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1.3 Ambush - Sirius
Prev - 1.2 Date - Sirius
Finally, the notification came—the mine was ready for our visit. There was no point in staying here any longer, so we agreed on a partnership and left the "Pearl" together.
We left, only to walk straight into an ambush. Bongo’s thugs hadn’t wasted any time; they’d already cordoned off the perimeter, stationing a squad in every alley leading away from the place. Naturally, we couldn’t escape. And then…
A gap in my memory, an unknown location, and the price of carelessness.
What’s it like for a cyborg to be hit by an EMP blast and then a paralyzer? Let’s just say waking up was a cascade of unimaginable sensations. My gear was offline—generator, helmet, bracelet—causing a slight oxygen overdose. My body ached, feeling impossibly heavy; my muscles were rigid from spasms, and every tiny movement was a monumental effort, accompanied by sharp, excruciating pain. My left eye, an implant like the other biomechanical enhancements in my body, wasn’t functioning.
I had to ditch the helmet. My eye revealed an unfamiliar space, a dark silhouette, and a voice that, at first, seemed like a hallucination. I called out for help, hoping someone was actually there. And, as it turned out, the hallucination was real—it was Bongo himself, in the flesh. Talk about "luck."
He provided a stimulant, observed me, and without waiting for an opportune moment, got straight to the point. Naturally, he was concerned about the stolen property and was intent on getting it back. However, I resorted to a little trickery, convincing him to return my bracelet, only to disappoint Bongo by informing him that the egg was set to hatch within the next few hours. Of course, that answer didn’t satisfy him, and I seized the chance to remotely activate my ship’s defense systems.
My disappearance didn’t go unnoticed. While I was “pleasantly” chatting with the baron, stalling for time as he decided what to do with me, Drake and Lina had armed themselves to the teeth. They took advantage of the station’s night mode and, under the cover of three combat drones, set out to find their captain. A second trio of drones stayed behind to guard the shuttle.
The baron soon learned of this, but a couple of adventurers with their little machines didn’t faze him in the slightest. Soon, a full-blown battle erupted at his stronghold.
While my team carved their way through, I seized a brief opportunity to reboot my systems via the bracelet, switching to neural control. I hijacked one of the Colibris’ drones and, under the cover of its cloaking, sent it straight to Bongo’s apartments. Simultaneously, I took control of the trio of drones accompanying my team, trying to provide them with cover. Since Lina was heavily armed and suited up in a combat exosuit, only one drone stayed with her, while the other two protected Drake. Controlling multiple drones at once was no easy feat.
Brax wasn’t idle either. He came to in some technical basement and, using his extensive arsenal, fought his way up. He first reached the warehouse of the target building and then made it to its lobby, where he ran into the Libris crew. Without lingering, he charged upward toward the apartments, arriving just in time.
Bongo saw through my trick and was about to put an end to it, crushing my hand and damaging the bracelet, when Brax burst into the office and charged at him. A brawl ensued, which ended the moment the fourth drone from the Colibris arrived. I’d managed to lock in its trajectory and set a defense algorithm before the connection was cut, so the drone crashed through the window, knocking aside the bot in its path. It deployed its weapons, aiming them at the baron. The big guy, naturally, was taken aback by such audacity and grabbed at the drone’s guns. Too bad he didn’t know that, like me, my drones really didn’t like being touched. A powerful shock followed, and the loud thud of a roasted primate hitting the floor echoed through the room.
The gang lost its leader, the battle came to a halt, and, taking advantage of the ensuing chaos, we fled Bongo’s stronghold. All four of us—well, five, actually—returned to the ship.
The fifth was Niki, a Gianga* who had been gracing the baron’s office and his dreary days with her presence. Now, she faced rehabilitation and a relatively peaceful life on Katzite until a new home could be found for her.
Gianga Niki - a member of the sentient Gianga race, until recently enslaved by the baron.
We returned to the ship without incident and immediately tended to ourselves, while also bringing Brax up to speed.
After setting up a temporary space for the Gianga, I followed the bot’s urging and focused on myself first. Brax had noticed one of my quirks: I always prioritize helping my crew before myself. But he was right—trembling hands aren’t much help to anyone and could even make things worse.
What Brax witnessed next wasn’t exactly pleasant, a process called “avatar calibration.” It took quite a while but successfully countered the effects of the radiation. Next up in the medbay were Lina and Drake. Lina was unscathed, but Drake had taken a bullet, damaging a rib, and his scaly hide was adorned with numerous small wounds and scratches. Once all the medical concerns were addressed, it was finally time to rest.
For Brax, observing the crew was quite entertaining, and he tried to learn as much about them as possible. He immediately took a wary and hostile stance toward Drake, which wasn’t surprising since the lizard constantly tried to needle or mock him, or simply butt into his conversations with the captain, much to the bot’s irritation. As for Lina… Brax noticed her meaningful glances. She clearly had a thing for the captain, always hovering around her, though her efforts consistently crashed against an impenetrable wall of indifference. Quite the crew, indeed. Yet, it seemed Brax was so eager to leave Sirius that he was willing to put up with it all. And then there was the captain. From the moment we met, he never missed a chance to get closer, tossing out spicy remarks or hints. His only frustration was that I wasn’t familiar with his culture and didn’t quite grasp what he was aiming for. He, in turn, realized this boat needed some serious rocking, and thanks to Drake and Lina’s antics, Brax didn’t have to put in too much effort.
From that moment on, he clearly had a specific goal in mind—and he was determined to achieve it.
Next - 1.4 Night on Colibris - Sirius
Prev - 1.2 Date - Sirius
Finally, the notification came—the mine was ready for our visit. There was no point in staying here any longer, so we agreed on a partnership and left the "Pearl" together.
We left, only to walk straight into an ambush. Bongo’s thugs hadn’t wasted any time; they’d already cordoned off the perimeter, stationing a squad in every alley leading away from the place. Naturally, we couldn’t escape. And then…
A gap in my memory, an unknown location, and the price of carelessness.
What’s it like for a cyborg to be hit by an EMP blast and then a paralyzer? Let’s just say waking up was a cascade of unimaginable sensations. My gear was offline—generator, helmet, bracelet—causing a slight oxygen overdose. My body ached, feeling impossibly heavy; my muscles were rigid from spasms, and every tiny movement was a monumental effort, accompanied by sharp, excruciating pain. My left eye, an implant like the other biomechanical enhancements in my body, wasn’t functioning.
I had to ditch the helmet. My eye revealed an unfamiliar space, a dark silhouette, and a voice that, at first, seemed like a hallucination. I called out for help, hoping someone was actually there. And, as it turned out, the hallucination was real—it was Bongo himself, in the flesh. Talk about "luck."
He provided a stimulant, observed me, and without waiting for an opportune moment, got straight to the point. Naturally, he was concerned about the stolen property and was intent on getting it back. However, I resorted to a little trickery, convincing him to return my bracelet, only to disappoint Bongo by informing him that the egg was set to hatch within the next few hours. Of course, that answer didn’t satisfy him, and I seized the chance to remotely activate my ship’s defense systems.
My disappearance didn’t go unnoticed. While I was “pleasantly” chatting with the baron, stalling for time as he decided what to do with me, Drake and Lina had armed themselves to the teeth. They took advantage of the station’s night mode and, under the cover of three combat drones, set out to find their captain. A second trio of drones stayed behind to guard the shuttle.
The baron soon learned of this, but a couple of adventurers with their little machines didn’t faze him in the slightest. Soon, a full-blown battle erupted at his stronghold.
While my team carved their way through, I seized a brief opportunity to reboot my systems via the bracelet, switching to neural control. I hijacked one of the Colibris’ drones and, under the cover of its cloaking, sent it straight to Bongo’s apartments. Simultaneously, I took control of the trio of drones accompanying my team, trying to provide them with cover. Since Lina was heavily armed and suited up in a combat exosuit, only one drone stayed with her, while the other two protected Drake. Controlling multiple drones at once was no easy feat.
Brax wasn’t idle either. He came to in some technical basement and, using his extensive arsenal, fought his way up. He first reached the warehouse of the target building and then made it to its lobby, where he ran into the Libris crew. Without lingering, he charged upward toward the apartments, arriving just in time.
Bongo saw through my trick and was about to put an end to it, crushing my hand and damaging the bracelet, when Brax burst into the office and charged at him. A brawl ensued, which ended the moment the fourth drone from the Colibris arrived. I’d managed to lock in its trajectory and set a defense algorithm before the connection was cut, so the drone crashed through the window, knocking aside the bot in its path. It deployed its weapons, aiming them at the baron. The big guy, naturally, was taken aback by such audacity and grabbed at the drone’s guns. Too bad he didn’t know that, like me, my drones really didn’t like being touched. A powerful shock followed, and the loud thud of a roasted primate hitting the floor echoed through the room.
The gang lost its leader, the battle came to a halt, and, taking advantage of the ensuing chaos, we fled Bongo’s stronghold. All four of us—well, five, actually—returned to the ship.
The fifth was Niki, a Gianga* who had been gracing the baron’s office and his dreary days with her presence. Now, she faced rehabilitation and a relatively peaceful life on Katzite until a new home could be found for her.
Gianga Niki - a member of the sentient Gianga race, until recently enslaved by the baron.
We returned to the ship without incident and immediately tended to ourselves, while also bringing Brax up to speed.
After setting up a temporary space for the Gianga, I followed the bot’s urging and focused on myself first. Brax had noticed one of my quirks: I always prioritize helping my crew before myself. But he was right—trembling hands aren’t much help to anyone and could even make things worse.
What Brax witnessed next wasn’t exactly pleasant, a process called “avatar calibration.” It took quite a while but successfully countered the effects of the radiation. Next up in the medbay were Lina and Drake. Lina was unscathed, but Drake had taken a bullet, damaging a rib, and his scaly hide was adorned with numerous small wounds and scratches. Once all the medical concerns were addressed, it was finally time to rest.
For Brax, observing the crew was quite entertaining, and he tried to learn as much about them as possible. He immediately took a wary and hostile stance toward Drake, which wasn’t surprising since the lizard constantly tried to needle or mock him, or simply butt into his conversations with the captain, much to the bot’s irritation. As for Lina… Brax noticed her meaningful glances. She clearly had a thing for the captain, always hovering around her, though her efforts consistently crashed against an impenetrable wall of indifference. Quite the crew, indeed. Yet, it seemed Brax was so eager to leave Sirius that he was willing to put up with it all. And then there was the captain. From the moment we met, he never missed a chance to get closer, tossing out spicy remarks or hints. His only frustration was that I wasn’t familiar with his culture and didn’t quite grasp what he was aiming for. He, in turn, realized this boat needed some serious rocking, and thanks to Drake and Lina’s antics, Brax didn’t have to put in too much effort.
From that moment on, he clearly had a specific goal in mind—and he was determined to achieve it.
Next - 1.4 Night on Colibris - Sirius
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