>>1901453
I awaken in a haze. The heavy feeling of my left arm encased in my tractor gauntlet. my right gripping a mug of half-dunken beer. It's the morning... My head hurts. I must have fallen asleep in the bar.

It's fine, this has happened before.

A grainy news broadcast flickers on the screen above the counter where the robot diligently cleans last night's mess. I can't make out what they are saying in my haziness, but if I wait, it might clear up...

I don't think I have many credits left, and I know one of the crime lords of Oreco will want me to pay for 'protection' soon.

>try to listen to the news
>go back to my home and get cleaned up
>go to the scrapyards to work for someone
>go to the docking bay and get in my ship

>>1901460
>try to listen to the news
Then
>go back to my home and get cleaned up

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21 KB PNG

>>1901533
I rub my eyes and watch the screen... The creature looks human, but a few are like that in this galaxy.

"...next expansion phase of the Republic. Firios, an undeveloped planet, is the latest in their path. Brave Confederate forces are pushing back, but it appears this conflict will have high casualties."

It seems Firios is going to have tons of scrap floating around it soon. This is a Confederate broadcast, of course. They always spin it.

I get up from the table. The robot looks at me, then looks down. I must have paid last night. Good thing I'm at least somewhat responsible when drunk.

I stagger home. It's in 'the bulwark,' a massive chunk of dreadnought. I live in the bottom, with everyone else who can't afford the space. The guys who run this station charge so much for anything with a separate room it's cheaper to buy a spaceship.

The airlock door of my home has a notice: FINAL WARNING!! I tear it off. Final and first are the same damn thing here. I take a long shower.

A fresh set of clothing hangs across from me. after grooming myself, I stand before the mirror, ready to head out. I look every part the scavenger.

At least I have a ship, though, which is a step out of this garbage dump.

I need to either pay that notice, or go away long enough and come back with enough money to pay it.

If I tried to take out the guy extorting this block, another one will move in... and probably charge more.
>Go to scrapyards to work for someone
>go to docking bay for my ship
>write-in

>>1901587
>Go to scrapyards to work for someone

>>1901587
>go to docking bay for my ship

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>1901944
1
>>1901900
2

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748 KB PNG

>>1901944
>>1902103
I head to the docking bay. It's quite a walk. The bay itself is a repurprosed ship construction yard, the reinforced glass keeping the vacuum of space out. A great pad of metal and concrete acts as a parking lot for smaller vessels, like mine.

The Highjacker IV is a Cordyceps-class ship. a failed electronic warfare ship intended to latch on to capital ships, stealing control of all systems and rerouting them to the smaller ship. In theory it was a decent concept. In practice, the ships would just get destroyed by fighters.

It's not a vey big ship, but nothing can drag in space hulks better... except a mobile shipbreaker...

Behind the glass dome of my ship, the lights flicker to life. I built this ship using spare parts and blueprints, and it's yet to fail me. And right now? It's loaded up with fuel.

I key up the star map.

I currently have no treasure maps.

The asteroid cluster where Oreco floats is closest, but it's rife with competition and pirates, and I lack the heavy guns, meaning I have to move quietly and carefully.

Narellian space is illegal to scavenge in, but the patrols are sparse. The wrecks don't carry much value though.

Republic space has patrols that suddenly appear out of nowhere, and it's illegal to scavenge without a license, but have some of the most valuable wrecks floating around.

Then there is Firios. It's a warzone, but that means no enforcement and tons of free scrap. Competition will be there but there is too much loot to fight over.

>Scavenge in asteroid belt
>Scavenge in Republic space
>Scavenge in Narellian space
>Scavenge around Firios.
>write-in

>>1902189
>Scavenge around Firios

>>1902202
Seconded

>>1902202
>>1902267
I flick a few of the controls on my ship, detaching from the landing pad. Gripping the control sticks, I nose the ship forward.

Oreco sprawls before me, a titanic ring of star junk and boxes intended for some cosmic garbage titan... If those existed. I key up my map to Firios. The autopilot chitters in response as the ship turns.

With a lurch and a feeling of wooziness, my ship dips into hyperspace. I'd lose my lunch had I eaten any. It takes hours. I whittle the time away in the ship, messing with a deck of cards I'd forgotten about.

A shrill sound startles me as I'm completing my card tower. I rush to thecockpit just as the ship drops out, sending me somersaulting into the chair. As I wince in pain, the tableau of Firios unfolds.

I'm flying in a sea of wreckage. Shredded starfighters and orbs of blood float past, unlucky bastards. In the edge of the debris field I see a Republic Lambda Cruiser, a massive mile long streak of white, dueling with three Narellian Serval-Class frigates. An unfair fight to be sure... that cruiser is over a mile long and damn near immune to energy and kinetic weapons. A turn shows a hulking form of a Republic Omega-class battlecruiser plowing through a Narellian Panther-class warship. Yeah, this battle is pretty much lost...

At least until another fleet of Narellian ships warp in, fresh to the battle and ready for combat. I gun the engines forward tothe edge of the debris field. Streaks of fire on the planet indicate a few crashes. There's loot to be had there... and less gunfire. Up here, though, I'd get loot, AND good chunks of scrap. There is a crackle on the radio. Two signals.
>listen to the Republic transmission
>listen to the Narellian transmission
>scour the debris field (roll a d20)
>Land on Firios.

>>1903113
>listen to the Republic transmission
I honest don't think we should mess with these guys

>>1903113
>listen to the Republic transmission

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>>1903196
>>1903206
The Republic. I suppose the transmissions from them hold more value than the Narellian ones. I flick the dial over to their signal and listen in.

"-nder heavy assault. I repeat, ground forces are pressing onto the outpost! We need backup immediately or they WILL take the T-drive! Where is the air support?! There's a cruiser down here pounding us!"

By some stroke of luck, the Narellians must have downed a ship... That, or it wasn't one of the big ones. Still, a T-drive... that's the Republic's trade secret to their rapid expansion! To get ahold of it... the prices others would pay... the price the Republic would pay...

I feel almost giddy. I could buy a planet with a T-drive! I could buy Oreco!

...or I could get a massive target painted on my head since I don't need to be alive to have the t-drive taken from me... Ah well.

I could maybe help the Narellians. With thier fleet busy up here, the ground battle seems to be going in their favor...

I could also help the Republic. It's only a matter of time before they take Firios. Less now that they have a ship down. I bet new ships are being scrambled right now in Republic space.

The Narellian broadcast fades out. Looks like I missed it.
>Land on Firios.
>Assist Republic planetside
>Assist Narellians planetside
>scour debris field (roll a d20)

>>1903949
>Assist Narellians planetside

>>1903949
>Assist Republic planetside

QM, we really need to know more about the Republic and the Confederacy if the option of allying with one and making an enemy of the other is going to be placed in front of us. Knowledge that the character would know but the players don't.

>>1904192
Very well, I will tell you what the character knows. She's not fond of either, and knows only some of their motivation, Right now Avari is in a position to either help one out or watch the fireworks and reap the profit.

The Intergalactic Republic is an assortment of various alien species that are being or were assimilated into its rankings. Ships named after the Greek alphabet are vastly more powerful than all the other starships, but they are slow. They seem to operate on a belief that if they conquer the galaxy and turn it all into the Republic, there will be peace.

The Narellian Confederacy is a human-dominated government centered around Narellia. It consists of multiple worlds united together. It doesn't so much push for a change, but rather a status quo. It has a vast armada of warships, named after felines, and starfighters, named after mystical beasts. They are one of the few factions that has pushed back against the Republic with success. How they did so is a mystery.

>>1903949
>>scour debris field (roll a d20)

>>1903963
>>1904144
>>1904493
I'm unable to decide. The benefits of allying with the Narellians are going to be temporary. Once the Republic arrives in force, I'm going to be hunted down with them.

However, right now the Narellians have the upper hand on the ground, and I could take that T-drive.

Teaming up with the Republic would hasten this planet's fall, and I might be fired on by the Narellians, but the Republic will probably let me go... which means I can sweep the debris field without any trouble at all.

Sweeping the debris field during the fight is also an option. Everyone involved will be distracted and ignore my tiny ship... plus if a capital ship gets damaged, I might be able to latch on and fly it back home.
>Assist Republic planetside
>Assist Narellians planetside
>scour debris field (roll a d20)

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>1905159
>scour debris field (roll a d20)

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>1905159
>>scour debris field (roll a d20)

>>1905553
>>1905696
>10
I zip through the debris, looking for a good haul. My ship electromagnets net me a few neat pieces of Narellian hardware, life support systems, consoles, the like, then I see it... A whole goddamn frigate, lights dead, adrift in the wreckage.

The hull is broken open. I can see sparks and cargo containers floating inside. It looks like the Narellians were going to make Firios into a ground base.

But all that gear in there could be mine. The ship is damaged, but my cordyceps can jump the systems back to life if I latch on... And Oreco will pay top dollar for those building materials.

I glance back at the planet and the star battle unfolding. The Republic's reinforcements are late. That Republic transmission is still going, likely desperate for aid.

I can take the haul back home and make some good money. Or I could choose to interfere planetside. My little ship here could also hijack one of those active Narellian capital ships, but it's SUPER risky, but if I pull it off, I have a goddamn warship I can sell. Don't even think about the Republic ones... If the ships are white, my ship's cutters can't breach the things.
>Take the hulk full of goodies back to Oreco
>Land on Firios
>Assist Republic forces planetside
>Assist Narellian forces planetside.
>Try to hijack a Narellian capital ship

>>1907092
>>Take the hulk full of goodies back to Oreco

>>1907203
Supporting

>>1907092
>Assist Republic forces planetside.

>>1907092
>Assist Republic forces planetside

>>1907092
>Take the hulk full of goodies back to Oreco

>>1907203
>>1907385
>>1908211
After considering long and hard on swooping in to rescue the Republic ship, vs getting my own wealth, I decided wealth was the better option.

Let those two governments claw at Firios. I'll make a tidy profit myself. I fly the Cordyceps in close to the hulk, the pods turning parallel to the neck of the bridge.

With a loud clank, my ship attaches. I hear the whirring as my pod cuts through the ship armor. It's not a slow process. Within moments, another set of consoles flickers to life. these are the controls to the larger ship. I'm connected. The warp drive on this thing still works, so I turn it around slowly, carefully.

A couple of Republic drone fighters spot me, streaking past the wreck before turning. I've been spotted. I hear the ping warning me that I've been locked on to.

I fire the engines and jump into hyperspace.

Breathing comes easy. I'd just narrowly escaped death The warpspace fills me with relief. The Republic can't chase me here.

I lean on the controls of my ship and sigh. Good things were sure to happen now. With a lurch, I am torn from hyperspace, pushing against the cold controls of my ship. I nose the Narellian frigate into the breaking yard.

I detach, using my magnets to force open the gap. Contents spill out. My loot, alll there for the taking. I land as some other scavengers gather.

"Holy shit, Avari. You got a Narellian warship?"
"Damn, where's you find that thing?"
"Look at all the supplies!"

I can't help but grin at the jealous tone of their voices. Yes. I look inside my crates...

It looks like building materials. Nothing but building materials. Still... I knock on the foreman's window.

"Give you a crate of building supplies if you break that warship down for me." I offer

"Shit, deal." The foreman looks greedily at one of the crates. Just one could expand the wreaking yard by a good portion... any of Oreco's structures, actually. And space is wealth here.

I watch the Narellian ship get stripped apart. The raw scrap metal is sent to the smelting array, while the workable parts are gathered.

>I have a Narellian Large Ship Reactor. A Nerellian mainframe(uncracked), 39 crates of building materials, and 40 tons of ship hull.

The ship hull parts are likely to end up 'lost' but it's the parts I'm needing. I move them over to my storage.

I have my goods now, I can sell them.
The reactor and computers I'll sell later.

The General market means private owners will use them, or resell them elsewhere. Putting them up on intergalactic auction means I might not get a lot, but I might get even more from impatient folks.

Selling them to people running the station will net me favors around Oreco though. And though it might make less overall, some 'friends in the right places' could save my life later.
>sell in general market
>sell in intergalactic auction
>Sell to those operating the station.

>>1909377
>Sell to those operating the station.

>>1909377
>Other: sell 60% to the station, 40% to the general market
This way we make friends with both the station operators and the merchants; maybe not as much influence in any one group, but spreads it out a little.

>>1909377
>Sell to those operating the station.

>>1910742
>>1909406
I decide it'd be best to win favors at home. Taking a pallet, I move my construction crates down the hangars turned highways that make up the main artery of this junk station.

Each is sold to someone who owns a piece of this crate for a decent amount, quite a bit more than my rent fee... For the next few months.

Just about every gang (save my landlord's) is my 'pal' thanks to my sales. It's not good to get too chummy with them though.

With my bottom line cleared from crates, that means only one thing: Profits. The mainframe and reactor are certain to fetch a pretty penny, so I put them on the General market for the most sure income.

With the money made, well, I can afford some luxuries. Drinking money, a few nice dinners...

I could also buy a nicer home, get myself more space... I could upgrade my ship... the turret is kinda garbage.

Or I could fly somewhere else and spend my money. Credits are good all over the galaxy.
>Spend money on booze and luxuries
>Upgrade to a better home
>Improve your ship
>Save the money (roll a will save: 1d20)
>Travel elsewhere to spend your profits.

>>1911673
>Improve your ship

>>1911673
>Improve your ship

>>1911673
>Improve your ship

>>1911829
>>1913355
>>1914132
Improving on my ship is a good investment. I head down to the general market.

A cordyceps-class is a durable little thing, parts for it can be found damn near anywhere. A new reactor, a newer set of hull plating, interior repair, new consoles, a comfier pilot's seat... Those are bought first. The turret is another matter.

Due to how the ship is built, it can only support one weapons system, and it's a hard choice.

My current turret is a twin laser cannon system. The lowest grade of shipborne weapons.

I can upgrade my cannon to a kinetic, ballistic, or energy weapon. They vary in power, but the weaker ones I can mount two of compared to a single system for the larger ones.

-Kinetic would be twin Gauss cannons. A nice decent punch.
-Another kinetic option is a single railgun. the penetrating power is immense.
-Ballistic just has a small missile system. On the plus side, it can be varied based on what missiles I have to load. The downside is needing to store missiles onboard and track how many I have.
-Energy has a phasic cannon. A standard ship combat weapon that changes frequencies to inflict maximum damage.
-A beam weapon locks on and keeps firing continuously until it goes through. I can only use one though.
-The disruptor cannon. Big and obvious on my ship, the disruptor is considered illegal in all star systems save the Republic. It breaks down the atomic bonds of a target. Equipping such a weapon would get my ship impounded in lawful space.

>Get twin gauss
>Get a railgun
>Get a myssile system
>Get twin phasic cannons
>Get a beam weapon
>Get Disruptor cannon (Illegal)

>>1915009
>Get a railgun

>>1915040
Supporting

>>1915009
>>Get twin phasic cannons
Given our occupation, we're probably going to be shooting at strike fighter craft most of the time, and that means we need a decent firing rate.

>>1915009
>Get twin phasic cannons

For now this is the best bet.

>>1915009
>Get twin phasic cannons

>>1917736
>>1916735
>>1916563
I think a long time about this. I'm caught between railgun and phasic cannons, but in the end I decide on the cannons. The railgun is just too slow, and the canons would give me reliable anti-fighter defense.

Looking over my spending money, I find I have quite a bit to spare. Well, not really a lot. More like drinking money.

I could hit up the auction. Sometimes they sell star charts to treasure. (sometimes they are fake.) Or I could maybe get plastered at the pub again, listen to rumors and the news. I mean, all those upgrades are gonna take a while.

Oh, and I should probably pay that protection money.
>Pay protection money.
>Go to the bar and booze it up.
>Check out the auction for treasure maps.

>>1918859
>Pay protection money.
>Spend any leftover cash at the bar

>>1918859
>>Pay protection money.
>>Go to the bar and get drunk with the protection crew

>>1919047
>>1919546
No need to even think about what I must do. I head to the upper levels of the station. The place I'm heading is called 'the warren.' It's run by Scakkor. Im' not sure what alien species he is, but he looks like a giant rat and a human had a forbidden relationship... if that were possible. You don't know whaty's funnier, the fact that they live in the most posh accommodations, or the fact they speak in a Southern English accent.

"Well, well, Avari. s'rare for you to be on time."
"I got lucky this time." I slam a pile of money on the table."
"Well, now. You know, I heard a bit of folks saying you'd been buying ship parts. Care to have a lil extra on hand for me?"
"Nope, sorry, what I have left is for buying enough drinks to make everyone in this room blind. And then some for the rest of the bar."
"Well then-er, what?"
"I'm buying a drinks. for the whole bar. Get down there or miss out."
"Shit, Avari, don't have to tell me twice." The crime lord gets off his chair and motions to his guards, "You better not be buying the cheap stuff."
"Is there anything on this station that's not the cheap stuff?!"
I leave the upper levels to hit the biggest bar on the station. Oh yes. I'm talking The Cruiser. A whole starship hollowed out and made into a great big pub. I walk in with the swagger of a big spender and I call to the barkeep.

"I want drinks for everyone and if somone leaves this pub sober tonight I demand the barkeep shot!" A cheer rises, and what follows is one hell of a crazy night.

With toungues loosened and people talking, I can hear rumors. The screens are blaring something and I am so drunk I think I saw four dead men offer me a beer.
>listen to rumors.
>look at the news
>go back home
>listen to people talking.

>>1923581
>listen to people talking.
Make some friends

>>1923581
>listen to rumors

>>1925528
Supporting

>>1925528
>>1926286
Ah, yes, rumors. I lean close to one conversation.

"No, no, I swear, the secret lab the President of the Republic was born in. It's in Shimmering Cluster."
"You idiot, who would put a secret lab in an asteroid field like that? It's suicide. It'd be found in a moment!"
"Those fields are made of mostly pyrite. The reflective surfaces throw off the sensors. I bet there's tons of goodies there..."

Seems like scavenger legends.

"The Gilded Albatross."
"Nobody believes it."
"No, no, I saw it drifting In Cofidi Nebula. Intact."
"Then why don't you have it?"
"I was low on fuel and in a shuttle, but it's there, I swear."

A missing treasure hauler, an old legend.

"The Lost Fleet of the Salvage King." Hold the fuck up.
"A fairytale? C'mon." I clench my fist. Salvage King was my idol. I grew up listening to stories about him.
"Salvage King's real! Admiral Jad of the Republic betrayed him!" That's true. He fell before the Republic appeared. The Salvage King's secret base, the invincible lost fleet, were Jad's ships. He sold them to the Republic.
"That's giving that egotist WAY too much credit, pal."
"No, there's signals, just off the Kodel rift. Like the Republic's Pyresian warships. But hese aren't online. I swear."
"Bull, you think the Republic would leave those ships abandoned?!"

All of these are good...
>Listen in on the Secret Labs
>Listen in on the Treasure Ship
>Listen in on the Salvage King's Lost Fleet.

>>1927855
>Listen in on the Salvage King's Lost Fleet.

>>1927855
>Listen in on the Salvage King's Lost Fleet.

>>1927855
>Listen in on the Salvage King's Lost Fleet.

>>1929417

continue here.