Unfortunately, Lt. Deacon and many of the marines were exposed to an exotic parasite. It ravaged the muscle tissue of humans (Grog being a Yazarian was immune). Most under his command for that operation eventually died. He was one of the few survivors. False rumors milled about Lt. Deacon had denied needed medical supplies and aid to his men in order to ensure his survival. He was quietly offered an honorable discharge and the Imperial Marines urged him to accept it or face a formal inquiry. Feeling betrayed by the very service which he had dedicated his life to, Deacon resigned and sought out his own fortune.
Grog a year later was called for an independent planetoid survey by a group of private miners. There she met Rom Krӧll, became good friends, and confirmed that his group had found a large deposit of an unusual element. The system had a tenuous relation with the Federation, and the Imperium began making overtures to the system government to defect and join the Imperium once Grog’s findings were made public. Pressure was put on Rom’s companions to sell their claim to Atlas megacorporation.
The miners refused and the planetoid became a hot spot of political dissent as Atlas megacorp moved in with their own private security force. Rumors were circulating that Atlas was also being supported by resources of the Imperium. If they established order and secured the claim to the planetoid, the system government would abandon their ties with the Federation and become a system under Imperium control.
Coming by a recommendation from a criminal syndicate, Atlas megacorp employed Roxie Hart to assassinate key figures in the miner resistance. She contacted her information operative, Syn, to help her track down the contract targets. Once on the planetoid however both had a change of heart. Whether being tired of acting as a tool for their employers, realizing they were on the wrong side of this conflict, or Roxie suffering from her growing drug addiction, they abandoned the contract. While making a 'performance' on the planetoid, Roxie crossed paths with Rom Krӧll and warned him of Atlas megacorp and the local government’s desire to assassinate his fellow miners.
Syn using Rom’s face as a public figure broadcast this information to all within the system. Seeing how the system government could be implicated in switching alliances publicly, local military swarmed in and brutally declared martial law. Atlas would not be able to secure the mining rights and the system would remain under Federation control. To tie things up, the system government rounded up most of the rebel miners, and handed them prison sentences which were to be conveniently carried out in an Atlas security facility. Grog got word of the situation and ended up resigning her post in the Federation Scout service in protest.
En route to the security facility, the spacecraft had a mishap. Roxie Hart and Syn cunningly used their skills to ensure that there would be an opportunity for Rom to escape before the ship reached its destination. He scurried away to another system and lay low as an asteroid miner. To this day he is listed as a saboteur and instigator against Atlas megacorporation operations, with rewards being offered for his recapture.
During this time Roxie found herself having difficulty serving as an assassin. Both psychologically and physically she found unable to effectively carry out contracts. By fortune, a member of her security entourage that she had merely hired for show actually had a keen medical eye. Deacon spotted the spiraling effect of narcotic addiction that she was afflicted with. He knew of a narcotic alternative, Pancrosynth, which could help in easing the symptoms and eventually help her kick her dependency. She still would need years of treatment before she could shake off the grip of her drug addiction. But this event cemented her friendship with Deacon and she opened up her hidden persona of being a contract assassin.
Rom working asteroids in a loose conglomerate of miners hit a big claim. With a substantial amount of money in his pocket, he sought a way to other remote systems and distance himself from Atlas megacorp. He contacted Grog who herself managed to have had a favor called in. An old retired friend from the scout service was settling down and looking to sell his freighter at nearly cost. If she could wrangle up the ship shares and crew, the craft was hers. Grog in turn contacted one of the best pilots she knew, asking if Deacon knew of anyone else with enough money on hand (and trained enough) to join in the venture. Deacon immediately thought of Roxie and Syn, and all five ended up signing ownership papers to the Scalawag.
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