[b]Location: Girnavox City - Financial District, Planet Tharokan, Polyphemus System[/b] The bustling urban metropolis was filled with vehicles rushing to and fro across the busy lanes of the capital city of Girnavox. Business as usual was conducted under a bright morning sun by both the working men and women, and the shrewd businessmen that dominated most of the city's financial district. The 8th Colonial Bank in particular, stood towering above most of the other structures in the district in one of the city blocks. The peace was broken as the ground shook and some windows of the huge bank building shattered from the vibrations, causing several bystanders to stop and wonder what was happening. [hr] [b]8th Colonial Bank - High Security Vault 3[/b] Benny emerged from behind the steel table he had taken refuge behind as he looked upon the smoking hole where the entrance of the vault used to be. [color=darkgoldenrod]"Alright lads, we've got around 10 minutes before the cops start storming tha' place! Let's grab our package and make for the drop-off point like flies to dogshit!"[/color] He announced as he set the 10 minute timer on his HUD. Three armed men wearing heavy yellow armor and packing automatic rifles followed behind him as they ran into the vault. The vault was filled with various items of great value. Statues were placed in several corners, antique paintings hung on nearly every wall, and gold bars stacked neatly in large blocks were all over the place. If they weren't in such a hurry, Benny would've loved to take a few souvenirs. Unfortunately, they were pressed for time if they were going to stick to the plan. Benny brought up the holographic display on his bionic arm and interfaced with the security cameras as he quickly scrambled the feeds, making it look as if the feed from Vault 7 was the video coming from Vault 3, which would hopefully throw off the pursuers for a short time as they go into the wrong area of the bank. [color=darkgoldenrod]"Sooo... Wot was it we're lookin' fer again? A small emerald carving of Apollo? Or was it a jade carving?"[/color] Benny asked his associates as he scanned the vault for the item they were contracted to steal. A family heirloom, their rich employer said. One of the armed men turned to him, their helmet with a white skull painted over it. "Actually, we've got what we're looking for right here." He said in his deep electronically distorted voice. The 3 men turned towards Benny and raised their weapons and pointed it at Benjamin. "Drop your weapons, Benjamin Quincy! You're under arrest!" the man said. Suddenly, the entrance of the vault was blocked off by several Alliance police officers with riot shields and armed men who appeared from out of nowhere. "Drop all of your weapons and explosives and get on the ground!" The fake mercenary said as laser dots started appearing on Benny's body. Benny himself slowly turned his head around and let out a long sigh. [color=darkgoldenrod]"I knew somethin' was off abou' this job... Alrigh' officers, you caught me. I'll do as you say."[/color] Benny said as he turned around and dropped several primed sleep grenades whose gas started to spread across the room. The riot police's helmet quickly sealed into rebreather units and the marksmen positioned in the back fired their tranquilizers into the laser dots across Benny's body. The fake mercenaries however weren't as lucky as the riot police. Their armor lacked any environmental filters so they coughed violently before passing out from the gas. [color=darkgoldenrod]"Tha' migraine you'll get from this gas when you wake up is a real bitch! Enjoy it ya' dickheads!"[/color] He shouted in defiance as the tranquilizers took effect and the riot police began tackling him down. [hr] Benny started stirring, though his vision was still blurry. He blinked as he felt the headache from the tranquilizers he was shot with start to hit him. [color=darkgoldenrod][i]"I feel like the mornin' after a round o' drinks at Gerbie's Lounge... And the shit he sold was banned in 3 star systems...[/i][/color] He thought to himself. Not long after that, he noticed an odd imbalance in his body weight. Glancing towards his left side he was immediately shaken awake at the sight of his missing bionic arm. Meanwhile his right arm was strapped to a chair while a metal table was set in front of him. The walls surrounding him looked like they were made of brick instead of the reinforced walls usually seen inside a police precinct. [color=darkgoldenrod] “Alright! I don’t know who you are but this definitely don’t look like any police station I eva’ been in. What do ye want with me?!”[/color] He shouted at no one in particular, though he was sure that someone had to have been listening to him and keeping an eye on their prisoner. As if on cue, a caucasian man entered the room wearing a black, well-tailored suit and sat down on the other side of the table. He appeared to be in his late forties, had a clean-cut face, and neatly-combed blonde hair. “Greetings, Benjamin Quincy. Alias: “Benny Boomer”. Wanted for 5 counts of theft, 7 counts of arson, 12 counts of possession of illegal weapons, and over 20 counts of vandalism and destruction of private and public property. This record could get someone locked away for a very long time, Mr. Quincy.” The man said. [color=darkgoldenrod]“Did ya figure that out by yourself, Sherlock? Having a long list o’ crimes is bloody good motivation for staying outta’ jail. Who are you people anyhow? I can tell this is no police station, so jus’ tell me what’s got ya interested in me.”[/color] Benny replied. “Call me Mr. Pliskin. I represent an organization that can get you locked away for an even longer time than your crimes should hold you for… Or offer you a way out of it.” Pliskin replied. [color=darkgoldenrod] “I’ve dealt with enough criminal scumbags ta’ know that there’s always a catch. What is it?”[/color] Benny replied while staring straight towards the suited man “We have a classified project going by the codename: Project Revenant. It is a government initiative where we gather people of your… skills and background… together to perform special tasks for The Alliance. Do your job, and you will be rewarded handsomely, you may not even need to return to be sent to jail if you make us happy enough. Fail, and we will deny all knowledge of the project and leave you and your colleagues to face the consequences of what we ask you to do. Surely this is a lot more fun than staying inside a jail cell, Benjamin. After all, don’t you choose the jobs you take with how exciting they are?” Pliskin asked. [color=darkgoldenrod]“Ya’… But I know my limits, and I know not ta’ trust some government lapdog on his words alone. Yer’ obviously not expecting any of us to come back alive after we’ve outlived our usefulness. What if I’d rather be in a jail cell than to fling myself into some classified mission that could be tha’ death o’ me.?” [/color] Benny asked. “If you would rather be locked away then we will be… forced… to investigate these suspicious transactions you have made over the years. Large credit transfers sent from proxy to proxy. We haven’t investigated each of the credit trails yet but we have seen that most of them lead back to Earth. I wonder who you are sending all of that to. It would be such a shame if this person were to suffer the wrath of all of the people you wronged to get that money…” Pliskin said with an arrogant grin. Benny tried to free himself from his seat and shook it around violently. [color=darkgoldenrod][b]“How tha’ bloody Hell did you track all of those down!? I sent them over dozens of different proxies across different star systems! They were supposed ta’ be untraceable!”[/b][/color] Benny shouted angrily. “We have our ways. But that’s not what you should be concerned with right now. If you accept our offer and become part of Project Revenant, we will drop the investigation into these credit transfers, and all of your enemies will be none the wiser. If you turn us down or try to escape, then I can’t say what will happen to this friend you have on the other end of the credit line.” Pliskin replied. Benny stopped struggling and had his face turned downwards. [color=darkgoldenrod]“… Fine… Tell me what ya’ need me to blow apart. But give me back ma’ arm and gear first.”[/color] [hr] One of the last shuttles arrived on Chronos Station, carrying with it the notorious Benny Boomer. He was transferred out through a secure wheelchair and brought out to where the rest of the criminals and mercenaries had gathered on the walkway leading to the ship. [color=darkgoldenrod] “I bet some of ya’ wankers get off on keeping me tied down like this! Bloody Hell these things are tight!”[/color] He said out loud. As soon as he was surrounded by the other guards, they unlatched him and handed back his bionic arm from a sealed metal container. [color=darkgoldenrod][b]”Ol’ Skelly! I am so glad ta’ see ya!”[/b][/color] Benny said as he took the container and pulled out the metallic limb. He then hugged the arm and spoke more quietly. [color=darkgoldenrod]”I hope they didn’ mistreat ya’. Don’ worry, daddy’s here now…”[/color] He said as he cradled it in his arm. One of the guards grabbed Benny’s shoulder and directed him to the group led by Captain Dawson which had just begun his explanation of the ship’s terminals and requisition system, and also how trying to tamper with the ship would trap them all in space. The Guard called the captain’s attention before turning back to Benny. “Fix your arm back onto you once you’re aboard, until then, pay attention to the captain.” The guard said sternly. [color=darkgoldenrod] “Sure thing, dad!”[/color] Benny replied mockingly as he walked towards the group. He was wearing the usual jumpsuit given to the prisoners but his distinct lack of a left arm was obvious as the sleeve swung about in the air. “Any questions?” Captain Dawson asked as he finished his explanation. Benny lifted up his detached bionic arm to get the captain’s attention. [color=darkgoldenrod]“Do we get our own rooms? ‘Cause any poor bastard who bunks with me is going ta’ die from lack of sleep. I make lots’a noise when I’m workin’”[/color] Benny asked the Alliance captain.