The Core: Last Call at Eneri's Cantina
General Summary
158-1105:
The Travellers land at the Affinity Highport. Albrecht makes an appointment for Maintenance and then bids the crew of the Suberb Starling a good journey home. They then enjoy the ameneties of the Affinity Highport. Rill sends them references for Stewards and Cooks on their ship.
159-1105: Their ship the Ancient Mariner is finally delivered to them from Anther. They spend the whole day enjoying the ship.
160-193-1105: The Maiden Voyage of The Ancient Mariner. See Trade Representative Mission. Returned The Imperial Trade Representative back to Affinity safely and she was successful in her assignment.
194-1105:
Maintenance on The Ancient Mariner at Affinity Station. Argo decides to gamble but breaks even on the ships money. After the game a man named Grufta Sporza, tells argo about a cargo. The cargo is unclaimed.
‘If you like games of chance, then you must play the speculative trade game. I happen to
know of a score that you should take.’
The cargo is very difficult to haul, as it is a rare Sylean liquer that must be stored at a very low temperature. Rapidly heating it and consuming them in seconds is the only way to get the desired flavor and effect.
The crew agrees and purchases the lot for Cr100K
202-203-1105:
Land at Anther Highport. seek a buyer. Found one and sell the cargo for 150% the buying price.
204-1105:
Scoop for fuel and return to Affinity.
214-1105:
Return to Affinity high port.
215-1105 While searching for goods to transport the crew encounters a Xalmian artist who engages them in debate. Ronald Pierre impresses him and leads to a discussion on his exhibit for Restoration Plaza in the station. He wants some historical art that may be lost on a ship on Shion's moon. The crew agree to help him find it.
216-230-1105 Journey to Shion to gather some rare artifacts. They get them back to Bloqua Altidore. They arrive in the afternoon of 230. Pierre searches for a supplier. 630 buys 6 tons of pharmaceuticals. Find 2 high travellers, cr500K
248-1105
They reach Traa, drop off their Passenger. Ronald goes to seek a buyer. Albrecht makes an appointment for Maintenance. Ronald Pierre Manages to sell the Pharmaceuticals for double the price. Mcr1.2!
249-1105
Dissident tries to escape planetary authorities on the Ancient Mariner. Zorphani turns him in. Ronald looks for another shipment to sell on Affinity. He finds Common Electronics and decides it would actually get a better price over Gems. Ronald scores a buy of 60% cost.
250-278-1105 Fuel Scooping on 254 encounter ship in distress. To big of a ship to help, they report it to authorities on Traa, and offer assistance until the authorities arrive.
279-1105 Seek buyer for electronics. by 10am find a buyer. They accept his offer They go back to Enari's. Bug is bartending but they can see that the owner Zashe is under stress. Laura decides to speak with her about it.
Calago – my son – has gone missing. He went down
the well [the Affinitian term for going planetside] aboard
our shuttle, the Rammiakhiidru, about three days ago
and I have not heard from him since. I expected him
back the next day after he left and well… I’m worried
about him. I can’t leave the bar. Bug can’t run the
business by himself. Do you have time to go down
there and look for him?
The crew unanimously agree to search.
Scan the planet with Ancient Mariner's advanced sensors.
280-1105:
It takes 14 hours of searching and finally at about 3am they find something. They find Calago's shuttle upside down in the water. Ronald, Ulrika, Cedric, and Zorphani enter it but Ulrikka gets seasick and a little battered. She reboots the central computer and finds out where Calago may have gone. She also notes the fuel tanks are half full, the cargo bay empty and last visited an island called J-51.
The logs show that the shuttle was at the island 26 hours ago. Cedric pilots the Shuttle while Argo flies the Ancient Mariner. They fly to what is identified as Island J-51. On a nearby Island they see an airship sea skimmer. Its Calago being tied up by two mobsters.
The mobsters take off and Calago is rescued. They make it to Eneri.s before midnight. Argo could have killed the mobsters but chose not to.
281-1105:
They return Calago and Zashe is elated and relieved. She orders Bug to give a full 2 rounds on the house. But Cade's Crew can tell something else is amiss. Ronald informs Zorphani that the Command Battle Dress suit he found was now polished and ready for purchase. They buy a Command Battle Dress armor for Mcr0.515. Zorphani is the primary user in charge.
282-1105:
9 am they wake up well rested and the mood on the station is very different. They are on the 1st deck having a Terran Breakfast, when a two thugs approach them. All are ready. Zorphani spots several more thugs in the crowd. They could fight but lots of people will get hurt. Argo starts to tell them that he could have killed the thugs with the Ancient Mariner but didn't. Before he even finishes the First speaker cuts him off and says this has nothing to do with that. The boss wants a word with them. Cedric Dutton tells them he's not moving until they finish breakfast. The thugs agree and back off but still in sight. After breakfast they go for an audience with Syn To Rei.
He makes a proposal since they saved Calago they are now in debt to him. Cade absolutely tells them they are out of line. Syn remains calm and explains he would like them to take over Eneri's Cantina. Cade's Crew absolutely refuses and makes it known they do not in any way consider themselves in debt to him. Syn asks them to think it over, but it is clear they did not leave on good terms.
They decide that they should go to the Fusing core. When they enter there they are given hostile stares. Still they decide to have a drink. After some time, Sargeant Tolian asks if she can join them. They have a short conversation and she buys them a round of drinks to apologize for the cold shoulder. ‘We will be in touch with you soon. Ase needs people like you. Good luck.’ she says as she leaves.
They spend the rest of the day visiting varous sites in the station. Towards evening Asei military police are setting up barricades outside the docking bays and shipyard. They say it is only a precautionary move against terrorists and insurrectionists.
283-1105:
The starport docking bays and upper-level shipyard have been secured by the military police
and Restoration Plaza has been shut down by the paramilitaries, who have posted patrols on its
periphery. This does not sit well with the rank-and-file Affinitians who are accustomed to having free
reign of the plaza and park. Many paramilitaries see Eneri’s Cantina as part of the problem and
some are threatening to shut down the bar by force. Zashe contacts the Travellers to let them know
things are getting hot and that she needs their help.
At Eneri's cantina: Paramilitary storms the bar. Ranald calms them down, talks them down, and negotiates with the threat of the rest of Cade's Crew to leave the bar alone. The paramilitary Asei leave.
At restoration plaza, Argo and Zorphani try to calm the riot but they are unsuccessful. Ulrikka and Ronald manage to calm the Military Police enough so that there are no casualties.
They get word of where the riots are and go to help: Argo calmed the people trying to get to the shuttle. Albrecht and Ulrikka Helped avoid patrols by making up stories the Asei beleived. Laura, saved at least a dozen lives on both the Asei side and the civilian side by giving rapid and apporopriate Medical attention. Cedric and Zorphani saved many unarmed rioters on deck 2 by organizing them to defend themselves. Ronald Persuaded Military police to not fire on a crowd.
At Night after there is calm they go back to Eneri's. The front windows are boarded up but the doors are open. Bug, Calago, and Bruiser guard the entrance, vetting patrons to ensure that no troublemakers get in. Several tables have been set aside for a small cadre of volunteer medics who have set up a makeshift triage centre where they treat a dozen or so patients wounded in the riots. Laura immediately joins them and performs emergency surgery. A freelance journalist from the Traveller News Service is present, interviewing people about their experiences during the riot. Zashe, sleepless and exhausted, serves coffee
and other beverages to a few patrons, all of them regulars of the bar. She motions the Travellers over and offers them food and drink.
While they are slowly and reflectively eating Zasche introduces them to Seneschal Betro Uivi who works for the Baroness that hired them. He explains what is going on with the Asei. Uivi informs the Travellers about the Justice for All initiative, currently being deliberated in the Moot.
Uivi explains that Ase hopes to set new legal standards in order to control the worlds of the Sylean Main. He believes it will not end there. Trade and travel between the stars is the next objective. While the Imperium guarantees free trade between its worlds, it also guarantees their security. By hypothesising that the security of the Imperium is threatened by so-called ‘lawless worlds’, the Asei have brought into question whether free trade and travel can be allowed to continue in their current form. Presumably, he says, the ‘appearance’ of free trade and transit will be maintained; however, those who engage in it will have to register their ships, pay new duties and taxes, and abide by the rules of a new bureaucracy, one originating not from Capital but from Ase, which stands
to profit greatly from this new paradigm. Uivi points out that Affinity is not the only world being affected. He has heard rumours that all along the Sylean Main, similar actions are being taken against other subsidiary worlds.
Uivi informs the Travellers that the initiative is not popular. It might not pass in the Moot, although he believes that Ase currently has the votes. However, the Countess of Bendo has access to a large voting bloc. She owns not just Bendo’s vote but also the proxies for many of the other fiefs in the Cemplas subsector. The countess rarely travels to Capital, so her votes are almost never
counted. If the Travellers speak to the countess, they might be able to convince her to exercise her votes. The bloc she controls would likely be enough to defeat Justice for All and force Ase to recall its security forces.
284-1105:
The station is in shambles and many of the buildings are husks. Restoration Plaza has now been made the Asei Headquarters. In the morning they hear this announcement:
Order has been restored to Affinity Highport. All citizens
should remain in their homes or places of business
until further notice. By executive order, the highport is
now under the provisional authority of the Asei security
forces. This facility shall remain under martial law until
further notice.
Cade's Crew needs to get to Tertha.
Ronald suggests just approaching Sargeant Tolian. They attempt to do so.
Ronald Pierre is very smooth and knows his bureacracy. They give The Ancient Mariner exemption from the Lockdown. They are escorted to the 100 Diameter point and they Jump to Tertha. They jump at 7 PM.
The Asei offer Mcr2 fo their help. While they are very torn, they insist they must see the countess first. He offers escorts but they decline.
291-1105:
During the Jump, Ulrikka swept their ship for Bugs and destroyed them all. They also sweep the Bug drones off their bodies, with their Countersurveilace.
Arrive at Tertha 4am. They find out that the Countess is out on Renegade Roost and hasnt been seen in 60 days.
Ulrikka gets the records from the Tugship Drone for her asteroid, and it takes 4 days but Albrecht figures out where the tragectories could take them through Astronomy. Argo then uses Astrogation and pinpoints an asteroid.
295-1105:
Fly to the Asteroid Renegade Roost. They enter easily because Uivi knows where the Airlocks are. They enter the asteroid and shortly they find the Countess floating in a pocket of Zero G. They announce themselves and she is angry at first. Her security Pantherbots show themselves.
She is definitely not inclined to go vote at the moot as she has not done for decades. For every argument Ronald and Ulrikka make the Countess has an equally valid counter. But eventually They convince the Countess.
The Countess insists on the Travellers help:
The countess insists that they first travel to Affinity, where she intends to stage a protest march through Restoration Plaza to announce her intention to oppose Justice for All at none other than Eneri’s Cantina. ‘Call it our declaration of independence’ she says. The countess intends to make the affair public so that Ase cannot move against her without recrimination. The more public their actions, the
less likely any skulduggery will happen before the vote takes place on Capital. The countess calls her staff to bring her pinnace to Renegade Roost to take her to the starport where her yacht, Beauregard’s Vendetta, is berthed. She insists upon taking her own conveyance to Affinity. Appearances are
important and she cannot be seen skulking about on some far trader when she arrives at Affinity Highport.
Her arrival must be public and she must be aboard her own ship.
They spend the night, and agree to escort her Yacht.
296-1105:
Travel to the Highport.
302-1105:
Successfully Escort the Countess' Yacht. reach Affinity at 6pm.
THe Asei at first, deny the Countess, but Ronald responds on the radio that they do not have the authority to deny a member of the Imperial Bureacracy. The Asei bring a ship up for "her Protection" Argo states that they are her protection. There is a standoff, and the Asei concede to letting the countess aboard. They try to deny the Ancient Mariner but Ronald again cites and imperial law that states the entire entourage must be allowed to board. Ronald presses the case to hard and they have no convenient comeback so they let the Ancient Mariner Dock. THey unload the freight. Zorphani dons his Battle Dress.
303-1105:
THe countess asks them to organize the march. Cade's Crew recruits about 110 people for the march. They confront patrols, but Zorphani in his battle dress and the words of the crew prevent any arrests.
The march starts on Deck 1 and moves to Restoration Plaza. 
All of Cade's Band give speeches and he last one is the countess' speech which lasts an hour.
The gist of her speech is that should the subsidiary worlds of the Sylean Main have their agency stripped, there is little to keep the authoritarian worlds of Core from proceeding to their next target and then the next target after that.
She concludes by paraphrasing a poem by the ancient Terran orator, Martin Niemöller:
First they came for the Infrared Party and I did not
speak out. Because I was not an Infrared.
Then they came for the Red Party and I did not
speak out. Because I was not a Red.
Then they came for the Orange Party and I did not
speak out. Because I was not an Orange.
Then they came for me —
and there was no one left to speak for me.
The Asei make their presence known and Cedric, Ulrikka, Argo, and Zorphani take up positions to bolster the crows. Zorphani's armor is an intimidating presence.
After the speech, the Countess tells them to prepare to travel to Capital. They will need to take the Ancient Mariner.
They Depart at 11 Pm
304-1105:
Jump at 2:15 am.
310-1105:
9:15 am reach Capital.
The crew spends several days sight seeing.
315-1105:
The Moot. At the moot the Motion is defeated, and Justice for all is voted down.
The Countess thanks them for showing her she must do her duty and gain her as an ally.
They refuel at he gas giant.
320-1105:
Jump to Affinity.
327-1105:
The travellers reach affinity and there is a week long celebration at Eneri's in thier honor. Maintenance and Mortgage paid.
334-1105:
Last of Asei Depart.
Missions/Quests Completed
161-1105 they contracted with the Imperial Trade Representative: The baroness recently fired her chief of
security and his entire staff after a breach that occurred
during a mission to the Dingtra subsector. She wants
to hire a group of security consultants – essentially
mercenaries on a security ticket – to escort her to
Prubisk, where she is to negotiate permits for a series
of subsidised merchant routes in the region. She has
heard that the region is plagued by pirates and fears for
her safety.
It is true that there are pirates in a few of the
blighted systems of rimward Chant but the real threat
to the baroness’ safety is more nefarious. Industrial
interests on Skeen want to maintain the status quo in
the region. While they do not currently have their sights
set on transportation contracts in Prubisk or other
neighbouring systems, they want to reserve the right to
develop them on their own schedule. A shadowy cabal of dirty dealers have hired the baroness’ former staff
to track her movements, thwart her mission, going so
far as to eliminate her, if necessary. The Travellers are
offered salaries of Cr3000/month for the duration of the
junket plus a bonus of Cr100000 upon her safe return
to Affinity.
The Results of this mission were that her staff was defeated and she had them arrested after several encounters with thugs. One of the Cabals Leaders was aboard a Corsair atttacking The Ancient Mariner. The Ancient Mariner proved a much superior ship.
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Report Date
02 Jan 2024
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