As Imogen runs toward the starboard engines, she passes an open door that leads towards the bridge. Out of the corner of her eye, she catches another fully-armored marine making his way down towards their location. It does not seem like he has seen her. She considers pausing to try to block this door, but this is a perfect opportunity for Malorn to have that ambush he wanted. She alerts him to the situation, and he gleefully moves into position, his shield humming more loudly now. Imogen hopes he is doing something to increase its effectiveness, given how injured he already looks. Then Lief takes a step to follow the protoss, and Imogen stops him, ordering him ahead to listen at the engine room door instead. If he hears someone on the other side, they can be better prepared for what they will find inside.
“I can’t tell if anyone’s in there, Coz. Does sound like some machinery’s active, though,” Lief reports when Imogen reaches him. “Maybe this set of engines is still working or they got it back online.” Imogen extends her own senses, trying to detect how much life is around the starboard engines, but there is just too much going on for her to concentrate enough. Lief tries the door, but lockdown protocols are now in place. “Just give me a second here,” he tells Imogen, pulling out his picks and setting to work. When the door swishes open, he gives a little cheer. “That’s right! Lief the Lucky always comes through!”
The way ahead looks clear, but before facing any new threats, Imogen spares the time to whip out one of the painkiller shots from Malorn and self-administer it to take the edge off the wounds caused by that gauss rifle. Then she enters the new room, assuming Lief will follow her in. She hears a clang and turns just in time to see a pirate charging at her from the side, machete in one hand and wrench in the other. Her own hand still holds a pistol, and she brings it to bear. The snapshot hits the bladed weapon from the pirate’s hand. It skitters across the floor as the pirate completes his forward rush, smashing Imogen with the wrench instead.
This new assailant is not in any sort of armor, and judging by the grease stains and the wrench in his hand, he was sent back here for repairs, not to face a boarding party. The man panics now that his machete plan has fallen through. After Imogen jerks out of the way of some more wild swings of the wrench, he seems to finally register that the gun in her hand might shoot him next time. He darts away into a sideroom. When Imogen gives chase, she sees that he has dead-ended himself in a bathroom. She levels her pistol at him, demanding his surrender.
“You’re never going to take us! Jackson’s always gets revenge!” the man cries in response.
Imogen is less comfortable with causing death than Lilly and Malorn are. She simply kicks the door shut on the man. She saw the direction his eyes just flickered, and it has caught her interest. There is a variety of junk in this room, but the diamond in the rough is the pirates’ supply of green gold: two small barrels containing highly refined vespene gas. Jackson’s Revenge certainly needs that for fuel. Without it, the pirates will need to find another source or refine some locally, both pretty tricky things to do on a world with zerg. Saffron could get quite far on such high-quality fuel. It could also bring in a pretty penny on the street, if she and Lilly find they are in desperate need of cash. It is a one-two punch, taking what the pirates need and benefiting from it as well.
The lights begin to flicker, and Imogen frowns. The timing of that is far too convenient, and the changes are not random.