“Now what?!” the operative yelled at his recently acquired firefly.

This was not a vessel he was familiar with. He was used to shuttles, ones customized for his particular needs at the time. But no shuttle for this chase, this one he had to improvise.

He looked down at the heads up display on the ships functions panel, opposite the pilots chair. “Well isn’t this shiny. I’ve lost port side thrusters.” And he stormed off to the engine room to address the problem. The boat had been less then cooperative with him since he had taken it. Relays’ on half the ship were being blown and he hadn’t the spare parts or the know how to fix the rapidly aging vessel.

The engine room was running hot a lot hotter then any ship he had ever flow on, and this he knew to be a bad thing. “Buddha, I’m going to need help.” As he spoke another relay behind him blew.

“The rutting ship is falling apart on me!”

As he was assessing what he thought he could do to the ship to keep him flying, an alarm rang out over the ships come system. “A proximity alert?” He ran to the cockpit to see the potential trouble.

He got to the room at the head of the goose neck to find a startling picture awaiting before his eyes. A core planets cruise liner in pieces floating in the endless black. It was a mere skeleton of what it should be and just by looking at what was left it appeared that the ships reactor went critical and blew the ship inside out. He went and checked for a distress signal. Moment later a ping hit the screen.” Hmm, escapes pod.” He sat and pondered retrieving the floating coffin of the still breathing occupant. “Might as well, looks like he’s been in there a day or so already. “ He stared at the display of the heat being radiated off from the pod.” They haven’t much air left” He grabbed the failing controls and positioned the ship so that the pod would float on in to the air lock and opened the outer door. “Lets go see the catch of the day.”

He hit the controls to close the airlock and made his way to the cargo bay.

He reached the small chamber on the front of the ship in a few moments and opened the inner door. In side was a small silver coffin shaped capsule, big enough for one loan person to survive three days if they were trapped in a coma.

He walked over to the life pod and opens the seal and lifted the hatch,” Lets see who’s inside.” No sooner had he said that then the lid started to come off by its own to reveal a man in a gray jacket gasping for air.

“Easy friend, and welcome aboard.” HE greeted with as pleasurable a manner as he could stand to muster. “I’ll ask the question about what your doing later. I need your help at present though. Tell me are you any good with machines?” the operative inquired to the gasping man once he had calmed.

The man looked at him with a sarcastic quip. “Well I am a mechanic. What seams to be the problem?” +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Now look hear, son,” The old Junker said. “I don’t usually sell my collector pieces to people. Not even if they are the old owners of such. So you take care of her. Deal?”

“Deal. Thanks for the use of your tools and equipment. Would’ve taken a while by myself.” I gave the old man my hand. He took it and gave a shake.

“SO do you have a new name for her,” He said turning his attention to the renovated Firefly. “Angel’s Hammer, just don’t seem to fit anymore. What no missiles and such and no ammo for that cannon you mounted on there.”

I gave him a smirk, “None yet, But im in a very hazardous line of work. Just lookin’ intimidatin’ helps some. Ammo would just make me good on my threat. Need to get me a crew before I get to think’n bout munitions. That shouldn’t be that hard. Since that broad wave a whiles back more and more people goin behind the alliance.”

“Maybe ya’ll will rise as of yet?”

I just stood there looking at the old girl sitting on top of the maintenance platform of the old mans yard. “Wandering Angel.”

“What?” “The name, Wandering Angel. It fits.”

“Why’s that now?”

“Cause we are angels wandering in the black, lost with no home drifting till we hopefully find it again.”

The old Junker and I were marveling at the wonder of what we had done in just weeks time. We had takin’ apart my old junky Wren and usin’ its parts to refit the Angel, just enough to get her flyin’ again. Had to cut some corners here and there but nothing I cant live with out. I’ll find me a mechanic to take care of the long run stuff in the short I can double as captian, pilot and mechanic.

“Nice boat,” a deep voice can from behind us. I turned to see the tall dark man from the drop a week ago. The old man recognized ‘im.

“Jim Quon, sir.” He said and bowed his head. I was confused know. I knew the name he came here to Boros bout a year ago and took the title of the crime king of Boros. What was the king doing out of his castel.

“Jim Quon?! That’s who I’ve been working for? Wow. Didn’t see it comin’.” I tried to regain my composer relizin I was lookin a mite unprofessional. I cleared my throat and he grinned at my sudden realization. “Sir I ‘spect you have a job for me to do?”

He grinned “yes lad I do. Lets take a tour of you new vessel and I’ll tell you all about it.”

We were in the renovated Firefly inside of two minuets showing the parts that really had to be repaired and the historic battle scars from that battle so long ago. The tour ended in the cockpit.

“I’m impressed. Taking a derelict and making it a ship once more. I noticed that you already have the basic necessities as far as appliances goes. House warming gifts?”

That’s an odd comment, just being friend I guess. “Some, the microwave and oven the refrigeration unit and the laundry units are from my old wren. Not that I mind small talk, sir, but why do you ask?” I started for my chair.

He looked at me grinned, “I have a house warming gift that just might help you on your next job. It will be delivered in moments. Now tell me, do you know of a small moon called Haven?”

“Yeah that mining colony that abandoned not long ago ‘bout same time of the reaver broadwave.”

“That’s the one.” He confirmed. “I had an informant that lived out on that moon, his equipment is very expensive and I would much like to have it back. You will be adequately compensated for your time and trouble. I have another man that tells me that there is a scavenging party gearing up to loot the place and I’m hoping to have a my equipment before they find it.”

“Sounds doable. I’ll set out soon..”

“The cannon should be good enough of a deterrent if you run into trouble.” He had a thoughtful look to him know.

“I don’t have any ammo for it, all it is, is a pretty shiny hood ornament.”

“They don’t know that. I have to go now Mr Fauss, The gift is in your hold.” He turned and walked out. I followed and ‘showed him the door’ he moves fast though the narrow corridors I didn’t catch him till he was starting down the ramp. He stopped and turned, “I’ll call a friend of mine about getting you some ammo, Mr. Fauss. Yi lu shwen fohn.” And he left. I took a look at my cargo hold for the gift he left. It didn’t take long either. His gift was a brand new hover mule. Wow nice gift.

I went to say my good bye to the old man and family. They gave me food for a week and sent me on my merry.

No crew as of yet this is gonna be another long flight. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

AN: Enter new character

‘Alarms, Tah ma duh, that was fast. I got to make this a fast get away’ a young browncoat thought as he typed something in to his databook. ‘if these’s assholes catch me its gonna get right ugly. Thought those new security lockouts would keep them busy a bit longer.’

A tall young man wearing a browncoat infantry uniform. He charged down the corridors toward the Alliance cruiser’s fighter bay. He moved as quick down the sterilized hallways as fast as he could manage with his long black hair clouding his view. His side arm was out of ammo and he was loosing the control of the security systems, he searched the hallways and the screen of his data book with his dark eyes for all the options he could muster. The pack on his back was filled with rations and for a week, tools for the breaking out of the Galileo, and the spare clothes he could manage to cram into the pack be for stowing away.

‘Hanger bay! Finally.’ He hooked into the door controls and started it searching for a way around the security measures in place. “hurry hurry hurry.” He ordered his hands to work the small panel faster. A moment later the doors opened on to the hanger bay and two surprised guards.

He quickly drew his side arm and aimed at them before the guards had time to think and respond. “You two drop it.” He yelled at the two. “I have a shiny little gun and I’m the best shot for twelve worlds” He drew back the hammer and clicked off the safety. “Now move or ill drop ya, dohn ma?” They both dropped to there knees and slip there stun rifles to him. “And the sidearms MOVE!” He took aim down his empty gun. They complied and slid their smallish sidearms at his feet. “Now look very intently at your own belly button, and this will go smooth.” He bent down to take the two small pistols from the floor, never moving his aim away from the two alliance guardsmen putting them in either pocket. “Now gentlemen I bid a fond adieu, and..” he positioned him self to retrieve the stun rifles next, but not before squeezing the trigger of his own tiny gun, letting the hammer hit come down with a click. “Huh guess I’m out of ammo.” He picked up the first stun rifle he could get to and fired off two shots at the wo fairly surprised alliances soldiers. “ Rutten ensigns. I actually think they’ve actually gotten dumber since the war.”

He snickered at himself as he picked up the other abandoned stun rifle and slung it over his back, and reholstered his pistol. “I need a way off now!” He went to the first shuttle nearest to him and started on his escape. “Asrev’s huh, this could be fun.”

After a few moments of creative hacking an Asrev short range fighter blasted out of the Alliance cruiser Galileo.