Part 8: Something, something a joke about the Maersk Alabama hijacking.

After looking over the proposed names and going for the ones most voted for/best suggestions, the aliens in questions are now called:



Oh yeah, and since the first planet was named after Ptolmey, I decided to dub the unknown planet thus:



So, the Ghebs are wanting a new planet, the Deresta are wanting their scientists back, the Vantu were talking about the Skeetch taking some of their people hostage and the Kaynik are... well, being exceptionally belligerent.

Since we know about the first two as much as we can, and we value not having our faces eaten off by the Blue Meanies, let's see if we can't pump some more info out of the Vaintu, no? None of these planets belong to them, so let's see what else we can find while meandering back to their home planet...



Upon arriving in this system, we see the following...



This place is interesting to explore, for the following reasons:

Number 1)





Number 2)





Neither of these are suitable for the Ghebs, but thankfully, we can claim them for ourselves first! Name suggestions would be welcome. Also, this gives you an idea of what the quest for the Ghebs are like. You have to scour EVERY SINGLE STAR SYSTEM to find an unknown planet with the desired features. It can be very frustrating.

But we saw there a fleet - let's check 'em out.



OK, I had NO idea that this was going to be them. Let's count our blessings and see what they have to say.



: Good to see you, chief! Listen, I was wondering if you could fill me in re. those hostages Vanttannuv mentioned earlier. You havnae heard any more news about their whereabouts, have you?

: Our research community in system 084,111 has been commandeered by the Skeetch. It now doubles as an outpost and prison colony for those unscrupulous fiends.



: ...no more than an unfortunate case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

: Well, I'm sure that thought is of a great comfort to them, while they're getting disintegrated, ionised or having their gluons violently pulled apart. Do you have any plans to get these boys back?

: We have employed special measures to ensure that no more of our facilities fall to the Skeetch...



: ...

: Woah-woah-woah-woah.

: Are you telling me - for once - that there's something that you lot - despite ALL yer high-and-mighty social status, yer vast, superior intellects that put the rest of us plebs to shame and yer scientific facilities that are second-to-none - CANNOT do?

: The prison colony is inaccessible due to heavy Skeetch patrols.



: ...you need MY help?

: Yes.

: Help from ME?

: Yes.

: From a non-Vantu?

: If anyone can save those prisoners, it is most certainly you.

: ...I'd never thought I'd see the day.

: Well, we could - but let's face it, fighting off nine Skeetch warships would give anyone wrist strain. And then think of how much stabilium you'd have to go through. And it'd be so tedious...

: Enough of that 4th wall-breaking - who do you think you are? Rosencrantz and/or Guildenstern?

: Fair enough.

So there we have it - the location to complete the quest for the Vantu. That means all we have to do is go about completing these jobs and reporting back to at least one member of their species. Simple enough, eh?

Well, simple in that one of them has told us where we need to go. The others involve just blasting through the galaxy at random until we find what we're looking for.

Boring enough, eh?

With that said and done, let's go around, see what we can find before we try tackling the Vantu mission. Maybe we can find those Deresta first, or the Gheb planet.





...Or perhaps maybe both?

: Commander, that message was somehow directed through our intercom from one of those vessels!

And we are plunged immediately into a two pirate fleet. And if we scan the vessels for life-forms...



Ah-HAH!

Please note that if you blow this ship up, you lose the game, for obvious reasons.

Now, I could say it was a massive, hard-fought-battle, with cunning and valour shown on both sides, a real nail-biter to the very end, where life and death hung in the balance...

...but I'm not a liar. It's a couple of pirates. I could probably do this one-handed.



Jesus, that was easier than I thought it would be. I only got one of the ships to flee. Hell, my shields were so high I just pretty much parked my ship and shot them as they approached me.

: I implore your merciful being... please spare our wretched hides!

: No problem. Don;t think there would have been a tannery around that be wanting to have anything to do with them, anyway.



: The Deresta are safely on board our ship, Commander.

: Patch me through to them.



: Those dreadful pirates were holding us against our will!

: You saved yourselves, really... with that message you transmitted to us through our intercom.

: A simple trick I learned while watching MacGuyvster.

: We Deresta DO have the best syndicated shows



: Are you the scientists who were abducted from the shuttle?.

: Yes, that would be us.



: The pirates accosted us during our flight to the award ceremony.

: They gained access to our vessel by claiming to be from the SPA committee.

: ...

: And you FELL for that?

: Hey! It was a long day and we were all VERY tired. And they brought vino.

: Anyway, it wasn't long after the cheese plates and the fourth glass of plonk that we realised something was dreadfully awry. And I'm not talking about them having drunk white wine with fish. They brandished their weapons and forced us onto their ship. Th-then they tried to force us to invent new weapons for them (sniffle).

: Your worries are over, friend... we'll have you back with your species in no time.

: We are SO grateful!

And there you have it. The Deresta quest is over and done with - all we have to do is return these poor suckers back to the Deresta and the trek to get these boys to join the Alliance is all over bar the ambassadors tugging each other off under the table.

But... while we are here in a docking profile with this pirate ship...



That's better. I'm sure those bandits can get back by hitchiking the last ten-or-so light-years. Hopefully they won't be blown to smithereens by the Skeetch in the meantime.

And let's have a look at this nearby planet while we're here, shall we?







Hmm. Those environmental conditions remind me of something. Something that was said to me sometime recently...

Oh well! Sure it was nothing.

If you guys could think of an appropriate name (especially other than Hive V), I'd appreciate it

...and actually, I'm going to have to cut this episode short; normally I'd be skedaddling off to the appropriate species with the good news, but I have, for the first time, discovered something new in this game.



: Your persistence amuses me

That's right. If you leave and come back to the pirates (if you don't kill them all) they'll actually talk to you. I have NEVER seen this option before. With this in mind, are there any particular topics of conversation you guys would like me to broach with these buccaneers before we continue with the game proper?