Chapter 1: Phaon

Leon walked hesitantly into the darkness of the Spacer Tavern, having passed the gelatinous thing with tentacles at the door. Dust & smoke filtered lights revealed a dingy and Spartan interior, with mostly empty tables with few exceptions. The few exceptions were five indigents, like himself, whose curious looks as he walked in soon turned back to boredom. Leon, not having had anything to drink for the whole morning, walked carefully up to the bar. A small alien, a dink, hovered into view from a side room, its small 60 cm frame being held aloft by a anti-grav belt. It was quite a shock for Leon to see a dink here in the Core, far from where he expected to ever see one.
The dink, seeing Leon staring, glided up to him, hovering so that the dink's head was slightly higher. "You got a problem buddy?" the dink's whiny voice tried to sound threatening, but even without the nervous twitches from all eight arms, the dink was laughable. Obviously not a combat hatch.
"You're a dink, aren't you?" Leon asked the dink without malice.
"I'm a Dakkar warrior," the dink whined back, sounding more shrill as he went on. "You'd better watch yourself."
"And if I don't?" Leon stood up straighter, not slouching so that his almost two meter height brought his face right up to the dink's.
The dink zoomed away back toward the bouncer at the entrance, hovering near the slime ball for protection. At the end of the bar. a man was laughing so hard, he was shaking. Leon turned around to look at him. Seeing him, the man put up his hands as if in surrender. Leon noticed they were still trembling and realized it wasn't from laughter.
"Hey, I want no trouble, man." The shaking man turned back to his drink.
A lithe blond woman, not unattractive, came up to Leon.
"Don't pick on Bug," she warned him, "He's a friend."
"I didn't mean to pick on him," Leon tried to smile but was sure it must have come out as a grimace. "I was just staring because I've never seen a dink before."
"Dink? Why you calling him a dink?" the woman asked.
"Hey don't defend him!" the shaking man yelled out, "That chit starts more fights in this place"
"Nobody asked you, Shakes. And don't call him a chit!" she warned him.
"Fuck you, Tess" Shakes muttered under his breath.
She whirled around, holding her temple as if in pain. "What was that?" she growled.
"I wasn't talkin to you," Shakes whined, trying to look nonchalant.
Tess shook her head. "One of these days, ShakesOne of these days' She went back to her drink at the table. Bug glided over to her.
"Ah fuck her," Shakes whispered to Leon. "That Bug piece of shit deserves anything he gets. Gets his jollies throwing insults at big guys, makin like it's someone else. Starts a crap load of fights."
Leon nodded. "I'm thirsty," he told Shakes.
"Ah, Dicey's in the back, makin a deal with one of her cousins. She'll be out soon." Shakes reached over for his drink, "Here, drink this down. Looks like you need it."
Leon took the drink and tasted it. Synthol. It's lack of flavor burned his mouth clean and his head started to feel numb.
"Pretty good stuff. Hits you right away, huh?" Shakes patted Leon on the back. "So, how long you back from the rim?"
Leon looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"Ah, don't give me that bullshit. I'm a vet too y'know. No one around here calls Bugs dinks. That's rimtalk. A dink here is a DK."
"A deekay?" Leon asked.
"Yea, you know, a Dia - a fuckin priest. Man, you must've been hit worse than it shows." Shakes looked Leon over. "What unit were you with?"
"Thank-you for the drink," Leon walked over to the other end of the bar and sat down. Shakes scowled and started to say something, then stopped himself, thinking better of it. He resumed his place with a now empty glass.
Out of the backroom, a large stocky person with short blond fuzz over the top of her head stomped out, followed by a large man who looked like he could have been the other's bearded twin. When the short haired one spoke, Leon realized it was a woman.
"You just get up there," she told the bearded man. "I'll take care of the rest." Seeing Leon, she stopped, "Hang on, I've got a customer."
She popped up a glass that might have been dirty or just scratched and poured some more synthol into it.
"Here you go hon." She handed it to Leon. "You look like you could use this."
Leon looked at her very well muscled arm. It had "Love me or Die!" tattooed on it. Dicey saw him look at her arm and snorted, "Don't worry about that, sweetcakes. Just a left over from my wilder days."
Leon pulled out some notes, but Dicey waived him away. "First one's always on the house at Dicey's."
The bearded man pulled at her arm. "Hey, I'd better get goin."
Dicey nodded and the two hugged each other, looking something like blond wrestling bears.
"Hey Dicey! How about a drink?" a man yelled from the corner.
"Shut up, Solo!" Dicey yelled back, "I'm busy. And you'll get a drink when I see some money! I'm not running a Dinkdamned charity!"
Just then, a slender youth ran in from the street. "Dicey, Cops!"
Dicey and the man pulled apart so fast that they seemed to each bounce off the other's bulk. She waved at him and he disappeared into the back.
"N'iall, go back and see if they're coming. The rest of you just look natural."
"I'd look more natural if I had a drink," the one called Solo suggested loudly.
Dicey grumbled, "Alright, Shakes, give them all drinks." At this the people in the bar seemed to brighten up. Shakes disappeared behind the bar and brought out a bottle and some glasses. He made the rounds, first to Leon, then to Tess and the Bug, then to Solo and the woman he was sitting with. The youth named N'iall slid past the gelatinous bouncer at the door and glided into a seat at Solo's table in one move. He was breathing hard.
"They're coming," he said. Shakes gave him a glass and poured him a drink.
"It would look more natural if you left the bottle," Solo suggested.
"Why not some organics, while you're at it, Solo?," Shakes sneered.
"Hey, if I want to hear useless talk coming out of a gutter mouth, I'll come to you, Shakes. Until then, just shut up - and leave the bottle."
Shakes tried to leave the table, but Solo put out his leg and blocked him. With a look of disgust, Shakes slammed the bottle onto the table and left.
"It's goin on your tab, man," Shakes warned him.
"Can't squeeze blood out of a stone," Solo droned, looking at his glass full of innocuous clear liquid. "Or can you?" he asked of no one particular.
Three tall men in jumpsuits with helmets and clear faceplates walked into the room. They were obviously armed, but "Ken" the bouncer made no move to stop them. They ignored the alien and walked into the room, looking everybody up and down. One of the indigents, a young looking man who sat alone looked around the room, obviously scanning for exits. One of the cops, noting this, walked over to him.
"What's the matter, son? You scared of something?"
Raymont sat up straight. "No sir, Policemen just make me nervous. That's all."
"Why?, a cop ever do something bad to you?" the policemen asked, scanning Raymont closely. "Or you ever do something bad, yourself?"
"No, sir," Raymont told him. "I've never done anything to anybody."
"Let me see your card," the cop told him.
Raymont fished around in his vest and pulled some worn soiled papers out. "I have these," Raymont told him.
The policeman looked over the papers. "Did you leave your card at the Hall?" he asked Raymont.
Raymont looked surprised. "Yes," he nodded.
The cop looked back at the papers. "Well they probably checked you out there. Agro student, huh?" He handed Raymont back the papers. "Just keep your nose clean and we'll get along fine."
Another policeman demanded that the woman sitting with Solo and N'iall give up her card. She handed him her Id and the policeman dropped it into a slot on his scanner.
"What's your name?" he asked.
She sighed. The answer seemed kind of obvious since he had her card. "Thorn," she replied.
"What kind of name is that?" he asked her. "Thorn what?"
"Just Thorn," she answered woodenly.
"Hey, she's alright," Solo stated in support. "She's with me."
The cop looked at Solo. "Is that supposed to be some sort of recommendation, Solo? She's lucky I don't run her in."
"You know, prince charming here?" the cop asked Thorn.
"We're old friends," she lied. "He just took me out for a drink."
"Yeah and to such a nice place too." The cop looked Thorn up and down appraisingly, then instead of handing it back, dropped her card onto the edge of the table where it bounced down into the grime on the floor.
"Be careful who you hang out with, Ms." The cop looked over a Solo and sneered, "You're judged by the company you keep. - And treated accordingly."
There was a loud commotion out of the back. A different cop than one of the ones who entered came out of the back room. The big blond bearded man who was Dicey's cousin came out after him, being pushed by yet another policeman from behind. Bringing up the rear was Dicey.
"Well well, if it isn't Onzlo Barker," the cop who had been talking to Raymont smiled. "Been looking for you, Onzlo. You ran the gauntlet just one time too many."
"It wasn't me, Chief," Onzlo protested, "Honest, I've been here with Dicey, helpin out all week."
"Trouble with flying a ship with character, Onzlo," the policeman went on to explain, "is that you get known. Navy boys could've recognized that tub of yours a parsec away, let alone the way you burned out right under their noses."
"No, look Chief, I'm no smuggler," Onzlo insisted. "I've got witnesses."
"Witnesses only count," the cop looked around the room and sneered, "if they're people of character. Look's like you struck out Onzlo."
"But I'm innocent!" Onzlo protested.
"Tell it to the judge." The policemen grabbed Onzlo and led him outside. The rest of the cops followed.
"Man, they're goin to give him two years at least, Dicey. He's done it this time."
"Like I care," Dicey said, her arms folded. "Onzlo's better off in there anyway. Might settle him down a bit. Just wished it wasn't now."
"How's that Dicey?" Tess asked.
Dicey looked over at the petite blond. "Never you mind, darlin. Fortune's come, fortune's go.
"Something we can help with?" Solo volunteered, hoping to hear the jingle of ready cash.
Dicey snorted. "Like I'd trust a bunch of down and out spacers with this one." She walked back to the bar. Solo and the others followed her.
"Say hon," Dicey turned to Tess when she'd gotten to the other side of the bar, "How'd that job turn out?"
Tess shook her head. "Too many Spacers around here that are way more qualified than I can ever hope to be."
"Well, that don't matter, Tess." Dicey reassured her. "You can stay here and work for tips. There's a ship comin in three days."
"Thanks Dicey," Tess grabbed the big woman's hand. "Thanks, but something will come through."
"Yea, I have faith in you, Tess," N'iall put a sympathetic arm around her shoulder.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Solo interjected. "We done with this mutual mush society yet?"
"I need a job," Leon spoke up, interrupting the conversation. Everyone stopped and looked at him. "A man in Avalon said I should talk to Dicey."
"Well, welcome to the club, man," Shakes coughed. "Not like we're waitin here for our health."
"Shut up, Shakes." Solo retorted, "Not everyone's like you. Some people actually know how to do something without having to fake it."
"Yea, look who's talkin. Hot shot pilot.," Shakes derided, "The day I see you fly out of here, I'll shit gold."
"Just keep your laxative handy." Solo gestured to Leon. "Let's see those papers."
Leon stared at Solo for a moment and then slowly retrieved his bundle of papers.
"Officer huh?" Solo looked at Leon. He seemed young. "Commanded a construction unit, Imperial Naval Engineers." He folded up the papers. "Impressive. Too bad there's not much construction going on here. What there is, trades have it all locked up."
He made to hand the papers back over to Leon but Dicey snatched them out of his hands.
"Construction unit?! Let me see that!" Dicey peered intently over the papers so that everyone stared at her, so focused was her interest. "It says here you know how to handle heavy equipment. Earth movers and such. Is that true?"
Leon started to answer, but Solo interuppted him. "Dicey, can't you read? What does it say there? - Earth Movers."
"Shut the noise, Solo," Dicey barked, "I was talking to him." She pointed at Leon.
"What's the game, Dicey?" N'iall asked.
"Not you, N'iall" Dicey told him, "Just him." Again she nodded at Leon.
Solo put his arm around Leon, who looked at him surprised. "Sorry Dicey, but we're a team, right?" He said this to Leon but rather than waiting for an answer, Solo turned back to Dicey, "It's a package deal. If you want him, you cut us all in."
Dicey didn't answer him but instead called to "Ken." "We're closed, Ken." A pink tentacle erupted from the jellied mass and touched the door latch. The metal door slid shut and a red light came on, showing that it was locked.
"Children, " Dicey began, "Have I got a job for you."

Dicey proceeds to give all of you a little history lesson. Nine years ago, Viscount Darby led an army of mercenaries to recapture Phaon, which had been taken from him by his arch-rival, Lancing FitzRyan, Earl of Calliste. Surprising Callistan forces, Darby's ships burned several of them out of the sky around Phaon. For many years, the wreckage of their hulks were littered all over the planet. Farmers made a nice supplemental income gathering scrap metal. Lucky ones were able to salvage workable equipment from them now and then, circuit boards, weapons, even a drive unit. Such finds were quite valuable. There was even a famous incident where three kids from Avalon salvaged enough equipment to build a workable shuttle. A Navy patrol rescued them from their orbit around Phaon, and instead of punishing them, Viscount Darby rewarded them with a contract scholarship to Oxford on Lamaraine, with the proviso that they come back and work for him when they graduate.
Well, most finds have been on the small side. Fortune hunters have always been looking for the remains of the two heavy cruisers that crashed onto the planet. One, the Corfe, has already been discovered, its finders became multi-millionaires selling all the salvage from that ship. The other has never been found. In fact it's not even known what ship it was as FitzRyan's been mum about his losses. It was figured that it probably crashed into the deep ocean since witnesses claimed that it didn't disintegrate when it hit the atmosphere.
Well, as it turns out, Dicey's cousin, Onzlo, was doing some close ground scanning for caves and places to hide smuggled goods. Onzlo was checking out some like likely sites somewhere in the interior of Samnia when he happened upon null reading on his equipment, but what was more interesting was that the cave was absorbing most of his scans. If he hadn't been so close, he wouldn't have found it. Thinking there were some weird metals in the ore of the region, he cranked up the power and made a more precise scan and found that instead of one cavern, his scanner read a multi chambered cave. Requesting a readout, the computer monitor displayed, not a natural cavern complex, but the regular rectangular lines of a ship's interior - almost intact. The ship had buried itself and the furrow of its crash was disguised, as a small river now ran its course through the furrow, so that from space, it would look natural. Onzlo landed his shuttle and investigated and, sure enough, found bits and pieces of hull metal scattered along the riverbed. It was in an isolated wilderness area and the nearest settlement was several kilometers away, so no one had searched the riverbed since the reconquest.
Since local law requires any such finds to be sold to Lord Darby, Onzlo didn't let on but contacted another smuggler "friend" of his, showing this person the bits of hull metal. They struck up a deal where Onzlo would arrange for the excavation of the ship and would call Dicey, who would get in contact with the Onzlo's "friend." This friend would then run the patrols, land, load and be off, paying Onzlo upon delivery and freeing him from the danger of running the patrols, or the gauntlet, as they are called.
Onzlo, who's already been arrested for smuggling, had been ferrying excavating equipment to a small cave near the site when he was happened upon by a navy patrol. He didn't want to have to explain the equipment, so he fled and got away, but not before being identified.and hailed. Having fled the scene, he was now a fugitive. He had just gotten back to Dicey, saying he would have to set out for the site on foot when he was arrested.
Now, Onzlo has already been able to leave some equipment at the site. If you all can get there and salvage the systems out of the wreck, Dicey will give to a satellite relay communicator to call her with, and she'll arrange for the pickup. Half the money will be downloaded to her account and after the pickup, the balance will be paid at the site. Onzlo's friend will take it from there.
There's just one trick. Onzlo is the only one who knows where the ship is and he'll need to be convinced to let you know before he gets out. Dicey can't go talk to him because she's still wanted for a minor offence offport which she hasn't had time to "clear up" yet. She would be arrested the moment she went to the prison.
If you all decide this adventure's worth taking, you will need to decide who will go and convince Onzlo to talk. And who will set about getting the party outfitted. Shakes says he wants nothing to do with it, but Bug says he's willing to put a few hands in.
The deal, if you want it, is half for Dicey (and Onzlo) and the other half that the smuggler's will pay you after they pick up the goods is for you folks. Talk it over with each other and let me know. JK.

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