- GM’s note: Continuing the Tachyon Squadron flashback arc…..
- “Deadeye”, “Chance”, “Butcher” and “Loser” are protecting the freighter Harmony. Four pirate Gators are ghosting them, and they have a lot of drone fighters with them to provide cover. “Deadeye” also picks up a pirate corvette supporting them. They follow for a long time before making their move. Four on four isn’t great odds but the pirates are experienced pilots and they give it a crack. The initial engagement isn’t conclusive. A pair of pirates goes after “Deadeye” whilst the other pair goes after “Ethan”. “Loser” is initially outmanoeuvred and “Butcher” takes a hit when he tries to engage.
- Finally, “Deadeye” kills one of them, “Ethan” outflies his pursuit and kills another. The pirates fight on as they are unable to disengage quickly, and “Loser” scores her first kill with a near perfect shot. The surviving Gator escapes, flying back to the corvette. The retreating pilot threatens the cadets that “I’ll be back” in a distinctly slavic accent.
- In the aftermath, the Harmony leaves the 26 Draconis system and the cadets start heading back. On the return route “Deadeye” picks up a fast-moving object on his scanner. It appears to be an out of control shuttlecraft. Running short on fuel, “Deadeye” radios this in so that another vessel can be sent to intercept and investigate.
- The cadets return to their studies. “Loser”s morale improves as she has successfully survived her first engagement with a kill to her name. “Deadeye” continues to coach her where he can. The cadets hear news that the shuttlecraft that they detected was recovered by “Radar”, “Ajax” and “Cobra”. It was a pinnace attached to the Challenger, a survey vessel which is supposed to be exploring the Dalban system. Apparently, there was a person onboard but they are not in good shape (catatonic!).
- The cadets of Starfighter Academy are generally in a good mood as they are heading towards Hop 4 and graduation. They are frequently at the Spacer’s Bar, and then many of them head to the G-Spot to ‘party on’ or frolic with the girls. The girls from the Callisto 2119 system are particularly popular. “Mayhem” tells “Deadeye” that Callisto is an ice planet with very poor sunlight. It’s essentially a mining world with big corporate interests. A lot of the natives have pearly white skin, and Callisto girls have a reputation for being attractive, dirt poor and practically minded when it comes to escaping offworld. “Deadeye” feels uncomfortable about “Mayhem”s description – it’s hard to know whether the working girls here are modern day slaves or whether they actually want to be here. He notes that “Chance” seems to come here semi-regularly and he has his ‘favourite’, one of the Callisto girls called Astra.
- Hop 4 goes well (GM’s note – as per the Session 213 writeup) “Loser” performs well and she is quietly confident that she may graduate after all. With the results from Hop 4, “Deadeye” looks a near certainty to be awarded the Kalkidan Trophy.
- The next week is pretty quiet. Studies. “Deadeye” and “Chance” turn their attention to what happens after graduation. Then one evening in the fringe areas of the Draconis Station, they pass someone which gives “Chance” pause. The man is fidgety and scared. But what is he nervous about? They head down the corridor and find a bloodstain on the wall, and then the body of a man who has been hastily jammed into a vent. The man has been stabbed but he is still alive. He’s in uniform – he’s one of Draconis Station’s security officers – an officer named Magee.
- “Chance” works to save his life, applying direct pressure. He’s lost a lot of blood but he may live if he lasts the night. They call the incident in and “Deadeye” goes to hunt down the furtive looking guy who might know something about it.
- Once “Chance” gets Magee some proper medical assistance, he goes to get himself cleaned up and find some fresh clothes. In the meantime, “Deadeye” takes almost two hours to hunt down Ernie, a homeless fellow who is petrified of saying anything to Draconis Station’s security. Dragging him to the station, “Deadeye” persuades him to tell him what is going on.
- Ernie doesn’t know much but he knows that the ‘Goss boys’ are up to no good. He doesn’t know why a ‘security man’ would be on the lower levels but he is fearful of reprisals. Ernie tells “Deadeye” a sob story about how he used to be a salesman but he wasn’t very good, he missed his quotas and was abandoned on the station without the means to go elsewhere. In the middle of the night, “Deadeye” gets him a meal and a bed for the night.
- Meanwhile, “Chance” has weighed up going to bed early but decided to check on officer Magee. He is told by Molloy, one of the security officers on duty, that they have discovered that Magee’s young daughter is missing and that Magee had recently withdrawn a sum of money which wasn’t on him when “Deadeye” and “Chance” found him.
- “Deadeye” arrives at the station and finds Malloy and two other officers, Curtis and Ikaya, getting ready to hunt for the Goss brothers. Hearing that Magee’s daughter is missing, he insists on helping with the search. He assumes that if the Goss brothers already have the money that the little girl is in great danger….
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