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[h1][color=cyan][i]Out of the frying pan...[/i][/color][/h1][hr][/center]

It was a day like any other: The Guernica was careening through space, with a grace that could be described as 'technically still moving'. The great old rustbucket and its crew were on a relatively routine mission, delivering routine cargo of debatably legal nature from a routine client of debatably shady origins to a routine out of the way backwater port of the debatably black market variety. All in all, nothing was particularly out of the ordinary for them. The Guernica- along with its colorful crew, like so many other ship crews in the Outworlds regions, often took up the role of 'Freelancers': Delivering- or smuggling- cargo, messages, or people wherever they were supposed to be. In short, they ran errands, and occasionally performed dirty work for people with the means and the need for private, independent, and discreet contractors. 

They were also being shot at.

A crew of overzealous and overambitious- or perhaps just starving for a payday- pirates had thrown a rather routine wrench into their plans and had decided that whatever the Guernica was carrying, they wanted. Or maybe they just wanted the Guernica itself, and didn't much care whether or not the ship was entirely whole by the time they got it. The pirates, consisting of a repurposed salvage frigate- the kind with  and a pair of attack craft, jumped the Guernica as it exited the 'bubble' at a more discreet jump point- In a local asteroid/debris field, the type that was typically away from the prying eyes of law enforcement- and was in the middle of harrying the Guernica. The Guernica's communications logs were spammed with audio commands from the salvage ship to both power down their ship, and to 'die and surrender', all the while the attack craft, a pair of civilian single-seaters with guns crudely strapped to them, peppered the Guernica's shields with fire.

Further complicating matters was the fact that the pirate salvager had managed to land a tether line on the top of the Guernica's hull, which while not strong enough to bring the Guernica to a full stop, along with the field of debris- mostly asteroids, refuse and chunks of junked spacecraft- [i]were[/i] reducing its speed and maneuverability, enough to allow the larger salvager to keep pace with it. Add to the mix that a half dozen pirates in EVA gear of varying quality following the tether down to the Guernica itself, meant that they were in a bit of a pickle.

All in all, same shit, different day.

[color=Mediumaquamarine]"All I want, is to smuggle illicit goods in peace. Why does it always have to be so damn hard?"[/color] Kian grumbled as he pulled the glass oxygen mask of his EVA suit over his face. A slim fitting, mostly matte suit with minimal armor plating on its torso, arms and legs, with a built in power pack and booster on the back, it wasn't a dedicated combat suit, but it was all they really had. The Guernica rumbled and shook as something broke through the shield and impacted with the hull, sending unsecured objects and people to the ground. Kian caught himself against the railing as he stumbled towards the top mounted airlock. 

[color=mediumaquamarine]"We need to ditch these guys, preferably [i]before[/i] we come in range of Attica Station,"[/color] Kian barked as he patched himself into the Guernica's communication systems, [color=mediumaquamarine]"The last thing we need is the Systems Security poking around in our business!"[/color]

With that, Kian pulled himself into the airlock and cycled the ship's environment, feeling a slight but sudden drop in his stomach as the atmosphere was vented out of the airlock. The slight hissing slowly muffled itself from his hearing as everything around him went silent, only his own breath within the EVA suit audible, and the simulated audio the suit played back to his ears. Taking a deep breath, Kian braced himself, before jumping up and out of the airlock, his cybernetic legs propelling him up and out of the hole with ease. Catching the airlock door with his fingertips, Kian flung himself over and around the door, bracing against it as a stray bolt from one of the pirate's weapons struck the open door. 

Peaking out from the side of the airlock door, Kian surveyed the top of the Guernica- its battered orange hull already splintering in places as it took weapons fire. Slowly stomping their way across the hull were half a dozen pirate boarders, sporting a motley assortment of guns and melee weapons, behind them, a thick cable stretched from the Guernica to the much larger salvage ship behind them. The pirates wanted on, and the cable needed to be severed before they could get away.

[color=mediumaquamarine]"I need some help up out here with me- El', as soon as that cable's cut I need us away from here!"[/color]  



[hr][sup]
[b][color=mediumaquamarine]Prompt[/color][/b]
While undertaking a fairly typical delivery job, the Guernica is comes under attack. A large pirate ship is currently attached to the Guernica via a cable, and two smaller fighters are taking potshots at it. 6 Pirates are attempting to board the Guernica. The Guernica itself is armed with a turret mounted heavy plasma cannon on the front-top of its hull, with a smaller turret on each side of the ship. A moderately stocked armory means anyone that wants one can have an EVA suit and a weapon.

All in all, business as usual.

Players can start anywhere they want- already in the action, just waking up, or somewhere in between. For characters that are decidedly non-combatants, feel free to describe what they would normally be doing in what is by this point, not a common, but somewhat regular situation.
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