Episode 1: Ceres-the Adventures of Inappropriate Man!

Rubato Tales: The Adventures of Inappropriate Man!
The captain just picked up a couple of new passengers at our last port of call, Jacques Berlioze, a mercenary from the Jovian moons and Annarug Orgen, a computer specialist. Along with Maria, an ex-law enforcement expert with a rather well known past, just check out the video on the Interstellar Net, it's not pretty...
Captain Maggie set course foe the asteroid Ceres. Never been there myself but heard about it of course, as its a rather well known transshipment point.
After Skip we got our first look at Ceres. Its an old settlement now and thus the asteroid have virtually entirely been mined out, built up, wrecked, ravaged and rebuilt, over and over again. The Surface shined with enough lights that it looked like it was filled with stars!
That view did not last as we closed to our docking port and cranes, piers, gravitic generators, gas jets, radio towers, docking tugs, maintenance shafts and equipment, local; transport vehicles and small space tugs seemed to arrive, dock and depart in what can only be described as looking like a beehive on steroids and speed.
We docked without further trouble and, after buying our air for the day (hello business marketing opportunity! The cannister air was awful...) made out way to Francois Deleiur, a dolphin headed man with a french accent! I tried not to stare and mostly succeeded. It was his very civilized manners that made the statement that our shipment had been stolen vaguely more easy to take.
Fortunately he had caught the thieves on camera and we reviewed the recordings. What was odd was that they specifically went for our shipment, someone had in it for the Capn. We called Maggie and she had no idea other than that some previous owners of the Rubato might have issues with her but heavily encouraged us to retrieve the cargo.
The thieves looked a like like local gangers and I was able to chat up some locals about just blokes while Maria looked into the legal side of things and Annarug did some computer diving. We all collaborated and agreed that the center of the asteroid was our best bet as the center of the local raver community and party center.
After Jacques made sure to procure his weapons we headed down to the wrong end of the gravity well. I managed to hook up with some local ladies, Angelique, Desere, Mona, and Shawnee, who called themselves the Angels of Ceres, and my what fine ladies they are! The seemed well connected and promised to show me the sights. They were not wrong, the dance floor was jumping, the light show incredible and I am pretty certain various gaseous rave chemicals were released... regularly! I kinda lost track of thing when the ladies bought a round of shots called Ceres Supernova's and well... woke up the next morning the ladies apartment, lacking various pieces of clothing but with most of my money and a lot of one credit deposits into my account and a lot of drinks bought that used them all up. The rest of the details for the evening will not be going into this account! Apparently Annarug managed to hack the parties video feed and broadcast porn which lead to his new nickname of Inappropriate Man, and tried to track the shipment but I kinda missed most of that on account of the ladies soo....
Annarug, Jacques and Maria had managed to stay on point however and tracked the pictured thugs they had found back to their turf. After saying my goodbyes to the ladies, although I will be sure to meet see them again, they all seemed pretty well connected and very very agile....
We decided to ambush the leader of the gang on his way to some meeting or another and force the bloke to tell us where he took the cargo.
The fight was short but intense. Maria acted as a distraction as she apparently danced with the guy at the rave. Just after she walked over and started chatting with him Jacques used his military grade hardware and blew the chest out of the female bodyguard, the boss thug and his remaining bodyguard turned and started shooting at Jacques and Annarug while I tried to taser the bodyguard but missed.
It was then that Maria apparently wished something about shoving weapons at tender portions of his anatomy-he had pushed her behind him in order to protect her! Good work Maria! Annarug and hacked the stations lights was causing the lights to go crazy and thats when I added in a comment about him not knowing exactly how many weapons were actually pointing at him, his name was George by the way, at the time. He saw the wisdom of our words and was convinced to tell us about where he took the goods, which turned out to be a ship run by Hoddington Industries Freighter docked 317B. As they departed and the others cleaned up I went an puked in a corner. I ain't squimish about killing, seen that before, but to see it done so blatantly and her life regarded as so disposable, well I can only hope she had a Res Policy but I kinda doubt it.
A little research revealed that it had a crew of 6 and was a small private freighter. We decided that since we had no idea how long it would be in port we had better act fast. While I gathered some basic supplies and maintenance gear Maria joined the Station Basic Maintenance staff so we could get a basic security pass. Maggie gave us the RFID code for the container and we proceed to head over to the ship pretending to be maintenance. The ships guard fell for the ruse and after a quick tasering, a boot to the head and spilling of a little booze over him while Annarug blanked the sensors we quickly retrieved the cargo and headed out. Jacques suggested we take out the rest of the crew but I am not ready to become a pirate! Fortunately the others agreed and we got out without bloody trouble. Maggie was pleased and we shoved off without further incidence.
Blimey, buy your air. What a universe.
More later, thats all now from Ceres.