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

[Jumbocarrot0]

Lux looked at the Flak gun with some mild amusement. "What about that Burst Laser over there? Mk.II model?" she asked, looking over the massive weapon. "Huh, looks like it's been used in combat a lot. Some of the power inverters look like they've been replaced with spares... how much you selling this for anyway?"

Meanwhile, Eden strutted over to the Mantises like she owned the station and their lives "What's this I'm hearing about Sediment?" she asked in an authoritative tone.
After that mess in the Crystal Homeworlds, I could go with the reward money... if I live long enough to collect it once the mission is over, she thought to herself.

The merchant replied, 'Mark two?' He chuckled at himself a bit, 'You shouldn't assume, that's a life lesson there. Its a simple mark 1 model, and not the good one either. I'd sell it for no less then 35 scrap. And regarding the flak II model, yes considering where I found it I think its been used many times over the last week or two.' The zoltan chuckled to himself while his rockman assistant grumbled at the comment and went back in to rest. 'By the way the rockman is for hire, 5 scrap as well, such a bargin.'

Over with the mantis pirates, 'I'm surprised you haven't heard. He used to be a part of the rockman government, then he revolted and ran away. The government put a 7000 scrap bounty on his head but its hard to turn him in when non-rockmen aren't even allowed to be in their sectors.'
'Yeah, Sediment is hiding out in the nearby store working as an assistant, and he can be hired for 5 scrap. It used to be 55 scrap before the store got attacked by numerous rockmen officials, now the merchant is trying to get rid of him. No one wants to buy him as whatever ship he hides on will then be an instant target for bounty hunters and officials alike.'
'If your looking for the bounty money don't bother, its too much of a hassle just trying to get into the rockman sector, let alone living long enough.'

[stylesrj]

Lux smiled at the merchant "I wasn't assuming, I was wondering why you had packaged an inferior weapon inside the wrong casing."
She tapped the weapon on the side "You may have fooled Bren but I know my laser weapons; I was wondering if you'd try to pull a fast one on me or admit the truth before I dug too deep."
Looking to the Rockman, she paged Jake about his hiring costs. "Although considering how this guy is trying to pull a fast-one on his customers, it looks too good to be true"

Lux's grandfather flew the Red-Tail; the entire Jensen Family are laser weapon aficionados. Lux is never wrong about those weapons; she can tell a BL.I from a Dual Laser at a glance.

Eden frowned at the Mantises "I know about the bounty you limbless grubs; every single sector I go into gives me an updated list."
She stood up straight and made a few clicking sounds. "I just didn't think he'd show himself so early in this sector and so readily" she added with a smirk "Well now, this should be interesting..."
You'd have to be as crazy... crazier than me to chase a bounty through the quarantine zones though, the pirate thought to herself.

[Jumbocarrot0]

'I'm not trying to pull a fast one on anyone. I never stated that I was selling any burst laser mark twos and I'm not the one putting weapons in the wrong cases, I have assistants for a reason but I guess they don't care about their work. I can assure you, I'm not a scammer.'

[stylesrj]

Lux seemed to smile even wider "So you're saying that one of your assistants put the parts of a Burst Laser Mk.I into the casing of a Mk.II?"
She looked towards the Rockman, wondering if that was the one who did the deed. "I wouldn't say they don't care about their work..." she remarked "I'd say they were making the best of what they were given and tried to get it to work. That speaks more volumes."

[Jumbocarrot0]

'Actually now that you say that...' the zoltan thought to himself for a moment, 'I'm going to speak with my assistant for a moment.' He said in a slightly angry tone. He went into a backroom with the rockman. After a lengthy arguement, he walked back out much angrier, 'The rockman is now 50% off.'

[JakeCollins]

While the rest of his crew were off pursuing other goals, Jacob Collins had his own agenda.

The device was heavily enclosed by extensive sensor-reflective wrap, but the wrap was not made for sensors four centuries ahead of present-day technology. Jake had detected it when they were pulling into the station, though once he got too close it went out of the line-of-sight and he could no longer track it. But yes, there had been a brief moment where he wasn't too far or too close, just at the right distance to detect it.

It was a series of large coils, looping around a central cylinder in a four-leaf-clover fashion. A Black Hole Inductor.

The Inductor was placed deep in the bows of the station. In the few minutes he had before it disappeared from sensor view, Jake took a scan:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sVVBN_E1P1OR1Na2GQMf9-0V_h3a0s8k/view?usp=sharing
(Safe link that I made. An image of Jake's scan/sensor log.)

Welp, I know where I'm going Jake thought. He grabbed a futuristic pistol from one of the Mature's Weapons Lockers, and set out onto the station.

[stylesrj]

Lux spotted Jake as he was coming onboard the station. She quickly walked over to him before he went anywhere else. "Hey Captain! I think your comms are damaged! I've been trying to contact you while Eden isn't here; this man says he's got a Rockman going for a very cheap price... apparently he's very good with jury-rigging systems."
She could see that the boy had a determined look on his face, like he wasn't just onboard to relax. He always had that look whenever he went to the simulator, she thought to herself as she kept up with him.

Meanwhile, Eden Cortez was... well she was out shopping for extra supplies. She found another group of Mantis vendors who could help her with restocking the Pelican's meat supplies; the holds were running low after the adventures through the Crystal sector due to the lack of hostile carbon-based lifeforms. Although would Crystals count as Carbon-based or silicon-based or some other material? the pirate thought to herself

[Jumbocarrot0]

The Zoltan merchant quickly went up to Jake, eager to sell his wares to a person who was not as observant as Lux was. 'Hello captain, what would you like to buy on this fine day? We have weapons, augmentations and even crew for as cheap as 2 scrap!' With the arguement he had with his assistant, the merchant wanted to get rid of the rockman as soon as possible.

[JakeCollins]

The Zoltan merchant quickly went up to Jake, eager to sell his wares to a person who was not as observant as Lux was. 'Hello captain, what would you like to buy on this fine day? We have weapons, augmentations and even crew for as cheap as 2 scrap!' With the arguement he had with his assistant, the merchant wanted to get rid of the rockman as soon as possible.

So, I'm going to pick up your character, Jumbo. Okay? (Correct me if I'm wrong, but he hasn't been picked up yet. Right?)

Jake was snapped from his fog. "Uh, yeah - sure. Talk to my associates, Bren, Lux, or Eden. They'd probably be inter-" Jake paused. A person with experience on this station might be useful on the hunt Jake was embarking on. "I need a crewman. Cheap. And fast. If you can't get me someone in the next ten minutes, no deal. I'm on a clock."

I don't know when that weapon's set to activate - but when it does, we'll go up in the biggest explosion, or rather, implosion,
I've ever seen. Jake thought.

[stylesrj]

Lux sighed "That's what I've been trying to contact you about Jake! I was wondering if you'd be interested in hiring the Rockman"
She looked to the merchant and said "I guess that means he'll take him and I'll take the jury-rigged laser as well. The runabout could use more firepower and honestly, it has bluffing potential."