[Log] The Narstrom Incident.

I attended the third day of the inquiry into Novara Narstrom yesterday. I hope she gets off.

I think the charges against Novara are spurious at best. An abandoned ship, no distress signal, no life signs for hundreds of miles. Any scavenger would have a case for believing the ship was abandoned. Nothing can survive for long out there in the desert. Well, that's not strictly true because there's one thing that can - the sandworms. Now come on, between the impact of the crash, the hostile environment and the man-eating sandworms the likelihood that there would be any survivors is tiny. And let us not forget a very key word in what I just said : abandoned. If a ship is abandoned, it's open for scavenging. That's always been the way I've known things. And if the ship wasn't abandoned, there's no way she could have known about it. After all, let's not forget that she sent out a message on the public channel - why did the pilot or the STC not immediately respond? No, the more I think about it the more I think it was a set up. 


I've known Sisko for a while, but I never thought he was capable of this.

 I witnessed some of the events that led to the trial and left her space station just hours before it was destroyed. As I recall the sequence of events, Novara sent out a message on the Al Raqis public channel that there was an abandoned ship deep in the desert and asked for help salvaging what was left. I arrived shortly afterwards and was subsequently joined by several others all of whom witnessed the very same thing. An STC shuttle craft firing phaser streams at Novara's ship. She was lucky to get her shield up in time otherwise we'd be talking about a fatality. After several minutes of sustained phaser fire, we heard a huge thunderous roar and looking up we saw one of the STC's starships had entered the atmosphere and was now firing round after round of photon torpedoes at the shield. Shortly afterwards her defence barrier collapsed but not before Novara was able to power up her engines and subsequently she escaped to the supposed safety of her space station.

As it was, I had business of my own at her station and when we entered standard orbit we were greeted with the STC ship lingering menacingly outside of the station shields. Having the shield code frequency, we were able to successfully dock with the station. As we unpacked the goods into the landing bay, I noticed Novara talking to a Myrmidon. Thinking nothing of it, I left the same way we'd arrived and we only later found out that Novara's station had been destroyed when its shields failed, fell planetside and burned up in the atmosphere. 

If anything, I'd say that the STC should be facing a count of attempted murder and possibly terrorism charges. I suspect they won't. They have a knack of getting themselves out of trouble. Meanwhile an innocent trader much like myself faces the wrath of the Al Raqis legal system. It's a crying shame. 

Log Update - I recall Novara mentioning on the public channel that she'd seen STC officers on board her station shortly before planetfall. More fuel for the fire. 

Droid misbehavin' (Apocryphal)

[IMPORTANT : This post refers to a pre-retconned version of the Elena Galewind character and no longer forms part of the "canon" of Persephone One. However it does reference an important event - raising the funds from the Orchids to secure funding for a Spice trading licence.]


"Oh, I know there's a good reason you're wearing my clothes"

The captain stood exasperated at the top of the ramp leading to the Persephone's hull with her hands on her hips. Elena stood at the bottom, her eyes looking somewhat surprised as she looked up towards the Captain."And where did you get that hairpiece? Orange I mean really."


It was true. Underneath the khaki Stetson was a orange bob of hair that would have done a wonderful job of masking the cyborg's visible parts had there not been two sensor arrays and radio antennae projecting outwards. Adorning the droid's person, Seren had recognised her long brown jacket and matching trousers and....no, she didn't recognise the boots.
"I was merely attempting to acquiesce to the social norms of the planet. Some organic lifeforms find artificial life distressing. Your instructions were to "fit in" more, were they not?"
"Yes, but my clothes?" the Captain strode down the ramp shielding her eyes to the bright Araxian sunshine, "You still haven't explained the orange wig".
The cyborg raised her holographically generated eyebrows. "The hair weaving was located in your wardrobe mistress?"
The Captain looked uneasy, ruffling her purple hair "I don't know what you mean. I'm sure I never had hair like that. Ahem, anyway, where have you been?"

"My sojourn took me to the area known locally as the Water's End. Upon my visitation, I encountered a male of youthful years. Attempting to test the new aesthetic, I engaged in meaningful conversation introducing several of the planet's customs, factions and geographically important installations. To my surprise, he was unaware of my cybernetic origin for much of the conversation."
The captain looked surprised "What, even with the pointy out bits?"
"If you are referring to my sensor array, yes. I presume he believed they were a removable attachment."
"Not very smart then?"
"Captain, I believe you are jumping to conclusions. The individual showed above average levels of intelligence. Indeed, I believe he is a pilot and swordman of some skill."
At this point, the cyborg realised that the Captain had been deep in concentration reading a cargo manifest and in all likelyhood missed the cyborg's rebuttal."Would it be out of place to ask what activities you have involved yourself in, mistress?"

Without looking away from the datapad, the captain muttered "Getting us out of a very difficult situation. You know, for a while I was one of the Orchids."
"Orchids - the privateer organisation. They do not seem to fit your activities mistress"
The Captain looked up and signalled a "heavy drinking" movement with her hand.
"That explains a lot mistress. You should drink less, your faculties would not be so often impaired"
The Captain chuckled a little. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were being a tad cheeky there. But in all truth, you have been acting a little oddly lately", She walked back up the ramp checking the crates off the manifest "I should probably clean your servo systems out, it's not smart having your head open like that...mmm, maybe that orange wig will keep the sand out eh?"

[log] Bonanza!

[initialising log]

901,600 credits

901,600 credits. 200,000 up front.


Fair to say, it's been a good day. Of course, now the hard work starts. I have to secure what I've been asked to get. First part of the order was easy, food stuffs, 20 kilos of this, 6 kilos of that, easy stuff to ship in. I've run it through the stock manifests and we have most of it already. I've got Galewind and Bob loading up the Persephone now at our loading station and I've told Salome to secure the rest. That should be here within a matter of hours.

No, the difficult thing will be getting my hands on medical equipment. I asked Salome to price it up, she's the science boffin after all, I have no idea how much this stuff costs. Top of the range comes in at well beyond what I think they could pay so we settled on 900,000 for the lot. That should get them high quality equipment, after all, they don't need a hospital.

Now with only 200,000 credits paid and 150,000 in reserve, that still leaves me short. I'm hoping to make a sizeable profit but it looks like I'll have to speculate to accumulate. I'm going to have to pull out all the stops to make this one work.

I'm not sure what the Orchid organisation actually does yet but I'm guessing I'll find out soon.

[log] Rum on the rocks with a sprinkling of Orion.

[Log Initialising OK]

There are times I wonder if I'm in over my head.

Take yesterday. On another visit to Araxes, I decided to take a cross world transport to the new colony in the south : Botany Bay. They have a great bar, really excellent alcohol and fantastic service. Okay, some might call it seedy, I have myself but the people there seem to be my kind of folks, you know?

Anyways, I settled down for the evening with a bottle of the finest rum and was well on my way to finishing the bottle when I was approached by an Orion male. I found out much later that it was Barbosa. Yeah, the Barbosa. Not being aware of this at the time and being the worse for wear with my favourite alcoholic beverage, we discussed my work and his work and it seems we had areas of work where we could be of service to each other. In exchange for spice, he wants to trade me some sort of new super drug he's developed. I tried it myself and I can vouch for the effects.

He wants me to dispose of my sample and meet him to exchange spice for this new "Neurotoxin Nebuliser". I can't sell it under that name so I'm calling it Dust until another name crops up for it. There's a lot of money to be made out of this "Dust", of that I'm sure. But you know...it's Barbosa...this guy has a reputation that strikes the fear of heck-knows into me.

We'll see how it goes down. Maybe this is how I make my fortune? I can hope eh?



Seren out.

[Log Terminated]

An unexpected addition

Seren and Elena stood atop a dusty plain in a desolate mountainous canyon. The wind ruffled their clothes and the rain pecked at their bodies.This was Athens, the ninth planet of the Georgia system. A world reknowned for the level of marble mined in its quarries and the four terraformed moons that provided the majority of the populace. They were a beautiful sight to behold, visible during the day and night and even behind storm clouds the visible ones maintained an awe of majesty.

"Are you sure this was where we're supposed to meet?" asked the captain, shielding her eyes from the wind.
"If we are to believe our source, yes".

It had been an unexpected journey that had started with a unexpected departure from Araxes. The mysterious Orion stranger forewarning them of the Myrmidon invasion fleet, the rendezvous with an even more mysterious Browncoat in a sensor blind spot behind the Order's armada and the long journey to the Outer Rim of Alliance space - all of it leading to this point. In truth, Seren was at a loss to explain the events that had led her here but as always she believed the reason would eventually reveal itself.

"Captain, detecting movement a few clicks ahead"

Seren nodded and pulled her binoculars from her shoulder bag. She put them to her eyes and let the automatic sensors do the rest of the work.

"I see. All terrain vehicle. One rider."

She motioned for the mentat to hide behind a large boulder and threw her a pistol that had been strapped to her leg. The standard Persephone procedure for first contact with unknown persons.

The ATV roared up the rugged terrain throwing mud around as its tyres bit into the wet earth. Seren kept a close eye on it, wiping the lens as the rain came down even stronger. Eventually the vehicle found its way up the final hill and ground to a halt, the engine ticking over as the pilot dismounted. Dressed in a black figure hugging outfit, with a dark oblique helmet, it was now easy to tell that the figure was female.

"You can tell your companion to come from behind that rock. I mean you no harm", the voice was slightly muffled behind the helmet.

Seren faked ignorance. "No-one here but me."

"Really?", she laughed. "Who's that behind the boulder then? She accompanies you everywhere. C'mon Elena, out you come."

Seren could fake ignorance but she couldn't hide consternation.

"Oh I know lots about you. More than you know yourself I suspect ". The stranger lifted off her helmet revealing a youthful tanned complexion and long blonde locks. "I'm Salome Chiantelle and I'm going to be your new first officer"

Seren raised an eyebrow and turned on her heel, pointing at the young woman. "That's a bit presumptious. I'm the Captain, aren't those decisions mine?"

"Oh very presumptious. I chose you for a reason Captain. I've read the Alliance files on you. It was very....enlightening."

Galewind appeared from behind the rock, her head tilted to one side, her eyes unusually deep and penetrating. Almost angry. The stranger noticed that.  Seren did not as she lifted a weapon from her backpack and approached the young woman.

"No-one but Alliance reads the files on their database. So you're either telling porkies or you're one of them."

"I've no reason to lie to you Captain. If I were with the Alliance, I wouldn't be wasting my time talking to you. You'd be in cuffs and heading to the nearest rehabilitation centre. No, I need safe passage out of Alliance space and yes, you're right to think that  I could get that with any number of browncoat ships but I would really prefer to travel with you. I went to a lot of trouble to get you here. I can pay you a small amout upfront and I'll work the rest"

"Okay.." Seren lowered the pistol, "Pandering to my ego works and since you're a paying customer with obvious connections, I'll fly you out. But if I get the feeling for one moment you're not trustworthy, I won't think twice about firing this weapon on you."

"Agreed. That won't happen though". Salome strode confidentally past the Captain. "Which way to the ship?"
"About a click north, north west" replied Seren uneasily, following the young woman, "Not taking the ATV then?". Salome dismissed it with a flick of her wrist. Galewind stood a moment, her mind attempting to determine the possible consequences of this meeting, her head tilted from side to side. She looked at the pistol in her hand and then at the blonde. Her deeply intense eyes narrowed. A slight twitch of the head and then she followed her captain.

A few days ago....

The air at the Oasis Winds Tavern was dry and humid with the familiar scent of ale and cinammon flavoured smoke only barely taking off the edge. Seren sat back in the corner chair sipping at her drink inbeween surveying the locals. They were a mixed bag. Miners, mechanics, administrators, legal enforcers and policy makers. All offworlders with a myriad of different complexions, sizes and species. It was a good vantage point. Not far from the door, not far from the bar and with a clear view out of the window onto the main thoroughfare of the city.

At a distance, she noticed two figures near the court house and immediately knew they were United Directorate Military. Even in disguise, her keen perception had detected the giveaway traits. Over confident body language, furtive use of the head, an over use of the feet when standing still. She'd seen it many times before and it was a skill that had gotten her out of trouble on more occasions than she cared to remember. It wasn't the first time she'd seen them. The Chief Magistrate strictly forbade armed patrols on the streets of the city but there was no law against two USM troops going for a "stroll". They were time shifting the patrols by 45 minutes each time to try and remain undetected. In many ways it was a classic military tactic. Ask permission first, do it anyway then deny everything.

She took another sip of her drink, she was one of the few that chose not to drink the spice infused beverages. The raqismanna was a highly addictive substance and she suspected the powers that be used it as a form of population control. After all, once you'd acquired the addiction it was near impossible to break without fatal consequences. It occured to her that her mind was wandering and that she was avoiding the manifests and forms that were sprawled over her table. As it turned out, she would have much more to worry about....

Seren rubbed her eyes. When she opened them, a cloaked figure sat before her. Their face was hidden within the thick fabric and dark shadows.

"You know, I'm a bit busy at the...."
"We have a mutual friend", the figure interupted., motioning away Seren's prostestations with a graceful flick of a wrist, "It is vitally important that you follow the instructions on the parchment. You must do it before the day changes."
A slender green hand pushed the parchment across the table, hiding it within the myriad of papers that covered half the table. Her index finger tapped at it. "All will become clear shortly. Ask no questions. Simply do".
Before Seren could continue her protest, the hooded stranger had swept out of the bar and vanished into the bustling street. For a moment, she was stunned and confused. Then her senses came back to her and she realised she was now half standing, looking out of the door and looking suspicious. She sat down, her eyes briefly darted around the room looking for a sign of recognition or surveillance. Her senses told her she was safe and she gingerly pulled the parchment towards her. It was an old fashioned but secure way to communicate. Unlike a data pad, it was easy to hide and simple to destroy. She turned it over and read the digitally written text.

"Leave the planet now. Co-ordinates will follow when safe. Secure channel 743, use encryption pattern K-3M-4"

Seren pursed her lips and rubbed her hand along the side of her face. Then she collected her papers and drained her glass.

Whilst she had considerable skill detecting the mannerisms of others, she was less adept at hiding her own when under stress and this worried her. As she approached the main docking pad where the Persephone waited, she hoped that the customs officer responsible for monitoring cargo ships wouldn't be waiting for her. As it was, she got unlucky.
Standing at the entrance pouring over his datapad was the officer in question. He was a portly, balding sort with a dark beard and wandering eyes. This last flaw in this character was, of course, the one she could take advantage of.

"Hello miss, where'd you think you're going at this hour?"
"Oh hey there mister", she flicked her hair back, put her hand on her hip and pushed her chest out slightly, "I'm heading back to my ship. Lots of paperwork to do and that darn droid can't be trusted to keep her fingers out of the cake tin."
He looked puzzled for a moment. Seren realised that the idea of a droid eating cake was probably not an easy one so she corrected herself "She's partly organic. Has to keep the meaty parts going by eating. She's supposed to eat a carefully prepared recommended meal but she has a fancy for sweet things and what can you do?"
Stop babbling and get on the ship, she thought to herself.
"You're not loading or unloading then?"
She feigned humourous indignation "What? Do I look like a smuggler to you, I load and unload at the designated hours like everyone else!".
The officer smiled and then motioned with his hands to "calm down".
"Go on through then".
"Thank you mister, much appreicated", she smiled, knowing that particular lie had worked a treat and congratulated herself as she walked across the platform.

On board the ship, she was greeted by her companion, Elena Galewind who looked more than a little surprised.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know. Back early." said Seren before she rushed past the mentat, up the stairs and started making alterations to the flight computer.
"Are we leaving mistress?"
"Immediately."
"May I ask why?"
"You can ask.....I don't know myself. Funny thing just happened at the bar. We need to go. Quit yacking and get us ready for take off."

The mentat's hands danced across the computer terminals - "Specific co-ordinates mistress?"
"I don't know...." Seren stood with her arms on her hips, "I don't know".

Sitting down in the leathery cockpit chairs, Seren pushed the button that retracted the ramp, checked the telemetry coming from in from the flight terminal and made the final preperations for take-off. Galewind sat alongside and monitored the comms channel, as she always did.
"Set it to Channel 743, use the K-3M-4 encryption"
Galewind looked at her captain, with a raised eyebrow.
"Do it".
She nodded and inputed the command into her terminal.

With a roar, the engines fired up and the Persephone swayed upwards and to the right. An horizon of ornate city towers gave way to the bleak desert and darkening skies. Looking out of the window to the planet's surface, Seren saw the Lowport and the increased USD activity. Soldiers swarmed along the ground like ants whilst aircraft took off in perfect vertical syncronisation. She muttered to herself, "That's not good..."

The dark skies gave way to the blackness of space. Stars twinkled angelically in the vastness of the universe and almost immediately, Seren noticed that some stars were moving much faster than others.
"Captain....I'm detecting vessels entering the system....lots of vessels. There is also an emergency communique from the Constable's offices..."
"Myrmidons, right?"
Galewind nodded.
"Okay, that explains a lot" said Seren, nodding as she surveyed the scene in front of her.
"We're receiving a secure transmission Captain....from the Myrmidon fleet. We're to go to co-ordinates x7354, y454, z766"
"Where does that take us?"
"Following the flight plan it gives...it's a curved trajectory...to create the impression we're leaving the system, it brings us out..."

Seren frowned as she saw the readout.  And once Galewind had entered the co-ordinates, she punched the button and Persephone vanished into hyperspace.

[log] There's trouble in them there hills...

[Log Initialised. OK ]

The screen flickers and slowly an image comes into view. The young Captain of the Persephone One sits onboard, easing back in a chair, removing the bandages that serve to protect her face from the harsh desert. Perspiration drips down her face, mingling with the desert dirt. In the background, there is faint chatter and the sound of ship engines. Almost certainly a port of some kind. She leans forward to speak...

I suppose I should update the log. Seems like the one from the desert got garbled and eaten again. I'll have to get the droid to look at it. Anyway, I'm too hot to worry about that now and there's lots to say...

We're currently docked at the central Al Raqis spaceport. Engines fixed, all systems go. There's so much traffic here that the ship will largely go unnoticed. I don't think we have to worry about the Constable. If the Persephone was on the Imperium radar, they'd already be here and carrying me off to some prison planet or worse. At least that's what I've been told.

Anyways, I have other things to worry about. Namely the Myrmidons. I was accosted in the foothills in the eastern deep desert. Now, remember that I'm supposed to be an ally. I've doing my bit for them, I'm smuggling necessary supplies from various places and doing it without the United System Directorate knowing about it. All at great personal risk to myself. I don't know what prisons look like on this planet and I'm not keen to find out so it's....advantageous to myself to be everyone's friend. After all, who knows when the USD might call on my services?

So there I am, up in the foothills and this Myrmidon female appears from nowhere, head to toe in camo.  She says she wants to know what I'm doing there and accuses me of looking for a good sniping position. Now, I was taken aback by that. Then another appears. Apparently they were doing training exercises in the area and I'm stumbled onto their radar. So now I'm on the nasty end of some very unpleasant looking weapons. They asked some questions, obviously trying to catch me out. Who are you? Where do you live? What do you do? Usual sort. Now, I'm used to this sort of thing. You don't spend as much time as I do flying the shipping lanes without encountering this sort of thing. I've got it down to a fine art. But you can't predict Myrmidons at all. Now seeing as I'm writing this log, you know I got out alive but next time, who knows? I'll be having word with the powers that be because this is unpleasant for my good self. 

Hang on..

In a whirlwind of commotion, another figure comes into view. A feminine shape....a blue-toned female clad in a dark skintight uniform. She has striking white hair and deep blue eyes. She mutters something into her mistress's ear who looks back at her astounded..

What do you mean my hotel bill is overdue? I told you to pay it....

No credits? What do you mean no credits? 

[Log Terminated]