Fading Suns
Hyperion Dusk
Episode 1 - Diplomatic Immunity
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjMceSkfVeA]
The Jumpgate blazed into life, and the Guild merchant cruiser exited from the chaos of jump space. The angelic and demonic faces of the Ur, fashioned upon the gate, looked down upon the vessel. The near kilometre long ship, 'Hasshin's Hope' glided past the waiting ships in the jump queue. Soon enough a Decados 'Anikrunta' Dreadnought, 'Claw of Terrisa' moved in with a compliment of 'Mantis' class frigates.
All the while a company of Questing Knights of the Phoenix Throne looked on from the mess hall of the cruiser. Idly playing his lute, dressed head to toe in the proper military garb of his house, Estaban of the Hazat, watch from the view port the menacing Decados ship. He could also see in the distance the Church fleet of ships, many of which bore the emblem of the Avesti. The cold of space chilled his bones, as Estaban was more at home on the front lines of Vera Cruz and Hira against the forces of the Kurga. With Estaban, also watching with keen interest was Estaban's body guard and fellow veteran of the war on Hira, Bhall. He was one of the Ur-Ukar, the warrior race from the caves of Kordeth. He wore the traditional warrior garb of his people, and his face and bare arms bore the ritual scars of his people, cut into his pale skin. Sat with them drinking were two others. The first was Estaban's assigned partner for there mission, Jessica Hapsburg Hawkwood. She was equally well dressed, though more regal than militant. Her hair was tied back and she was dressed in an austere manner, more fitting for her home world of Ravenna. She was also a veteran of war, having faced the Decados during the Emperor wars some 8 years ago. Back then she was still just a squire and had not achieved her Knighthood. She had been pressed by her father to join the new order of Questing Knights as he saw it appropriate that she stayed close to the knew Emperor, Alexius Hawkwood. She sat drinking wine with the unruly looking space jockey, their pilot for their mission, Commander Axel Larsen, captain of the '7th Heaven'. As far as the others could tell he liked a good drink, gambling, and was not one for following orders.
With the checks all cleared the 'Hasshin's Hope' made its way in system. They first passed the icy ball of Shiver where supplies were dropped off with the Engineer Guild outpost. The next week the vessel approached the titanic gas giant of Farcry, and more ships docked and undocked, all part of the ongoing Guild gas extraction enterprise about the gas giant. Another week later the world of Pandemonium and its three moons were visible from the ship, and it was now that the party left the vessel.
The '7th Heaven' dropped from the hangar of the 'Hope' and into the night of space, and powered towards Pandemonium, taking a route about the crater studded moons. Before long another Decados ship approached and over the static of the radio the captain acknowledged the '7th Heaven' and asked for clearance codes.
With the codes all checked Axel followed their assigned route, down over the Oldeppa Sea, towards the Groaning deserts, and to the Hub, the capital of Pandemonium. From their vantage point they could see the rare vehicle scampering over the blasted deserts, and the gothic spires of the near complete cathedral.
There was another radio call as the space port tower guided them into land, and with a shudder the '7th Heaven' was down on the baking tarmac of the space port. Almost all the crew thought the same thing looking out the windows - what a shit hole!
And just for some fun
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02bueOnZtNo]
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