{"data":{"id":16524,"title":"One Good Deed: Part Two","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/16524-One-Good-Deed-Part-Two","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/16524","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/16524","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"One Good Deed","images":[{"id":6793,"name":"OneGoodDeed.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/8z9kc85o7d9rgr\/source\/OneGoodDeed.jpg","alt":"","size":4403083,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2018-04-19T00:58:38+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/6793","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/6793\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"Be sure to read part one of the story here .\n\n\n\nUmar was quickly realizing just how difficult it was to focus on doing repairs when you have a gun aimed at your head. Of course, it should have been obvious from the start that being held hostage would be stressful, but it was one of those truths that doesn\u2019t completely sink in until you experience it first hand. Sort of like how those \u2018Slippery When Wet\u2019 caution signs seemed redundant until you were skidding around in a rainstorm.\n\n\u201cEasy on the comms,\u201d instructed Umar\u2019s captor in a steady, even clip. \u201cThis is just a normal emergency repair, right?\u201d The man might as well have been casually asking Umar to pass nuoc cham, for all the current situation seemed to be stressing him.\n\n\u201cRight.\u201d Just your normal, everyday emergency repair where someone has hijacked your ship and is looming right behind your terminal in case they need to put a plasma bolt through your brain. Totally normal.\n\nUmar took a deep breath and pushed all that aside. He needed to focus. His life wasn\u2019t the only one hanging in the balance. With a practiced few presses on the console, Umar launched the repair drone Shake towards the source of the emergency beacon \u2014 a Terrapin, adrift and giving off a worryingly high IR signature.\n\nWith the drone en route, Umar hailed the Terrapin with his most professional, calming voice. \u201cDr. Hostan? This is Umar from In-A-Fix.\u201d\n\nThe response came immediately. \u201cPower plant\u2019s experiencing a critical cascade and my coolers are about to give,\u201d reported Dr. Hostan, breathing heavily. The temperature must have been unbearable inside the craft. Even wearing a protective suit and helmet, her hair was plastered with sweat to her head. \u201cGeiger\u2019s ticking fast and loud. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s much time.\u201d\n\nUmar appreciated the doc\u2019s information efficiency. He didn\u2019t blame people when they panicked in an emergency, but it sure did help when they kept their heads. It gave him an extra tool to work with rather than an extra problem to solve.\n\n\u201cDrone\u2019s almost there. As soon as the full diagnostic scan is done, we\u2019ll know what\u2019s causing the cascade. In the meanwhile, I\u2019m gonna have you do a full flush on your coolers. It won\u2019t do much, but it\u2019ll buy us some time.\u201d\n\n\u201cJust tell me what to do.\u201d\n\nUmar began walking her through the process to circumvent the coolers\u2019 safety protocols. The doc was an apt pupil and it wasn\u2019t long before she had managed the tricky manual override. The maneuver was one that his boss, Jess, had taught him when he was first starting out. A fine example of the philosophy, \u201csometimes you got to break a ship even more if you want to fix it.\u201d If they got the Terrapin up and running again, the coolers would have severely limited functionality compared to their normal operating parameters. But that was a problem for later. The first priority was not exploding.\n\n\u201cThe temp\u2019s dropping a bit,\u201d said Dr. Hostan, clearly relieved. \u201cYou\u2019re a miracle worker.\u201d\n\n\u201cNaw, Doc. You did all the heavy lifting,\u201d replied Umar. A pop-up on the terminal indicated a new data-packet had arrived. \u201cLooks like the diag scan just came in, so I\u2019m gonna have you drink a hydro-gel real quick while I go over the data. Don\u2019t want you passing out on me.\u201d\n\nAs Dr. Hostan turned to find a gel pack to feed into her suit, Umar silenced his audio and video while still listening in on the channel.\n\n\u201cThat was a neat little trick,\u201d said the shipjacker once the comm had been muted.\n\n\u201cYeah,\u201d said Umar, distracted as he pored over the report that Shake\u2019s scanners had sent back.\n\n\u201cI mean you probably just saved her life and what? You\u2019re getting your standard repair rate for this?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou mind not talking? I\u2019m trying to figure out how \u2014\u201d Umar let the sentence hang there as he frantically cross-checked the numbers he had gotten from Shake.\n\n\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Asked the shipjacker, leaning over the terminal to look.\n\n\u201cGrab that datapad,\u201d said Umar, gesturing to where a clunky three-gen-old model was strapped to the wall. \u201cOpen up the DayBreak power plant manual. Should be right there in the folder.\u201d\n\nIf Umar had been watching instead of directing Shake to do a deeper scan on the Terrapin\u2019s axial power conduit, he would have seen the jacker hesitate. Using the datapad would mean having to holster his weapon. Keeping a wary eye on Umar to make sure this wasn\u2019t a ploy, the man stowed his pistol and pulled the datapad free. After it booted, he found and opened the manual. \u201cOkay, now what?\u201d\n\n\u201cHere,\u201d said Umar as he grabbed the pad. Scrolling, he found the section he was looking for and quickly read it. Then, cursing under his breath, he read it again.\n\n\u201cEnough,\u201d said the jacker. \u201cTell me what\u2019s going on.\u201d\n\nUmar tossed the datapad down onto the console. \u201cYou know anything about reactors?\u201d\n\n\u201cJust enough not to touch one.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen the short version is, thanks to the geniuses at Sakura Sun, the good doctor is pretty well and properly screwed. See \u2026,\u201d said Umar as he rotated the scans of the Terrapin displayed on the terminal. \u201cThe DayBreak was designed with these so-called performance improvements that will most likely make the power plant overload faster if I try to fix the problem. And not doing anything isn\u2019t an option since the whole thing\u2019s gonna blow in a few minutes anyway. So, yeah. Screwed.\u201d\n\n\u201cDamn,\u201d replied the jacker, leaning in to look closer. He pointed to the axial conduit. \u201cAnd if you try to bypass it, these backups will just kick in.\u201d\n\nUmar raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised at his captor\u2019s quick grasp of the issue. \u201cYeah, that\u2019s right. Ninety-nine out of a hundred times the setup would be ideal, but damn if that one exception isn\u2019t a doozy.\u201d\n\nThe man straightened to his full height, resting a hand on his hip near the gun. \u201cSo, what are you going to do?\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s what you\u2019re gonna do,\u201d said Umar, eyes flicking towards the jacker\u2019s holster. \u201cYou\u2019re the one threatening to shoot people.\u201d\n\nThe response came with a heavy sigh, \u201cYou want to her to EVA over here before you start the repair.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s too dangerous to do it with her still on the ship, but with her onboard the Vulcan, we can pilot to the edge of the blast radius and still be able to control the drones. Maybe I can repair it in time. Maybe I won\u2019t be fast enough and the thing will blow. But either way, the doc gets to live.\u201d\n\n\u201cFine. Do it.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou serious?\u201d asked Umar, halfway through preparing the mental argument he thought he\u2019d have to make.\n\n\u201cYeah. Don\u2019t know how much safer she\u2019s going to be with me around, but it\u2019s stupid to let her die now just \u2019cause I might get her killed later.\u201d And leaving it at that, the jacker went to the pilot\u2019s chair to bring the Vulcan\u2019s hatch around so the doctor would have a straight-shot EVA.\n\nUmar opened the comm. \u201cDoc, you hear me?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes,\u201d Dr. Hostan replied. \u201cWhat did the scans say?\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m gonna need you to EVA over to the Vulcan.\u201d\n\n\u201cAm I losing the ship?\u201d\n\n\u201cCan\u2019t say for sure at this point, but I don\u2019t want to take any chances.\u201d\n\n\u201cDo I at least have enough time to pull my research drives?\u201d asked the doctor. It was the most concerned Umar had seen her so far.\n\n\u201cYeah, but fast, doc,\u201d said Umar against his better judgement. \u201cTake a minute to grab what you can, but you got to leave after that.\u201d\n\nNot even bothering to reply, the doctor rushed to grab the data she had gathered with the Terrapin\u2019s sensors.\n\n\u201cTell her to forget it,\u201d said the jacker as he swung the Vulcan wildly away from the Terrapin.\n\nBefore Umar could ask what the hell was going on, the entire ship shook and the shields flared from a direct laser hit.\n\nUmar frantically paged the doctor, \u201cPlans changed, doc. Need you to stay put. We\u2019ve got company.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow\u2019d these bastards find me?\u201d said the jacker as he evaded the next volley.\n\nUmar checked the radar and saw there were two ships rapidly approaching their position. \u201cWho are they?\u201d\n\n\u201cA couple low-rent hitters.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd you thought you could lose them in my ship?\u201d\n\n\u201cThat was the plan.\u201d\n\n\u201cWould have worked a lot better if you hadn\u2019t left my drone behind.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re kidding me. The damn thing was tagged?\u201d\n\n\u201cSix ways to Sunday \u2026 wait, where are you going?\u201d demanded Umar when an out-of-range warning popped up for Shake.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m getting us the hell out of here.\u201d Another laser barrage just barely missed the prow of the Vulcan.\n\n\u201cNo. We\u2019re staying and fixing that ship.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m not dying for her.\u201d\n\n\u201cNeither am I, so be sure to keep the ships off her and away from us.\u201d\n\nAfter a letting fly a string of curses, the jacker pulled the stick back and steered once again towards the Terrapin. \u201cYou\u2019re damn lucky I\u2019m a fantastic pilot.\u201d\n\nUmar keyed the comms. \u201cDoc, since EVAing isn\u2019t really an option any more, I\u2019m starting the emergency repairs.\u201d\n\nThe doctor took the news in stride. \u201cGood luck.\u201d\n\n\u201cSame to you, doc. If you got any messages to pass along, feel free to send them over.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll do that. Thank you.\u201d And with that, Dr. Hostan ended the comm.\n\nQuickly, he opened the bay so that he could launch his last drone, Spear. It wasn\u2019t really set up for this kind of delicate work, but Umar could use all the extra hands he could get. \u201cDrone\u2019s heading out. Can you give it cover?\u201d\n\n\u201cOn it,\u201d replied the jacker, rolling the ship hard to one side. He positioned the Vulcan between the two attackers and the doctor. Switching his controls over, the jacker used the remote turrets to lay down a wide field of suppressive fire, forcing the ships to alter course. One of the would-be assassins saw this as an opportunity and attempted to sweep up on the underside, but the jacker was ready for them and let loose with the main guns, clipping the attacker\u2019s port wing. The damage wasn\u2019t enough to take them out of the fight, but it\u2019d give the pilot something to think about.\n\nMeanwhile, Umar had managed to cut open the access panel in the Terrapin\u2019s thick armor and reach the inner workings. Controlling both drones in conjunction, he began the tricky process of halting the cascade and siphoning off the excess energy. Right on cue, the axial conduit kicked in, and as predicted, the power plant responded by increasing its load production. Now it was his turn to cuss up a storm.\n\nFocusing his energy on the injured ship, the jacker switched to the offensive. This would have worked well if the two pilots had been a team, since harassing one would hopefully cause the other to react, but no such luck. The more distant attacker completely ignored the plight of the other and took advantage of the Vulcan\u2019s push, scoring a direct hit. Smoke began to fill the ship\u2019s main chamber. Fantastic pilot or not, the numbers were against them. \u201cHow\u2019s it looking back there?\u201d\n\n\u201cAlmost done, one way or another.\u201d Umar had about half as much time as he needed before the whole thing was going to blow, taking the Terrapin and the doc with it. What he needed was a way to quickly disrupt the power output all together, without triggering the explosion itself. He ran through the few options he had remaining, dismissing them as fast as he thought of them. Maybe if he had a full complement of drones he could have done something, but with Liam back with the jacker\u2019s Reliant and his own stubbornness to blame for holding off on replacing Wil after the accident \u2014 his mind suddenly flashed on something. Wil.\n\nA few years back, the drone had been lost along with a crew of four when what should have been a simple repair had gone catastrophically wrong. While patching the piping to one of the maneuvering thrusters, an unexpected static discharge had caused a feedback surge along the plasma conduits. In that case the surge had been deadly, but with the doc\u2019s power plant already suffering a critical failure, there was a small chance that if he could trigger it and use one of his drones to act as an auxiliary breaker, he could interrupt the cascade before it went critical. Well, Spear, let\u2019s see just how lucky you are.\n\nThe jacker had just launched the last of the Vulcan\u2019s chaff, narrowly diverting a missile that detonated nearby. An inadvertent grin spread across his face. After the life he had led, it was a little hard to believe there was a good chance he was going to die doing something this stupidly heroic. Suddenly, there was a second explosion nearby. Something had blown on the hull of the Terrapin. He squinted his eyes in preparation for the blinding light that would follow the whole ship going boom, but nothing else happened.\n\n\u201cIt worked! I can\u2019t believe it worked!\u201d Umar had lost his drone, but had saved the ship.\n\n\u201cNot to cut your celebration short, but I really could use a hand right about now.\u201d\n\nUmar\u2019s attention was drawn back to the ongoing dogfight. When did the ship fill with so much smoke? \u201cPass the turrets to me.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou any good?\u201d asked the jacker.\n\n\u201cLine me up a shot and find out.\u201d\n\nWith a dedicated gun operator, the true combat capabilities of the Vulcan emerged. The jacker would chase a ship with the main guns getting them into position for Umar to let loose with cannons mounted on the remote turret. Working together, they manage to remove the wing on the ship that had been crippled earlier. Down a weapon, and barely able to maneuver, the ship fled. The remaining assassin, its advantage lost, made the sensible choice and followed.\n\nUmar placed two cans of flavored sparkling water on the table. It had taken about an hour more of work before the doctor\u2019s ship was ready to fly again and the effort had left him parched.\n\nThe jacker, sitting on the far side, cracked his open and drank deeply. When he finally came up for air, he smiled. \u201cGuess I do like etrog flavor.\u201d\n\n\u201cAll right, spill it. Why do you got a price on your head?\u201d\n\nThe smile left the jacker\u2019s face. \u201cMight be better if you don\u2019t know.\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, well, it seems a little late for that.\u201d\n\nThe two sat in silence for a bit as Umar patiently drank his water.\n\nToying with the tab on the can, the jacker finally began, \u201cI was working for the Dranton Family, smuggling off of Carteyna, when I got tagged by the Cano authorities. Wasn\u2019t going to get out clean, so I dumped the cargo and ran. Turned out there was enough evidence in there to get most of the Drantons locked up for good. Guess that didn\u2019t sit well because Luke Dranton put the hit out on me himself. Spent almost every last credit to his name making sure I get dead. That was about a month ago, been running ever since.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo, we should be expecting more company?\u201d\n\n\u201cGreedy bastards will probably keep the news to themselves till they can come after us again, but yeah, they\u2019ll be back.\u201d\n\n\u201cRight.\u201d Umar tilted back and finished the last of his drink. \u201cWe better get going then.\u201d\n\n\u201cThanks. If you drop me off at Pox, I can make my way from there.\u201d\n\n\u201cI was actually thinking we could make a stop first. See, I came across a recent wreck a little bit before I grabbed you. Told Jess about it, but since In-A-Fix runs salvage there\u2019s a good chance no one knows it\u2019s there except me and her. We get there in time, should be able to make it so the registry shows you sadly passed away in a tragic accident.\u201d\n\n\u201cSeriously? You\u2019d do that for me?\u201d\n\nUmar shrugged, \u201cWhat can I say, I like fixing stuff.\u201d\n\nTHE END.","de_DE":"Lesen Sie unbedingt Teil eins der Geschichte hier.\n\n\nUmar erkannte schnell, wie schwierig es war, sich auf Reparaturen zu konzentrieren, wenn man eine Waffe auf den Kopf gerichtet hatte. Nat\u00fcrlich h\u00e4tte es von Anfang an klar sein m\u00fcssen, dass es stressig w\u00e4re, als Geisel festgehalten zu werden, aber es war eine dieser Wahrheiten, die nicht vollst\u00e4ndig eindringt, bis man sie aus erster Hand erlebt. So \u00e4hnlich wie die Warnschilder f\u00fcr Rutschgefahr bei N\u00e4sse, die \u00fcberfl\u00fcssig schienen, bis man bei einem Regensturm herumrutschte.\n\n\"Schonend f\u00fcr die Kommunikation\", wies Umars Entf\u00fchrer in einem stetigen, gleichm\u00e4\u00dfigen Clip an. \"Das ist nur eine normale Notfallreparatur, oder?\" Der Mann h\u00e4tte Umar genauso gut beil\u00e4ufig bitten k\u00f6nnen, Nuoc Cham zu bestehen, denn die ganze aktuelle Situation schien ihn zu belasten.\n\n\" Richtig.\" Nur Ihre normale, t\u00e4gliche Notfallreparatur, bei der jemand Ihr Schiff entf\u00fchrt hat und direkt hinter Ihrem Terminal auftaucht, falls er einen Plasmabolzen durch Ihr Gehirn stecken muss. V\u00f6llig normal.\n\nUmar atmete tief durch und schob all das beiseite. Er musste sich konzentrieren. Sein Leben war nicht das einzige, das auf dem Spiel stand. Mit ein paar ge\u00fcbten Druckmaschinen am Leitstand startete Umar die Reparaturdrohne Shake zur Quelle des Notlichtsignals - eine Schildkr\u00f6te, die treibend ist und eine beunruhigend hohe IR-Signatur abgibt.\n\nMit der Drohne auf dem Weg, rief Umar die Schildkr\u00f6te mit seiner professionellsten, beruhigendsten Stimme. \"Dr. Hostan? Hier ist Umar von In-A-Fix.\"\n\nDie Antwort kam sofort. \"Das Kraftwerk erlebt eine kritische Kaskade und meine K\u00fchler sind im Begriff zu geben\", berichtete Dr. Hostan und atmete schwer. Die Temperatur muss im Inneren des Schiffes unertr\u00e4glich gewesen sein. Selbst wenn sie einen Schutzanzug und Helm trug, war ihr Haar mit Schwei\u00df bis zum Kopf verputzt. \"Geiger tickt schnell und laut. Ich glaube nicht, dass wir noch viel Zeit haben.\"\n\nUmar w\u00fcrdigte die Informationseffizienz des Dokuments. Er gab den Leuten nicht die Schuld, wenn sie im Notfall in Panik gerieten, aber es half wirklich, wenn sie ihre K\u00f6pfe behielten. Es gab ihm ein zus\u00e4tzliches Werkzeug, mit dem er arbeiten konnte, und nicht ein zus\u00e4tzliches Problem zu l\u00f6sen.\n\n\"Die Drohne ist fast da. Sobald der vollst\u00e4ndige Diagnosescan abgeschlossen ist, werden wir wissen, was die Ursache f\u00fcr die Kaskade ist. In der Zwischenzeit lasse ich dich einen Full Flush an deinen K\u00fchlern machen. Es wird nicht viel bringen, aber es wird uns etwas Zeit verschaffen.\"\n\n\"Sag mir einfach, was ich tun soll.\"\n\nUmar begann sie durch den Prozess zu f\u00fchren, um die Sicherheitsprotokolle der K\u00fchler zu umgehen. Die \u00c4rztin war eine geeignete Sch\u00fclerin und es dauerte nicht lange, bis sie die knifflige manuelle \u00dcberbr\u00fcckung geschafft hatte. Das Man\u00f6ver war eines, das sein Chef, Jess, ihm beigebracht hatte, als er anfing. Ein gutes Beispiel f\u00fcr die Philosophie: \"Manchmal muss man ein Schiff noch mehr brechen, wenn man es reparieren will.\" Wenn sie die Terrapin wieder in Betrieb nehmen w\u00fcrden, h\u00e4tten die K\u00fchler im Vergleich zu ihren normalen Betriebsparametern eine stark eingeschr\u00e4nkte Funktionalit\u00e4t. Aber das war ein Problem f\u00fcr sp\u00e4ter. Die erste Priorit\u00e4t war nicht die Explosion.\n\n\"Die Temperatur sinkt ein wenig\", sagte Dr. Hostan deutlich erleichtert. \"Du bist ein Wunderheiler.\"\n\n\"Nein, Doc. Du hast all die schweren Lasten getragen\", antwortete Umar. Ein Popup-Fenster auf dem Terminal zeigte an, dass ein neues Datenpaket angekommen war. \"Sieht so aus, als w\u00e4re der Diagrammscan gerade angekommen, also lasse ich dich ganz schnell ein Hydrogel trinken, w\u00e4hrend ich die Daten durchsehe. Ich will nicht, dass du mich in Ohnmacht f\u00e4llst.\"\n\nAls Dr. Hostan sich umdrehte, um ein Gelpack zu finden, das sie in ihren Anzug einziehen konnte, stumm schaltete Umar sein Audio und Video, w\u00e4hrend er immer noch auf dem Kanal h\u00f6rte.\n\n\"Das war ein netter kleiner Trick\", sagte der Schiffsr\u00e4uber, nachdem die Verbindung stumm geschaltet worden war.\n\n\"Ja\", sagte Umar abgelenkt, als er \u00fcber den Bericht nachdachte, den Shake's Scanner zur\u00fcckgeschickt hatten.\n\n\"Ich meine, du hast ihr wahrscheinlich gerade das Leben gerettet und was? Du bekommst daf\u00fcr deine Standard-Reparaturrate?\"\n\n\"Macht es dir was aus, nicht zu reden? Ich versuche herauszufinden, wie -\" Umar lie\u00df den Satz dort h\u00e4ngen, als er verzweifelt die Zahlen, die er von Shake erhalten hatte, \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte.\n\n\"Was ist das?\" fragte der Schiffsr\u00e4uber und lehnte sich \u00fcber das Terminal, um zu schauen.\n\n\"Schnapp dir das Datenladeger\u00e4t\", sagte Umar und deutete darauf hin, dass ein klobiges drei-Gen-altes Modell an der Wand befestigt war. \"\u00d6ffnen Sie das DayBreak-Kraftwerkshandbuch. Sollte genau dort in der Mappe sein.\"\n\nWenn Umar zugesehen h\u00e4tte, anstatt Shake anzuweisen, einen tieferen Scan auf der axialen Energieleitung der Schildkr\u00f6te durchzuf\u00fchren, h\u00e4tte er gesehen, wie der Jacker z\u00f6gerte. Die Verwendung des Datenadapters w\u00fcrde bedeuten, dass er seine Waffe sch\u00fctzen muss. Der Mann beobachtete Umar vorsichtig, um sicherzustellen, dass dies kein Trick war, und verstaute seine Pistole und zog das Datenkapsel frei. Nachdem es hochgefahren war, fand und \u00f6ffnete er das Handbuch. \"Okay, was jetzt?\"\n\n\"Hier\", sagte Umar, als er nach dem Block griff. Beim Scrollen fand er den gesuchten Abschnitt und las ihn schnell. Dann verfluchte er unter seinem Atem und las es wieder.\n\n\"Genug\", sagte der Jacker. \"Sag mir, was los ist.\"\n\nUmar warf das Datenadaption auf die Konsole. \"Wei\u00dft du etwas \u00fcber Reaktoren?\"\n\n\"Gerade genug, um einen nicht zu ber\u00fchren.\"\n\n\"Dann ist die Kurzfassung, dank der Genies bei Sakura Sun, der gute Doktor ist ziemlich gut und richtig geschraubt. Sehen Sie...\", sagte Umar, als er die Scans der auf dem Terminal angezeigten Schildkr\u00f6te drehte. \"Der DayBreak wurde mit diesen sogenannten Leistungssteigerungen entwickelt, die das Kraftwerk h\u00f6chstwahrscheinlich schneller \u00fcberlasten werden, wenn ich versuche, das Problem zu beheben. Und nichts zu tun ist keine Option, da die ganze Sache sowieso in ein paar Minuten explodieren wird. Also, ja. Verschraubt.\"\n\n\"Verdammt\", antwortete der Jacker und lehnte sich an, um genauer hinzuschauen. Er zeigte auf die axiale Leitung. \"Und wenn du versuchst, es zu umgehen, werden diese Backups einfach anfangen.\"\n\nUmar hob eine Augenbraue, ein wenig \u00fcberrascht von dem schnellen Verst\u00e4ndnis seines Entf\u00fchrers f\u00fcr das Thema. \"Ja, das ist richtig. 99 von 100 Mal w\u00e4re das Setup ideal, aber verdammt, wenn diese eine Ausnahme nicht etwas Besonderes ist.\"\n\nDer Mann richtete sich auf seine volle H\u00f6he auf und legte eine Hand auf seine H\u00fcfte in der N\u00e4he der Waffe. \"Also, was wirst du tun?\"\n\n\"Das ist es, was du tun wirst\", sagte Umar und schaute auf das Holster des Jackers. \"Du bist diejenige, die droht, Menschen zu erschie\u00dfen.\"\n\nDie Antwort kam mit einem schweren Seufzer: \"Du willst sie zu EVA hier dr\u00fcben schicken, bevor du mit der Reparatur beginnst.\"\n\n\"Es ist zu gef\u00e4hrlich, es mit ihr noch auf dem Schiff zu tun, aber mit ihr an Bord der Vulkanier k\u00f6nnen wir bis zur Kante des Explosionsradius steuern und trotzdem die Drohnen kontrollieren. Vielleicht kann ich es rechtzeitig reparieren. Vielleicht werde ich nicht schnell genug sein und das Ding wird explodieren. Aber so oder so, der Doc wird leben.\"\n\n\"Gut. Tu es.\"\n\n\"Im Ernst?\" fragte Umar, auf halbem Weg, als er das mentale Argument vorbereitete, von dem er dachte, dass er es machen m\u00fcsste.\n\n\"Ja. Ich wei\u00df nicht, wie viel sicherer sie bei mir sein wird, aber es ist dumm, sie jetzt sterben zu lassen, nur weil ich sie vielleicht sp\u00e4ter umbringen werde.\" Und so blieb es dabei, dass der Jacker zum Pilotenstuhl ging, um die Luke des Vulkans herumzubringen, damit der Arzt einen direkt geschossenen EVA bekommt.\n\nUmar \u00f6ffnete die Kommunikation. \"Doc, h\u00f6rst du mich?\"\n\n\"Ja\", antwortete Dr. Hostan. \"Was stand auf den Scans?\"\n\n\"Ich brauche dich f\u00fcr die EVA auf dem Vulkan.\"\n\n\"Verliere ich das Schiff?\"\n\n\"Kann ich im Moment nicht sicher sagen, aber ich will kein Risiko eingehen.\"\n\n\"Habe ich wenigstens genug Zeit, um meine Forschungsfahrten durchzuf\u00fchren?\", fragte der Arzt. Es war die gr\u00f6\u00dfte Sorge, dass Umar sie bisher gesehen hatte.\n\n\"Ja, aber schnell, Doc\", sagte Umar gegen sein besseres Urteilsverm\u00f6gen. \"Nimm dir eine Minute Zeit, um dir zu holen, was du kannst, aber danach musst du gehen.\"\n\nNicht einmal die M\u00fche, zu antworten, eilte der Arzt, um die Daten zu sammeln, die sie mit den Sensoren der Schildkr\u00f6te gesammelt hatte.\n\n\"Sag ihr, sie soll es vergessen\", sagte der Jacker, als er den Vulkanier wild von der Schildkr\u00f6te weg schwang.\n\nBevor Umar fragen konnte, was zum Teufel los war, zitterte das gesamte Schiff und die Schilde flammten bei einem direkten Laserangriff.\n\nUmar rief den Arzt verzweifelt an: \"Pl\u00e4ne ge\u00e4ndert, Doc. Du musst hier bleiben. Wir haben Gesellschaft.\"\n\n\"Wie haben diese Bastarde mich gefunden?\" sagte der Jacker, als er dem n\u00e4chsten Salve entkam.\n\nUmar \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte das Radar und sah, dass sich zwei Schiffe schnell ihrer Position n\u00e4herten. \"Wer sind sie?\"\n\n\"Ein paar billige Killer.\"\n\n\"Und du dachtest, du k\u00f6nntest sie auf meinem Schiff verlieren?\"\n\n\"Das war der Plan.\"\n\n\"H\u00e4tte viel besser funktioniert, wenn du meine Drohne nicht zur\u00fcckgelassen h\u00e4ttest.\"\n\n\"Du verarscht mich. Das verdammte Ding war markiert?\"\n\n\"Sechs Wege bis Sonntag.... warte, wohin gehst du?\" forderte Umar, als eine Warnung au\u00dferhalb der Reichweite f\u00fcr Shake auftauchte.\n\n\"Ich bringe uns verdammt nochmal hier raus.\" Eine weitere Lasersperre verfehlte gerade noch den Bug der Vulkanierin.\n\n\"Nein. Wir bleiben und reparieren das Schiff.\"\n\n\"Ich sterbe nicht f\u00fcr sie.\"\n\n\"Ich auch nicht, also halte die Schiffe von ihr fern und von uns.\"\n\nNachdem er eine Reihe von Fl\u00fcchen fliegen lie\u00df, zog der Jacker den Stock zur\u00fcck und steuerte noch einmal zur Schildkr\u00f6te. \"Du hast verdammtes Gl\u00fcck, dass ich ein fantastischer Pilot bin.\"\n\nUmar verschl\u00fcsselte die Kommunikation. \"Doc, da EVAing nicht mehr wirklich eine Option ist, beginne ich mit den Notfallreparaturen.\"\n\nDer Arzt nahm die Nachricht auf. \"Viel Gl\u00fcck.\"\n\n\"Das Gleiche gilt f\u00fcr dich, Doc. Wenn du irgendwelche Nachrichten zum Weitergeben hast, kannst du sie gerne r\u00fcberschicken.\"\n\n\"Ich werde das tun. Ich danke dir.\" Und damit beendete Dr. Hostan das Kommando.\n\nSchnell \u00f6ffnete er die Bucht, damit er seine letzte Drohne, Speer, starten konnte. Es war nicht wirklich f\u00fcr diese Art von heikler Arbeit eingerichtet, aber Umar konnte alle zus\u00e4tzlichen H\u00e4nde gebrauchen, die er bekommen konnte. \"Die Drohne ist auf dem Weg nach drau\u00dfen. Kannst du ihm Deckung geben?\"\n\n\"Darauf\", antwortete der Jacker und rollte das Schiff hart zur Seite. Er positionierte den Vulkanier zwischen den beiden Angreifern und dem Arzt. Beim Umschalten der Steuerung benutzte der Jacker die Fernt\u00fcrme, um ein weites Feld von Unterdr\u00fcckungsfeuer niederzulegen, was die Schiffe zwang, den Kurs zu \u00e4ndern. Einer der M\u00f6chtegern-Attent\u00e4ter sah dies als Chance und versuchte, die Unterseite zu fegen, aber der Jacker war bereit f\u00fcr sie und lie\u00df sie mit den Hauptgesch\u00fctzen los, indem er den Backbordfl\u00fcgel des Angreifers befestigte. Der Schaden reichte nicht aus, um sie aus dem Kampf zu nehmen, aber es w\u00fcrde dem Piloten etwas zum Nachdenken geben.\n\nInzwischen hatte es Umar geschafft, die Zugangsabdeckung in der dicken R\u00fcstung der Schildkr\u00f6te zu \u00f6ffnen und das Innenleben zu erreichen. Er kontrollierte beide Drohnen in Verbindung und begann den kniffligen Prozess, die Kaskade zu stoppen und die \u00fcbersch\u00fcssige Energie abzutrennen. P\u00fcnktlich zum Einsatz kam die axiale Leitung, und wie vorhergesagt, reagierte das Kraftwerk mit einer Erh\u00f6hung der Lastproduktion. Jetzt war er an der Reihe, einen Sturm auszul\u00f6sen.\n\nDer Jacker konzentrierte seine Energie auf das verletzte Schiff und wechselte in die Offensive. Das h\u00e4tte gut funktioniert, wenn die beiden Piloten ein Team gewesen w\u00e4ren, denn wenn man den einen bel\u00e4stigt h\u00e4tte, w\u00fcrde der andere hoffentlich reagieren, aber kein solches Gl\u00fcck. Der entferntere Angreifer ignorierte v\u00f6llig die Notlage des anderen und nutzte den Druck des Vulkanierers und erzielte einen direkten Treffer. Der Rauch begann, die Hauptkammer des Schiffes zu f\u00fcllen. Fantastischer Pilot oder nicht, die Zahlen waren gegen sie. \"Wie sieht es da hinten aus?\"\n\n\"Fast fertig, so oder so.\" Umar hatte etwa halb so viel Zeit, wie er brauchte, bevor das Ganze explodierte und nahm die Schildkr\u00f6te und den Doc mit. Was er brauchte, war eine M\u00f6glichkeit, die gesamte Leistungsabgabe schnell zu unterbrechen, ohne die Explosion selbst auszul\u00f6sen. Er lief durch die wenigen Optionen, die ihm noch geblieben waren, und entlie\u00df sie so schnell, wie er an sie dachte. Vielleicht h\u00e4tte er, wenn er eine ganze Reihe von Drohnen h\u00e4tte, etwas tun k\u00f6nnen, aber mit Liam zur\u00fcck mit dem Relianten des Jackers und seiner eigenen Sturheit, die Schuld daf\u00fcr tr\u00e4gt, dass er sich nach dem Unfall zur\u00fcckgehalten hat, Wil zu ersetzen - sein Verstand blitzte pl\u00f6tzlich auf etwas auf. Wil.\n\nVor einigen Jahren war die Drohne zusammen mit einer vierk\u00f6pfigen Crew verloren gegangen, als eine einfache Reparatur katastrophal schief gelaufen war. Beim Verbinden der Rohrleitung mit einem der Man\u00f6vriertriebwerke hatte eine unerwartete statische Entladung einen R\u00fcckkopplungssto\u00df entlang der Plasmaleitungen verursacht. In diesem Fall war die Welle t\u00f6dlich gewesen, aber da das Kraftwerk des Dokuments bereits einen kritischen Ausfall erlitten hatte, bestand eine kleine Chance, dass er die Kaskade unterbrechen konnte, bevor sie kritisch wurde, wenn er sie ausl\u00f6sen und eine seiner Drohnen als Hilfsschalter benutzen konnte. Nun, Spear, lass uns sehen, wie viel Gl\u00fcck du hast.\n\nDer Jacker hatte gerade die letzte Spreu der Vulkanier gestartet und eine Rakete, die in der N\u00e4he explodierte, nur knapp abgelenkt. Ein versehentliches Grinsen breitete sich \u00fcber sein Gesicht aus. Nach dem Leben, das er gef\u00fchrt hatte, war es ein wenig schwer zu glauben, dass es eine gute Chance gab, dass er sterben w\u00fcrde, wenn er etwas so dumm Heldenhaftes tat. Pl\u00f6tzlich gab es eine zweite Explosion in der N\u00e4he. Etwas war auf den Rumpf der Schildkr\u00f6te geblasen worden. Er blinzelte mit den Augen, um sich auf das blendende Licht vorzubereiten, das dem gesamten Schiffsboom folgen w\u00fcrde, aber nichts anderes geschah.\n\n\"Es hat funktioniert! Ich kann nicht glauben, dass es funktioniert hat!\" Umar hatte seine Drohne verloren, aber das Schiff gerettet.\n\n\"Nicht, um deine Feier kurz zu machen, aber ich k\u00f6nnte jetzt wirklich eine Hand gebrauchen.\"\n\nUmars Aufmerksamkeit wurde auf den laufenden Luftkampf gelenkt. Wann hat sich das Schiff mit so viel Rauch gef\u00fcllt? \"Gib mir die Gesch\u00fctzt\u00fcrme.\"\n\n\"Bist du gut?\" fragte der Jacker.\n\n\"Stell mich auf einen Schuss und finde es heraus.\"\n\nMit einem engagierten Waffenbediener kamen die wahren Kampff\u00e4higkeiten der Vulkanier zum Vorschein. Der Jacker w\u00fcrde ein Schiff mit den Hauptkanonen jagen, um sie in Position zu bringen, damit Umar mit Kanonen, die auf dem Fernturm montiert sind, loslassen kann. Gemeinsam gelingt es ihnen, den Fl\u00fcgel auf dem zuvor verkr\u00fcppelten Schiff zu entfernen. Das Schiff floh mit einer Waffe, die kaum man\u00f6vrierf\u00e4hig war. Der verbliebene Attent\u00e4ter, dessen Vorteil verloren ging, traf die vern\u00fcnftige Wahl und folgte.\n\nUmar stellte zwei Dosen mit aromatisiertem Mineralwasser auf den Tisch. Es hatte etwa eine Stunde mehr Arbeit gedauert, bis das Schiff des Arztes wieder flugbereit war und die M\u00fche ihn ausged\u00f6rrt hatte.\n\nDer Jacker, der auf der anderen Seite sa\u00df, knackte seine \u00d6ffnung und trank tief. Als er endlich Luft holte, l\u00e4chelte er. \"Ich sch\u00e4tze, ich mag Etrog-Geschmack.\"\n\n\"In Ordnung, versch\u00fctte es. Warum hast du ein Kopfgeld auf deinen Kopf ausgesetzt?\"\n\nDas L\u00e4cheln verlie\u00df das Gesicht des Jackers. \"Es w\u00e4re vielleicht besser, wenn du es nicht wei\u00dft.\"\n\n\"Ja, nun, es scheint ein wenig sp\u00e4t daf\u00fcr zu sein.\"\n\nDie beiden sa\u00dfen eine Weile still, als Umar geduldig sein Wasser trank.\n\nDer Jacker spielte mit der Lasche auf der Dose und begann schlie\u00dflich: \"Ich arbeitete f\u00fcr die Familie Dranton, schmuggelte von Carteyna weg, als ich von den Beh\u00f6rden des Kanus markiert wurde. Ich wollte nicht sauber rauskommen, also habe ich die Ladung entsorgt und bin weggerannt. Es stellte sich heraus, dass es genug Beweise gab, um die meisten Drantons f\u00fcr immer einzusperren. Ich sch\u00e4tze, das hat nicht gut gepasst, weil Luke Dranton mich selbst geschlagen hat. Er gab fast jeden letzten Kredit f\u00fcr seinen Namen aus, um sicherzustellen, dass ich tot bin. Das war vor etwa einem Monat, seitdem l\u00e4uft es.\"\n\n\"Also sollten wir mehr Gesellschaft erwarten?\"\n\n\"Gierige Bastarde werden die Nachricht wahrscheinlich f\u00fcr sich behalten, bis sie wieder hinter uns her sind, aber ja, sie werden zur\u00fcckkommen.\"\n\n\" Richtig.\" Umar kippte nach hinten und trank den letzten seiner Getr\u00e4nke aus. \"Dann machen wir uns besser auf den Weg.\"\n\n\"Danke. Wenn du mich bei Pox absetzt, kann ich von dort aus weitermachen.\"\n\n\"Ich dachte eigentlich, wir k\u00f6nnten zuerst einen Stopp einlegen. Siehst du, ich bin ein wenig auf ein Wrack gesto\u00dfen, bevor ich dich gepackt habe. Ich habe Jess davon erz\u00e4hlt, aber da In-A-Fix die Bergung durchf\u00fchrt, besteht eine gute Chance, dass niemand wei\u00df, dass es dort ist, au\u00dfer mir und ihr. Wir kommen rechtzeitig an, sollten es schaffen, damit die Registrierung zeigt, dass Sie bei einem tragischen Unfall leider gestorben sind.\"\n\n\"Im Ernst? Das w\u00fcrdest du f\u00fcr mich tun?\"\n\nUmar zuckte mit den Schultern: \"Was soll ich sagen, ich repariere gerne Sachen.\"\n\nDAS ENDE.","zh_CN":"Be sure to read part one of the story here .\n\n\n\nUmar was quickly realizing just how difficult it was to focus on doing repairs when you have a gun aimed at your head. Of course, it should have been obvious from the start that being held hostage would be stressful, but it was one of those truths that doesn\u2019t completely sink in until you experience it first hand. Sort of like how those \u2018Slippery When Wet\u2019 caution signs seemed redundant until you were skidding around in a rainstorm.\n\n\u201cEasy on the comms,\u201d instructed Umar\u2019s captor in a steady, even clip. \u201cThis is just a normal emergency repair, right?\u201d The man might as well have been casually asking Umar to pass nuoc cham, for all the current situation seemed to be stressing him.\n\n\u201cRight.\u201d Just your normal, everyday emergency repair where someone has hijacked your ship and is looming right behind your terminal in case they need to put a plasma bolt through your brain. Totally normal.\n\nUmar took a deep breath and pushed all that aside. He needed to focus. His life wasn\u2019t the only one hanging in the balance. With a practiced few presses on the console, Umar launched the repair drone Shake towards the source of the emergency beacon \u2014 a Terrapin, adrift and giving off a worryingly high IR signature.\n\nWith the drone en route, Umar hailed the Terrapin with his most professional, calming voice. \u201cDr. Hostan? This is Umar from In-A-Fix.\u201d\n\nThe response came immediately. \u201cPower plant\u2019s experiencing a critical cascade and my coolers are about to give,\u201d reported Dr. Hostan, breathing heavily. The temperature must have been unbearable inside the craft. Even wearing a protective suit and helmet, her hair was plastered with sweat to her head. \u201cGeiger\u2019s ticking fast and loud. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s much time.\u201d\n\nUmar appreciated the doc\u2019s information efficiency. He didn\u2019t blame people when they panicked in an emergency, but it sure did help when they kept their heads. It gave him an extra tool to work with rather than an extra problem to solve.\n\n\u201cDrone\u2019s almost there. As soon as the full diagnostic scan is done, we\u2019ll know what\u2019s causing the cascade. In the meanwhile, I\u2019m gonna have you do a full flush on your coolers. It won\u2019t do much, but it\u2019ll buy us some time.\u201d\n\n\u201cJust tell me what to do.\u201d\n\nUmar began walking her through the process to circumvent the coolers\u2019 safety protocols. The doc was an apt pupil and it wasn\u2019t long before she had managed the tricky manual override. The maneuver was one that his boss, Jess, had taught him when he was first starting out. A fine example of the philosophy, \u201csometimes you got to break a ship even more if you want to fix it.\u201d If they got the Terrapin up and running again, the coolers would have severely limited functionality compared to their normal operating parameters. But that was a problem for later. The first priority was not exploding.\n\n\u201cThe temp\u2019s dropping a bit,\u201d said Dr. Hostan, clearly relieved. \u201cYou\u2019re a miracle worker.\u201d\n\n\u201cNaw, Doc. You did all the heavy lifting,\u201d replied Umar. A pop-up on the terminal indicated a new data-packet had arrived. \u201cLooks like the diag scan just came in, so I\u2019m gonna have you drink a hydro-gel real quick while I go over the data. Don\u2019t want you passing out on me.\u201d\n\nAs Dr. Hostan turned to find a gel pack to feed into her suit, Umar silenced his audio and video while still listening in on the channel.\n\n\u201cThat was a neat little trick,\u201d said the shipjacker once the comm had been muted.\n\n\u201cYeah,\u201d said Umar, distracted as he pored over the report that Shake\u2019s scanners had sent back.\n\n\u201cI mean you probably just saved her life and what? You\u2019re getting your standard repair rate for this?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou mind not talking? I\u2019m trying to figure out how \u2014\u201d Umar let the sentence hang there as he frantically cross-checked the numbers he had gotten from Shake.\n\n\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Asked the shipjacker, leaning over the terminal to look.\n\n\u201cGrab that datapad,\u201d said Umar, gesturing to where a clunky three-gen-old model was strapped to the wall. \u201cOpen up the DayBreak power plant manual. Should be right there in the folder.\u201d\n\nIf Umar had been watching instead of directing Shake to do a deeper scan on the Terrapin\u2019s axial power conduit, he would have seen the jacker hesitate. Using the datapad would mean having to holster his weapon. Keeping a wary eye on Umar to make sure this wasn\u2019t a ploy, the man stowed his pistol and pulled the datapad free. After it booted, he found and opened the manual. \u201cOkay, now what?\u201d\n\n\u201cHere,\u201d said Umar as he grabbed the pad. Scrolling, he found the section he was looking for and quickly read it. Then, cursing under his breath, he read it again.\n\n\u201cEnough,\u201d said the jacker. \u201cTell me what\u2019s going on.\u201d\n\nUmar tossed the datapad down onto the console. \u201cYou know anything about reactors?\u201d\n\n\u201cJust enough not to touch one.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen the short version is, thanks to the geniuses at Sakura Sun, the good doctor is pretty well and properly screwed. See \u2026,\u201d said Umar as he rotated the scans of the Terrapin displayed on the terminal. \u201cThe DayBreak was designed with these so-called performance improvements that will most likely make the power plant overload faster if I try to fix the problem. And not doing anything isn\u2019t an option since the whole thing\u2019s gonna blow in a few minutes anyway. So, yeah. Screwed.\u201d\n\n\u201cDamn,\u201d replied the jacker, leaning in to look closer. He pointed to the axial conduit. \u201cAnd if you try to bypass it, these backups will just kick in.\u201d\n\nUmar raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised at his captor\u2019s quick grasp of the issue. \u201cYeah, that\u2019s right. Ninety-nine out of a hundred times the setup would be ideal, but damn if that one exception isn\u2019t a doozy.\u201d\n\nThe man straightened to his full height, resting a hand on his hip near the gun. \u201cSo, what are you going to do?\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s what you\u2019re gonna do,\u201d said Umar, eyes flicking towards the jacker\u2019s holster. \u201cYou\u2019re the one threatening to shoot people.\u201d\n\nThe response came with a heavy sigh, \u201cYou want to her to EVA over here before you start the repair.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s too dangerous to do it with her still on the ship, but with her onboard the Vulcan, we can pilot to the edge of the blast radius and still be able to control the drones. Maybe I can repair it in time. Maybe I won\u2019t be fast enough and the thing will blow. But either way, the doc gets to live.\u201d\n\n\u201cFine. Do it.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou serious?\u201d asked Umar, halfway through preparing the mental argument he thought he\u2019d have to make.\n\n\u201cYeah. Don\u2019t know how much safer she\u2019s going to be with me around, but it\u2019s stupid to let her die now just \u2019cause I might get her killed later.\u201d And leaving it at that, the jacker went to the pilot\u2019s chair to bring the Vulcan\u2019s hatch around so the doctor would have a straight-shot EVA.\n\nUmar opened the comm. \u201cDoc, you hear me?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes,\u201d Dr. Hostan replied. \u201cWhat did the scans say?\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m gonna need you to EVA over to the Vulcan.\u201d\n\n\u201cAm I losing the ship?\u201d\n\n\u201cCan\u2019t say for sure at this point, but I don\u2019t want to take any chances.\u201d\n\n\u201cDo I at least have enough time to pull my research drives?\u201d asked the doctor. It was the most concerned Umar had seen her so far.\n\n\u201cYeah, but fast, doc,\u201d said Umar against his better judgement. \u201cTake a minute to grab what you can, but you got to leave after that.\u201d\n\nNot even bothering to reply, the doctor rushed to grab the data she had gathered with the Terrapin\u2019s sensors.\n\n\u201cTell her to forget it,\u201d said the jacker as he swung the Vulcan wildly away from the Terrapin.\n\nBefore Umar could ask what the hell was going on, the entire ship shook and the shields flared from a direct laser hit.\n\nUmar frantically paged the doctor, \u201cPlans changed, doc. Need you to stay put. We\u2019ve got company.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow\u2019d these bastards find me?\u201d said the jacker as he evaded the next volley.\n\nUmar checked the radar and saw there were two ships rapidly approaching their position. \u201cWho are they?\u201d\n\n\u201cA couple low-rent hitters.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd you thought you could lose them in my ship?\u201d\n\n\u201cThat was the plan.\u201d\n\n\u201cWould have worked a lot better if you hadn\u2019t left my drone behind.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re kidding me. The damn thing was tagged?\u201d\n\n\u201cSix ways to Sunday \u2026 wait, where are you going?\u201d demanded Umar when an out-of-range warning popped up for Shake.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m getting us the hell out of here.\u201d Another laser barrage just barely missed the prow of the Vulcan.\n\n\u201cNo. We\u2019re staying and fixing that ship.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m not dying for her.\u201d\n\n\u201cNeither am I, so be sure to keep the ships off her and away from us.\u201d\n\nAfter a letting fly a string of curses, the jacker pulled the stick back and steered once again towards the Terrapin. \u201cYou\u2019re damn lucky I\u2019m a fantastic pilot.\u201d\n\nUmar keyed the comms. \u201cDoc, since EVAing isn\u2019t really an option any more, I\u2019m starting the emergency repairs.\u201d\n\nThe doctor took the news in stride. \u201cGood luck.\u201d\n\n\u201cSame to you, doc. If you got any messages to pass along, feel free to send them over.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll do that. Thank you.\u201d And with that, Dr. Hostan ended the comm.\n\nQuickly, he opened the bay so that he could launch his last drone, Spear. It wasn\u2019t really set up for this kind of delicate work, but Umar could use all the extra hands he could get. \u201cDrone\u2019s heading out. Can you give it cover?\u201d\n\n\u201cOn it,\u201d replied the jacker, rolling the ship hard to one side. He positioned the Vulcan between the two attackers and the doctor. Switching his controls over, the jacker used the remote turrets to lay down a wide field of suppressive fire, forcing the ships to alter course. One of the would-be assassins saw this as an opportunity and attempted to sweep up on the underside, but the jacker was ready for them and let loose with the main guns, clipping the attacker\u2019s port wing. The damage wasn\u2019t enough to take them out of the fight, but it\u2019d give the pilot something to think about.\n\nMeanwhile, Umar had managed to cut open the access panel in the Terrapin\u2019s thick armor and reach the inner workings. Controlling both drones in conjunction, he began the tricky process of halting the cascade and siphoning off the excess energy. Right on cue, the axial conduit kicked in, and as predicted, the power plant responded by increasing its load production. Now it was his turn to cuss up a storm.\n\nFocusing his energy on the injured ship, the jacker switched to the offensive. This would have worked well if the two pilots had been a team, since harassing one would hopefully cause the other to react, but no such luck. The more distant attacker completely ignored the plight of the other and took advantage of the Vulcan\u2019s push, scoring a direct hit. Smoke began to fill the ship\u2019s main chamber. Fantastic pilot or not, the numbers were against them. \u201cHow\u2019s it looking back there?\u201d\n\n\u201cAlmost done, one way or another.\u201d Umar had about half as much time as he needed before the whole thing was going to blow, taking the Terrapin and the doc with it. What he needed was a way to quickly disrupt the power output all together, without triggering the explosion itself. He ran through the few options he had remaining, dismissing them as fast as he thought of them. Maybe if he had a full complement of drones he could have done something, but with Liam back with the jacker\u2019s Reliant and his own stubbornness to blame for holding off on replacing Wil after the accident \u2014 his mind suddenly flashed on something. Wil.\n\nA few years back, the drone had been lost along with a crew of four when what should have been a simple repair had gone catastrophically wrong. While patching the piping to one of the maneuvering thrusters, an unexpected static discharge had caused a feedback surge along the plasma conduits. In that case the surge had been deadly, but with the doc\u2019s power plant already suffering a critical failure, there was a small chance that if he could trigger it and use one of his drones to act as an auxiliary breaker, he could interrupt the cascade before it went critical. Well, Spear, let\u2019s see just how lucky you are.\n\nThe jacker had just launched the last of the Vulcan\u2019s chaff, narrowly diverting a missile that detonated nearby. An inadvertent grin spread across his face. After the life he had led, it was a little hard to believe there was a good chance he was going to die doing something this stupidly heroic. Suddenly, there was a second explosion nearby. Something had blown on the hull of the Terrapin. He squinted his eyes in preparation for the blinding light that would follow the whole ship going boom, but nothing else happened.\n\n\u201cIt worked! I can\u2019t believe it worked!\u201d Umar had lost his drone, but had saved the ship.\n\n\u201cNot to cut your celebration short, but I really could use a hand right about now.\u201d\n\nUmar\u2019s attention was drawn back to the ongoing dogfight. When did the ship fill with so much smoke? \u201cPass the turrets to me.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou any good?\u201d asked the jacker.\n\n\u201cLine me up a shot and find out.\u201d\n\nWith a dedicated gun operator, the true combat capabilities of the Vulcan emerged. The jacker would chase a ship with the main guns getting them into position for Umar to let loose with cannons mounted on the remote turret. Working together, they manage to remove the wing on the ship that had been crippled earlier. Down a weapon, and barely able to maneuver, the ship fled. The remaining assassin, its advantage lost, made the sensible choice and followed.\n\nUmar placed two cans of flavored sparkling water on the table. It had taken about an hour more of work before the doctor\u2019s ship was ready to fly again and the effort had left him parched.\n\nThe jacker, sitting on the far side, cracked his open and drank deeply. When he finally came up for air, he smiled. \u201cGuess I do like etrog flavor.\u201d\n\n\u201cAll right, spill it. Why do you got a price on your head?\u201d\n\nThe smile left the jacker\u2019s face. \u201cMight be better if you don\u2019t know.\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, well, it seems a little late for that.\u201d\n\nThe two sat in silence for a bit as Umar patiently drank his water.\n\nToying with the tab on the can, the jacker finally began, \u201cI was working for the Dranton Family, smuggling off of Carteyna, when I got tagged by the Cano authorities. Wasn\u2019t going to get out clean, so I dumped the cargo and ran. Turned out there was enough evidence in there to get most of the Drantons locked up for good. Guess that didn\u2019t sit well because Luke Dranton put the hit out on me himself. Spent almost every last credit to his name making sure I get dead. That was about a month ago, been running ever since.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo, we should be expecting more company?\u201d\n\n\u201cGreedy bastards will probably keep the news to themselves till they can come after us again, but yeah, they\u2019ll be back.\u201d\n\n\u201cRight.\u201d Umar tilted back and finished the last of his drink. \u201cWe better get going then.\u201d\n\n\u201cThanks. If you drop me off at Pox, I can make my way from there.\u201d\n\n\u201cI was actually thinking we could make a stop first. See, I came across a recent wreck a little bit before I grabbed you. Told Jess about it, but since In-A-Fix runs salvage there\u2019s a good chance no one knows it\u2019s there except me and her. We get there in time, should be able to make it so the registry shows you sadly passed away in a tragic accident.\u201d\n\n\u201cSeriously? You\u2019d do that for me?\u201d\n\nUmar shrugged, \u201cWhat can I say, I like fixing stuff.\u201d\n\nTHE END."},"links_count":1,"comment_count":31,"created_at":"2018-04-18T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"8 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 23:19:38","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":16523,"next_id":16526}}