Pirate Bebop

Ch.13

The jump we made at low speed took us a couple of days to reach an uninhabited system that was so overloaded with asteroids that it would take the lost Argentine Relics known as Sweeper ships to clear before any colonization efforts could be considered. It was a neighboring system to Krukov, so we didn’t stay long. Once there, 47 provided coordinates for our rendezvous to pick up the promised Rodi frame in the Dauth system despite the fact we already got one.

In his own words: ‘Annoyed Amusement: I already procured the frame, I’m not going to make other arrangements for it.’ That was fine with me, another mobile was another mobile, even if it meant the work that Lucatiel, Luster, Ed and I put into converting the Worker Rodi into the Labrys Rodi was pointless, since it meant we’d have to put the Worker kit on the new Rodi frame, but eh. At least we weren’t going to have to scrap Luca’s Worker kit.

However, this meant that plans to turn the Red Tail into the service mobile was mothballed, leaving the Red Tail as a backup battle suit. Then, came time to name the new Labrys that Faye was going to pilot. “So ya don’t want to just call it the Red Tail II?” I asked in bemusement. I figured that Faye was attached to the name considering she’d had the skirt of the Red Tail painted red just to suit the name she gave to it.

“No, that’d be insulting to Red Tail. She’s still alive unlike the Swordfish, so naming the Labrys after her would be like saying I’ve replaced her. I may have for the most part, but I know she’ll be there if I need her.” Faye reasoned as she looked up at the black purple and gray mobile suit. “She’s a big girl, I’ll give her that, but I’ve seen the specs Ed pulled on her, she makes Red Tail look like an amateur. Especially when she got into the potential arsenal she can carry.”

“Yeh, this big bitch has advanced sensor suites capable of guiding it through dense asteroid fields like that previous system with ease and even providing targeting for a missile barrage. I’d say that’s beyond us, but with Luster’s expertise, I can see us getting a micro missile assembly set up in one of the berths with ease.” Then the only issue is materials, which with Lucatiel and her Worker Rodi that we’ll be getting at the next stop in the Dauth system, could also be done.

“Oh! I’m calling her the Red Head! Paint the head red!” Faye gushed excitedly and I gently facepalmed. “What? She’s gonna have a fiery temper if she’s got all that ordinance.”

“Not to mention we’ll be big and beautiful.” Swerta smirked with Faye’s black beak before she pouted down at Faye’s DD-cup breasts. “I miss being huge…”

“Yeah, no thanks. I like being able to pilot a mobile.” Faye huffed as I went over to the stencils and grabbed the white spray paint to put the name on the left side of the chest.

🎺

Jim huffed as he pushed the weight bar up with only a bit of strain and he ignored all of the ladies in the gym of the Legacy admiring him lift a couple thousand pounds of gravitation force like it was easy. Hot damn, he didn’t imagine having super-strength in his childhood fantasies, but having it after his unplanned ascension into demigod-hood was rather awesome.

It worried him to consider that if his ancient ancestors had specimens like him and they were toppled by Corruption so easily, just how insidious was the Curse of Lethice to devolve such a powerful species to nothing besides sex slaves that further devolved into demons?

He pushed the bar back to its resting slot and the weight of intense gravity ceased, allowing him to sit up on the bench and use the offered towel a thirsty thestral gal gave him. “Thanks. I don’t sweat like most species, but the condensation is another matter.” Jim said as he wiped his body down, increasing the shine under the lights. Chitin doesn’t allow him to sweat, but it does gather moisture from the air and the gym did get quite humid from all the species that do sweat.

“No problem, stud.” She licked her lips and Jim rolled his opaque purple eyes.

“You know the rules, file a request through the Captain General.” Jim snorted with exasperated amusement before he stood up and cracked his neck. “Mm, well then, I’m going to head on out.” The ladies all whined at their show being over as he rounded the gaggle of gals and towards the elevator. He’d just finished his daily cooldown routine since his practice with Commander Arrow was his primary focus. Next time, he won’t be caught off guard by zero-G kung-fu like this time.

🎺

The Dauth system was a rather barren place. Aside from a few criss-crossing asteroid belts and a gas giant, the star system didn’t have much to speak of. It was the perfect place for a dead drop if nobody was any wiser. The Bebop flew to one of the 70+ moons of the gas giant where 47 said that we would find the gently-used Rodi frame in a shipping container. Thank gosh it had a beacon that we had the frequency for or it’d have never been found.

After bringing it in, we went to the bridge for whatever 47 had for us next. “Okay Agent 47, we have the frame.” Ed said the moment the AI connected to the call. I idly wondered if she knew what she just referenced, but I seriously doubted it.

“Amused Appreciation: Thank you for the compliment, I was indeed the deadliest assassin alive at one point, worthy of that name, but I am HK-47. Serious Statement: Now then, it is time that you got a base of operations. Providing coordinates, call me when you have settled in.” HK-47?! He’s that 47?! Holy shit! We’re working for the droid with the highest personal kill-count in the Three Galaxies and responsible for the assassinations of no less than 100 leaders of society!

My shock and concern didn’t mean much when nobody else seemed surprised. Was I really the only one to miss this? Then again, I never ran afoul of him and wasn’t worried about having the greatest known assassin in the universe sent after me. Despite my success as a pirate, I wasn’t well-known beyond a few circles. Which meant I was a great pirate!

“Hm...the Tarkus system. That place is a den of lowlives, cutthroats and pirates galore. I guess if there is anywhere for a pirate crew to shack up, it’s with other pirates as neighbors.” Jet commented and I perked up!

“Wait, Tarkus? That’s where all those Gabliani and Raskvel refugees from Andromeda settled.” Fuck, I love that place! Both of those short-statured species were naturally mechanically inclined and also had some of the thirstiest sluts this side of Triangulum, which is saying a lot when it’s near the galactic core. I have no clue how many offspring I may have sired there during my wanton drunken days as a full-fledged pirate.

“Are these new species that were discovered after the Fall?” Luster asked in curiosity and I blinked in confusion, but thankfully Spike had the answer.

“No. They’re originally from Equus, the ruined heart of the Fallen Empire. You may have known them as the Goblins and Kobolds, lesser Corruption-created species. They’ve evolved rapidly over a short period without any moderating influence from the gods. You could say they’ve devolved, considering most of them can’t think past their next fuck.” Spike informed my mate and she looked horrified.

“Oh no! They’ve fallen to Corruption! I knew a few Goblins and Kobolds, they were such cute little folks.” Luster wilted and I rubbed her back while Rivala did the same from the other side. “Maybe, if I have some time, I can create some measure of a cure to pull them from their Lust-Curse, get their minds on more meaningful pursuits than just breeding constantly.”

“That’s a worthy goal. Considering we’ll be spending plenty of time in this scrap-heap of a system, maybe you’ll have that chance.” Jet said as he prepared the Bebop for the journey. “It’ll be a dangerous place, but so long as we prove we’re not to be messed with, the pirates won’t mess with us. Also, if any Corp or Gov ships enter the system, they might all just jump on them, so it’s ironically the safest place in Triangulum for us.”

“With the Harmony Gates on constant watch by the Govs, I don’t think we’ll be able to go to the Milky Way or Andromeda anytime soon. So this is the best we’ll get.” Faye shrugged and Lucatiel gulped nervously. “Hey, you can still bail. We can stop by a civilized system to drop you off.”

“N-no. You guys, well, it’s only been a few days, but I like all of you. Way more than anyone I’ve met before. I don’t think it’s Stockholm Syndrome since you’ve given me an out, so I’ll stay. Besides, fuck the Corps.” Lucy meekly declared and I patted her on the wing.

“That’s the pirate spirit! We’ll make a rebel out of ya yet!” I laughed before Jet set the Bebop for Tarkus and we jumped into FTL.

🎺

“So how is it going?” The sultry voice of his companion asked as she leaned over the chair and the deceptively human face of HK-47 regained expression after he unplugged from the console.

“Pleased Statement: They are ready to begin preparations for becoming what we need to prevent the Deicide.” HK stood from the console and did some stretches. His bio-mechanical platform was superior to any mere fullmetal form when it came to its modularity and built-in weaponry. He had Nexus to thank for this true murder machine body.

“So, did you remember to put the Token in place?” He looked at Bones, his sexy murder mistress and eternal lover. She too was deceptively human, but that too was a facade. Their respective engineer jumpsuits were another part of the deception.

“Annoyed Response: Of course I did, it’s unavoidable. Hopefully they’ll be willing to help once they know what is at stake.” HK said before navigating through the piles of junk towards the ready room, which doubled as a makeshift galley. They didn’t need to eat, but it was important to keep up appearances even with no prying eyes.

“They know what’s at stake and pin the blame on their Andromedan wives.” Bones huffed and waved at Dee and Daw, the former B1 droids who were their constant companions and support units. They waved idly back before returning to welding whatever project they were working on.

“Sarcastic Remark: I’m sure they do, why else would they have not answered our calls.” HK poured himself some caff. He may not need it, but he’s grown to appreciate tasting things ever since he upgraded to this chassis just over 3000 years ago.

“It’s them, HK. They don’t want anything to do with this universe after it failed them one too many times.” Bones reminded him as she grabbed some caff too. “Anyway, hopefully Silver or Luster will be interesting enough to get one of them to answer.”

“Sentimental Remark: I, too, share the same feeling. Firm Declaration: Regardless, we have our duty to try and save these useless wastes of matter.”

🎺

The Planet Tarkus of the Tarkus system was a marvel of catastrophe and ingenuity. It was a planet cracked in half, held together by a mass of cables and an Element Zero core replacing the planetary core. Where the Gabs and Rasks got that much Eezo, nobody knew, but the mad midgets essentially turned the place into a pilotable planet.

This alone lent Tarkus the onerous honor of being one of the mechanical marvels of the Three Galaxies while also being the dump site of multiple systems for centuries before the Crackening that split Tarkus in half and resulted in its current form. With the world unstable and uninhabitable by any sane means, it turned into the stronghold of pirates and other curs.

Curs like us! “You are way too excited.” Faye said as I bounced on the balls of my paws.

“This place is a mechanic’s wet dream and nightmare rolled into one! There’s so much junk planetwide, that if given enough time, a fleet of ships large enough to start another Galactic War could be built here!” I declared in excitement as Jet navigated through the various asteroid fields of the system towards the glorious monstrosity that was Tarkus.

“We’re not going to try to start a Galactic War, Silver.” Jet chided me and I blew a raspberry at him. “We’re heading for Novahome, the largest settlement on the planet. HK told us he’d meet us at ‘The Mess’.” Ah, yes, that old wreck of a watering hole.

“While we’re here, I’d like to check in on an old friend. I hope old Colselno is still in business.” I haven’t seen that Gab in decades, but he was barely middle-aged when I met him and his species is long-lived. He’s easily the most honest junk-dealer on the planet or he was when I was last here. Why salvage in the dangerous junk-wastes yourself when you can just buy from good-old Colselno and his small army of scavengers?

“Sure, but don’t get your hopes up.” Jet muttered as he maneuvered past the debris-field of the planet and began the descent down to Novahome, a preposterously gargantuan colony ship that was never fully broken down into a colony city because Tarkus was a shithole before it even arrived. The fact it had a ‘hangar’ that was the size of a small spaceport and able to park a trawler like the Bebop with ease helps put into perspective the sheer size of this place.

“Alright, I’ll stay on board to discourage anyone. Ed, you’re staying with me.” Spike stated firmly and Ed whined while Ein yapped at the dragon for his protectiveness hindering his person’s fun.

“I think I’ll stay too. A place like this is perfect for vulnerable gals like me to go missing.” Faye said while grabbing Lucatiel. “You too, you’d be a sex slave in seconds.”

“Well, I guess it’s time to ‘suit up’ lasses.” I morphed into my male form, Rivala mimicked me and Luster surprisingly did the same, looking like a wiry stallion, but with the usual colors. “Whoa, looking good, lads.” I complimented and my mates winked back with pleased smiles.

“Alright, you three are with me. Grab your blasters on the way out.” Jet led us towards the ramp where we each holstered a one-handed blaster on our hips and then descended to the welcoming party, which consisted of a single omigawsh I wanna fuck her purple Rask with an ass to die for and tits to match, which on her 4-foot frame would make one think she couldn’t function properly, but I knew better than to make that mistake. Never underestimate a Rask.

“Got a beauty here, but no weapons. How’d you get past all the drifters up there?” The matronly scaly woman asked as she brushed her long bunny-like ears and feathery plumage back with her left hand, the other hand holding her six foot long giant wrench on her shoulder. Her impossibly wide hips met incredible robotic legs and a tail that were works of art.

“I broadcasted the multiple mobile suit IFFs that were on board so they knew they’d be dealing with too much trouble if they tried their luck. Can I trust that you’ll dissuade any punks from trying to do the same here?” Jet asked and the smock-clad rask blew a bubble with her gum.

“Damn straight I will. Nobody fucks with ships parked in my area. Just pay the parking fee and you’re covered.” She held out her hand and her Omni lit up, so Jet transferred the galactic standard docking fee to her. “Pleasure doing business, if you want to get this baby armed, I’m willing to put in the work if you buy anything on the list, otherwise, welcome to Novahome.”

We nodded amicably to her and continued on, but the moment we were away, Luster shuddered. “By Wiatr, she was fighting the urge to pin us and fuck us the whole time. These poor people are almost enslaved by Lust. I hope she’s a good example of her race’s willpower to put business before pleasure.” Luster mewled sadly and I patted...his back.

“She is. Most Rasks and Gabs tend to turn their rampant horniness towards tinkering as an outlet for their endless energy. I’ll bet if we bought some weapons for the Bebop from her, she’d get them installed all by herself in a matter of hours.” I boasted and Luster looked awed at the concept of someone that small able to move that fast with that much precision.

“Yeah! You wouldn’t believe what these people can do if they put their best effort into it.” Flint said with his handsome face beaming brightly. “I don’t remember too much though, just that I remember watching them work at some point.” Flint said as we got in an elevator and Jet pressed the button for the ground floor.

We didn’t speak after that, because the elevator got more and more crowded as we went down until we were packed in the back like a bunch of vacuum-packed rations. When we got out it was with some relief and we joined the tide of sapients moving through the ‘heart’ of Novahome, the marketplace. If it existed and wasn’t brand new, it could be found here.

We passed by Colselno’s Scrap and I got excited to visit him later, there was also a shop called Shekka’s Widget Warehouse that caught my eye. We eventually reached where most of the traffic was going: The Mess. It was a giant cafeteria with droids providing both service and security. We waded through the giant field of tables towards the bar, where I noticed a dark-skinned effeminate human serving drinks with a visibly nervous and unhappy expression.

“Hey, what’s with the long face? a don’t exactly have the facial construction to blame.” I teased the guy and he clearly didn’t appreciate me flipping the role of the bartender.

“Del here is Carver’s latest work-in-progress indentured servant.” Commented the heavily tattooed quarian at the nearest stool, who turned around to reveal he was covered in a full-body tattoo. Whoa. Quarians may be pretty shameless, but it was rare to see one ink up that hard. “Names Dee, I’m your contact with 47.” He tossed us a data chit and turned back around.

“Uh...okay? Is there more or-.” He flipped us off, so we took the chit away and Jet slotted it into his Omni-tool. “Hm, that’s not far. Come on, let’s head on up.”

“Ya lads go ahead, I want to check out the shops and catch up with Colselno. If it isn’t far, I could go for a walkabout. I’ve been here before, so I know what to look out for.” I said to them and while both Luster and Flint looked hesitant, Jet promptly shrugged and left me be, so they awkwardly waved and followed our captain.

I waded out of The Mess and decided to check in on the local attempt by a Corp to have a shop in a pirate den instead of going straight to Colselno. Steele Tech wasn’t the worst Corp, not by a longshot, but they were still a Corp. That said, they had good shit. I entered the shop and watched the fluffy white jackal-breed Diamond Dog perk up brightly and beam excitedly as her tail wagged. Woof, she’s my kinda gal. If I didn’t have mates now, I’d be-.

“Hey handsome! Can I interest you in a quickie?” Whoa! What?! “Please! It’s been ages since I’ve been laid and as spirited as the little guys are and all the spacers that come through, I really need a good, skilled lover. I can practically smell it on you!” Her black bodysuit creaked.

“Uh-um-sorry lass. If ya said that a month ago, I’d be on yer sexy ass in a second, but I’ve got mates now.” I apologized with my hands up and she whined and whimpered pathetically, making me wince. Shit. Right. Both Luster and Rivala are from the Golden Age, when casual sex was legally encouraged so long as all parties were consenting. Maybe I should help her out? “Uh...well...look. They’re really open about sexual stuff, so maybe if I call-.”

“Please! If I wasn’t on Sterilex I’d be begging you to breed me~!” The white jackal pleaded as she groped her DD-cups through her skin-tight bodysuit and I used my Omni-tool to call my mates, who answered with bemused expressions.

“Uh, I have a desperately needy gal here begging for some nookie. I’m not sure if-.” The excited gasps already filled me with dread and nervous excitement.

“You grab that bitch by the tail! We’ll be right down!” Luster excitedly said with a female voice despite still being man, which threw me off enough that I didn’t respond before they hung up.

“You have such a great girlfriend!” The sexy store-runner said as she pressed a button and the various displays suddenly locked up and she grabbed my hand to pull me to the back. “I’m Anno, we can talk after I don’t feel like I’ve got a sauna in my guts!” Woof! Yeah, she needs this!

“Shit, even if I didn’t let myself orgasm I would’ve helped ya out with oral or something if it’s that bad.” I said before she shoved me on a sofa and then jumped on me.