was in one piece, and had an escort," Billy replies to Faust, "And last I heard from the IDA's lawyers, they didn't even know I was getting anything handed over.  You didn't promise me more than you can deliver, did you Faust?  I thought we had a deal," Billy jabs, trying not to linger on too many pertinent mission details until some explanations about current events make themselves known.

Hoo boy, did it ever. Xander lets out an explosive breath and a dark chuckle. Pretty much everything that could have gone wrong on Ceres went wrong. Starting with the part where we were dispatched to respond to an emergency that hadn't actually taken place yet at the time we were sent out.

His gaze shifts to Muse. A lot of good people died. Or...worse. He jerks his head towards the cockpit. So if the rest of the crew is less inclined to trust you, that's why. Somewhere along the line, we were set up.

He pauses, gauging her reaction and her next response.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:10, Thu 20 Apr 2017.

In reply to Xander (msg # 838):

"We're working on it," Faust says. "But that's really not something we need to talk about right now. My fleet's time is valuable, and so is yours. Did you or did you not get the information the Director asked for? Do you need support from the fleet?"

In reply to Commander Faust (msg # 839):

"Set up?"

Penny blinks, then frowns.

"Set up how? If the IDA wanted to burn an agent, you'd be burned..."

In reply to Penny Brighton (msg # 840):

"Not if we haven't outlived our usefulness yet."

In reply to Muse (msg # 841):

"Well, you're being very useful now, aren't you?"

Penny sighs.

"So...where am I, where was I, and where are we going?"

In reply to Penny Brighton (msg # 842):

Muse closes his eyes in meditation.

"You've got four ships, I think the rest of the IDA can live with you taking your time.  I'd hate to have you promise us tactical support only to find out none of the other captains got word about it, Faust.  And honestly, the other fleet's bigger."

I'm not saying that it's necessarily the IDA pulling the strings, Xander notes. You were one of the folks involved with the Ceres mission. Right after it goes tits-up, you go missing. Kidnapped by the AoS. Somebody thinks you know something, and are important enough to kidnap.

Xander shrugs.

Right now, I want to get back to the Factory, and report in to the Director. But I have no idea where the hell we are in space. The AoS had some kind of warp jump gate that led to a...deadspace pocket... that held your fleet. That's where Husker took you I don't know how to explain it.

He brings up the view of Faust's stealthed fleet shimmering against a backdrop of unfamiliar stars.

Know Husker is dead, we have an enemy fleet behind us, and a 'friendly' fleet we aren't entirely sure is actually friendly in front of us. So, again, if you know anything you think might be useful, now is the time to speak up.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:57, Thu 20 Apr 2017.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 844):

"...I have four ships that you're aware of," Faust replies. "Three of which are capital. What fleet are you talking about? How much bigger could it possibly be?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:02, Thu 20 Apr 2017.

In reply to Commander Faust (msg # 846):

Alert! Another ship has been detected.

There is a blip on the HUD, and you can see that the first of what is assuredly going to be many AOS ships -- a starfighter -- has materialized by the jump ring.

In reply to Dynamis (msg # 847):

"Those are IDA ships," Penny says quietly, looking out over the cloaked fleet and the unfamiliar stars. "Why wouldn't they be here to help us?"

She blinks.

"Wait, when you say Husker, do you mean Cornelius Husker -- philanthropist and almost-certain ally of the AoS, though we still can't prove it -- is dead? How do you know?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:09, Thu 20 Apr 2017.

Sophia's voice comes over the cockpit speakers. Predicting incoming AoS forces. Enemy contact imminent. Captain, I suggest we beam Faust our intelligence on the enemy fleet dispositions immediately.

It's unclear whether Sophia is referring to Billy or Kayla as Captain, but the question stands regardless.

Xander adjusts the image of nearby space to show Penny the drifting wreckage of the luxury yacht.

I think it's a safe bet.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:13, Thu 20 Apr 2017.

In reply to Xander (msg # 850):

Kayla glances over at Billy, arching an eyebrow.

"What do you think, boss? Even if Faust is dirty, you think he'd be willing to play hero and shoot at the Alliance?"