Asteroid Blues

Harry's Bar. Its the kind of place that makes the most rough and tumble bar on the Vaudeville strip seem like soda fountain. One could call it a hive of scum and villainy, but a hive is busy, and even hornets know better than to hang around Harry's. I wish I could exercise that good sense, but despite the lack of people frequenting the bar, rumors swarmed their, and if I was going to uncover what was going on, and who it was that had it out for me and Naami, I was going to have to kick the nest.

The team had almost made it to the bar before lights and sirens began to sound throughout the module, blaring that a shootout was about to go down. The team was in confusion about who set off the alarm before it became apparent that they had the unfortunate luck to have stumbled into a the middle of a dual between two of the recently arrived Wild Bill Shadow Shooters. Viewers could log in to feel what it is like to be a real gun fighter without the trouble of having learn how to shoot, the problem of getting shot back, or even having to get up off the sofa. It was an adrenaline rush that was no risk and all reward. It was sure to be a smash success.

The real trouble was that a the sirens also caught the attention of a nearby Yu Jing patrol operating, and harassing the populace of the Strip under the banner of Durian Inspectors. I had run into patrols like these back on Novyy Cimeria, it seems that someone in Yu Jing command had gotten it into their head that Shasvastii could be disguised as Durians to smuggle themselves through customs. It doesn't seem to have occurred to them that Shasvastii could just as easily be disguised as their grandmother. Though it is just as likely this was just the excuse the used when they wanted to barge in somewhere they weren't welcome, and claim that it is for the benefit of all Humanity. So when this over zealous squad of the Emperor's finest saw a bunch of aliens, they did not hesitate to bring their weapons to bear.

Armand had taken a position over looking Harry's Bar, and nearby a Baggage Chaksa, a Chaksa Servant, and a Kaeltar took cover within some vendor stales. The Liberto had left a surprise up on the building Armand was on, and took a position near one of the food court tables. The Kauuri seemed to be intrigued by the Shadow Shooter as they both took cover behind another vendor stall. The other Kaeltar took cover behind a shuttle stop holo add. The Sakiel's triad ducked into another of the abandoned vendor stalls, while the Kerail's Surda stalked nearby. The Taquel leading the team had taken a commanding position atop another building accompanied by the Kumotail, while her 'bugs sat below, protecting our business contact who would be acting as our human liaison for any financial transactions should the need arise. Below the Taquel, under a staircase was the team's other Baggage Chaksa.

The bulk of the inspection team took cover behind one of the module's fleabag hotels, a group of four Kuang Shi, their controller, a Su Jian, Sun Tze, and a Sophotect on loan from Aleph, as well as their high functionary, granting them an air of legitimacy by reporting their 'findings' back to Aleph. Offering even more support behind a holo add nearby was a Chaiyi and Xi Zhaung with his sticky goats stationed nearby. On top of a stem drink shop was a Celestial Guard with a grenade launcher, and below a Husong was on standby. On the other flank, a Celestial Guard Hacker huddled next to the Sophotect's Yudbot and a Rui Shi. A Warcor seemed to be eager to catch the action of the nearby Shadow Shooter and had set up his recording equipment on some nearby crates.

The Kerail and his 'beast rushed towards the highest concentration of Yu Jing operatives. Tossing smoke to block the sight of the Husong, the Kerail expended his 'bomb to try to incapacitate the High Functionary, but to no avail. Realizing he would need to take a more direct roll, he raced around the corned to gun down the consturct, as the Surda charged through a cloud of shrapnel unleashed by the Kuang Shi. The Kerail collapsed, his mission complete. His Surda too had succeeded in mortally wounding two of the Kuang Shi before it succumbed to its injuries.

Armand succeeded in convincing the WarCor to keep its head down, and with this recording equipment abandoned a blur sprinted from his hiding place towards the weaker Yu Jing flank. It was not until the blur was nearly in front of its face that the WarCor was able to determine that this was a Clipsos, but by then it was already out of sight again. Taking cover behind a potted cherry tree, the Clipsos disabled the Husong.

After placing some insurance that the Shadow Shooter would go down. The Clipsos took on the gunfighter as well as the hacker and won. The insurance did insure the Shadow Shooter went down, but the Celestial Guard's armor soaked the brunt of the hit, leaving it winded, but still alive.

Knowing the Rui Shi would only bring trouble if it was allowed to execute its hunter killer programming, the Clipsos, taking cover behind some crates once again engaged the hacker as well as the Rui Shi. Once again the hacker only suffered a glancing blow, but the Rui Shi was disabled.

Seeing that the Clipsos was distracted, Xi positioned himself to fire at the Clipsos' back, but as the first volley of shots peppered the area surrounding around him the Clipsos turned.

Xi moved forward, trying to get a better shot off on the shifting profile of the infiltrator, but the Clipsos' shot staggered him. Slaving into the Yudbot, the Sophotect raced the diminutive remote over to repair the Rui Shi. Seeing this the Clipsos placed some insurance against the Rui Shi. One of the Kuang Shi ran towards the Clipsos, blazing away with its chain rifle. The Clipsos managed to away from the worst of it, but his insurance was destroyed.

Seizing on this opportunity the Rui Shi trained its sights on the Clipsos, cutting the Tohaa down as he once again placed insurance against the Rui Shi.

The Kuang Shi, in some hope of rectifying its past crimes against the state, raced forwards to remove this hindrance to the Rui Shi, but in doing so was brought low by Armand. Recognizing the threat this 'muted mercenary posed, the Hacker boosted the Rui Shi's targeting system before the remote engaged him. However the Freelance Killer was ready, and once again the Rui Shi was disabled, requiring that the Yudbot administer quick repairs.

Armand then moved to take aim on Xi, and took it out of the fight. The team's Kaauri moved forward to take cover behind a Cherry Tree planter, and set up suppression fire to discourage any push into the Tohaa lines.The Liberto lept over the table it had taken cover behind and headed toward the Yu Jing line. Placing some insurances before taking on the Chaiyi, it rendered the remote non-operative.

Seeing that the grenade launcher posed a threat to the operatives on rooftops should the Celestial Guard become desperite enough to begin bombarding their positions. Taking a deadly blow from the Rui Shi, the Liberto climbed up to remove this possibility.

Its targeting systems once again boosted by the hacker, the Rui Shi took aim at Armand once more. With his 'mate expiring from the effort of stabilizing his armor, Armand ducked threw himself to behind cover. Without his sights trained upon the ally of the fleabag hotel, the Su Jain shifted to all fours, and scuttled up a wall.

Using this vantage point, the Su Jian lept on onto the roof of another of the hotels. Quickly shifting upright, it moved to engage the Sakiel's triad. One of the Makaul took a flesh wound before being enveloped in the smoke his triad mate provided, as the Sakiel responded with some well aimed rockets, but despite the conflagration the Su Jian remained fully operational.

However, the Su Jian attracted the attention of one of the Taquel's bugs, which splattered against it, covering it in pheromones the team could lock onto for better targeting.

Shifting back onto all fours the Su Jian crawled over around the apartment's elevator to see the team's business contact, in an attempt to neutralize it before scuttling back out of sight around the elevator shaft. However, as the Sakiel's rockets once again exploded harmlessly around it, the Kaauri's rounds glanced off its armor, the Shadow Shooter suffered a hit, and the other bug splatted against it, the business operative was able to fend off the attack directed at it with its stun pistol.

Taking a personal stake in destroying the Su Jian, the Taquel broke cover to engage the bot, deftly ending its threat with two bursts of her weapon before taking cover once again.

No longer detecting its most recent adversary, the Shadow Shooter bolted towards the remaining Yu Jing forces, only to suffer a critical malfunction while engaging the sole surviving Kuang Shi at range.

Seeing the deadly effectiveness of the Kuan Shi's pistol, the Sakiel moved forward with its triad and took out the Kuang Shi, as one of the Makaul moved into Harry's Bar

With the Sakiel's triad now exposed, Armand stood up to take up his vigilant post once more. Hoping to end the confrontation before it could occur, I dropped in.

I engaged the Rui Shi from cover.

Then, failing to take it down, and noticing the recording equipment around me, I recognized that I would either need to remove this remote, or, (and this was the painful, alternative option), rely on it removing any credible trace of me. As cold fate would have it, this body would be put on ice. Or, at least what remained of it would be.

Before security forces descended on the area, the Rui Shi, (boosted by the hacker once more), moved out to engage Le Muet, but was only shot for its efforts. The Yudbot brough it back online, and planning to inflict as much damage as it could on the team before withdrawing, the remote moved out to engage both Le Muet and the Sakiel. However, Le Muet managed to find off the attack, and the Sakiel's rocket exploded through one of the cherry trees, consuming the Rui Shi completely in the ensuing fireball.

Though the last of the Celestial Guards made an attempt to shoot one of the Makauls, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke as the team withdrew form the scene. Hopefully the Makaul behind the bar was able to gather some useful intel rather than just a hangover.