[FTL RP, WE'RE BACK, REBOOTED!] The Rogue Cadets

[Jumbocarrot0]

The Zoltan merchant was shocked that Jake didn't even ask for a price or anything, just something cheap. 'Well, I got a 2 scrap rockman, but for you, FREE! He'll be ready and near your ship when you come back.' He was just excited that he could finally get rid of Sediment. He turned his attention to Lux, 'And you, I have normal mark 1 versions, not like that jury rigged one, you can have that for 35 scrap, I just need to talk to the captain of your ship to finalize it.' He went to a staff room to talk to Sediment about the hire and he seemed fine with it. The rockman went to the Mature, waiting for its captain to come back.

[JakeCollins]

"Just... bring him to my ship... the Mature... Docking Port C5" Jake stammered. He raced back to the ship, and grabbed an extra energy pistol. Then he went back out the airlock and locked up the ship remotely. He leaned against the scorched once-shiny hull, waiting for his new crewman.

"I hope you know your way around this station..." Jake muttered to himself, fingering the extra energy weapon. "And I hope we won't have to use these."

He glanced at his watch nervously. Deep within the bows of the station, a low humming sound activated. It had begun.

[Jumbocarrot0]

Sediment found that was a crew member outside the ship. He recognized him as the person who hired him, Tranquil said that his name was Jake Collins, I must meet his captain. He walked up to him in a friendly manner, 'Greetings Jake, I am thankful that you kept me safe, but I must greet myself to your ca...' Suddenly, his conversation was interrupted by a small fleet consisting of a rock fighter and 2 rock scouts. It did a station-wide audio broadcast, 'This is the army of the rockman territory of Promethium IV, by order of our supreme leader, we request that the owner of this station bring forth former finance minister of our government, Sediment.' Most of the civilians at the stations hid terrified, those who didn't hide simply went into their ships and flew away.

Tranquil, the Zoltan merchant, stood forth, one of the rock scouts docked at the station and its crew went up to Tranquil. 'I do not have the person you are requesting, he was already hired a few moments ago.' One of the Rockmen simply said, 'Rubbish.' Pulled out its blast pistol and shot the merchant in the head, killing him, obviously. The rockman who killed the merchant spoke up to the rest of Tranquil's assistants, all of whom were hiding behind some crates of missiles. 'As for the rest of you meatsacks, if you don't want end up like your master here, I suggest you bring out Sediment, and you do it NOW!' They all went inside, pretending that Sediment was still with them.

Sediment, shocked that the rockmen government were here so soon, but also happy that Tranquil was dead, looked towards Jake, 'Okay, this is bad. We need to leave NOW!'

[BrenTenkage]

Bren and his group had made it over, "Ok whats happening?" he asked confused, "and who is this, is he the guy the announcemnt was talkin bout?"

[Jumbocarrot0]

Sediment spoke up, 'I can answer both of those questions for you:
1. What's happening? Easy, I am wanted in all rockman sectors, so much I have a 7000 scrap bounty on my head, and that fleet is out to get and/or kill me.
2. Am I the guy they were talking about? Yes.
Now those are out of the way you guys need to get to your ship and leave before they kill you.'
The rockmen troops were already rounding up civilians, both those on the station and flying away on their ship, for questioning.
Something started to beep on Sediment's station employee wristband. 'What the? There's something being detected in the bow of the station. Oh, whatever it is we don't have time for it.'

[BrenTenkage]

Sediment spoke up, 'I can answer both of those questions for you:
1. What's happening? Easy, I am wanted in all rockman sectors, so much I have a 7000 scrap bounty on my head, and that fleet is out to get and/or kill me.
2. Am I the guy they were talking about? Yes.
Now those are out of the way you guys need to get to your ship and leave before they kill you.'
The rockmen troops were already rounding up civilians, both those on the station and flying away on their ship, for questioning.
Something started to beep on Sediment's station employee wristband. 'What the? There's something being detected in the bow of the station. Oh, whatever it is we don't have time for it.'

"Fuck, fine, Scarab squad your with me, I'll make sure no one hits us on the way out" he said running towards his ship

[stylesrj]

Eden was in the middle of negotiations when the Rocks came onboard "This thing happen a lot?" she asked the Mantis dealers who gave their equivalent of a nod. "Some bounty hunter or collector or army flies in and says they're the biggest out there" one explained.
The pirate nodded "Well I guess the Sediment issue is resolving itself" just as two Rockmen entered the room with guns pointed at them. "You are to be taken in for..."
The Rockmen realised they were looking at a bunch of green aliens and said "Carry on."
I've never seen Rockmen move so fast, Eden remarked with a chuckle before grabbing her blaster rifle.
"Promethites frighten easily but they'll be back in greater numbers" a Mantis said, slipping on his energy blades and powering them up.

Meanwhile Lux didn't quite have as much luck when the Rockmen came onboard. She heard the transmission and went to get back to the Pelican... but she took a wrong turn down a corridor, then another wrong turn, discovered that part of the maze-like passageways were like a loop and found herself staring at three Rockmen who were already taking a few people away.
"Guys... I don't think I'll be making it back to the ships any time soon" she said over the personal comms just as one of them spotted her and demanded the "repugnant alien" get moving for questioning.

[BrenTenkage]

Bren and his company got into his ship and flew out ready to defend his friends as they escaped, "Charging up the rail cannon, Ruwen how are the crystal weapons?" he asked

"Operating at full capcity, however remember you are limited by how much they can form at a given time" he called out from the weapons bay

"Right, don't worry I understand limited shots, this railcannon is very powerful but too much and it overheats..." he said working the piloting

"Engines online" Gorlag said, "FTL drive charging just in case"

"Shields working dear" Grom said in her gruff rock tone, "No one is breaking through and hitting you" she said

"Repair bots also online just in case, we are ready for battle" Bren said smirking

[Chickengames]

Meanwhile on the Mutare, Kyrie was sitting in the captain’s chair with her feet up on the console. A song played in the background, and she hummed along to it. The ship’s only speakers were the intercoms, but they were good enough. As the next track began, Gucci Gang or some ancient one like it, Kyrie noticed a rock military ship fly past. She glanced at the sensors and saw the station was filled with rocks. “Jake, Lux, come in. What’s happening down there?” Another ship flashed past. “There’s a whole fleet out here.”

[JakeCollins]

Isn't it just wonderful how a convert plan of mine, carefully strategized to deceptively disarm a deadly weapon without so much as a murmur, can fall into hysterical chaos within a matter of seconds? Jake thought cynically.

Chaos swirled around them. Rockmen troops tromping across the main promenade of the station. Civilians screaming and wildly fleeing to their ships. Some laser-fire sounded in the distance. The situation was deteriorating as each Rockmen platoon boarded the station. Rockmen voices came in on loudspeakers around the station, booming orders for civilians to drop to their knees with their heads down. The sound was ear-splitting, between the loud speakers, the screaming children, the heavy Rockmen boots against the deck plating... Jake could barely hear himself think within the noise. Through the swarms of people, Jake saw shops being turned upside down by Rockmen soldiers, dumping exotic fruits, drinks, Engi hardware, Mantis jewlry, Zoltan armor, and other assorted goods all over the floor.

But then, everything stopped. The civillians stopped in their tracks. All babies were instantly hushed. Even the rockmen soldiers and their booming loudspeaker commands went silent. What silenced them? A low metallic rumble. It started out so low, but soon started to grow in intensity, causing the deck plating beneath their feat to quake violently. No one was screaming anymore - the terror had taken their voices away.

When the first roof panel fell from high above, crashing onto the floor, people remembered their wits again.

"All rockmen units! Retreat! Retreat!"

The civilians started screaming again when they realized the station was totally collapsing. Hanging lights tore from their posts. Wall-plating fell from its positions.

"RUN!" Jake screamed to Sediment, over the even louder sounds of a collapsing space station. He got on the comms. "All United Rogue Union Units, this is commander Jake Collins. Once all people are aboard their respective ships, and verified as present, preform immediate SSEP, just like the drills."

Standard Singularity Escape Procedure, or SSEP was something Jake Collins had made up in the event something like this happened, after the previous station where they were almost swallowed up by a singularity. The procedure was as followes:
1. Undock and use sublight to get away from singularity. Do not attempt to jump while near singularity, because as we know this will just drain our FTL Coils.
2. Drop shields. As we know, shields cause drag on a ship
3. Once far enough away for shield dragging effect to not matter, reactivate shields to avoid debris
4. Continue away from singularity before jumping to nearest beacon. All ships meet there.

Jake certainly hoped that his crew would remember this procedure.

Just like the drills he thought as he managed to break free from the whirling crowd and finally clamber onto the USS Mature. Sediment soon followed, lumbering out of the sea of terrified civilians, and the Mature's doors shut behind him. Jake could already feel the ship moving away from the station.