Comms Update - Pirates

So, what do interstellar pirates do? Why would they go to the rather hefty expense of acquiring a ship, and maintaining it, just to thieve and extort?

Well, they don't do it to steal space ships. Once away from a planet, it can be rather difficult to catch a star ship. Space is pretty big, and it is relatively easy to see some one coming and run away. Add to that the dangers of ship to ship combat, and space-born piracy is both difficult and unlikely to be profitable.

Most pirates make their living stealing essentials like food and water from newer colonies, or selling black market equipment to established but under-supported colonies. It generally depends on how desperate they are.

A lot of pirates start out as legitimate business folk such as miners, long-haul traders, or floating hospitals. When these businesses inevitably fail, the crews sometimes get desperate. food, water, and the desire to be free are strong motivators. Desperate folks do desperate things when survival is on the line. Some just establish themselves as colonists, using the resourse thier ship provides as leverage to join a new colony. Others take what they need and leave, often by force or extortion.

The violent ones usually target very new colonies, and steal food, raw ore, and people. Yes, sadly there is a market for people out there. The less violent act as illegal traders and "defenders", extorting protection money from the local population. either way, pirates tend to be underfunded, and often stay away from any place they know to be defended. A real military or militia can often drive them away with ease.

As the UNCN garrisons more and more fledgling colonies, the pirate element grows more and more desperate,

Comms Load 22- Death of a cyborg

This is the end of Sharren's first scene, redone please let me know what you think!

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Henderson saw it burst out of the back door. It was huge, and fast, and carrying a big gun. He was ready for it. He led the target a few feet and fired a grenade at it. All his time at the range paid off, he scored a direct hit, rocking the beast on it's heels and sending a shower of glowing shrapnel washing over it.

It turned towards him and leveled it’s rifle, but nothing happened. He fired again, but the beast side stepped, shrapnel harmlessly skittering over it’s armor. It dropped it’s rifle, and drew a hand cannon the like of which he had never seen.

The cyborg sprinted towards him, jinking left and right, firing at him with that massive gun. The first hit caught him in the shoulder, and he spun, losing his balance. He tried to recover a shooting position, but several more rounds slammed into his armor. Warnings were flashing in his visor. The only thing keeping him alive was that no two rounds hit him in the same place as the heavy rounds made him dance like marionette.

the hail of bullets let up, and He dropped to one knee, finally able to level his gun, but it was too late. It had closed the gap.

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Sharren ripped the gun from the marines hands, and pressed her own weapon into his face with her left.  The smooth white face of his helmet reminded her of self.  As she squeezed the trigger,  time slowed to a crawl.

Warnings screamed in her HUD. One of the other marines saw her, and her peripheral sensors warned her he was firing. The grenade slammed into her side, just under her left arm. He armor would have stopped a frag grenade. The white hot thermite lance of the armor-piercer was a different matter.

The heat and pressure sliced through her armor and washed over her internal systems,  melting and blasting her them askew. She slew sideways, feeling her limbs go weak, barley able to take a step as tried to catch herself.

The second grenade hit her in the small of her back. She went numb, and fell. Darkness came upon her like a wall, and she was gone.