Episode 1: A Bumpy Start

Independent freighter captain seeks crew for ship. Must be ready to leave Feng, Ares immediately. Fair pay. Bonus to those with armed personal fighters that can run interference for main Freighter. Engineering, Medical and Turreted gunnery skills a plus. Please reply to this message if interested in the next 8 hours if interested. J. Bowman Captain, The Dragonfly

Two reply to the ad. Harris, an ex-soldier looking for a new life; and Ngaio, a research biologist running from the lecherous son of her employer. The captain, a simulant robot that can easily pass for human.

Their first cargo, a shipment of freight from Ares to Anansi, plus one desperate passenger named Six Toad, along with a box of something stolen, running from Duke McCarron of Ares.

The night before lift-off, the Duke is tipped off to the location of the desperate passenger and comes to take him back. Bowman was ready to hand him back, but Six Toad fights back, locking himself in his cabin. The Duke arrives at the Dragonfly with several men. The Duke, looking for Six Toad, recognized Ngaio as the research biologist he hired, the same woman who stole his son's H3 space fighter. Then re recognized Bowman as "Orion", the simulant agent he purchased to help him overthrow the previous Duke, Valken.

Duke McCarron ordered his men to take Bowman and Ngaio into custody and to retrieve Six Toad from his cabin. He comments towards Bowman indicate he still thinks of him only as a robot possession, despite being freed by Combine decree last year. Bowman and Ngaio fight back and flee the freighter.

The Duke moves in to capture Bowman. Bowman quickly discovers the Duke's superhuman strength and reflexes, and the two get into a super-strength brawl in the cargo hold. Ngaio, meanwhile, commandeers the Duke's hover-wagon and tries to run the Duke and his men down with little success. Bowman manages to get out of the cargo hold and into the darkness. Ngaio turns the hover-wagon around and heads off into the night with two of the Duke's men clutching for dear life to the back of the vehicle.

Harris, formerly in the employ of the Duke and still in his good graces, circles overhead in his assault fighter. The Duke asks him to keep an eye out for Bowman. Harris provides some misdirection to help Bowman sneak into the Dragonfly.

The Duke and his men leave the ship to look for Bowman, who has stealthily climbed up the outside of his ship to enter through a side hatch. Bowman gets into his cockpit only to discover that Six Toad escaped his cabin and has installed a remote-controlled explosive device to the controls. Six Toad orders Bowman to take him to Anansi, away from the Duke. Bowman reluctantly agrees. The Dragonfly takes off, leaving the Duke and his men in the dust. The Duke orders Harris to follow Bowman.

Bowman heads off into the desert after Ngaio. He find her and she drives the stolen hover-wagon right into the cargo hold. The Dragonfly then takes off for orbit for a rendezvous with Harris. After a brief meeting to bring everyone up to speed, sensors indicate incoming interceptors from the Anansi Gate Terminal.

TO BE CONTINUED!