CLARENT - A BSF Quest
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- Verminator
- Captain
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Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
Let's get our sack de la bitchslap open for the crippleship. I don't want any disabled assholes ruining our nice clean asteroid field.
I have to kill fast and bullets are [i]too slow.[/i]
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Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
A/N: LET'S GET SALVAGE!
--
Clarent's Q&A Time!
--
You decide to prey on the immobilized ship and get ready for combat. Your single engine whirrs to life as you set course for the target. "That's a good call", the AI says.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_07.png)
As you get closer, however, a different picture is painted. Your scanners indicate that it's not so defenseless after all. Two autocannons and a beamer the likes of which you've never seen before. It seems that the reactor signature was only faint because it was shielded with some form of stealth technology.
"We're lucky that it's dead in the water", you say quite nervously. "It is dead in the water, right?"
"I hope so.", your AI says. "Plasma Cannon armed and fully charged. TAPS maneuvering active."
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_08.png)
Suddenly, a rather angry female voice hails you over the radio. "Stop! Cease firing at once, or you will be destroyed! This is ASV Orpheus actual, Captain Touki Shirai of the Andromedan Stellar Navy!"
"Nice to meet you, Miss Shirai. People call me Test Pilot ABT-231-7...C. And this here is..." You pause, scratching your head. "Hey, tinhead. What do I call you?"
"As a backup AI, I don't have a default designation assigned", your AI responds. "Though I suppose you could just call me Clarent."
"Yeah, that works. This here is Clarent."
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_09.png)
A blast rocks the cockpit. "Shit!", you yell in panic. "This isn't good. Setting TAPS to Flanking."
"Roger! Let's stay out of that beamer's firearc!"
"I repeat, cease firing at once! We will call for reinforcements if you do not comply!"
"Keep firing. Aim for the bridge", Clarent orders you grimly. "Scans indicate that they are about as capable as we are of sending transmissions out of the asteroid field. That is, not at all."
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_10.png)
"You are messing with the most powerful military force in the galaxy, freebooter! The Andromedan Stellar Navy!"
Again, you're confused. It seems the universe is just filled with things you don't know. "If it's so powerful, then how come I've never fuckin' heard of it?"
"What? You psycho, there's nobody who hasn't heard of the ASN! What rock have you been living under?!"
You reply in the only way you know. "I'm with the Colonial Military. We're the most powerful military force in the galaxy. Dickhead."
"The Colonial Military?! How in the--"
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_11.png)
Captain Shirai is cut off by a blast from your Plasma Turret, followed by the sound of air being violently sucked into the vacuum. It appears you've taken out the bridge with that shot.
The ship's lights flash momentarily before dimming permanently. It appears that you've managed to cause a critical power surge.
Clarent smiles. "That's one dead ship. The NanoCore is all warmed up, by the way. Let's get ourselves armed."
"Yeah. So how do we go about doing it?"
"As advanced as this system is, it's only so precise when it comes to vivisecting dead spaceships. Depending on various factors, such as the ship's size, build quality, and the amount of time we have on hand, we can only salvage a certain amount of parts from each ship before the rest becomes unusable."
"Suck", you exclaim.
Clarent rolls her eyes. "Hurry up. The junkers are less than fifty clicks from our current location."
"Shut up", you snarl groggily. "I'm thinking."
Well, /bsf/, pick your poison. You can also ask to position any of the parts in a specific location or direction. I'd also appreciate it if you chose an action for us to take after picking up the parts.
--
Clarent's Q&A Time!
"We have enough time. That's all I'll say."SInce I don't know how long it will take for those pirates to reach us,
"We're a couple terawatts short of power output. Even if it were possible, using it again would be inadvisable. We have reason to believe that it just randomly slung us half-way across the galaxy. It would be very painful if we get teleported into a sun, a planet, an asteroid, or god forbid, deep space."I'd check if we have another teleport handy, and have the AI prep it quickly...
--
You decide to prey on the immobilized ship and get ready for combat. Your single engine whirrs to life as you set course for the target. "That's a good call", the AI says.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_07.png)
As you get closer, however, a different picture is painted. Your scanners indicate that it's not so defenseless after all. Two autocannons and a beamer the likes of which you've never seen before. It seems that the reactor signature was only faint because it was shielded with some form of stealth technology.
"We're lucky that it's dead in the water", you say quite nervously. "It is dead in the water, right?"
"I hope so.", your AI says. "Plasma Cannon armed and fully charged. TAPS maneuvering active."
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_08.png)
Suddenly, a rather angry female voice hails you over the radio. "Stop! Cease firing at once, or you will be destroyed! This is ASV Orpheus actual, Captain Touki Shirai of the Andromedan Stellar Navy!"
"Nice to meet you, Miss Shirai. People call me Test Pilot ABT-231-7...C. And this here is..." You pause, scratching your head. "Hey, tinhead. What do I call you?"
"As a backup AI, I don't have a default designation assigned", your AI responds. "Though I suppose you could just call me Clarent."
"Yeah, that works. This here is Clarent."
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_09.png)
A blast rocks the cockpit. "Shit!", you yell in panic. "This isn't good. Setting TAPS to Flanking."
"Roger! Let's stay out of that beamer's firearc!"
"I repeat, cease firing at once! We will call for reinforcements if you do not comply!"
"Keep firing. Aim for the bridge", Clarent orders you grimly. "Scans indicate that they are about as capable as we are of sending transmissions out of the asteroid field. That is, not at all."
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_10.png)
"You are messing with the most powerful military force in the galaxy, freebooter! The Andromedan Stellar Navy!"
Again, you're confused. It seems the universe is just filled with things you don't know. "If it's so powerful, then how come I've never fuckin' heard of it?"
"What? You psycho, there's nobody who hasn't heard of the ASN! What rock have you been living under?!"
You reply in the only way you know. "I'm with the Colonial Military. We're the most powerful military force in the galaxy. Dickhead."
"The Colonial Military?! How in the--"
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_11.png)
Captain Shirai is cut off by a blast from your Plasma Turret, followed by the sound of air being violently sucked into the vacuum. It appears you've taken out the bridge with that shot.
The ship's lights flash momentarily before dimming permanently. It appears that you've managed to cause a critical power surge.
Clarent smiles. "That's one dead ship. The NanoCore is all warmed up, by the way. Let's get ourselves armed."
"Yeah. So how do we go about doing it?"
"As advanced as this system is, it's only so precise when it comes to vivisecting dead spaceships. Depending on various factors, such as the ship's size, build quality, and the amount of time we have on hand, we can only salvage a certain amount of parts from each ship before the rest becomes unusable."
"Suck", you exclaim.
You squint at the task on hand. "Damn. This is gonna be hard."Viking-class Frigate, ASV Orpheus
Choose two parts from the following list:
Viking's Port Gunwale
"It's composed primarily of ablative armor. It's a great defense against high-powered weapons, and I swear one of those junkers had an ASM Launcher."
(800kg, 1 medium hardpoint*)
Viking's Reactor Shielding
"The ship's reactor was fried by a power surge. However, the high tech stealth shielding that kept its signature low is still workable. If we retrieve it, we can possibly evade the junkers entirely. It's also very durable, especially against rapid-fire weaponry."
(600kg)
150MW Pulse Beamer
"It doesn't have the rote damage output of any Colonial beam weapons, but it can reliably dump a lot of power into fast-moving targets." "Looks like it could tear through those junkers like a hot knife through a small dog."
(150MW, 700kg, medium*)
60mm Autocannon
"In spite of its incredible fire rate, this little pea shooter seems to be sturdily built. It would make a good alternative (or additional!) weapon."
(80MW, 500kg, small*)
*Weapons must be mounted on hardpoints of an equal or larger size. If no such hardpoint is available, the weapon can be welded directly onto the hull, but it will not be able to pivot.
Clarent rolls her eyes. "Hurry up. The junkers are less than fifty clicks from our current location."
"Shut up", you snarl groggily. "I'm thinking."
Well, /bsf/, pick your poison. You can also ask to position any of the parts in a specific location or direction. I'd also appreciate it if you chose an action for us to take after picking up the parts.
- Jokarun
- Commander
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Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
Viking's Port Gunwale and fit the 150MW Pulse Beamer on its hardpoint...
I don't know if going into battle with multiple ships is that good, I'd suggest running to the other ship ((not too close of course)) in the hope that it will take care of the salvager pirates so that we can salvage them instead...
If it doesn't help us out, we won't be worse of than we are now and we'll take our chances with the salvagers...
((Edit: In case your ship has a databank of some kind, can we do a search for your real name?))
I don't know if going into battle with multiple ships is that good, I'd suggest running to the other ship ((not too close of course)) in the hope that it will take care of the salvager pirates so that we can salvage them instead...
If it doesn't help us out, we won't be worse of than we are now and we'll take our chances with the salvagers...
((Edit: In case your ship has a databank of some kind, can we do a search for your real name?))
Last edited by Jokarun on Mon Jul 05, 2010 2:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
I don't know about you; But I generally don't store games in RAM.
~~Take a cookie~~
J.
~~Take a cookie~~
J.
Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
Yer, 'nom the beamer and the armor.
- Anna
- The artist formerly known as SilverWingedSeraph
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Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
Viking's Port Gunwale and the 150MW Pulse Beamer. Extra armory, extra shooty.
Then fly directly to the large, heavily armed hauler to the South. Try to establish peaceful communications:
1) If it opens fire, flee immediately.
2) It it doesn't shoot, but doesn't respond, hide behind it until the junkers arrive and hope it kills them.
3) If it does respond, ask for assistance against the salvagers.
Also, I'm feeling hungry. Look around to see if there's any sort of food production device in the cockpit. Ask Clarent if necessary.
Then fly directly to the large, heavily armed hauler to the South. Try to establish peaceful communications:
1) If it opens fire, flee immediately.
2) It it doesn't shoot, but doesn't respond, hide behind it until the junkers arrive and hope it kills them.
3) If it does respond, ask for assistance against the salvagers.
Also, I'm feeling hungry. Look around to see if there's any sort of food production device in the cockpit. Ask Clarent if necessary.
Founder and Event Coordinator for the BSF Beauty Pageant. Founder of the Pseudo-Chainship Project. Admin. Games Master.
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Gay cute girl and fucking proud of it.
Quality Control Enforcer
Gay cute girl and fucking proud of it.
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- Captain
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Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
Agreeing with Anna and Droid. Also, to add onto Anna food inquiry, look for a bathroom, you need to take a leak, badly.
Nothing is forever. It can't be. 'Cause everyone changes.
![Image](http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/8471/nanoharevolution.jpg)
Whether they want to or not, they need to change. Myself... Even you!
![Image](http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/8471/nanoharevolution.jpg)
Whether they want to or not, they need to change. Myself... Even you!
Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
Get the gun-sized whale and the whale-sized gun. Stick them together. Frontal armour!
Then do what Anna said about the other ship. If they're talkative and/or need an incentive, offer to split valuable cargo from the pirates with them (if any) and we can cannibalize the hulls for our ship. Just do that last part once they're gone. Don't want them asking questions.
Then do what Anna said about the other ship. If they're talkative and/or need an incentive, offer to split valuable cargo from the pirates with them (if any) and we can cannibalize the hulls for our ship. Just do that last part once they're gone. Don't want them asking questions.
/l、
゙(゚、 。 7
l、゙ ~ヽ
じしf_, )ノ
゙(゚、 。 7
l、゙ ~ヽ
じしf_, )ノ
- Da_Dooley
- Commander
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Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
i agree, gunwale and beamer, and slap it on the front. then investigate the bigger drifter. try to contact it and make friends with it, and if that fails, blow it to hell, grab some crap, and take on the junkers.
I'm still alive, motherfuckers.
Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
No no no. Bad. Bad idea. Bad bad bad bad bad bad bad. Not nearly sneaky and resourceful enough.Da_Dooley wrote:i agree, gunwale and beamer, and slap it on the front. then investigate the bigger drifter. try to contact it and make friends with it, and if that fails, blow it to hell, grab some crap, and take on the junkers.
Why do that when we can let the pirates jump it, weaken it for us, and then jump them if they win, or finish off the weakened ship?
/l、
゙(゚、 。 7
l、゙ ~ヽ
じしf_, )ノ
゙(゚、 。 7
l、゙ ~ヽ
じしf_, )ノ
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Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
because a welded beamer might be worse than none at all, as the weight would slow our movement down, and the plasma gun we have is fairly poor...
But lets do this the INTERESTING way.
Reactor Shielding, and the Beamer welded to the side of the ship facing foward...
or just welded to the ship will do =P
Oh and hide behind a rock behind the non-responsive lug.
But lets do this the INTERESTING way.
Reactor Shielding, and the Beamer welded to the side of the ship facing foward...
or just welded to the ship will do =P
Oh and hide behind a rock behind the non-responsive lug.
- Anna
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Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
There's nothing interesting about that. You suck.Silverware wrote:But lets do this the INTERESTING way.
Reactor Shielding, and the Beamer welded to the side of the ship facing foward...
or just welded to the ship will do =P
Founder and Event Coordinator for the BSF Beauty Pageant. Founder of the Pseudo-Chainship Project. Admin. Games Master.
Quality Control Enforcer
Gay cute girl and fucking proud of it.
Quality Control Enforcer
Gay cute girl and fucking proud of it.
- Verminator
- Captain
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Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
I agree. Let's take the big slab of armour and tack the wave motion gun onto it.
ps -Then we should check out that freighter, I guess. Maybe there's something to use.
ps -Then we should check out that freighter, I guess. Maybe there's something to use.
I have to kill fast and bullets are [i]too slow.[/i]
Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
Gunwhale and Beamer. Shoot and absorb.
Congratulations. You're a textbook definition of a troll. -Danny
~Armored Core is to Cosmicbreak like Starcraft II is to World of Warcraft.~
~Armored Core is to Cosmicbreak like Starcraft II is to World of Warcraft.~
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Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
A/N: Sorry for the wait. This one is a pretty large, combat-focused update. The next one, on the other hand, will give us some breathing room, and all of your funny little questions will finally be answered. Stay tuned.
--
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/smscreen0437.png)
Clarent has acquired the following equipment:
"It just means that we should be very, very careful around here", you reply in a slow, deliberate fashion. "Let's just hope we don't run into any of those illegal *tschhhhhhhhh* contraband shippers. Or any of that evasive action stuff, eugh."
As for the new equipment: Though you have sufficient armor and firepower for now, you've been weighed down somewhat by your phat lewt. It's probably still possible to engage the enemy without difficulty, but you don't want to take any chances.
"We can't risk being outflanked", you explain. "We should contact that hauler to the south for assistance."
"It's worth a shot", Clarent replies. "Provided they don't take us for lunatics, of course. I'm setting an intercept course for the hauler. Open up another comm channel, would you kindly?"
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_12.png)
As the engine starts up again, creaking under the extra load, you reach for the comm panel. Keying in the hauler's frequency, you speak into the mouthpiece once again. "Uh, this is the CMS Clarent. Unknown cargo vessel, please respond."
Blurting in reply is a heavily accented voice husky enough to pull a dog sled. "Ho ho ho. This here's the S/N Reh-nuh-gade. We ain't no xenos, lemme tells yah. We's all humans." You assume he just called his ship the S/N... Renegade? Awful aggressive name for a freight hauler. But you can't complain if they've got a mind for combat.
You decide to get straight to the point. "There is a small contingent of pirate vessels tailing us from the north, Renegade. We'd appreciate it if you could offer up some assistance."
"Ain't no pirate ships gon' touch y'all!", the Renegade replies rousingly. "Plasma Cannons armed! We're on the job!"
Clarent blinks as if in disbelief. "Well, that went better than expected."
Your ship follows the Renegade for about ten clicks. Both vessels stop and begin facing north somewhere near the edge of the asteroid belt.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_13.png)
"Here they come! We gon' tear 'em a new asshole, hyuk hyuk hyuk!" You cringe upon hearing the Renegade captain's incredibly grating laugh.
"TAPS Maneuvering active. Pulse beamer's wave levels nominal. But something's wrong... one of the enemy reactor signatures is missing."
"Yeeeeehaw!", the similarly distasteful junkers yell over the open channel. "Let's git some!"
Your ship exchanges shots with the junkers from a distance while the hauler simply charges into the fray, guns blazing hard. Their autocannon fire is fairly strong, but not enough to buckle your armor. A thunk is heard every time one of their projectiles impacts the core.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_14.png)
After a few seconds of frantic combat, you wither down one of the junker ships and finish it off with a well-aimed shot from your pulse beamer. You shut your eyes as light fills the viewscreen.
"Score! Looks like its reactor went critical."
"Hyuk hyuk hyuk! That there's some mighty fine shootin'."
The two remaining junkers attempt to slip past your firearc. You manage to keep your frontal armor focused on them, but the hauler is not so lucky.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_15.png)
"We is takin' a little bit of heat. Don't y'all worry, we'll be faaaaaaaahn."
Clarent shakes her head in a mixture of sympathy and disdain. "Scans indicate that their starboard flank has reached critically low integrity. It won't survive another hit."
You act quickly, disabling another one of the junkers and turning the remaining one into slag with the help of the hauler.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_16.png)
"And there goes the last one!", the Renegade says cordially. "Great shootin'!"
You simply nod, though you realize that the captain can't see you doing so. "We appreciate your help", Clarent says in your place.
"No problem, lil' lady. Anything else we can do for ya?"
You are very slightly creeped out by the fact that the hauler captain just called your pet tin can a quote, endquote, "lil' lady". But this is a time for tolerance, you say to yourself. It's no good to flip off the person who just saved your life.
"We're a bit... lost", you tell him reservedly. "Could you take us to the nearest port?"
"Suuuuuuuure. We'll take you to the Big Pig; biggest mining station in Daedalus. 'S'just east o' here-- h-hey, y'all wait a sec." You can hear hushed chattering aboard the bridge of the Renegade. After a few seconds, they seem to reach a decision of some sort.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_18.png)
"...but I'm 'fraid we're gonna have to make a quick detour through hell, son."
Clarent is startled at the hauler's sudden change of course. "I'm getting a radar spike from those plasma cannons. This isn't good."
Your disgust changes to fear, then to sadness, then to anger. You bash your dashboard in a maelstrom of rage. "You want a piece of me, neckbeard?! Do you?! Well, bring it on!"
"Y'all thought you was gonna turn us into the au-tho-ri-ties for a quick buck! Well hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk, we ain't-a gonna let ya do it."
You slam the TAPS control panel. "Full speed ahead, Clarent! I am going to glass these pricks so incredibly hard!"
"Calm down. Let's aim for the port gunwale. That's where they're weakest--"
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_19.png)
The last of the four junker ships detected appears at last. It opens a can of hurt on the hauler's soft flank.
"Hee ho! Eat shit, you hatfuckers!"
"Oh lawd, git outta the way!"
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_20.png)
A massive explosion sends shockwaves coursing through the asteroid field.
"Reactor meltdown confirmed. The Renegade is no more."
"Hee ho! Now it's your turn to die!"
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_22.png)
Inside the cockpit, red warning lights blink in a strobe-like fashion. A loud warning tone is also heard.
"Incoming missile! TAPS maneuvering activated!" Clarent almost seemed to strain her voice, and it was no wonder: it was a pretty damned huge missile.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_23.png)
A massive explosion causes the cockpit to quake violently, and even the holopanels seemed to flicker on and off for a moment. You hang on for dear life while your ship battles on automatically.
"Bad news: The pulse beamer's not responding. I think we've lost it."
"Fuck", you swear under your breath.
Shots are exchanged exchanged between your ship and the junker frigate. Missile after missile is fired at your vessel, and you manage to evade none of them. You're simply not fast enough. Fortunately, your ablative armor absorbs a lot of the damage.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_24.png)
Eventually, you manage to whittle down the junker's strength with your plasma cannon. It attempts to flee, but you core its reactor before it manages to do an about face.
You breathe a long sigh of relief. It's been an extremely taxing day for you. And now you stand within what is basically a pool of scrapped ship parts.
"Oh boy", Clarent grins. "I am going to have such fun making heads or tails of this mess."
"Yes. Now that we're out of the asteroid field, my photometrics can confirm that there is in fact a very large mining station orbiting a gas giant somewhere nearby. There's also a much smaller station orbiting a small, rocky planet further away. Want me to plot a course?"
Well, /bsf/, it's time to sift through the shit again. That was pretty hectic, but rest assured, the first steps are the hardest. Pick your parts, then choose a destination. Hopefully it'll be smooth sailing for a short while.
EDIT: For perfect clarity, we have no free hardpoints at this point in time. The point on the Viking's Gunwale was destroyed.
--
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/smscreen0437.png)
Clarent has acquired the following equipment:
Additionally, Clarent has managed to recover some of the information that was in the main computer's buffer before the power surge destroyed it. She plays what remains of the captain's log for you. It's barely half an hour old.Viking's Port Gunwale
(800kg, 1 medium hardpoint)
150MW Pulse Beamer
(150MW, 700kg, medium)
Ship Summary:
Displacement: 5,300kg
Total Thrust: 6,250kgf
Energy Usage: 450/900MW
Max Velocity: 118ms-1
Turning Speed: 0.35°s-1
Acceleration: 4ms-2
TAPS Setting: 400m, Flanking
"I don't get it", the AI says, tilting her head to the side. "It's pretty badly corrupted. Did you catch any of that?""ASV Orpheus s̙ͮ͋ͧ̂ͨ͋͢ţ̻̹̩̩͍͙̆â͒͏͙̩͚̥̞͓r̻̘̩̬̆̽ͥ͐̽̽̽́d̹̯̠͉̪̦ͫ͋ͥ͟a̦͎̭̖͌ͯ͑̅͂t̖̭̫͈̤̞̮̓ͥ̀̎̓̚eͮ̈ͣ ͎̪͈̋ͪ͑̇̈ͤ̀1̋͡9͔̺̥̉̀̂ͣͧ̇̀͝2̩͈͙̞͔̯͕ͨͣͯͯ̂̽̏1̲̖̣̺̬ͪ̂̃̑͊̂̍
We've been tailing thḛ̖̯̠̌͆̀̌̃i̲̳̰̰͚̻͒̀́l͇̗̭͔̣̟̔̒͐l̟͖͔̔ͭ͠ͅḛ̢̟̙̳̭̃͐ͅͅg͕̮̙̝̉̑́̍̔͆ͅá̝̞̖͔͇̯ͨl͎͕̫̜̉̏ͩ̏̐ ̵̦̼͇͚ͩ̇c̨̱͖̘͎̣̉ò̖͓̥̦̤ͩͫ̔̽ͬ̅͘n͖̠̫̳ͨt̶̽ͣ̈́͑r̗̹̭ȁ̪̙̤̬̜̻̮́̍̏ͧb̌̓ͧͥͤͫa͔̺͂ͩͩ̋̊n͇̙̓̓̆̔̓͠ͅd̮̖̩͖̞̓̾̊ͩ̈ ͖̱̝ș̨̦͗̒̊hͦ̓͌̅͐̔͏̝̥̩̪̣̙i͖̎͑̌̈́̂̒̊p̞̱͗͌͊̚p̟̖͓̠͉̙͛̍̀ͭ̚͡ͅě̅̓ͥ̔̌҉̙͇̲̠̞r̟͑͂ͩs̝̯͍͔͛́̂ ͧ̃҉̠̞̼̭̤̖͈since yesterday. E͉̼̳̬͙̟̍ͯ̈ͫ̀͗n̨̞̩̹͍̳̳̞͉̂ͧ̓̒̆ͯṭ̵̸̟̗̥̭̪͓̉ͮ͛ͨ̂ͬ̏͡ͅē̼̮̞̰̺̈́̚͠r̮̫͍̘̮͐̉ͤ̂͘ͅĩ͒̍̐̓͏̸̙͎̠̯͔̲n̵̆҉̬̱͚̠̝̀g̛̟̦̞̩̾̐͜ͅ ̨̺̹̓͝a̡͙̜̹̮̮͈̻̯͚ͨͥ̅͂͗̂͗̕͢n̦̖̪͔͙͎͓̋͊ ̻̼̤̱̼̳ͤ̓ͬ͗͡a̛͖̗̜̦̒̏ṡ̸̛͕̱͔̗̳͉̹̐͂ͨͪ̍̆ͦ̀t̷̻̰̱̰͛̈́̈́͌͠e̸͍̟̳͓̦̦͕̬ͫͪr̶̡͕̳̰͇̺̪͚ͫ̇͝o̊̀ͣ̌͋ͫ҉̫͚̻̮̻̩͙į̰̪͓ͬ͐ͯ͂d̸̲͖̬̪̫̒ͮ̾ͫ̍ͩ̔͘͞ ̝̦͍̯̳͖ͤͨͯ͝͝f̸̝̤͌̎̒̂́͐̾͋́i͍̤̩̥͚̱̻͖ͦ̒̊̎͆ͫ͜ê̷͔͓l̐̅̓̋́ͩ̌͛̌̕͏̫͙ͅd̶͔̟̔ͯ͠.̼̬̙͕̣̬͙̔ͪ̏̿ͫͧ͑ͅͅ ̷̪͙̫̞̺͓̺̹̑ͮẂ̭͙͇̟̭̌ͪͯ͝ͅe̸̮̖̊ͥ͝'̡̩̱̰̝̼͔̬̣͌͊͌͘͜rͯ͗̐͌̐ͪͭͯ̀҉̺̞̼͖̖̀ē̹̯̘͔͐̇͜ ͚͎͇̪̭͍̬̖ͤ͒̎b̲̩̦̪ͤ̃͌̀ͯͥ͘l͎̮̲̫̦͕̥ͤͬ͌͟͟͡i̳͍͎̣̫͕̽͑̈́ͦ͗ͦͣ͐͘͝nͯ͂̿͐̓̉̑͂҉͈̘̝͔̪ͅd̫͗́̀͝,͗̆ͮ̉ͣ͏̣̜͇̰͚̀͠ ͈͎̭̘̓ͤm̦̝̺͈͕̣̟̔ͧ̇̉̔ͬͫư̅̒̀͏̻͙̘̞̲t͂҉̟ę̛̣̣͎̳̾̿ ̶̷̡̯̪͓͉̯̱̭̊ͬ̊͆ͥḁ̸̛̠̗͎͈̫ͪ͐ͩ͆͗̅̈̚n̵̡͈͐͝ḑ̴̟̞̜͚̰̈́̐ͨ̄͗̉ͦ̚ͅ ̪̝͋̌̏͜d͙͖̄̄͒́͢ͅẽ̑̿ͤ҉̸̥̜̲̕ȁ̭͍̂͌̓̋̿͊ͫf̸̥̙̻̹̝͕̝̬ͫ̊̆ͦ̀ ̸̢̮̪̩͓̝̞̬̜̤͐͒̆ͨ̇̾̀̐i̽̐͑ͬͭͩ҉̛̪̞̬̯͓̲̜̗ṇ̨͈̞̯͎ͨ ͙̞̱̣̘̍͗̈́ḩ̘͖̊ͧͨ̽̀ë̛̼̝̘͈̹͈̰́ͧ͗̔́̇ͤŕ͉̝̟̠̹͓̇̒͐̇͘͢e̡͕̎͋ͮ͌͐ͩͅ.̺ͤ̃͟͝͠. Ī̩ͣt͔̩̋̚'͍̰͕͎̘̗͋ͨ̍̇ͯ̚s̬̼̭͒̿̆͒̄͗́ ̝̯̼̥̎̍́b͌ͨ̊ͥe̳̜ͮe̶͎ṋ̶̳ͮͯ ̳̳͓̭̝̖̗̊ͥ̊ͪ̈ͫͨa̞̙̰̫͍̐̒̆͊̑ ̡̬̜̲͍̯ͩ͗ͮͤ̀ͮ̉l̵̪̙͙̰̲̱ͬ̃́̑o̼̰̳̫ͥ͜n̩͕͗̎̇̾͊̀g҉ ̲̬̥̭̫͋̓rͥ̉̀͒̓ͮ̚o͖a͕͚ͨdͮ̃̂̈̾̒.̺̜͉̳͚͈̽͂̎"
"Captain, w̯̰̔̍̑́̚e̥̪̹̭̩͆ͦ͗̉̚͢'̧̻̈̏͌͆͒͛v̰̳ë͎̞̤̫̹͕͍́̌̂̌̿̅̾ ̫̦̙̳̮̬̅ͣ̀́m̷̼̳̼̫͐ͧa͔̝̜͇͈͆ṅ̷̫̻̝̲g̝̖̥̬̬͈̾e̲̘̗͖̜̪̎̓ͮ̂̊͂ͯd̐̉́ ̮͕͕̹̄͗̒́tͤͧͥ̃̍̅̚͏̯̦̖̩̬o͔͖͎͇̺̠͚͌͂ ̬̹͉̘̲͉̜̀̃̆̃g̪̦̱̀̓̂ͫ̇̚e̳͈̙͛̈́̏̈́̓t͇̖͇̝͎ͫ ̭͚̝̝̪͙̑́͒͋͐̓͜t̳͖͍̱̠̺͛̈́̿̿͋h͎̜̣̲ͪ̆͑͛͆ͩe̮͉̗̞͈̤̹ͪ͐̊͠m͛ ̢̣͙̀ť̹͚̩̥̝̱͙̈́o̾͊ ̫̬̖̘̫̳͕̐ͧ̕p͌͐̊ͧ͜u̳̹͍̎ͤͣͅl̺̮̳̩l̥̣͐ͭ̓ͮ ̬̝̘̺̱̓ͬ̇͋ͨ̀ͅò̻̤̹̗̖̗̳͒ͫ͢v̵̫̗͚̭̬͍ê̸̙͚̮ͨ͒̉͆̄r̺̖̖̍͌̽̈́͆̆ͯ͟."
"Bring us ̴̦͙̻̤̼̰ͬí͊҉̮̻͍͙̳͍n̤̬̮̳̫͋̌ͥͮͅͅ ̹̥̺̕closer."
"They're r͂̀͆҉e̜͚̠͆͑͠l͇̬̣̘̈́͊̊̾̇̈̂ḛ̹̖̘̄ͯ̃̓à̖̯̘̹̊̓ͬ̍s͓̽̒͆ͨ́i̝̐ͯ̔͐̅̔͆͞n̟̤̝̜g̲̮͓͔͍̝ͥ͋ͩ͊ one of the containers!"
"Shit! Bomblets! Take e̟ͫ̔͛̊͢v̥̗͍͈̠̰̾å̭̩̱͚̞̩̣̐̇ͨș̫͓͂̃i̷͉̫ͪ̔̊ͮ͆̇v̢̻̻ͧ̅ě̮̥̱ͬ̂̈ ̆ͫ̓ͦ̌̿a̩̗͔̐͂̈͛̚͜c̱̬͂ͮ̈ͩ́t̞̯̺͕͑ͣ́i̳̫̙̙͋͒̑̚ǒ̢͓̣̩̾͊ͣ̐n̟̙̻̼--"
"It just means that we should be very, very careful around here", you reply in a slow, deliberate fashion. "Let's just hope we don't run into any of those illegal *tschhhhhhhhh* contraband shippers. Or any of that evasive action stuff, eugh."
As for the new equipment: Though you have sufficient armor and firepower for now, you've been weighed down somewhat by your phat lewt. It's probably still possible to engage the enemy without difficulty, but you don't want to take any chances.
"We can't risk being outflanked", you explain. "We should contact that hauler to the south for assistance."
"It's worth a shot", Clarent replies. "Provided they don't take us for lunatics, of course. I'm setting an intercept course for the hauler. Open up another comm channel, would you kindly?"
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_12.png)
As the engine starts up again, creaking under the extra load, you reach for the comm panel. Keying in the hauler's frequency, you speak into the mouthpiece once again. "Uh, this is the CMS Clarent. Unknown cargo vessel, please respond."
Blurting in reply is a heavily accented voice husky enough to pull a dog sled. "Ho ho ho. This here's the S/N Reh-nuh-gade. We ain't no xenos, lemme tells yah. We's all humans." You assume he just called his ship the S/N... Renegade? Awful aggressive name for a freight hauler. But you can't complain if they've got a mind for combat.
You decide to get straight to the point. "There is a small contingent of pirate vessels tailing us from the north, Renegade. We'd appreciate it if you could offer up some assistance."
"Ain't no pirate ships gon' touch y'all!", the Renegade replies rousingly. "Plasma Cannons armed! We're on the job!"
Clarent blinks as if in disbelief. "Well, that went better than expected."
Your ship follows the Renegade for about ten clicks. Both vessels stop and begin facing north somewhere near the edge of the asteroid belt.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_13.png)
"Here they come! We gon' tear 'em a new asshole, hyuk hyuk hyuk!" You cringe upon hearing the Renegade captain's incredibly grating laugh.
"TAPS Maneuvering active. Pulse beamer's wave levels nominal. But something's wrong... one of the enemy reactor signatures is missing."
"Yeeeeehaw!", the similarly distasteful junkers yell over the open channel. "Let's git some!"
Your ship exchanges shots with the junkers from a distance while the hauler simply charges into the fray, guns blazing hard. Their autocannon fire is fairly strong, but not enough to buckle your armor. A thunk is heard every time one of their projectiles impacts the core.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_14.png)
After a few seconds of frantic combat, you wither down one of the junker ships and finish it off with a well-aimed shot from your pulse beamer. You shut your eyes as light fills the viewscreen.
"Score! Looks like its reactor went critical."
"Hyuk hyuk hyuk! That there's some mighty fine shootin'."
The two remaining junkers attempt to slip past your firearc. You manage to keep your frontal armor focused on them, but the hauler is not so lucky.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_15.png)
"We is takin' a little bit of heat. Don't y'all worry, we'll be faaaaaaaahn."
Clarent shakes her head in a mixture of sympathy and disdain. "Scans indicate that their starboard flank has reached critically low integrity. It won't survive another hit."
You act quickly, disabling another one of the junkers and turning the remaining one into slag with the help of the hauler.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_16.png)
"And there goes the last one!", the Renegade says cordially. "Great shootin'!"
You simply nod, though you realize that the captain can't see you doing so. "We appreciate your help", Clarent says in your place.
"No problem, lil' lady. Anything else we can do for ya?"
You are very slightly creeped out by the fact that the hauler captain just called your pet tin can a quote, endquote, "lil' lady". But this is a time for tolerance, you say to yourself. It's no good to flip off the person who just saved your life.
"We're a bit... lost", you tell him reservedly. "Could you take us to the nearest port?"
"Suuuuuuuure. We'll take you to the Big Pig; biggest mining station in Daedalus. 'S'just east o' here-- h-hey, y'all wait a sec." You can hear hushed chattering aboard the bridge of the Renegade. After a few seconds, they seem to reach a decision of some sort.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_18.png)
"...but I'm 'fraid we're gonna have to make a quick detour through hell, son."
Clarent is startled at the hauler's sudden change of course. "I'm getting a radar spike from those plasma cannons. This isn't good."
Your disgust changes to fear, then to sadness, then to anger. You bash your dashboard in a maelstrom of rage. "You want a piece of me, neckbeard?! Do you?! Well, bring it on!"
"Y'all thought you was gonna turn us into the au-tho-ri-ties for a quick buck! Well hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk, we ain't-a gonna let ya do it."
You slam the TAPS control panel. "Full speed ahead, Clarent! I am going to glass these pricks so incredibly hard!"
"Calm down. Let's aim for the port gunwale. That's where they're weakest--"
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_19.png)
The last of the four junker ships detected appears at last. It opens a can of hurt on the hauler's soft flank.
"Hee ho! Eat shit, you hatfuckers!"
"Oh lawd, git outta the way!"
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_20.png)
A massive explosion sends shockwaves coursing through the asteroid field.
"Reactor meltdown confirmed. The Renegade is no more."
"Hee ho! Now it's your turn to die!"
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_22.png)
Inside the cockpit, red warning lights blink in a strobe-like fashion. A loud warning tone is also heard.
"Incoming missile! TAPS maneuvering activated!" Clarent almost seemed to strain her voice, and it was no wonder: it was a pretty damned huge missile.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_23.png)
A massive explosion causes the cockpit to quake violently, and even the holopanels seemed to flicker on and off for a moment. You hang on for dear life while your ship battles on automatically.
"Bad news: The pulse beamer's not responding. I think we've lost it."
"Fuck", you swear under your breath.
Shots are exchanged exchanged between your ship and the junker frigate. Missile after missile is fired at your vessel, and you manage to evade none of them. You're simply not fast enough. Fortunately, your ablative armor absorbs a lot of the damage.
![Image](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/STARSTRUCK/BSFStuff/clarent_24.png)
Eventually, you manage to whittle down the junker's strength with your plasma cannon. It attempts to flee, but you core its reactor before it manages to do an about face.
You breathe a long sigh of relief. It's been an extremely taxing day for you. And now you stand within what is basically a pool of scrapped ship parts.
"Oh boy", Clarent grins. "I am going to have such fun making heads or tails of this mess."
"Hey", you pipe up. "Does the station the hauler was going to take us to actually exist?"Junker Corvette A
Choose one of the following:
Junker's Gunwale
"This is a small piece of misshapen ablative armor. Not sure if want."
(300kg)
120mm Autocannon
"A high-caliber autocannon constructed from components from various manufacturers. It's a pretty dirty gun, but it deals a nasty sum of damage either way."
(80MW, 600kg, medium)
Junker Cutter B
Choose one of the following:
Bow Shield
"A small piece of armor. It also comes with a medium hardpoint; a great bonus."
(450kg, 1 medium hardpoint)
Junker Engine
"This is a shitty engine in terms of power, but its jury-rigged TVC allows us to turn much faster."
(90MW, 3,000kgf output)
Junker Frigate
Choose one of the following:
"Bolo" ASM Launcher
"Do I need to remind you how painful this thing was?" " 'Whoops, there goes your shiny new pulse beamer. Sorry broseph.' "
(120MW, 1,000kg, large)
Junker Engine Block
"The engine itself is unworkable, but the extra armor and the medium hardpoint should be okay."
(450kg, 1 medium hardpoint)
Baleen-class Hauler, S/N Renegade
Choose three of the following:
Medium Plasma Cannon
"Don't we already have one of these?" "It's served us well so far, and two guns are better than one."
(110MW, 800kg)
Baleen's Frontal Armor
"A bigass piece of composite armor. Excellent heavy-duty protection against almost anything."
(1200kg, 1 medium hardpoint)
Large Mount Servo
"Nothing to see here except a specialized hardpoint for large weapons. It's best to stick it behind some armor if we pick it up."
(100kg, 1 large hardpoint)
Modular Freight Container
"An intact freight container full of controlled substances. This would explain why the hauler tried to rub us out; they were the illegal contraband shippers described in the Orpheus' logs. We could easily use this to store spoils if we jettison or sell the cargo."
(300kg)
Medium Engine II
"A mid-sized engine of a different make from our current one. It has produces more thrust for less energy. It's essential to pick this up if we want to have any hope of coming out of this alive."
(90MW, 7,250kgf output)
Standard Fold Drive
"Clarent, we need a fold drive. We have to get home." "We don't have jump codes for any of the nodes in this system, unfortunately. We don't even know where the nodes are."
(200MW, 1800kg)
"Yes. Now that we're out of the asteroid field, my photometrics can confirm that there is in fact a very large mining station orbiting a gas giant somewhere nearby. There's also a much smaller station orbiting a small, rocky planet further away. Want me to plot a course?"
Well, /bsf/, it's time to sift through the shit again. That was pretty hectic, but rest assured, the first steps are the hardest. Pick your parts, then choose a destination. Hopefully it'll be smooth sailing for a short while.
EDIT: For perfect clarity, we have no free hardpoints at this point in time. The point on the Viking's Gunwale was destroyed.
Re: CLARENT - A BSF Quest
Heh. Not a pretty choice, either way. But at least we'll have stuff.
Junker A: Autocannon.
Junker B: Bow Shield
Frigate: ASM Launcher.
Renegade: Frontal Armor + Large Servo + Fold Drive
Junker A: Autocannon.
Junker B: Bow Shield
Frigate: ASM Launcher.
Renegade: Frontal Armor + Large Servo + Fold Drive
Congratulations. You're a textbook definition of a troll. -Danny
~Armored Core is to Cosmicbreak like Starcraft II is to World of Warcraft.~
~Armored Core is to Cosmicbreak like Starcraft II is to World of Warcraft.~