[RW] Pegasus Trading Company - Rimworld 1.7

[MonochromeClown]

Well it happened, 1.7 is upon us and as such we are moving on from Lisecki Robotics, I still have a backlog to go through and I want to get a big high definition capture of the full colony still but that's a later thing. With 1.7 Rimworld has been updated to a new engine created in-house by Ludeon Studios, having played for a little while I can say the difference between 1.6 and 1.7 is night and day. The modlist for this save is around 450 mods, the Liseckis had about 500 at the end and it would take around 20 minutes to load up the game. In 1.7 with 450 mods it takes ONE MINUTE. 

I could never be so happy as I am with this new engine, heres to a new save and hopefully a very long one!

CONTENT WARNINGS: Death (Humans/Aliens, Animals), Nudity (Non-graphic, nipples), Bigotry (Against xenotypes, sexism (possibly), ideology and culture) Violence and Gore (Blood, Described injuries, Guns, Melee and Bombs), Potential themes of abuse/child abuse (Mentions or in pawn backstories), Slavery (Buying and Trading), Prisoners (Capturing raiders for recruitment), Pregnancy and Sexual Relationships (Not described in detail), Child Endangerment (Environment, Violence from hostiles, Sickness), Body Modification and Mutilation (Bionics, Loss of limbs/organs, Diseases), Unethical Bio-Modification (Highmates created to be "Perfect mates" and Pigskins created to be organ farms), Vomit, Mental breaks, Supernatural entities and unreality, Potential for psychotic episodes to be depicted and generally anything you could find in a cyberpunk sci-fi setting. Content Warnings can be updated if necessary.

---

 


"We're here"

My name is Petre Archield, former captain to the ship CS Pegasus. Unfortunately she's no more, shot down alongside most of my crew. I only managed to save a few lives in the end and I was too cowardly to go down with my ship.

"This is a dump" My chief of security snarks.

Veronica Tachytite, a dirtmole, not typical for our operation but she's not typical at all. A former assassin for the VM Industry Group, she tried to go straight with us, didn't work out obviously.

"Hey it's no Glitterworld but we're alive ain't we?"

Edward 'Eddie' Hartman, a hussar, he answered to Veronica as one of her personnel. Unfortunately missing his other half Richie, the two were inseparable on the ship and I can only hope Richie made it when I shoved him into that transport pod.

We managed to pack supplies before we fled the doomed ship, meals, medicine, arms and some silver for possible trading. A Rimworld isn't exactly known for it's grand societies but we've done plenty of business on the rim. We also managed to save one of the ship pets, Argus, not sure what happened to his owner but I'm sure they'd thank me for saving their dog.



We've made a dingy little shelter with beds, shelves and a place to relieve ourselves. It's not fancy at all, not even better then the quarters on the ship but at least we can get out of the rain and the cold of night.

"Captain" Eddie called me over "Argus isn't looking too good"

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's gotten into a tussle with a porcupine."

"We have those here?"

"Seems so"

The poor dog is whimpering, obvious quills poking out from his pelt. A pang of guilt runs through me, his owner is gone and now the beast is suffering cause I didn't keep an eye on him.

"Is he going to be okay?" I ask with worry in my voice

"He'll be fine cap, I'll get the quills out but he won't be very happy about it."

"Thank you Eddie" I sighed in relief

Veronica came to me later, plans in her head about solar panels. She directed my attention to a vein of steel she'd found while scouting the area, it was right next to our rudimentary shelter. With the components we brought with us it should be easy to set up, power would be a great boon and if we got a communications hub built we might be able to contact any survivors of the ship

"I know it's not my job or nothing but I am a dirtmole, it's kind of our thing. She said.

"I'm not the best at mining myself but I'll take a crack at it."

"I was hoping you'd say that, don't worry I won't make you do all the work Cap." 



With food stocks depleted and power set up I packed all our silver into the shuttle and flew until I found a settlement, it didn't take too long, turns out we have neighbors of a medieval kind. A quirk of the Rimworlds, not everyone has the same tech level being descended from crashlanded folks or folks who'd been through catastrophic wars and lost all their technology. Thankfully this settlement was friendly, they even had a couple pups for sale, I couldn't resist giving Argus some friends to keep him company and out of trouble. I was there and home with food before I knew it.

"I'm back, and I've brought some friends." I announced, stepping off the ship.

"Welcome back captain, Veronica is asleep." Eddie greeted me.

Eddie looked on edge, off to the side I saw a furry beast laying in the sand.

"Eddie why is there a dead guinea pig?"

"Sir I don't know how to explain it, I was minding my own business when the little bastard came out of nowhere and started biting me"

"Did you shoot it?"

"Y-Yes but it wouldn't stop!"

I sighed, obviously I wasn't going to punish Eddie for something so minor but he looked pretty upset.

"I brought a couple dogs Eddie, why don't you go say hi?"

"More pups? Well... The more the merrier!"

That seemed to break him out of his guilt. The guinea pig didn't go to waste either, once I'd dug the bullet out of it I fed it to Argus, he seemed pretty happy about it.



The next day while we were building a new workshop slash storage a Buzzer showed up on our steps asking to join us, despite her insectoid features I could tell she was young. Fifteen she said, she wouldn't elaborate on why she wanted to join us but we allowed it. Though she isn't particularly skilled I wouldn't just let some young lass wander off into the woods on her own. She stays.

"Poxhar, my names is Poxhar Reekenk but I prefer to go by Webs if you don't mind." She said.

"I don't mind at all, welcome to the crew Webs." I nodded at her, trying to be reassuring.

"Sir we're going to need more beds and more food." Veronica spoke up.

"I think we should get started on growing some don't you?"

"Sir none of us know how to grow food."

"Do you Webs?"

"Not really..."

"Then I guess we'll just have to figure it out."

There's rice plants all around our landing area, taking the seeds from that we begun to prepare a spot to plant these seeds when a very short angry looking man appeared brandishing an axe. He charged toward Veronica, but expert as she is she quickly disabled him.

"Sir-"

"I already heard, is he..."

"Alive sir, I didn't aim to kill."

The short man was too busy angrily writhing around in the sand to say anything, from the looks of him he looked like a pirate, he had the tattoos of one anyway. Executing a man was a bit above what I was willing to do so shortly into our stay on this planet...

"I guess we could... keep him in the toilet?" I shrugged.

"The toilet captain?"

"Unless you want to share a bunk with him."

"Toilet it is then"



A pair of drifters approached our colony late one evening, a child and an older man, they were begging for 74 silver to buy back a friend of theirs from slavery. It's against company policy to use silver on anything except trading or supplies but... well the company isn't here and I detest slavery, had plenty of run ins with slavers as a trading vessel and I can safely say they're all scum... I've always wished we could free the slaves on those ships but the company would never allow such a thing and we didn't exactly have the manpower to fight such well armed pirates and mercenaries.

I gave the two their silver and they thanked me profusely, I just wish we could do more to help. The next day I heard gunfire, I saw a lady dressed in fine clothes standing behind Victoria shaking like a leaf, Victoria's gun was already in the process of being holstered when I approached.

"Oh thank you thank you my fair lady!" The noble woman cried.

"You're welcome but it was just a-"

"A foul beast! A flesh eating monster!"

"No I'm pretty sure it was a Koala"

"Pray tell, are you not aware of the ravaging disease by the name of scaria?"

"Victoria?" I approached. "Who is this?"

"Not sure sir, she came running towards me begging for help."

"Fine sir! Are you the leader of this ... settlement?" The noble asked.

"I'm the captain or- yeah, the boss" I nodded.

"Your soldier saved my life! A reward is in order!"

The lady pulled out a communicator of sorts, laden with gold, why would a communication device need a gold inlay?

"A vessel is on it's way to pick me up, I shall spread word of your heroics and they shall reward you with a title." She explained to Victoria.

"A title of what?" Victoria frowned.

"A royal title, you shall be a yeoman."

"No thank you."

Victoria walked away without another word, the noble lady looked appalled and confused. She turned her sights on me, grabbing my hands.

"Then you captain, you shall be yeoman!"

"Uh sure... What do I have to do?" I stammered, confused.

"Oh nothing, just use this and the empire will send a bestower to grant you your title posthaste.

"Thank you?"

She placed the golden communicator in my hands, forcing me to grab it as she beamed with joy. Not too soon later the vessel she spoke of arrived, she waved and I gave her a half-hearted wave goodbye back. Staring at the communication device I wasn't sure I wanted to persue this title but... it could be beneficial for making friends on this Rimworld.



Not long after the shuttle containing the noble woman left a pod was spotted crashing down on the outskirts of our settlement, Victoria went out with gun in hand and soon came back hauling a small body with her. The person was bleeding profusely and was unconscious when Victoria laid her on the floor.

"Who is this?"

"Not sure Captain, she was barely awake when I found her."

"Is she going to make it?"

"Think so... Half-foots are delicate but she's not dead yet."

"Looks like gunshots..."

"Mhm, she has a neural stack implanted, best guess is she's just fled a battle like we did."

"Damn, poor girl."

"Look again sir, that's a grown woman. Middle aged."

"Ah... My bad, it's harder with..."

"Don't start sir."

"Sorry."

The lady has been laying in our dormitory for hours at this point, sleeping, healing. Victoria said she'd lost a lot of blood, we'll leave her be for now. Hopefully she wakes up soon, not sure how much food we can waste on an unconscious woman laying in the dirt.

Speaking to Berngill over the course of the day he asked to join us, he claims to be an expert crafter... The thought was alluring, but I had to know his story first.

"Berngill, correct?"

"Mh." He grunted.

"Before I let you join us, I wanted to know... why attack us?"

"Didn't realise you folks were armed."

"Okay but... Why were you looking for-"

"Survival, I was hungry and what I was leaving sucked more then being shot down by a couple crashlanders."

"You could tell we were new?"

"Yup, happens all the time, someone or someones come falling down from a passing ship gone awry, they usually don't last."

"What makes us different?"

"Dunno yet, you're well armed, you got a shuttle, supplies... But the Rim has a way of eating people up."

"Berngill you said you were leaving something, what was that?"

"Ah yeah... Pirates, a band of them called the Matchlock Partners. They're fucking nuts, I was only going to stay for awhile but it turned into years."

"So you're not loyal to them?"

"Not really, I'm loyal to food and shelter and protection but only to a certain point."

"We can give you that, if you're still interested." 

"Better then dying."

Berngill's loyalties to his previous faction concern me but, if we're going to be stuck here... Help would be good, and he likely wouldn't have survived if we didn't take him in. Charity is against company policy... but I'm not some corporate drone with no heart, they couldn't take that from me.

I won't let this Rimworld take it from me either.



"Sir, she's awake." Eddie shook my shoulder as I brought myself back from my pondering.

"The crashlanded lady?"

"Yes sir and she's asking for you."

I quickly made my way into the cabin, there she was, awake and confused. She looked a little scared so I kept my distance.

"Are you the... uh, leader?" She asked, her voice was hoarse.

"I am the boss, yes."

"I... I don't know how to thank you all, I've got nothing on me I've got no one to... I'm completely alone."

"You don't have to pay us back ma'am, we're just glad you pulled through."

She nodded, looking partially relieved. However she looked lost, struggling to speak, to find words for her situation. I sighed, speaking first.

"Do you have anywhere to go?"

"No... My ship, it's... It's gone.

"We don't have much here but... well if it helps, you could stay here.

"Really?"

"Mhm, for as long as you want but ah... we still don't really know who you are ma'am"

"My name is Flint, er, Flintbum Quiks... It's a silly name I know but-"

"Nice to meet you Flint. Welcome to er... To the Pegasus Trading Company."

"Thank you, thank you so much!"

In the short while we've been here, we've had three very lost people join us. We needed a name, separate from the old corporation, we weren't with them anymore so it only felt right to have a new banner to fly. The Pegasus was my beloved vessel, I flew her for many years... I had to honor her in our new name. Eddie pitched the idea of calling the settlement Stardust Base, no one objected, it was a cute name.

With our new name, it all felt so official... We were a community now, a real one. We'll have to lock into our new lives, make it sustainable... There's many more lost souls out there that could use our help.

---

(Art by Pantheon System)

[MonochromeClown]

"It's been a few weeks sir, are you sure they're still out there?"

"I'm not giving up hope Eddie..."

"Sir as much as I would love to see.. give anything to see Richie again I just don't know if-"

Ringing interrupted Eddie, the coms console was ringing. The sound of an incoming call, I looked at Eddie almost dumbfounded and he looked just as surprised as me. I quickly answered the call.

"This is Stardust Base, Captain Petre speaking."

"Petre... Petre it's- gh... It's Ragnar."

"Ragnar! You're alive, where are you!?"

They sounded injured, Eddie grasped the coms console, leaning in close to listen. I quickly started punching in commands to track the source of the signal.

"Captain, I'm... I'm not sure, I escaped... ugh"

"Hold on Ragnar, we're on the way, keep the signal open."

"Can't... Don't know if they're... tracking."

"Wait Ragnar!" Eddie cried.

The line went dead, for a moment both me and Eddie stared in horror... but the com's console pinged, showing a location on the map, the signal had been located. We both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sir we have to-"

"Get Victoria, get in the shuttle and find them."

"Right away!"



EDDIE'S POV

"Eddie, they're going to be okay." Victoria reassured me, placing her hand on my shoulder as she piloted the shuttle.

"I know... I hope so." I managed.

As a hussar, this kind of empathy was supposed to be suppressed behind walls and wall of genetic aggression and apathy for death. I've always been different, wrong... At least that's what my drill sergeant always told me. Here I am, tears in my eyes at the thought of Ragnar dying alone, I shake my head to force them back. I have to be strong for that kid, their parents likely didn't make it... an adult has to be composed, ready. I'm a hussar, this is my nature.

The shuttle landed with a thud, I saw Ragnar lying there in the dirt and immediately ran out.

"Eddie wait!" Victoria cried.

As I turned the corner of the shuttle I was face to face with a militor's shotgun. It fired, barely missing me. I brought out my pistol to shoot it but it crumpled to the ground with a hole in it's shoulder. Victoria shot an annoyed look at me, I cringed and thanked her under my breath before returning to Ragnar

"Ragnar, buddy... are you with us?"

"Eddie... Yeah..."

Without a second word I grabbed the kid, shoving them as gently as possible into the shuttle while rushing. Victoria hopped in the back with them, beginning to patch their wounds. As the shuttle took off I shot a look back.

"Ragnar is..."

"Focus on flying, Eddie!" Victoria shouted.

"Right, right, sorry!"

The flight back was short, thankfully. Ragnar was brought into the hut and laid down. Victoria passed him to me and I begun tending what she couldn't with the medicine we'd scavenged from the ship.

"Ragnar, you still with us?"

"Mhm.. yeah, it's okay Eddie it's just-"

"Someone's beaten you pretty badly."

"Y-Yeah... but I got away."

"Who did this to you?"

"Ugh.... pirates I think, didn't really... catch their names."

The captain entered the room, wide eyed staring at the kid. I applied the last of the tends to Ragnar, sitting back and letting the Captain approach.

"Ragnar you're alright?" He said.

"Was just telling Eddie I'm fine... just bruised."

"And the others?"

"They weren't with me, I'm sorry..." Ragnar looked at me.

I understood what he was saying, he wanted me to be with Richie as much as I did. I tried not to think about what could have happened to him, what could be happening to him... I tired to just be relieved that Ragnar was safe.

"Thank you Eddie." Ragnar smiled.

"And me?" Victoria glared at the kid, though she didn't mean it.

"Yeah yeah... and you, of course." They shook their head.

"You're welcome kid." I patted their head, my heart beat fast in my chest.

The others were out there, I knew it, the captian knew it... We just had to keep looking.



PETRE'S POV

Staring at the golden communicator I decided it would be time to make those new friends of ours, pressing a single button the communication device connected instantly to another. Music could be heard from the other side of the call, grandiose and loud. It reminded me of the noble lady.

"Good day sir! Am I to believe you are Captain Petre?" The man on the other side spoke, with a strange accent.

"Uh yes, I am."

"Good good! Finally calling to receive your title?"

"That I am."

"Are there currently any visitors in your settlement we should know about?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Yes yes you know, those filthy outlanders or heaven forbid those tribal primitives."

"Uh..." I felt stunned by the casual bigory. "No I don't... think so."

"Good! and you have a throne room?"

"No? Is that... necessary?"

"Hm, no not yet but sir you really should think about building one, it's not right for a noble to be without a throne!"

"I shall look into that then, thanks."

"Very well, you are cleared for a bestower to visit, I will send Madame Fabia right away!"

"Madame who-"

The line went dead, I stared dumbfounded for a moment and pocketed the thing. I stood outside, near the ongoing construction of our kitchen. It was only a few moments later that a shuttle thudded onto our makeshift shuttle bay. A group of soliders spilling out, I startled, ready to face certain death when a lady dressed in all red wearing a veil exited. In her hands a staff of some kind.

"Are you Madame uh..."

"Fabia! Madame Fabia, hurry and gather your people, I do not want to be here long."

"S-Sure... Where do you want to..."

"The beach will do, hurry hurry!"

The ceremony was completed in less then an hour, Madame Fabia was clearly uninterested in this performance, and neither were any of the soldiers... my crew didn't look impressed, except Eddie who was immensely curious.

"Oh yes, lean forward young man." Madame Fabia ordered.

"Alright?" I did so.

Before I could even ask why she shoved a device over my eyes, with a click I felt hundreds of microfiber wires rush through my eye sockets and into my brain, the process was painless but I could feel all of it and it was over so quickly by the time I flinched I could already feel the new connection in my brain.

"Wh-What was that!?" I yelped.

"A psylink, are you daft boy?"

"A... Psylink, wait... are you-"

"Enjoy your new title, goodbye."

"Wait!"

But she was gone, I'd never seen an old woman move so fast. I was left speechless on the sand, my crew all looking at each other and then me. The old woman had done something irreversible to me... and I had no idea what it was.



With the bestowing behind me and the feeling that something in me had been deeply changed forever I continued on, I don't understand what has happened to me but I have been too focused to talk about it, the kitchen must be built. I could use the communicator to ask questions but... I don't want to deal with those strange people right now. Banz keeps looking at me funny... But I don't ask him why, I just work.

A day later more people come to our settlement, Eddie drags in a large fox lady who fell from space, she can talk but she can't move. Paralytic abasia she said, I understood right away. Thankfully the disease isn't fatal but the healing process is disgustingly long and painful, she'll be unable to move except to speak and move her eyes for a month, less if she gets lucky... We'll take care of her in the process.

Then not to long afterwards a young woman approached, naked as the day she was born but she didn't seem bothered by this fact. Her belly was round, she was visibly pregnant. She claims to have come from a covern of her kind, bloodfeeders who were hunted down, she wants to lie low with us... It's risky to bring troubles to our doorstep but I am not turning down a heavily pregnant naked woman in the middle of nowhere.

Later that day Banz approached me, standing a distance away so he didn't have to crane his neck to look up.

"Captain er, Petre... You know the Empire, they're uh... They're not the easiest people to get along with." He says, doubt on his face.

"The... Empire?" I asked.

"Yeah, the Sophiamundan empire? The one that got torn apart hundreds of years ago?"

Realisation dawned on me, the empire from Sophiamundan had shattered, it was modern enough to be relevant history but long enough ago to be considered past. Though the Empire had pulled itself back together within the glitterworlds, there were parts of it that had broken off, fled into the Rim to escape the calamity. The noblelady, the bestower, they must have been part of that broken off part of the empire, whatever version of it that was left on this planet.

 "You mean, those people were Imperials?" I say.

"Yeah, pirates are bad but... the Empire it's-"

"I saw those soldiers..."

"Do you know what the bestower did to you?" He asks, a glint of worry in his eyes.

"N-Not really... I know the empire has, strange and... overwhelming technologies."

"Right... Well, you surely felt it right? What it did to you?"

"The... Connection?"

"Do you know what you are connected to?"

"It's... It's been too overwhelming to fathom."

Banz sighed, sticking his hands in his pockets. As he spoke my eyes grew wider and wider, the connection in my brain buzzed loudly, pieces were clicking into place.

"Petre your psylink, it doesn't just give you magic powers from nothing... You're connected to an archotech through your mind, you can borrow the archotech's power to... essentially make miracles happen, rain fire down, freeze people, send them beserk, even resurrect them..."

"I... I can do all that?"

"I mean not yet, you have to hone it, and it's up to you what powers you focus on obtaining but... that's the gist of it."

"I don't know how to feel about all this."

"From what I hear meditation helps. Nobles use their thrones but you don't really need one to do it."

"Huh."



After my talk with Banz I couldn't get my mind off my psylink, it started to affect my work, I would drift off mentally trying to come to understand my new brain, my connection to this distant archotech. Meditation felt impossible when all I could do was ruminate, these supposed abilities I could access... What would I do with them?

My rumination was interrupted by a voice calling out to me, I turned to see a new figure standing in our camp. An impid lady, she smirked.

"You look like the man in charge, are you the man in charge big boy?" She spoke with a sultry tone.

"Uh, yes ma'am. I am the boss."

"Good, I heard you had a shuttle, I'm a sailor at heart but I also know how to fly a ship... You need someone to fly a ship?"

"Not exactly. Most of us know how to-"

"Alright, how about some muscle, I know I don't look it but I pack a real punch."

"We got that covered pretty much too."

"Damn."

"Ma'am why did you come to our settlement?"

She clicked her tongue, shifting from side to side where she stood. She looked around, then back at me.

"If I'm being honest... I just got sick of my old life, I heard there were new folks around... Thought I could find some fresh faces to uh. Get to know, yknow?"

"I'm not sure I follow?"

"I ditched my husband to come here, I'm looking for love sweetheart."

"You ditched your husband."

"Yes I did."

"To come join... us?"

"Mhm, Yessir."

"Ma'am I don't think we're ready for couples just yet we barely got room for-"

"I'll sleep on the floor if I have to! I can work, I mean... I'm not stupid, I can't do much but I can fight, I can clean- Don't make me go back to my husband."

Noticing desperation in her tone, I relented. I wasn't going to pry further, whatever she left behind had made her come walking out into the woods to get away.

"Alright, welcome to Stardust Base miss..."

"Brandi Gillispie."

"Welcome, Brandi, I'm Petre."

"I'm looking forward to getting to know you Petre."

She winks at me and walks off, a buzzing in my brain makes me feel woozy. I make a mental note to expand, we need more beds if more and more folks were going to show up for whatever random reason.



Not long after Brandi arrived a group of pirates followed her, I pulled everyone inside as Veronica and Eddie went out to meet them in the fields. After a volley of gunshots it went quiet, Veronica appeared in the doorway not long after.

"Sir, we dispatched the pirates."

"And they're...?"

"Dead sir, there were two of them, we sustained no serious injuries."

"Right... We should... Bury them then."

"Sir I suspect they followed Brandi to our settlement."

"What!?" Brandi cried.

"Veronica, are you sure?"

"Heard them talking about an Impid lady as we approached." Veronica nodded.

I turned to Brandi, she was backing away and shaking her head, terrified.

"Brandi, could they have followed you?" I asked, trying to sound neutral but it didn't help.

"I swear I wouldn't have led them here on purpose!"

"You were tailed, you weren't careful." Veronica glared at the woman.

"I had no idea how could I have!?" Brandi shrieked.

"Both of you calm down." I spoke up, trying to keep my voice steady. "Veronica do you think more are coming?"

"Hard to say sir... No idea if they were working alone or with a gang."

"And Brandi, you don't know them?"

"No! I come from an outlander settlement we- we don't deal with pirates!"

"It's alright... You're not in trouble."

"You're not going to kick me out?"

I shook my head. "Of course not, we're just going to have to keep an eye out for potential follow up raids."

"Yes sir..." Veronica's voice was low. "I'll ask Eddie to take the corpses out into the field... We'll bury them."

"Thank you Veronica, you and Eddie did good."

Veronica just nodded, and left. I sighed with relief, trying to untense my shoulders. The buzzing in my head seemed louder somehow.



Though I had no acquired a throne or any formal place to mediate I spent my time in the grass, meditating while sitting and taking in the sounds of the waves, birds, leaves rustling in the wind. At some point the buzzing in my mind quieted, and another part of the psylink clicked for me. I felt the connection grow stronger and as it did it became obvious what powers I wished to use.

I wanted to protect my crew, my budding community. If pirates were going to follow the people coming to us for aid, I want to be able to defend them. All at once I felt it, I didn't know how to explain it but I knew then that should I wish the Archotech would obey my desires to help my people, though it wasn't much yet... The promise of more power was there if I wished to grasp it.

I looked at my hands, with a simple touch I could block pain, I could prevent bloodloss and I could assist with the healing process in our patients. Though I didn't wish for the opportunity to test these powers, I felt great relief knowing they were there.

"Ey captain. Don't know if you noticed but a shuttle just landed in our port." Banz poked me in the shoulder.

"Oh uh, thank you Banz, I'll go talk to them." I nodded, standing up.

The trading shuttle turned out to be from the GTG Traders, folks we'd traded with before on the CS Pegasus, they were solid and we were able to acquire some chemfuel for our shuttle, but not much else. We'd have to start producing goods to trade with the locals soon, our silver was starting to run low... and we didn't have much in the way of trade otherwise.

With two expert crafters, it didn't seem daunting. Banz and Flint were bred to craft, if I threw them at the workshop we'd definitely make bank, we just needed the resources.

---

(Art by Pantheon System)

[MonochromeClown]

The next week a heat wave had set into the region, everyone was suffering and we had to remove our vacsuits to stop ourselves from overheating in the terrible weather. Not everyone was coping with it well. I saw Brandi carrying Banz back into the barracks after he had passed out from a combination of heatstroke and smokeleaf.

"I got him, captain" Brandi winked at me again.

I chose to ignore her flirting, she was beautiful but, I had the settlement to focus on. I directed the construction of ceiling fans in the bedroom, workshop and dining room which had just finished completion. It took longer then I'd hoped but we'd have a working kitchen very soon, production on food from home grown crops would help reduce costs by a lot, I'd been going out on regular trips to buy cheap pemmican and while it did sustain us it wasn't very tasty. It beats nutrient vat meals at least.

The ceiling fans weren't cutting it but Maria taught me about a method of cooling using water that seemed to do the trick, after a couple long hot days the kitchen was complete. It was very basic, almost barren but it was operational. Components were starting to get hard to come buy and the cost for trading them was high. After consulting with the crew, the ones who had lived here longest like Banz and Brandi told me selling drugs was the easiest method of making money on this planet.

I wasn't prepared to become a drug peddler, I'd sold pharmaceuticals and go-juice to places that needed them but Banz suggested selling psychite products, flake specifically. For now I'm putting the idea away, I've designated a spot for growing cotton. It'll take some time but I believe selling clothes is our best option for now, until we can start producing better items. Maria and Brandi also asked if they could create art pieces to keep around the settlement and to sell on the side, we have plenty of stoneblocks to spare so I granted them the request



From the Victoria's determination Maria's pregnancy had progressed into the third trimester, I'm worried about the presence of a newborn, if we'll even be able to support a child right now but it's coming either way and I had a crib built for the child. We've also been taking turns allowing Maria to feed on us to sustain herself and her child, it's unpleasant but if she needs it we'll grant it to her. I'm glad to see she's happy here, and those hunters never appeared to hunt her down. Veronica and Maria have become good friends thanks to Veronica's care during her pregnancy.

Eddie and I are particularly close, he's told me more then once he considers me his brother. The operation to rescue Ragnar has given him a lot to think about and he's been clinging to his relationships within the settlement. I still pray we can find Richie out there somewhere... as well as any other members of the crew.

At the end of the day we had a party in the dining room, to celebrate our progress so far. During the party I asked Maria to become our administrator, she didn't know what I meant at first but I explained we'd need someone to help keep morale up and lead recruitment efforts, as well as organise events such as this one. She accepted, though her child would come first, that was fine with me.

Unexpectedly as folks were leaving to return to the barracks for sleep Eddie spotted a crashlanding pod nearby, thinking it was a survivor he went out to rescue the person. I found him dragging the person back to the settlement.

"Eddie? Whos this?"

"Not sure sir, he's injured but I haven't been able to get much out of him"

"Should we keep him in the barracks?"

"With all due respect sir we can't just trust every person who lands in the fields to be a friendly."

"I... Suppose you're right, I'll trust your judgement with this then."

"Don't worry sir, he'll be well looked after until we can determine what he's doing here."

I watched Eddie take the man into the now abandoned old cabin, I'll have to build a bed for our... Captive? I wasn't sure what we were doing with the survivor, but at least he wouldn't die out there alone.



The next evening the man in our cabin was awake enough to speak, Eddie was right, he had come here to try to kill us. A lone assassin out to prove himself by targeting a small settlement as part of some ritual his faction participates in.

"And how did you end up injured in our field?" I asked him, Eddie standing by my side.

"Bah, a rival must have sabotaged my pod! Typical... They likely do not expect me to return." He hissed, still in pain from his crash.

"You don't seem to have your heart set on this."

"I am a stonecutter! I build, I create... yes I can kill, but only because they conscripted me!"

"Explain what you mean."

"The Belrae, my home, the ruling class are war-like and they expect us all to be the same. I was fine with my stonecutting, my art but they came through my town and dragged all the men away for their conquest."

"You didn't have a choice?" Eddie asks, frowning.

"No, did you Hussar? Are your kind not bred for war?"

"Me and Richie came out of the vat ready for war... but that doesn't mean we like it."

"And same to me, my people are warriors but not all of us wish to fight."

Veronica came into the room, looking straight at me. The look in her eyes told me something needed my attention right away, I pulled Eddie with me outside the cabin.

"Sir, a band of pirates have contacted us via the coms console, they're demanding we pay them a protection fee." She said.

"Damn, we don't have the silver to waste on that..." Eddie muttered.

"I'll talk to them." I said. "Maybe we can get them to back off."

Veronica and Eddie followed me into the workshop. The discussions were quick, it seemed the growling pirates wanted an excuse and nothing I said could sway them otherwise.

"Eddie, Veronica... I need you on watch tonight."



Early morning gunshots woke the whole base. While everyone was huddling in the barracks I had noticed Brandi wasn't among us, telling everyone to keep quiet and stay inside I rushed outside to find her fighting a Yttakin with a bronze knife I had never seen on her before. She must have been hiding it away for this very purpose, before I could rush in myself she quickly dispatched the furry woman, the Yttakin crumpled to the ground dead.

"Brandi are you-" I started, she held her hand up.

"I'm fine, I caught her sneaking around the barracks." She leant on the side of the wall to catch her breath.

"You're not injured?"

"Course not, I told you I can fight, I can take care of myself"

"I just-"

"You didn't expect a lady like me to be so good with a knife huh?"

"Uh- Well you're-"

"Heheh, you're cute when you're flustered." She winked, again.

"I'm glad we have you around, Brandi"

She blushed and smiled, looking away. Not long after Veronica and Eddie approached us, hauling two identical looking Yttakin over their shoulders. Veronica looked too small to handle that mass but if she was struggling she didn't say it.

"Survivors, should we keep them in the cabin with the elf?" Veronica asked, still as composed as ever.

"Sure, we'll have to figure out what to do with them though." I sighed, more mouths to feed.



"Hows Lady doing, Web?"

"Oh Captain, she's okay... we've been talking a lot!" Web chirped, her mandibles clicked happily.

I smiled at the young enthusiasm, Web was an unusual looking person being a Buzzer but I'd seen plenty of strange xenotypes in my travels, her appearance didn't bother me like it did some others. I've been very clear to everyone that I wouldn't tolerate anyone treating Web poorly for her differences, she was just a child after all.

"I should check up on her more often myself." I said, I'd been so busy I've forgotten to.

"She'd love that! All she ever gets to do is talk and be fed, paralytic abasia sounds so horrible..."

"At least she has you keeping her company, what have you two been talking about?"

"Oh well, she's been talking about her past a lot, did  you know she used to be a translator?"

"No I didn't, that could be handy to have around."

"Yeah! She's very smart actually, she's been teaching me about space and the ship she came from."

"I'm glad you two get along so well, it must be hard being out here without your folks."

The buzzer falters for a moment, I worry if I have said something terrible. She gives a half hearted smile and then looks away.

"My mom and dad well, I try not to think about it... The town I'm from was wiped out by plague a few years ago." She said softly.

"I'm so sorry, did they pass?" I try to be police, sympathetic.

"I think so, they sent me away with a caravan and then I came here."

"What happened to the caravan?"

"Just... people kept dying, one by one, I tried to help out where I could but if it wasn't pirates it was sickness... Eventually it was just me and a couple other folks." Her face was very sad, reflective. "One of them handed me some food he'd stolen, said I needed to get out of here, I was still young and he wanted me to live."

"Who was he?" I asked, looking down at her sullen face.

"I don't know, he didn't talk much..." She sighed. "But I was wandering for awhile and a passing trade caravan directed me to here, I'm just glad you let me in."

"Of course Web, I'm sorry things have been so rough for you for so long... You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need."

"Thanks Captain, I appreciate that." 



Insectoids, I hate insectoids... We were attacked today by insectoids from the Black Hive. A genetic mutation of the already genetically modified insectoid menace that spread across the galaxy, while they weren't a problem when we lived on a big temperature controlled ship it makes sense that this rimworld is infested with them, most planets that don't have a dedicated insectoid control group are. Thankfully Eddie and Veronica were able to take care of the two that showed up, but Veronica got bitten a couple times and was dealing with toxic build up.

"Don't worry about me Captain, I'll be okay in a couple hours, Dirtmole genetics." She reassured me from her bed.

"I know you will Veronica, you're a tough gal." I smiled at her, handing her a meal.

Later that day my daily meditation was interrupted by Eddie hollering loudly as he entered the barracks. Confused by the commotion I looked up to see him carrying someone in a vacsuit helmet. Horns poking out of specially made holes in their helmet, I immediately stood up to follow Eddie as he placed them in one of the beds

"Eddie is that?" I was stunned.

"Caz! Good old Caz!" He yelled happily, rushing off to get medicine.

I pulled the helmet off the impid and sure enough it was Caz, one of the engineers of the CS Pegasus. They smiled weakly at me, their left leg was bloody.

"Hey Captain." They managed weakly. "Weren't you supposed to go down with the ship?"

"I couldn't, and I'm glad I didn't" I wiped hair out of their eyes. "You're safe now."

"Wasn't gonna crumble just cause of some charge bolts."

I stepped back when Eddie came back in with the medicine, letting him tend to her. Peering over I could see Brandi looking curiously at the other Impid.

"Who's she?" Brandi gestured, climbing into her bed.

"They're one of my crew from the ship, looks like they survived." I softly corrected her.

"Huh, you're not trying to replace me are you?" Brandi smirked.

"Course not Brandi, don't worry."

Brandi nodded, smiling at me before rolling over in her bed. Eddie stepped away a few minutes later, done with the tends. Caz looked weak but grateful.

"You're all good Caz, I'll get Veronica to keep an eye on you for tonight." He nodded, looking proud of himself.

"Thanks Ed, glad to see you and Veronica made it out too."

"If it wasn't for the Captain we all would have died, you can thank him." Eddie wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Thanks Captain, it's good to be home." 



"All hands on deck!"

It was midday when we saw it, fire in the skies. A ship was falling out of orbit directly above us, explosions rung out as debris hit the ground nearby. Eddie pointed at one part of the ship hurtling towards our settlement, a cryopod array.

"There might be survivors!" He cried.

"Shit, get medicine ready, everyone move it!" I called out to the crew.

Rushing into the prison cell, the elf Soran was sitting up in his bed.

"You, help us, prove yourself" I demanded.

Soran nodded, understanding right away, he pushed past me to join the others. The yttakin twins looked startled by all the commotion, but they were still injured themselves. I left them in the cell right as the cryopods crash into the outer fields.

"Lets go people!"

As a collective we rushed to the crash site, many of the cryopods had just exploded and destroyed the sleeping people within, some spilt corpses onto the ground but there were injured amongst the dead. Without a word my crew grabbed them, hauling them away from the debris and towards the barracks.

When we reached the barracks it was a flurry of motion and the sounds of agony, I stood, trying to coordinate but the blood, the cries. The buzzing in my brain returned, growing insistent... Suddenly I found myself rushing over to a blonde man who looked beyond help. Touching his chest a burst of power flew out of me, the man's wounds suddenly stopped oozing so fast, the bleeding stopped. Soran who was tending to the man looked at me bewildered before returning to his work.

I stood back, fixing my eyes on a red haired woman writhing as Ragnar tried to calm her. I gently pushed Ragnar aside, another burst of power flowed out of me when I touched the woman. Her wounds began to close, and she calmed, allowing Ragnar to finish tending to her.

My psylink went quiet, I'd done all I could for now. I stood back, panting, my brain felt hot and exhausted. I watched my crew, answering questions but my mind was elsewhere... Before I knew it the flurry had died down, the survivors were all quiet.

The crashing ended at some point, Eddie informed me he found medicine in one of the crashsites. It would come in handy. I tried to untense my shoulders, and bring myself back from the edges of my mind. It was over, we'd saved them, they'd pull through and I could help them do it.

I healed them, or helped to... I could save people, miracles as Banz put it.

I had a lot to think about, but I had to figure out how we'd feed all these new people first.