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Total Members Voted: 10

[C-SH4M4N]

This is really good story material; a guy shows up from another galaxy, intent on warning people that an evil empire is going to come and destroy everything, but nobody believes him.

Thing is, it's ridiculously difficult to pull it off. Takes effort to write a compelling and dramatic story.

[Hanzoku]

The Special Prisoner
New Characters: Jovani, Rapiro, Zografos, Mariana
New Ships: Impavido (DD), Junkyard (CG), Sodality (CG), Fellowship (BB)
New Equipment:
New Fighters:

Spoiler: Adding to the Rap Sheet (click to show/hide)

In our last update, Yuri and his fellow prisoners successfully stole his old ship from the hanger, blasted their way out of a mini dyson sphere, and are now on the run with an entire galaxy to play in.

Thomas: So, what now, Captain?

Yuri: Hm… Maybe piracy?
And Yuri’s first thought is sweet, sweet lucre.

Thomas: Huh? Did you just say piracy?!
Well… yes? They are wanted criminals now, given their murder of prison guards and destruction of government property during their escape, political prisoner status aside.

Semias: Ha ha ha! Excellent idea! We could use the money, not to mention some good, old-fashioned fun!
I can’t tell if Semias is an ass-kisser, or just psychotic.

Thomas: Huh? Not you, too, Semias!

Franny: Hm, piracy? You sure about that? I mean, it’s not like I really care either way, but…
Franny is simply amoral.

Gen: Well, the Galactic Federation already considers us outlaws, even more so after that prison escape. What other choice do we have? The important thing is that Yuri must have the means to do what must be done.
Meanwhile, Gen is rational about it. Piracy is simply our way of funding ourselves.

Franny: What’s that supposed to mean?

Yuri: …

Thomas: B-But what about ship repairs, resupplying and stuff like that? I mean, if we get anywhere near a Federation spaceport, they’ll nab us in a second!
He does have a valid point. We’ll need a neutral port of call.

Alik: D-Don’t worry.

Thomas: Whaddya mean, “don’t worry”?

Alik: We sh-shouldn’t have any p-problems docking at Labico.
Alik, meanwhile, was quickly boning up on the local systems.

Thomas: Labico?

Alik: Y-Yes. Captain, I suggest we make for Labico at once.

Yuri: Okay. We got off that asteroid thanks to you, Alik. I know you won’t steer us wrong.

Thomas: I sure hope you guys know what you’re doing.

With that, we can now travel through the Xeos Belt area.



We make for Labico straight away. Since we broke out so quickly, we haven’t been given a chance to fix our formation, which is now two ships short – one because Celina’s ship left during the last boss battle, and a second because Gen taught us how to use four ships.

We start encountering enemies, but we manage to run from them all. Right now, it’s mostly pirates – Junkyard-class cruisers escorting transports. Unlike in the first part, we could actually damage and destroy them, but without our extra two warships, we’d take too much damage in return to make it worthwhile. However, along the way, we come across something else…

Franny: Yuri, transport ship sighted! Its escort’s pretty light, too!

Semias: In other words, a perfect target.

Yuri: Welcome to the life of piracy, everyone! We have our first target! Now let’s reel it in.

This time, it’s a government convoy – a single Impavido-class destroyer escorting four transports. Unlike the pirates, it’s horribly armored, and a single salvo is enough to blow up the actual warship. The same thing happens to the rest, where the fighters don’t chew them apart.

For our troubles, we earn 12,200 G – an excellent haul, probably there to ensure that anyone who was lacking in money would be able to upgrade their ship, something we’ll be doing shortly.

Semias: Yuri, all the cargo’s been loaded onto our ship.

Yuri: And the passengers?

Semias: I told them who you are. Their distress signal has been activated, so it won’t be long before help arrives.
Those who survived their ship being rent open by lasers and missiles, of course. Yuri the Reaver… it has a ring to it.

Yuri: Perfect.

Franny: What’s the deal with telling them your name? You sure that’s a good idea?

Gen: Pirates are a colorful lot who enjoy their fame, or more precisely, infamy. And we must play the part, my dear.

Franny: Huh. If you say so.

We escape one more band of our fellow pirates before we reach the planet Labico.

The planet Labico is home to an organization known as the Xeos Belt Union.  Formed by zero-G dogs wishing to help each other, it operates independent of the LMC’s nations.

Yuri: We made it in with no problems, just like you said we would, Alik.

Alik: (grins)

Semias: Okay, then. So we all agree that this will be our base for the time being?

Yuri: Sounds good to me.

Labico has a full set of services – CTA, shipyard, remodeling, the works. The first thing I do is visit the CTA and get our fleet and crew back in order. The Sharanga and Menthu are now in the front row, buffering the Nikusui in the middle, with the fragile Lanner hiding in the back. With all of our ships deployed, we can now reasonably handle the random encounters – at least long enough to get our ship situation sorted out.

Our crew, on the other hand, has taken some body blows. In total, we have Alik, Franny, Gen, Semias, Thomas and Yuri himself. The game assigns everyone but Alik to positions, but I tend to disagree with all of them, so we’ll fix some things.

Gen moves from Artillery Chief to Lead Operator, since I value his Cool & Calm Lv 4 more than his AS Genius Lv 2. He displaces Franny.

Semias moves from Security Officer to Chief Navigator, displacing Thomas. His Ace Helmsman Lv 1 skill is more useful normally then Death Blow Lv 2 in the security post, where we don’t often fight. He displaces Thomas.

Alik doesn’t have any skills (yet), but his highest potential is in leadership, despite his stutter. He becomes our 1st Officer.

Franny was displaced from Leap Operator, and instead becomes our Chief Mechanic, where her Machine Geek Lv 2 skill is actually useful.

Thomas is also an Ace Helmsman Lv 1, so he goes from Chief Navigator to Helmsman.

With that, we’re as set up as possible, and we head down planet-side. The first thing we do is renew an old habit – it’s tavern hopping time!

>>Tavern
>>Talk to the bartender.
Bartender: That starlane between the two void gates also goes between Regeinland and Enemonzo. Starlanes with lots of traffic like that must sure make the Xeos Belt Union a nice bundle.

>>Talk to your friends.
Conversation #1
The news headline “Special Prisoner Escapes” flashes across the tavern’s video monitor. A female newscaster is shown denouncing the Federation Government for not doing more to prevent the escape. No one in the tavern, however, seems to be paying the least bit of attention to the broadcast.

Franny: Hey, I think they’re talking about us.
It’d be a hell of a coincidence if they weren’t.

Thomas: Think anyone here’s gonna suspect us?
Think any of the pirates here will care?

Alik: D-Don’t worry. As long as we lay low, I think we should be fine.

Yuri: …

Conversation #2
Gen: Yuri, we must do something about those prison clothes of yours.

Yuri: I agree.

Franny: I’d love to make everyone body suits and all, but sewing’s just not my thing. I may be a genius when it comes to engineering, but I pretty much slept through all of Home Ec.

Yuri: Franny, you’re the last person any of us would expect to do anything artistic.
Burn!

Gen: Indeed.

Semias: Like Yuri said…
That’s just piling it on, guys.

Alik: mm hm.
Even you, Alik? You’re all going to hurt her feelings.

Franny: Hey! That’s like, totally rude! I’ll show you! I’m gonna make body suits for everybody! And you’re gonna help, Yuri!

Semias: Wh-Whoa, Franny! Just take a deep breath!

Franny: Put a cork in it! As for you, mister, you’re not going anywhere until we finish every last one!

Yuri: Here we go again.
This must have been a prison pastime – winding up Franny until she freaked out.

Gen: I’m sorry I even mentioned it.

Franny Porolo has forced Yuri to help her make some body suits! Yuri’s Ship Management skill increased by 1!

Unfortunately…

Franny never manages to finish a body suit anyone would be caught dead in.

Spoiler: Joining the Local Union (click to show/hide)

>>Union HQ
This is the entrance to a Xeos Belt Union branch office. A monitor next to the door displays the message, “Pay 1,000 G membership fee here.”

Yuri: Membership fee? For what, the Union?

Semias: That’s right. I hear that membership comes with a number of conveniences. What have we got to lose?
Well, a 1,000 G, but we have plenty to spare.

Yuri: …
We can choose not to pay, but this is something of ‘thou must! The plot only proceeds when we do.[/i]

After paying the necessary number of credits at the front, Yuri and company are able to pass through to a room in the back. There, a plump man awaits them with a big grin on his face.

Holy Grus, that’s a big afro!

Jovani: Hi there. I’m Jovani Taglienti. I represent the Xeos Belt Union. But there’s no need for formalities here. You can just call me Jovani.

Yuri: Nice to meet you, Jovani. I’m—

Jovani: Yuri, a.k.a., the Special Prisoner. Yeah, I know who you are.
I prefer Yuri the Reaver, actually.

Jovani: You’re in all the headlines these days.

Franny: So you know we busted outta prison then?

Jovani: yeah, but don’t worry. The Xeos Belt Union isn’t picky. We welcome pirates, smugglers, crushers, you name it. As long as they’re zero-G dogs, that is.
I know the first two, note sure what the third one does.

Yuri: You don’t say. Heh. Now I get why Alik said we should come here.

Alik: S-See?

Jovani: So Yuri, tell me… Is there any truth to that rumor that you come from the SMC?

Yuri: Yeah, ti’s true all right.

Jovani: I see. Well, frankly, there’s lots of questions I’d like to ask, but that’s now always a good idea for a man in my position. But in this case I just can’t seem to suppress the urge. I’ve got to know, what exactly happened ten years ago in the SMC?

Yuri: …

Jovani: In the Gamma Quadrant here in our sector, there’s a void gate that connects to the Magellanic Stream to the SMC. In fact, I passed through it once when I visited Kashtano some time ago. But ten years ago, the gate was suddenly sealed shut. What could have possibly caused that to happen?
I wonder if that would be an effective blockade mechanism for the void gates – Just mount a massive armored shell around the void gate, as close to the portal as possible. Anyone trying to come through either comes to a dead stop half-way out of the void gate, or dies as they pancake into it.

Yuri: You really don’t know, do you?

Jovani: I’ve heard some rumors, like it was a starburst phenomena caused by a top-secret weapons test. But the craziest one had to be that it was an attack by a giant alien. I just want to know the truth, you know?

Yuri: …
We’re given a choice as to whether or not to tell him. However, we should consider that the Federation has had no problems throwing innocent people in prison to keep this information under wraps. With an organization as precariously perched as the Xeos Belt Union, knowing this sort of thing might be enough motivation for the Federation fleet to come in and pound the whole planet flat.

Yuri: Sorry, but it would be better if I just didn’t say any more.

Jovani: B-But!

Yuri: Based on what you’ve said and how little you know, it’s obvious the Federation is doing everything in its power to stifle the free flow of information. Telling you anything more would put you and the entire Union at risk.

Jovani: …

Yuri: …

Jovani: (sighs) You’re right. I get it, thanks for caring. I shouldn’t forget what happens to men in my position who ask too many questions.

Yuri’s Ship Management skill increased by 1!

Jovani: Tell me, Yuri, is there anything I can do to help you? After all, you went and paid the membership fee. It’s the least I could do.

Yuri: When we were captured, I was separated from some of my crew. Do you have any idea where they’re being held?

Jovani: Well, there’s a number of prison planets and asteroids, but unfortunately, I couldn’t tell you which one they’re on. But I’ll ask around and see what I can come up with.

Yuri: I’d appreciate that, Jovani.

Jovani: In the meantime, you should try the Chart Bank we have here on Labico. You might find some leads there.

You got a map to the Chart Bank from Jovani Taglienti!

Jovani: Oh, I almost forgot. You’re going to need this.

Jovani Taglienti hands Yuri a card.

Yuri: What’s this for?

Jovani: It’s an entry permit for the spaceport on Acerenza. There are all sorts of facilities you might useful in the nearby colony.

Yuri: I have the feeling we will.

You got information on a new planet! You can now visit the planet Acerenza!

Jovani: Now remember, the Xeos Union’s sphere of influence is limited to Labico and Acerenza. The rest is Enemonzon and Regeinlandic territory, so you’d better watch out if you value your freedom.

Yuri: Okay, thanks for the warning. There was one more thing I wanted to ask you.

Jovani: What’s that?

Yuri: Are there any open routes to the SMC right now?

Jovani: Nah, I’m afraid not. The only gate to the SMC was sealed shut.

Yuri: I see.

Jovani: Do you want to go home or something?

Yuri: Not exactly. It’s just… There’s someone there who needs my help.
No points if you guess he’s thinking of Kira.

Jovani: I see. Well, I sure hope you find a way back, then.

Yuri: Yeah. I won’t stop looking until I find it.

We have access to a new building, the Chart Bank.

>>Chart Bank

 

The Chart Bank has a massive collection of charts from navigators all over the galaxy.

>>Prison planets.
Franny: Prison asteroids and planets? You got it! This could take a minute, so just sit tight, okay?

Franny Porolo starts busily working at a terminal, but soon looks back up with a furrowed brow.

Franny: No good. It’s like all the data on prisons has been erased or something.

Yuri: Why would it be erased?
Why would it be publically available? Given the number of pirates running around with full war fleets, this stuff should be classified.

Franny: Um… Yeah, maybe it wasn’t erased. It’s probably more like it was never there in the first place. You know, like top secret? To keep people like us from trying to rescue friends? I couldn’t even find data on Lari in there.
And the game validates my logic.

Thomas: Tsk. This place is useless. What’re we gonna do now?

Yuri: Don’t worry. There’s always another way.

>>The Galactic Federation
Gen: Ah, perfect. A c hart of the entire Large Magellanic Cloud. I think it’s about time I taught you what you need to know about the Galactic Federation.

Gen: This is the Federation’s sphere of influence. It’s comprised of fifty-seven nations and extends across nearly three-fourths of the LMC. At its heart lies the Republic of Libertas.

Semias: Franny, isn’t that where you’re from?

Franny: Yep. Thomas is from there, too.

Gen: Libertas surpasses all the other Federation states in both wealth and military might. That makes it the Federation’s de facto leader. There are also two major powers second only to Libertas. They are the Republic of Regeinland and the Grand Duchy of Enemonzo.

Yuri: Regeinland’s the nation that sent reinforcements to the SMC. So they’re part of the Galactic Federation, too?

Gen: That’s right. And as a result, there are few safe havens for us or anyone else wanted by the Galactic Federation. Still, there is hope.

Yuri: What do you mean?

Gen: Would you care to explain, Alik?

Alik: Y-Yes, Master Gen. The Federation is not as cohesive as Libertas would like for people to believe.

Gen: Precisely.  More then a few nations chafe under the leadership of Libertas. Hence, there are many disagreements, even on matters of great importance.

Yuri: Is that why were able to break out of prison and elude the authorities so far?

Gen: Heh heh… What do you think, Yuri?

Spoiler: Shopping for Necessities (click to show/hide)

We’re done with Labico for now, so we make our way to Acerenza to check out what’s available there. We can travel to other planets, but as everyone warns us, it’s an instant death sentence. You don’t get more than a meter into the station before the local security forces shoot you to death.

>>Acerenza
This planet also has a full set of services, as well as a tavern, bazaar and guild. We’re going to be busy here!

>>Tavern
There’s literally nothing new here, even the bartender says the same thing.

>>Guild
Franny: They call this a guild? Looks more like a bunch of lowlifes to me.

Yuri: All I care about is finding capable people. And besides, we’re not really in a position to make judgments like that, are we?

Thomas: Heh heh. You can say that again.

We have two potential recruits here.

>>Talk to the tall man.

Yuri: Hm?

As he approaches the tall man, Yuri notices that he’s wearing a familiar-looking uniform.

Yuri: That uniform… Isn’t that from Nova Nacio?

Rapiro: Huh?! How did you know that?

Yuri: I’m originally from the SMC.

Rapiro: You don’t say? I never expected to meet anyone from the SMC around here. As you so astutely observed, I’m an officer in the Nova Nacio military. Or at least, I used to be. But while I was visiting our sister nation, Nacio, for some technical training, the warp gate was suddenly sealed off. That was ten years ago, and I still haven’t found another way home. Been mostly working as ah hired hand on various ships since then. I have so many questions. What happened ten years ago in the SMC? How does Nova Nacio fare? How did you even get here?
Not encouraging, but you aren’t the protagonist.

Yuri: Join me and my crew and you’ll have all the answers you want.

Rapiro: Are you saying you actually know what happened?

Yuri gives a silent nod in reply. The man gives Yuri a long, hard look, as if gauging whether or not he’s trustworthy. Finally, he heaves a big sigh and extends his right hand. The two men shake.

Rapiro: all right. I’ll join your crew. The name’s Alechjo Rapiro. As for my signing bonus, you tell me everything that happened back in the SMC and we’ll call it even.

Yuri: Okay, deal. You get all your answers, and I get another crew member.

Alechjo Rapiro has joined Yuri’s crew!

>>Talk to the pale plan.

Yuri: that man over there…

Yuri’s gaze zeroes in on a man at one of the back tables. He seems restless, with one of his legs bobbing p and down at the knee. His clothing is unmistakably Kalymnian.

Zografos: Can I help you?

Yuri: Oh, no, it’s just… Your outfit kind of brings back memories… of the SMC.

Zografos: Hm?

Yuri: I’m from the SMC, too. Kalymnos is like an old familiar friend.

The man relaxes a bit and pulls at his clothes, as if to call attention to them.

Zografos: You must be noticing these. They’re from my father. He was actually a zero-G dog of some renown. I even traveled with him on his ship for a time. But when we arrived in the LMC via the Magellanic Stream, he passed away from an injury he’d sustained. It’s been almost twenty years since then, but these old rags have almost become a part of me. I just can’t bear to get rid of them.

Yuri: Interesting…

Zografos: But enough about that. It’s not often I meet someone else from the SMC in these parts. How about doing a fellow SMC dweller a favor and hiring me for your crew? A 1,500 G signing bonus is all I ask for.

>>Yes
Yuri paid 1,500 G!

Zografos: Let’s see… Okay, it’s all here. All 1,500. My name is Linus Zografos and I look forward to serving your ship.

Linus Zografos has joined Yuri’s crew!

A careful look around the tables fails to produce any promising candidates.

Semias: There’s no point in sticking around here any longer.

We head up the elevator to settle our two new recruits into their posts – I check, and Zografos’s father wasn’t famous enough to make the top 100, unfortunately.

Rapiro is an amazing Engineer, and he takes the Chief Engineer post to make use of his Star Engineer Lv 3 skill.

Zografos doesn’t have any special traits, but his best skill is in Control or Navigator. For now, he goes in the Assistant Operator position, since I like it when my battle gauge refills quickly.

Down on the planet, we visit the Bazaar next.
>>Bazaar

Franny: Check it out, Yuri! This is like a shopper’s paradise!

Yuri: It kind of reminds me of Kashtano.

Franny: What’s Kashtano?
A cinder.

Yuri: Oh, it was a trade planet back in the SMC.

Franny: Was? As in past tense?

Yuri: …

Franny: Argh! You clam up and get all secretive on me every time I mention the SMC!

Yuri: …
Yup!

We have a few options here:

>>Check out the arms dealer.
Merchant: Hello there. I’ve got a pretty good selection of civilian arms if that’s what you’re looking for. This one’s nice and small. Should be real easy for the little lady to handle.

As hey says this, the arms dealer holds out a small sawed-off maser blaster.
That sounds incredibly dangerous.

It would be perfect for self-defense purposes.

Franny: Sorry, not interested! I’m not a big fan of guns.

Semias: Maybe, but you should have at least one for your own protection. The universe is a big and dangerous place. Come to think of it, you don’t have one either, do you, Alik?

Alik: Wh-Who, me? Er… no.

Merchant: Then how about getting one for each of ‘em? They’re normally 500 G apiece, but I’ll give you a discount for a pair. Let’s say, 900 G.

I get them both a gun. They shouldn’t have to use them, but if someone tries to take them hostage, I’d rather they be able to pull a Kira.

Yuri: Here you go, Franny, Alik. You can’t be true zero-G dogs until you can at least defend yourselves!

Alik: I-I’ll try!

Franny: Well… all right. If you say so, Yuri.

You got two small maser blasters! Franny Porolo’s Combat skill increased by 1! Alik Kovalenko’s Combat skill increased by 1!

Merchant: That weapon you have there on your hip… Is that a plasmic blade?

Yuri: Yeah.

Merchant: Wow, I almost didn’t recognize it. It must’ve seen a lot of action. It almost looks like an antique or something. How about I fix it for you? For 3,000 G, I’ll make it as good as new.

>>Okay.
Yuri: Sure, why not?

Merchant: All right. This won’t take long…

The screen fades and returns while he works.

Merchant: Done. Should be as right as rain now. The plasma coating filter was all gunked up. Had to replace it with a brand new one. It’s as sharp as a razor now.
Gee, I wonder how that happened. Got a little Dodungo in there, Yuri?

Your plasmic blade has been sharpened!
Yuri’s Combat skill increased by 2!

>>Check out the ship trader.
Merchant: Welcome, welcome! Here you’ll find ship blueprints that can only be found in the Xeos Belt Union. Each and every one can hold its own against military vessels when it comes to speed. This is what I’d recommend for someone with your reputation, my friend.

YES.
The trick with these is that the designs are locked by reputation. Initially, only designs for the Junkyard and Sodality-class cruisers would be available, at around 7000+ fame. At 13,000+ fame, the Fellowship-class Battleship would become available. I remember coming back a chapter later to pick up that design.

However, the difference between SMC and LMC ships means that those simple cruisers trounce our current battleship.

In either case, we have our first LMC ship designs. Our battleship, cruiser and destroyer are all being sold and replaced, but we’ll get back to that shortly.

>>Check out the clothier.
As Yuri peers into the clothier’s shop, he sees an attractive woman poke her head out between two large piles of body suits.

H

Mariana: Welcome. I’m Mariana Errigo. Hey, you’re new around here, aren’t you?

Yuri: That’s right. We just flew in.

Mariana: Is that right?

Mariana Errigo slowly looks Yuri up and down as if she’s sizing him up.

Mariana: By the looks of you, I’d say you’re a cargo handler… maybe on a rundown transport ship.

Yuri: …

Yuri can’t help but give her a wry smile in response to this. Semias Alastar, on the other hand, seems put off by Mariana’s remark.

Semias: Show a little respect! I’ll have you know you’re talking to at tried and true ship captain.

Mariana: Huh? Him? A ship captain? Really?

Yuri: It’s kind of complicated, but yes.

Mariana: Well, then, that won’t do. Hm… No no, it’s all wrong. Your clothes, I mean. They don’t do justice to your status as captain. That’s not even a body suit! Don’t you have one?

Yuri: I did, but I sort of grew out of it.

Mariana: Hmm. Tell you what. I’ll find you the perfect body suit, if you let me. Can I count on your business? And since I feel kind of sorry for you, I’ll even lower the price, down to a mere 1,000 G!

Yuri: (Hm…)
It’s another thou-must situation. We can say no and do nothing further in the story until we say yes.

Mariana: Okay, that will be 1,000 G up front. Now, it’s going to take me a little time to tailor it to your exact measurements. I hope you don’t mind waiting?

Yuri: No problem.

Mariana: Okay, then, here’s your receipt. Oh, and I’ll need your name, too.

Yuri: Yuri.

Mariana: Okay, Yuri, now—Wait a second. Where have I heard that name before? Yuri, Yuri… Whoa! No way! You’re not the “Special Prisoner” Yuri, are you?!
No relation, honest.

Yuri: In the flesh.

Mariana: Wow, this is sure a surprise. So you’re that Yuri. Hm…

Yuri: Will that be a problem?

Mariana: Oh no! A customer’s a customer! Come by later. I should have something ready for you by then.
Hopefully not an ambush. They just clash with my figure.

Yuri: Thanks.

And with that, we leave.

Coming up next update – our new fleet, 200% better then before!

[Neonivek]

I just love the design of Mariana... and if her suit is actually cool, I'll give her soo much credit! For Frame of reference can you tell me something that is also worth 1000gp, I want to get a sense of how much she is actually charging you.

I kind of wish she was more then a fashion designer, but alas... Not all cool designs can be given to main characters.

Also Alik somewhat looks related to Yuri. Why are so many people looking sort of related to Yuri except his own sister?

[Hanzoku]

I blame generic anime design, honestly. They like throwing silver hair in on characters who have no business having it. Throwing in somewhat similar design to the face and you get these moments of 'huh, those two look related'.

Gen and Semias get away with their hair color because they're also drawn with the features and character to match being older. It makes sense on them. Yuri gets a pass because he's full out albino, skin tone and eyes as well. Nia and Alik are simply... odd.

Hm... Frame of Reference... Yuri's suit will cost as much as a medium-sized anti-ship laser. If he bought six more suits, it'd cost as much as an obsolete SMC-made destroyer. It's also worth about as much as ten shots of that expensive booze Sceptro likes.

[kaian-a-coel]

Hm... Frame of Reference... Yuri's suit will cost as much as a medium-sized anti-ship laser. If he bought six more suits, it'd cost as much as an obsolete SMC-made destroyer. It's also worth about as much as ten shots of that expensive booze Sceptro likes.

Economy, how does it works?
Seriously, when a full space destroyer costs as much as sixty booze glasses, there is a scaling problem somewhere.

[Neonivek]

To admit though space destroyers are mass produced and the price of materials needed to make star destroyers (mainly iron and steel) are likely rather cheap since they exist in near infinite amounts.

While alcohol, something that requires you to cultivate land, would cost a bit more.

Mind you, likely not Space destroyer expensive... but still.

[birdy51]

We have entered the realm of Space Disco and I am pleased.

Dat hair. All of dat hair.

[Hanzoku]

I'm with Neonivek on this - I can have a 2 km long warship made to order inside a day. If it happens to be destroyed, they'll make me another one - free of charge. To me, it's sort of a combination of 'don't poke the mechanics too hard' and plentiful manufacturing resources.

On the price of liquor, it's sort of dependent on the rarity of the vintage and how crazily it was packaged. Booze itself seems to top out at $75,000 for a bottle, but if the bottle is say, made of gold, platinum and diamonds, the whole package can head towards a million dollars.

[Culise]

Indeed, I would say that the game economy seems to teeter on the edge of post-scarcity in many respects.  Mass-produced material products are wildly deflated in price, while conceptual and prestige products, brands, and similar things that require creative input (including, respectively, expensive alcohols or specialty clothing) tend to cost more.  If Yuri was willing to just pick up an off-the-rack suit, that would probably cost quite a bit less, but given the kinds of scrapes we're likely to get into while challenging the power structure of a galaxy whose collective leadership is hell-bent on sticking its head in the sand, we might need the edge a design tailored to our particular needs will include.  That's probably just petty justification on a "but thou must", though. ^_^

Also, above and beyond the LMC/SMC technology gulf, I really do love the Junkyard.  After all, it has one of the highest module space capacities in the entire game, matching only the fame-restricted Picaroon. 

[Sirus]

Man, I remember having a hell of a time getting to Labico. The best ship I had was my old Borodino (heavily upgraded, but still) and I simply couldn't compete with the random encounters. The fact that you can't stop anywhere to rest up the crew doesn't help.

Oh, and you should have shown off what happens if you stop at a port before Labico. Just because.

[Hanzoku]

Heh, I still can. I'll be sure to go do that before I get too much further with the next update.

The Junkyard is also one of my favorite ship types. This time around, I'm unconvinced that modules are actually all that important, but I like fitting one of everything on my ship, and the Junkyard comes very close to managing to do that.

[Hanzoku]

From the Frying Pan to the Fire
New Characters: Glorinda, Shildo, Larson, Dietrich
New Ships: Nahab (M), Aglo (BB), Patrolo (CG), Zara (CG)
New Equipment:
New Fighters:

Spoiler: Most Wanted (click to show/hide)

So it was asked for more detail about what happens if Yuri goes and visits one of the planets under Federation control…

Yuri: Ngh!

Yuri takes one step, and in the next instant, the sound of a blaster firing rings out. At the same time, Yuri feels a burning sensation spread across his chest.

Security Trooper: Got him! We got the Special Prisoner!

Yuri: H-How did…

Security Trooper: He’s still alive! Blast him! Fire, fire!

As Yuri helplessly staggers about, blaster beams slam into his body, one after another. At last, he falls to the ground and stops moving.

Given how much power a maser packs, they’ll be scrapping him up into a shoebox.

And then it’s Game Over. And that’s why we don’t visit Federation planets!

Spoiler: We’ll Take One of Everything (click to show/hide)

And now for the moment we (or at least, I) have been waiting for since arriving in the LMC… selling our old ships (except for the Lanner, since we don’t have a LMC carrier design) and upgrading everything.

Right now, we’ll be running two cruisers until we find a LMC destroyer as well – the old designs simply don’t cut it anymore here.

Ship Name	Fellowship	Necesa	Junkyard	Sodality	Eudora	Skoryy
Ship Type	Battleship	Battleship	Cruiser	Cruiser	Cruiser	Destroyer
Anti-Air	18	24	36	34	18	12
Anti-Ship	40	32	27	25	25	30
Cruise Speed	128	100	139	140	90	110
Battle Speed	138	106	148	156	112	164
Mobility	32	20	33	32	16	22
Armor	65	36	58	54	36	35
Durability	5400	1190	3590	2750	920	760
Attack Range	16000	16000	14000	14000	12000	13000
Livability	30	30	30	30	30	30
Weapon Slots	5 (L/M/M/S/S)	4 (L/M/M/S)	4 (M/M/S/S)	4 (M/M/S/S)	3 (M/M/S)	3 (M/M/S)

As you can see here, the LMC designs are generally better across the board, but where they particularly shine is in their increased durability (300-450% better) and greater number of weapons. LMC ships can simply survive attacks for a lot longer while also firing back for more damage simply due to more weapon mounts.

We bid goodbye to the Nikusui. Our new flagship is the Zburator.

The roomy interior of our new flagship.

Compared to the base values of the Fellowship-class battleship, the fully equipped Zburator has +4 AA, +13 AS, +20 Cruise Speed, +24 Battle Speed, +10 Mobility, +18 Armor, +300 Durability, +4100 Attack Range and +38 Livability. It also sports the new Particle Laser (L) Lv 1 – our first multi-attack beam weapon. A medium version is also available, but it is less than 50% as powerful as the MIRV Missile (M) Lv 1 that we were already using, so I can’t recommend buying it. For our light weapons, we now sport a pair of Quantum Torpedo (S) Lv 1. They’re maybe not the most optimal choice, but they sound awesome, so I decide to give them a try.

The whole package costs 31,680 G for the modules, 10,500 G for the weapon systems, and 22,800 G for the hull, for a total cost of 64,980 G. We can sell the Nikusui for 36,792 G, for a total cost of 28,188 G to get our flagship up to snuff.

Our new cruiser is the Ridill

Like the Fellowship-class battleships, the Junkyard-class cruiser possesses a large amount of open space, neatly arranged in large sections, instead of being stretched into odd shapes, as other ships sometimes do.

The final result is that compared to the base values of its progenitor, the Ridill has +4 AA, +13 AS, +20 Cruise Speed, +24 Battle Speed, +25 Mobility, +18 Armor, +300 Durability, +5900 Attack Range and +73(!) Livability. It ends up costing 24,920 to fit the modules, 5,480 for the weapon systems, and 11,600 for the hull. This comes to a total cost of 42,000 credits. Selling the Sharanga for 21,872 gives us a total cost of upgrading of 20,128 credits.

Finally, standing in for the destroyer slot, the Sodality-class cruiser Caduceus.

It’s easy to see that while it’s also considered a cruiser, the Sodality-class simply doesn’t have the same available space as their cousins.

Despite that, we manage to fit in all the necessities, though the Caduceus lacks some of the luxuries the Ridill had room for. It has +4 AA, +13 AS, +20 Cruise Speed, +24 Battle Speed, +25 mobility, +18 Armor, +300 Durability, +5900 Attack Range and +46 Livability over its base configuration.

It costs 19,920 G. for modules, 5,480 G. for weapons, and 10,800 G for the hull for a total cost of 36,200 G. After selling the Menthu for 15,776 G, the cost of upgrading this ship has been 20,424 G.

In total, we end up spending 68,740 G, but our entire fleet is nearly fully upgraded to LMC technology.

Done with rebuilding our ships, we’re encouraged to fly around while we wait for our new clothing to be made. I go ahead and check out the various empty sectors, carefully avoiding the other planets for now, for reasons that we saw above.

We come across some new friends – the Nahab-class Other. It’s a bit weaker than the cruisers, and tends to go down against a single volley.
We end up collecting 2,100 credits in resources, and a great deal more than that beating up the local pirates who thought to scuff our shiny new ships. Returning from our rampage, we get to see our new bonus parts, as Yuri is now ranked in the mid 30s.

You’re now in the top 40 of the rankings! Congratulations! As a reward, you got blueprints for a Regeinlandic Kreusser-class battleship! You also got blueprints for a Shield Frame 8 module and a Thruster Control Room module!

The Thruster Control Room is Level 9, so it’ll be quite a while before we see it in use.

The Kreusser-class Battleship has solid stat increases over the  Fellowship-class, and comes with an XL weapon slot, two fixed medium slots, and two open small slots. Like the modules, we won’t look into using it until equivalent designs become available.

We ride the elevator down to the planet’s surface, and make for the bazaar.

Mariana: Oh, Yuri. I was wondering when you were going to stop by.

Yuri: What, is it ready?

Mariana: Yup, all done! Here, go try it on. There’s some room to change in the back. I promise not to look.

The screen fades and returns while Yuri puts on his new outfit.

Mariana: Well? Finished changing yet?

Well, he certainly looks the part now.

Yuri: What do you think?

Franny: hey, lookin’ good, Yuri!

Thomas: Heh heh. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you look kinda like a bona fide captain!
Say that again a little louder, please? I don’t think my maser heard you clearly.

Yuri: You think so?

Mariana: By the way, rumor has it you’re trying to find some crew members for that ship of yours.

Yuri: Where’d you hear that?

Mariana: Jovani told me. And you know, I might just have someone that could be helpful to you.

Gen: And who might that be?

Mariana: Someone Yuri already knows.

Yuri: I do?

Mariana: Hey, Grams, come on out! And hurry up, we’re all waiting!
Why am I suddenly struck by this horrible feeling?

At Mariana Errigo’s signal, an old woman hobbles over to them from the back of the shop. As she approaches them on unsteady legs, Yuri realizes that he does indeed know her.

Pipra: Cut an old lady some slack, will ya?

Yuri: You… You’re Pipra… from the trade planet Kashtano!

Pipra: The one and only! Long time no see, kiddo. My my, you’ve certainly grown into a strapping young buck, haven’t you? Rowr!
Oh Grus…

Yuri: Wow, what a surprise! I had no idea you were even still alive! What in the galaxy are you doing here, Pipra?

Pipra: Well I’m not saying I regret fleeing to this place, but things didn’t exactly go quite as I had planned. You see, the rest of the people I came here with were taken in by the Federation. I hear they’re being held on some frontier planet or another.

Yuri: So you’re in the same boat as me, then.

Pipra: Almost, except clever old Pipra managed to slip away before the rest of ‘em got caught. Then I had my granddaughter bring me here.

Yuri: Granddaughter? You mean, Mariana?

Pipra: that’s right. One of my 108 grandkids, in fact!
Good Grus, Pipra’s grandkids could star in their own Suikoden game.

Yuri: Huh. You two don’t look anything alike!

Pipra: I know, she didn’t exactly inherit my looks, did she? The poor girl…

Yuri: Okay, Pipra, let’s hear how you could help us.

Pipra: Yes, well, you want to rescue your crew that’s imprisoned on some planet or other, don’t you?

Semias: Do you know where It is?!

Pipra: Sorry, I can’t help you there.

Semias: …

Pipra: But, I can tell you how you’re going to do it.

Franny: You’re going to tell us how?

Pipra: Didn’t I just say that? Now, listen up, before I change my mind. Over in Enemonzo they’re going to be celebrating the 1,500th anniversary of the nation’s founding in the next few days. And it just so happens that a very important person from Nacio is going to be passing through this very sector on the way there.

Franny: I don’t get it. I mean, what the Grus does that have to do with anything?

Pipra: A rather dim bulb, aren’t we, dearie? It’s a good thing you’ve got your looks.

Franny: Why, you--!

Pipra: As I was saying, you’ll have a chance to nab a VIP, what with it being such an important event and all. Then you’ll have a hostage to trade for your imprisoned crew. Easy as pie!

Franny: You’ve got to be kidding me! That’s crazy talk!

Thomas: Franny’s right. You’re really askin’ for it, kidnapping a bigwig like that!
Like they won’t shoot me on sight any faster?

Gen: Hm… What do you think, Yuri?

Yuri: …
Thomas: …

Yuri: It’s worth a try if it can rescue my crew.

Thomas: C-Captain!

Pipra: Hee hee hee! Haven’t changed a bit, have we, kid? Always going for broke when the chips are down.

Yuri: Do you have a fix on their route?

Pipra: Not exactly, but I can say the ship will be passing through Regeinland on its way to Enemonzo. Just park yourself between the two void gates and it should fall right in your lap, boy. But who wouldn’t want to do that?
… … pass the brain bleach, please.

Yuri: Uh, got it. Thanks, Pipra.
He’s become entirely unfazed to the sexual harassment from an old woman.

We beat a hasty retreat before Pipra tries to show him what she means. After waiting for Pipra to cool down, we can talk to Mariana and Pipra one more time.

>>Mariana
Mariana: My, Yuri, you’re built pretty good for a guy who’s been stuck in prison for so long. I had to alter that body suit quite a bit before it would even fit.

Yuri: Really?
I think it was the whole ‘ten years of hard labor in the mines’ that helped.

Mariana: but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You are, after all, the Special Prisoner.
That… what does that have to do with anything?

Mariana: What, did you go through a second puberty?

Yuri: …
Your resemblance to Pipra becomes more clear.

>>Talk to Pipra
Yuri: Pipra, you’re just going to ignore your friends if they get hauled off by the Federation?

Pipra: As if an old lady like me could actually help them! One good bribe would put me out of action.  And besides, learning to take care of yourself is the Kashtano way. I’d wager they’ve already managed to escaape and are on the lam as we speak.

Yuri: I see. So, I guess this has nothing to do with you being a greedy old miser, then.

And then Yuri leaves before she can respond.

We talk to our friends before heading out to set up our ambush.

>>Tavern
>>Talk to your friends
Conversation #1
Franny: Now that the Xeos Belt Union’s all paid off and we’re outta prison… I feel as free as a bird! So, Yuri, how does it feel to be a free man after ten whole years in that Grus-hole? Huh?

Yuri: …

Franny: Hey! Don’t ignore me!

Gen: Now, now, Franny. I’m afraid Yuri is still being held captive, in a sense. Though it weighs far heavier on his mind than his imprisonment on Lari.

Franny: What the Grus is that supposed to mean?

Gen: …
Alik: …

Franny: Ah! Men! The great communicators! Well, I can tell you’re hiding something!

Yuri: I’m sorry, Franny. I’ll level with you when the time is right. So, can we please just move on now?

Conversation #2
Yuri: Well done, Alik! It couldn’t have been easy getting that data on the Xeos Belt Union while we were locked up on Lari.

Alik: Oh, uh… Actually, Franny—

Franny: That’s right! I whipped up a super-sensitive IP packet sniffer for him! It totally intercepted all the transmissions from the ships that stopped on Lari!

Alik: O-One of the transmissions said that the Xeos Belt’s head office was here.

Yuri: Wow, you’re good, Franny!

Franny: Heh heh. Tell me something I don’t know.
The Large Magellanic Cloud is going to be invaded soon if we don’t stop it.

With that, we leave Acerenza behind. We have a VIP to capture to use as a hostage.

Spoiler: Echos of the Past (click to show/hide)

You know, given what happened to the last person to kidnap a VIP, I hope a plucky teenager doesn’t show up and get us crushed under a rock. I’ll gladly let that fate reside with Cadmus.

We depart Acerenza and head to Zone 1, battling pirates along the eway. I have to say, I’m loving the mobility and armor of our new ships – the Caduceus took a barrage to the face that resulted in five misses and one hit for a little over a hundred damage.

Franny: Yuri, I’m picking up a whooper out there! It’s heading for the Enemonzo Sector.

Yuri: Could you be more specific?

Franny: Let’s see… It’s a battleship and two escorts! And they’re from Nacio!

Gen: It seems that we’ve come upon the ship Pipra said would be carrying an important figure.

Thomas: Now hold on a second, guys! They’ve got us out gunned, out manned, out everything!
Haha. No they don’t. Actually, yes they do.

Thomas: A ship-to-shop battle would be suicide.
I’m more concerned it would be fatal to the VIP.

Gen: No one is planning such a battle, Thomas. We are pirates now, remember?

Yuri: Then it’s settled. Engines, full speed ahead! Head for the center of their formation. We have to close the gap so we can board and engage them hand to hand. Remember, our target’s the flagship!

It’s us against an Aglo-class battleship, with two Patrolo-class cruisers in escort. The enemy commander is named Shildo, instead of something generic. We’re not allowed to escape, and as the dialogue says, our goal is to board them, not destroy them.

Despite my postering, their barrages are far more dangerous than the pirates – I had to restart the battle because the Ridill ate a barrage to the face for 4,000 damage and died instantly. In fact, a volley from them is enough to destroy the Caducus for 3,000 damage.

Luckily, on the second try we avoid their first barrage and get into melee range. It’s us with 1800 men and 58 skill versus 1600 crew with 20 skill. I start with Slash, but they start with Leader and start beating us up. However, we only lose fifteen men before I manage to switch over to shoot while they stay on leader. They switch to Slash to beat our Shoot, and a moment later, I counter with Commander, which wipes out almost half their forces.

After some more hard fighting, we kill all the defenders for less than a hundred losses.

Semias: Yuri, we’ve secured a breach!

Yuri: Okay, let’s head for the bridge!

On the bridge…

Glorinda: Captain Shildo! What is going on?

Shildo: Forgive me, Your Highness! I have failed to prevent the pirates from boarding!

Glorinda: Pirates? How could a military vessel such as this be boarded by mere pirates?

Shildo: Their tactics were completely unconventional, reckless even. Please, you must leave now! They’re coming this way!

Glorinda: …

Too late, we’re here!

We’re back up to 1800 crew, facing Shildo and 800 men, with a skill of 38. We start with Slash, beating his initial shoot. He goes to Leader, we counter with Shoot. He goes to Slash, we counter with Commander and win the battle.

Sometimes, the AI is completely predictable in what it will try next, sometimes it surprises me by switching things up. This was the former, which turned this battle into a curbstomp.

Shildo: Ngh! Uuuuuuh…

Glorinda: No! Captain Shildo!

Semias: Please, no false moves, miss. We wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt, especially a fine lady such as yourself.
Faceless soldier mooks are fine though. We’ve killed about 2,400 of those.

Glorinda: How dare you! You slay my vassals? They you have the gall to address me as a commoner?!

Yuri: our blasters were set to paralyze. Your people should be just fine.
…Oh. Well, that’s a surprise. I thought Yuri 2.0 was all about the bloodletting too.

Glorinda: …

Yuri: First off, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Yuri, and as you can see, I am presently engaged in piracy, but not without good reason.

Glorinda: Yuri?! The Special Prisoner who escaped from—

Yuri: Yes, well, it seems that’s turned into sort of a nickname for me these days. May I have your name, please?

Glorinda: Glorinda… Glorinda Falko.

Thomas: Falko?! As in the House of Falko?!

Franny: House of who?

Thomas: You mean you never heard of ‘em? They’re the royal family of Nacio. And that’s Princess Glorinda! (whistles) We’re really in for it now!

Yuri: No, this is perfect. Princess Glorinda, we would like for you to become our hostage.

Glorinda: Your… hostage? That is an odd request. What do you intend to do with me? Do you seek a ransom, or perhaps--

Yuri: No, I’m not interested in money. It’s more of a personal matter. I want to set free some comrades that are unfairly imprisoned.

Glorinda: So this is about freeing your friends then. Yes, I know all about your comrades. If I’m not mistaken, they were your crew members captured ten years ago, when you first came to our galaxy.

Gen: Well, now… So you know of that incident ten years past, do you?

Glorinda: Our nation of Nacio and Nova Nacio in the Small Magellanic Cloud are sisters. Hence, we are well aware of what goes on in the SMC, though the Galactic Federation forbids us from revealing such information.

Gen: Yes… That is just like the Galactic Federation to do everything in its power to suppress the free flow of information.

Yuri: So yeah, you know about their plight. And we’re gonna need you as our hostage. You’re our only bargaining chip for their release.

Glorinda: I am afraid…

Yuri: …

Glorinda: … I cannot allow that.
I’m afraid… you don’t have a choice.

Yuri: Huh?

Glorinda: A nation’s rulers must never release prisoners under threats of violence. I will, thus, never allow myself to be willingly  taken hostage.

Yuri: All right.

We’re given an option – we can take her hostage, or let her go. I’ll show both, but I find the second one somewhat…nuts.

>>Then you leave me no choice
Yuri: Then you leave me no choice. What if we take you hostage by force?

>>Sorry to bother you.
Yuri: Oh, well. I’m sorry to bother you. We’ll just be going, then.

Glorinda: You--?

Franny: What? Are you kidding me?! Why the Grus did we attack them in the first place then? Huh? We should tie her up and force her to answer our questions, instead of letting her sit there and talk down to us!

>>Merged

Glorinda: If it comes to that, I shall take my own life. I will never allow such an ill precedent to be established.

Yuri: I see.

Glorinda: …

Yuri: Well, I see you’re a woman of your convictions, and I respect that. I guess we’ll be leaving now.
…You shoot her with a blaster on paralyze, take her weapons, bind her wrists and go from there, you freaking idiot.

Franny: What?! Really?! Are you sure, Yuri? I mean, why the Grus did we attack them in the first place then?

Yuri: Nobility can be a heavy weight to bear, Franny. I have no intention of making her sacrifice her life for our gain.

Franny: B-But…! I don’t get it!

Yuri: You don’t have to. Come on, Franny, we’re leaving.

Franny: Grrr…

Glorinda: Please, wait.

Franny: Whaddya want now?! Huh? What?!

Glorinda: You must seek the asteroid Belgirate. It lies in the Beta Quadrant, which from here can be reached via the Xeos Belt. If your comrades are indeed being held captive, they will most likely be imprisoned there.

Yuri: Hm.

Glorinda: If you truly wish to free them, then you must do so through your own efforts.

Yuri: …
Glorinda: …

Yuri: You have my gratitude, Princess Glorinda.

Yuri flips back his cape dramatically as he leaves the bridge. Glorinda Falko watches him disappear with a silent gaze.

We undock from the Nacio ships and make a run for it while their crews recover.

Semias: Well, she was at least telling the truth about the location. There is an asteroid known as Belgirate.

Alik: I knew sh-she wasn’t lying.

Franny: Hmph. Even so, I bet she’s already snitched on us. We go there and I bet a whole fleet’s gonna come gunning for us!

Gen: You think it’s a trap?

Franny: Will you guys open your eyes already?! Of course it’s a trap!

Yuri: A trap, huh? I think I’d actually look forward to something like that.

Franny: Huh?! What, are you nuts?!

Gen: Heh heh heh…

We make straight for Belgirate, hopefully ahead of any reinforcements to the garrison there.

Franny: Yuri! We got a fleet from Belgirate coming at us!

Yuri: They don’t look like much of a threat. Just a small fleet assigned to guard the planet.

Thomas: I guess that Glorinda or whatever her name was didn’t rat us out.

Franny: We don’t know that!

Yuri: Anyway, we’ll blow them to pieces if they get in our way. Prepare for battle!
There’s that bloodthirsty Yuri the Reaver we all know and love!

We’re facing off against two Zara-class cruisers with two Impavido-class destroyers guarding them. We start off the battle by setting our fighters on them, Their barrages are ineffective, even without dodging, so we calmly start firing volleys as our energy builds up. Two volleys is enough to destroy the front-most cruiser, one volley each is enough for the destroyers in the middle, and with incidental damage, one volley is enough for the last cruiser as well.

Franny: The enemy fleet’s been destroyed! No more enemy ships detected nearby!

Yuri: Good. Now, let’s touch down on Belgirate. Semias, hand me the mic.

Yuri: Attention former crew members imprisoned on Belgirate! This is Yuri speaking! I’m here to rescue you! All who wish to once again fight alongside me, step aboard my ship!
I don’t think you’ll be lacking for volunteers, even from those who weren’t former crew members.

The imagery is pretty nice. They had a better prison planet, too – this one’s atmosphere is enough for flying creatures, at least.

The surface is pretty bleak, though.

Yuri rescued his former crew!

Semias: This definitely boosts our firepower.

Yuri: True, but I still have friends who are counting on my help back in the SMC. I need to find a way back there as soon as I can.
Or they think you’re dead.

We have all of our crew back again. There are too many people to assign to detail here, but you can see the results in the Crew Positions post. With everyone settled in, we make ready to depart. However…

Franny: Huh?! Yuri, we got company! There’s a whole fleet dead ahead!

Yuri: What are their numbers?

Franny: Thirty, no, fifty ships!
That’s a whole fleet, alright.

Thomas: F-Fifty?!

Some of them are as big as the Corsair.

Thomas: Th-Those are Libertasian ships!

Franny: Damn it! She must’ve ratted us out!

Yuri: …

Franny: Yuri, the enemy’s trying to contact us!

Yuri: Let’s hear what they have to say.

Franny: You’re the boss.

Larson: You’ve been identified as the ship belonging to the Special Prisoner, Yuri. This is Captain Kyle Larson, Beta Sector Fleet, Galactic Federation. I’m under Federation orders to take you in. Surrender now and you will not be harmed.

Yuri: …

Gen: Well, Yuri? What should we do?

Yuri: Hm. I say we make a run for it. Turn us around, full speed! Engine room, give me full power, now! Gun it!

We make a break for it, leaving the Federation fleet behind.

Franny: What the…?!

Semias: What’s the matter, Franny?

Franny: Another fleet’s coming at us dead ahead!

Thomas: Another fleet?! You mean, like another whole fleet?!
That is the definition of ‘another fleet’, yes.

Wow, we made all sorts of friends.

Dietrich: This is Lieutenant Dietrich Schneizer of the Regeinland Space Armored Fleet. Identify yourself. We have reason to suspect you’re the ship carrying the Special Prisoner, Yuri. We demand your immediate surrender.

Gen: Well, now. You seem to be quite popular these days, Yuri.
No kidding.

Franny: Yeah, well, this popularity contest is gonna get us all killed! We’re already deep in Regeinlandic territory. Where do we go now?!

Thomas: Oh, great. That other fleet behind us has caught up. Talk about outta the frying pan and into the fire!

Well, this is not looking good.

Franny: What are we gonna do, Yuri?

Yuri: Master Gen’s been right so far.

Franny: What’s that got to do with--

Gen: Perhaps, but I didn’t foresee Regeinland showing up here.

Yuri: Well, what aer we going to do now?

Gen: You know what we need to do. All you have to do now is make a choice.

Yuri: … All righty, I pick Regeinland.

Thomas: What?! We’re gonna take on their whole fleet?!

Yuri: No, we’re going to surrender.

Thomas: Huh?

Franny: Surrender?!

Yuri: Yeah, to Lieutenant Schenizer. Just watch.

Yuri opens the intercom.
Yuri: This is Yuri speaking. We are surrendering.

Dietrich: Roger that. Surrender accepted. Please accompany us back to port.

Larson: No, wait! Lieutenant Schenizer! We’re under orders to bring him in!

Dietrich: That’s interesting. We’re under the same orders. And I’m sure you’re aware we’re already in Regeinlandic territory. Any interference by foreign vessels in this internal matter could spark an international crisis, even if you are sailing under the Federation flag.

Larson: Oh, um… yes, of course. The prisoners are yours.

[Sirus]

I always thought Regeinland had the coolest uniforms. And I believe one of my favorite ships is theirs as well!
These guys are pretty cool is what I'm saying.

[kaian-a-coel]

"fleet ahead, fleet behind. Guess we're screwed." no you moron, you still have left and right, not speaking of up and down! You're in freaking SPACE.

[Culise]

"fleet ahead, fleet behind. Guess we're screwed." no you moron, you still have left and right, not speaking of up and down! You're in freaking SPACE.

Oh, it's actually 1-D.  Remember that combat in this game is basically manoeuvring forward and backwards to increase or decrease your distance from the enemy fleet; the other dimensions are abstracted out.  As such, with Yuri stuck between Regeinland and Libertas, there's nowhere left to move. ^_^

((Alternately, and a bit more seriously, if Yuri does take off at a perpendicular course, both intercepting fleets can just cut along the diagonal to come in along his flank, at which point he's now stuck in a potential enfilade.  It's even worse with delta-v involved since they would require less thrust to adjust their vector to intercept than Yuri would to make the sharper movement, but admittedly, movement isn't really all that strictly-restricted by delta-v budgets by this point in either case.))