014-1107:
Cade's Crew Arrives at
Rhylanor
015-1107:
They have a meet and greet with Stannen Vaanali, where they meet Joachim and Maninra. The meet and greet is typical with food, refreshments, and wine. First order of business is determining the crew. Out of
Cade's Crew Argo, Laura, Cedric, and Albrecht sign on. Ronald was offered to join but he is going to stay with Ulrikka and Zorphani and operate the Ancient Mariner to maintain the company on that end.
Marquis Harold Haute,
Dr. Peter Lucas, and
Richard Skoll join on as well.
A set of very well created holographic images showcase the R2A4, progressing from its humble origins as a brokendown old Type R subsidised merchant to its sleek new look as a fast and elegant vessel to rival anything the megacorporations can field. Internal and optional features are mentioned, and the Travellers have the opportunity to agree which they want.
- DORSAL BULGE: Missile Battery
- MAIN CARGO AREA: Cargo
- FORWARD SECURE CARGO AREA: Vehicle garage
After this is handled the positions are assigned. Stannen is in charge of the overall mission but the positions are assigned:
- Master: Richard Skol (Agent Skull)
- Astrogator:: Cedric Dutton
- Pilot: Argo Cade
- Chief Engineer: Albrecht Johnson
- Gunnery Officer: Argo Cade
- Purser: Harold Haute
After this they are shuttled down to KIKHIMAA CITY, to the RVSC Installation. They are given a brief tour where they are shown Ships being rebuilt into luxury beauties. Albrecht Checks the history of many of the old ships and nothing nefarious is found.
They are introduces to Davis Levoreen, the Regional Manager. There he asks the Contractors to give the ship a name. They Name her the Warrior Princess. He enters it into the registry along with each of their names and positions. Each traveller is issued to ID Cards.
Stannen, authorizes each crew member at the bridge and when this is done the crew runs Diagnostics, and Tests to make sure the ship systems are go. The Testing takes 8 hours and the crew becomes very well acquainited with the Warrior Princess.
The members of
Cade's Crew Dillegently test and retest. The new 3 are not as meticulous, but Albrecht says this ship is REALLY GOOD.
by 2100 they are ready to Jump. Cedric plots corse for their first demonstration at Jae Tellona. They use the Jump time to plan out their demonstration.
Albrecht Johnson spends this time to become very well acquainted with the ship, even spotting some strange anomalies.
022-1107:
3 am. They emerge from jump space and Jae Tallona rules and regulations are on their display. They see an Imperial Navy Destroyer and a Sword World Dreadnaught. The news reports tell them why. A Vargr Corsaid is on trial and the Captain of the Dreadnaught, Svan Borressen, is there to speak on his behalf.
They reach the dock by 7am. Argo insists he be allowed to dock the ship, even though the RVSC employees want to show off the autocrew. Argo does not care he wants to "feel the ship". Argo is slotted in perfectly for docking.
Not everything goes as smoothly as Argo Cade would like. Their instruments inform them that another ship is on a course that could bring it dangerously close. The vessel is a 600-ton starship, noted as being an Argacan multipurpose ship named
Prime Example.
The Argacan has changed course rather suddenly, creating a danger of collision. This should be an infraction but for some reason traffic control is completely ignoring the situation. The Argacan does not respond to communications at first, creating a situation in which the Travellers must respond without information. At this point the AutoGunner starts asking if the
Reidd-Valaassi Starship Corporation Contractors want to lock weapons on the other vessel and AutoBridge indicates it intends to alter course in a few seconds. This is the safe and responsible option but will result in the Travellers losing their approach slot and being given a new one in nearly two hours’ time.
Eventually the Starport responds and informs Argo he is in violation though it is actually clear that the Prime Example was in violation. He points this out but the spiel is repeated. They will be impounded if they do not move out of the way.
Harola starts to come up with leagal arguments over the comm and she is showing her value by making a good case. She succeeded in convincing the starport controller but Argo was way ahead of her and using the ships thruster momentum, he let the
Prime Example go by but without causing them to lose their spot. It was very impressive flying.
Richard Skoll realized he could never have pulled that off. Argo made it sing. all the while Albrecht starts researching the Genral Products ship.
It is not lost on the crew that Argo just made any sales a bit easier. (DM +1)
They Dock on time, clear customs, and check into the Hotel Imperial Jae Tellona. Stannen reminds them to be on best behavior and Argo merely laughs.
Argo Buys a Luxury Grav Car with RVSC Money. They store it in the Vehicle Bay. Laura buys some Luxury Jewelry. Albrecht chooses to investigate the Prime Example. He appeals to Richard Skol and He agrees to make that competitor pay for the display.
Albrecht, Dutton, Harola and Skol ask around the port and they managed to assemble the general feeling:
- General Products has clearly dumped
a great deal of money into the Jae Tellona operation
and has been particularly blatant in using its money
to win legal but morally questionable victories over its
opponents.
- General Products invested a lot of money
in its shipyard at Jae Tellona around 1070–80, setting
up a specialist production facility for the Kinunir
vanguard or colonial cruiser.
- either a reckless
investment or the megacorporation knew something
others did not, because at the time orders were small
for the new design. In the event, even the short run
originally ordered was curtailed and the design largely
forgotten about.
- A few years ago General began
throwing money around, converting the production
facility to build other designs and greatly expanding
it. Again, this investment seems based on insider
knowledge, or else General Products are just keen on
wasting money.
They certainly can't go at the company with this. Skol does some digging through the Extranet. +3 Effect: He pieces together different information from job and publciity reports, and various other news articles.
Among all of this are notes on transactions with former
suppliers of components for the ill-fated Kinunir. The
volume of production from the Jae Tellona yards does not match the materials going in. The discrepancy is
not large; around 5-6,000 tons of shipping over the
past three years. That would equate to four or maybe
five vessels of the Kinunir built on the quiet. These is
nothing illicit about that; General Products might be
trying to relaunch the class and creating demonstration
vessels, or they may have orders from a client who
wants a version of those ships for some reason.
Dr Lucas decides to hack in the next day. 42 minutes in the system he finds more: General
Products did not convert all the Kinunir construction
slips to other uses and has chosen to leave them
unchanged whilst building new slips for other vessels.
The only logical explanation is that General Products
has resumed the production of this class. Why they
would do so remains unclear.
They simply don't have enough to go on.
024-1107:
The sales pitch meeting:
2 Clients cancel, which is nearly disastrous. The clients originally scheduled were:
• CEO Hector Zarr, representing Rhylanor Freight
Services LIC.
Agent Skull upon investigation discovered that Rhylanor Shipping was bought off with a fat contract by General Products.
• Director of Procurement Ruelle Laugur,
representing ShortHop Shipping LIC.
Agent Skull found out there were several lawsuits against the company brought on by General Products. Those cases have been posponed. He concludes that it is likely they dropped from the appointment with RVSC to hopefully get the cases dropped.
• Sir Ba-abtab Atwa, representing General Procurement, LIC They find out he is actually an Imperial Knight. A powerful administrator.
They design their pitch to appeal to Bwaps. Laura makes the arrangements (Effect +5)
They sit through about 2 hours of the Bwap explaining General Procurement's Credentials, and a half hour of Stannen going through RVSC's. Albrecht explaiins the systems of the ship perfectly for the Bwap. When Harola goes to pitch the sail the Bwap Knight is very impressed (+14 Effect)
They do not procure a sale but the Bwap immediately sets up secondary Negotiations with RVSC.
The negotiations end at 0.6875 (16:30).
They go back to their rooms to freshen up for dinner. There the Hotel staff alerts them there is a gentleman to see them. Intrigued, they invite him to the conference room on the Warrior Princess.
The visitor is KAPITEN IM RAUM SVAN BORRESSEN, Captain of the most prestigious vessel in the Sword Worlds. He is visiting the crew and his assistant brings along a keg of beer from the Sword Worlds.
His proposal is simple: Being representatives of a starship company, he wonders if they would testify for a group of Vargyr Corsairs called the Zueng who are being tried as Pirates. He appeals to their success for the people on
Affinity Highport during
The Core: Last Call at Eneri's Cantina at least for Cades Crew. They will get Cr500 a day through the court.
Reidd-Valaassi Starship Corporation Contractors agree and he invites them for Dinner tomorrow aboard hsi ship.
025-1107:
.802 (19:15) They Join the Kapiten aboard his dreadnaught for supper. The dinner is a full dress affair and all the contractors are dressed appropriately, except for Argo who has attached a mantle to his leather jacket attire. Richard Skol and Albrecht are impeccable, and Laura absolutely is the most beautiful woman in the room including the Sword World female officer. Harola knows this and is quite jealous.
The Kapiten's crew discuss their mission with the travellers, and they relay stories about being completely honest when Imperials ask if they are involved in Espionage. Of course we are! Things go like this for some time. The Reidd contractors ask for a tour of the ship, and it is granted. Albrecht is very excited. They depart back to the Hotel very happy with the company they had.
026-1107--029-1107:
.333 (08:00) The trial begins and the Travellers are present.
Trial Ends with Zueng proven innocent.
030--031-1107
Maintenace on the Warrior Princess.
032--038-1107:
22:00 arrive within system of Fulacin
0200 arrive at Fulacin Highport. As they queue for Docking order, Peter notices some anomalous readings from the surface. As soon as its noticed its gone.
Shortly after Data, in the form of incomprehensible numbers, begins to be presented in tables which are apparently cross-referencing with one another. This is not an AutoBridge feature. After a few moments the tables disappear and are replaced with an image of a wedge-shaped starship that might be familiar to the Travellers. It is a Kinunir-class ‘cruiser’, and its image is accompanied by a summary table.
VESSEL TYPE: Kinunir-class 78.2% Confidence.
VESSEL IDENTITY: Unknown.
LOCATION: Planetary Surface.
CONDITION: Structurally Intact 88.4% Confidence.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Debris nearby. Low
power readings. Negative transponder.
ANALYSIS: Vessel has been forced to crash-land or
has been brought down. Communications offline or
deliberately disabled.
This information dump has been triggered by a lowpowered distress signal emitted by the wreck on an unusual band. It would be mistaken for interference by anyone without the equipment to decode it. That has been done automatically by the intelligence package aboard the prototype, which might prompt the Travellers to wonder what secrets their ship is hiding.
Nobody on board knows about the package, so there are no immediate answers to be had.
The crew is all wondering how the ship was able to recieve this information. Albrecht and Richard Skol are at a loss. Nobody else on crew knows why either including Stannen.
They decide to check it out!
It takes 10.5 minutes to reach the surface 0215. There is a built in autocorrect for landing. Argo finds it extremely annoying but manages to counter it with his own landing. He is reminding himself they must calibrate the auto correct to his flying. They don their HEV suits and depart. Laura stays back on the ship in the medbay.
Its easy to traverse, but the wind does make things more difficult than usual. They climb in through the open pinnace bay doors. They do not take off their suits.
They confront hijackers of which they retain 2 on board in the medbay. They are in critical Condition. Sir Harnex is also undergoing medical care.
The travellers make a deal with Harnex. Sir Hamex’ idea is that the Travellers ‘rescued’ him from
a hijack attempt on his yacht. If the vessel turns up he will
deal with any conflicting stories. It would be best not to
be caught in the vicinity of the present incident since he
was not supposed to be there at all but what if the yacht was attacked in some backwater, say the Dinom system,
by members of a rebellion going on there? The Travellers
swooped in with their excellent ship and bravely rescued
Sir Hamex. Nobody knows anything about a missing
General Products ship and everyone benefits!
The
Reidd-Valaassi Starship Corporation Contractors agree.
039--077-1107:
5 Jumps to Dinom. Arrive in system: 0400. Arrive at port 0645. They pass lots of ship traffic going to the orbital fuelling station. THey continue on with acknowledgement from Traffic Control but there is no further conversation. Argo sees one major ship in the ring of landing pads, called the Bright Face, A General Products multipurpose ship. On the way, in the system of Rech they find a strange Emission Readings on the sensors. What is peculiar about this detection is that although
this vessel is producing minimal emissions and does
not respond to transponder pings, the Travellers’
sensors are producing a lot of data from somewhere.
This resolves itself into a familiar looking table but disappears quickly. Despite all of his efforts Albrecht can't get the data retrieved again.
VESSEL TYPE
: Kinunir-class 100% Confidence.
VESSEL IDENTITY
: Enki Kalamma.
LOCATION
: Coordinates Available.
CONDITION
: Operational, observing EMCON status.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
: Weapons unpowered.
ANALYSIS
: Vessel has adopted covert observation
status. No combat alert in progress.
Albrecht wonders along with Argo how their sensors could know so much about any military vessel let alone one they can barely locate. Argo warns that it is best not to let on they know about the vessel where ever it is from. In order to get this information it means their sensors are military grade, and that would draw suspicion. The Admiral has no idea about this vessel.
They leave the Admiral on the ship and they all don vacc suits to exit. This port has no pressurized tunnel for some reason. They finally reach a pressurized facility and finally some living humans come out to meet them. They take off their suits, and they are informed they must leave weapons in the locker. Agent Skull keeps his N7 suit on. No security guards seem willing to challenge him. He leaves his weapons in the locker though.
Eventually they get to the main city and they check into the most expensive hotel the Dinom Excellence. They register with the business board to begin. They all except for Agent Skull change into business attire. They receive a call in a few minutes 9:10 am. The caller introduces himself as Chief Executive
Arlent Streen, currently responsible for in-system craft
operations and related matters. The World Board is
primarily interested in procuring a flotilla of shuttles
to better move ore between the surface and visiting
freighters. However, good offers are always welcome.
He is authorised to discuss other related matters,
including the purchase of one or more transport
starships and even an expansion to the port. He is about
to visit an ore processing plant that is having some
problems, so will have to either schedule a conference
call for this evening or meet in person in a few days
when he gets back to Rhylan. They agree to do a conference call.
Meanwhile they spend time in the bar of
Dinom Excellence. They learn alot about the General Products crew. The Admiral Contacts Skull and suggests this is the oppurtunity to let him fly back. Sir Hamex Boards the ship later that evening. Seems convenient anyway that another General Products ship was here, like the one he was meeting in Fulacin. They bid him farewell and can expect the credits soon.
Argo and Harola decide to check in about the situation on Dinom much to Richard Skol dismay. He does not think this is any of their business and can hurt the RVSC mission. They find there is no open rebellion but there is civil unrest and Riots in the other 2 cities. Shortly they get a call from Streen. He tells them he is checking some of the sabotage out near some mines and will not be able to meet tonight via conference call. 2 images are coming through. His helmed face and his person from his assistant. While talking Skol sees movement in the reflection of his helmet that indicates someone is drawing a gun him! Agent Skull shouts a warning, and shots are fired. One body guard is slain as a bullet pierces her faceplate. Another bullet misses the camera assistant as a body guard saves her.
The Bodyguard and Assistant get Streen out in a very professional manner to the ATV. The last body guard is killed just as he shoves Streen into the vehicle. Comms go down as Streen asks for help.
Most of the rioters are not equipped to fight the security forces. Soon the rebels break int othe hotel. Harola tries to calm them down with Richard Skol intimidating them but it does not work. A melee ensues with rioters using tools and travellers their fists. The rioters were attacking with tools. They hit Dutton, Argo, and Skol. Skol of course absorbed everything, but Argo and Dutton felt the pain a bit. When the rioters surrendered, Dutton actually beat one down after because of the attack.
Harola used the oppurtunity to calm the rest of the rioters down after their show of superiority.
They know Streen needs help so they move to the Space port. They face more groups of rioters. Each time Harola was able to convince the group they were no threat, adn they moved on to go vandalize some place. On the way they saw many security forces harassing people. They were unarmed, so they didn't stop it, they had to move on to Streen as he was the priority.
The travellers make it to the port, reequip at the lockers, and head to their ship. Its the best way to reach streen. They take off and Bullet off to wear Streen's last location was, which is easy in the ship.
Dutton tries to find them on sensors but he operationally fails. He knows it too. Lara takes the sensors and finds them. Contact with the ATV is relatively easy once the
Travellers are in range. The position is not good.
Streen’s party are slogging across a particularly
cratered area and have taken damage to one of their
vehicle’s wheels. They are aware they are being
pursued but cannot be certain where the hostiles are.
All vehicles involved in the pursuit are unarmed but if
the pursuers catch up they will surely be able to cripple
Streen’s ATV and get inside.
None of the crew or travellers are interested in killing the rebels. That is a last resort. Cade orders crew to move things aroung in the vehicle bay so that Streen's ATV can drive right in. This is the safest, but riskiest to the ship. Cade is sure he can do it. After the cargo is cleared, Cade lands the ship, and the ATV driver brings it in. It is tight, but they are saved. Cade flies off to the Space Port.
THey make their introductions, but ofcourse no negotiations are going to occur yet. Just as they are heading to the space port another crisis occurs. Streen tells them of a trainload of managers,
shareholders and executives, and their families, that have
been forced to leave the city eastward towards the
unfinished section of the monorail. Nobody but Cade's Crew can reach them in time. Argo Speeds off to the monorail. As they approach the Autogunner alerts them to a missile attack. They don't have the thrust to hit. Streen claims : ‘They’re not active yet.’ Streen says that the World Board did spend some
money on planetary defence a few years back.
Bunkers were dug close to each city, to be equipped
with a vertical-launch PAD (Planetary Aerospace
Defence ) missile system. The project was never
finished however; complications with weapon
procurement and construction delayed installation
of the weapons. Only the bunker at Rhylan is
operational, with a handful of missiles available. It is
still in the hands of the World Board.
Clearly they are; missile
plumes are detected rising from a mountainous area
south of Napan. The missiles are curving towards
the Travellers’ ship but are not on an intercept vector.
AutoGunner, or a Traveller experienced in gunnery,
can predict the missiles’ trajectory; they are trying to hit
the Travellers’ ship but cannot change vector quickly
enough. The reason for this is that their powerful initial
boost is designed to get the missiles to orbital height
quickly. They simply have too much initial velocity to
engage a lower target unless the Travellers are more or
less directly overhead.
But then a new Salvo is launched, three missiles each with different trajectories as if the Rebels are experimenting. Agent Skull Says :
Someone must have smuggled missiles on-planet
and set them up somewhere before the revolution.
That suggests a level of preparation that might be
beyond a rabble of disaffected workers and the sort of
connections required to orchestrate arming the rebels
with anti-ship missiles.
Argo Flies to evade the missiles. Within 18 minutes the missiles were shot down and Argo brought the ship low to get cover from the monorail.
On the way Albrecht studies the plans for the monorail that Streen gives him access to. When they arrive, the ships sensors show that the other car is 20 minutes out. They have 20 minutes. Albrecht analyzes the situation and matches it with the plans. THe idea he has seems impossible but he tells everyone how it will work using what is available to them. The crew, including the RVSC crew, help rescue the people.
Complications: The people are scared and hesitant. Harola Convinces them to don Vacc Suits and get in Rescue balls.
One particular rich person is indignant about their child not getting into a rescue ball and demands that they trade places. Harola Shames them both with words and her status as a noble.
Some kids are not willing to go. Lara Convinces them to get into Vacc Suits and Rescue balls , while Agent Skull forces some kids into rescue balls kicking and screaming. Their parents threaten to sue Richard Skol.
Agent Skull does an amazing job showing people how to get into Vacc Suits and with Lara Supervising, this step goes flawlessly.
The RVSC crewmen reposition the track vehicles to get everyone off the train. But the other train is coming fast.
Richard Skol gets on the comms and orders the train to slow down:
Someone announces the
controls are not responding, then an argument breaks out.
It quickly escalates into several voices shouting for others
to drop their weapons, then a shot is heard. It is followed
by others and whoever the Travellers were speaking to
shouts, ‘Get them out of the way! It’s not going to stop!’.
More shots follow, then the channel is cut. Moments later
the monitors detect the freight train’s last car uncouple
itself and apply its emergency brakes. The rest of the train
continues to accelerate.
Skull orders everyone off double time! They follow the procedure laid out by Albrecht, and Lara assists the civilians. They get them out and all start boarding the ship just as the train comes flying out of the tube. It travels a far distance proportional with Dinom's gravity and it gets destroyed. RIchard Skol starts investigating what happens on the train.
078-1107:
There is a full on rebellion here.
079-1107:
Streen Contacts them as they need help in a battle for the city of Medianne. He negotiates with Harola Haute. She negotiates a formidable legally binding deal with her company. RVSC will get paid 1.5 Mcr. The contractors will get paid 1Mcr.
They set off as Stannen Vaanaii finishes the paperwork.
The rebel advance is broken. Their forces pull back leaving Medianne in the hands of the World Board.
The travellers aided the defenders and still probably prevented more casualties on either side.
080--089-1107:
Harola Haute acts as the liason for negotiations. Eventually, they settle that 20% of profits will be diverted to the workers party for welfare concerns. They each get paid Cr 10,000 for their role in the negotiations. RVSC Offers their ship as neutral ground. This makes them look very very good.
090--117-1107:
At Phlume they get 3 readings of 3 imperial vessels in space. Agent Skull alerts INI.
At Rangent they pick up a passenger named Jeffe Khalid.
At Pequan thry refuel at the refuel satellite. There another gliych occurs.
VESSEL TYPE: Chazhdr-class, 67% Confidence.
VESSEL IDENTITY: Unknown.
LOCATION: Orbiting Mainworld.
CONDITION: Operational. Weapons Unpowered.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Not responding to
civilian transponder signals.
ANALYSIS: No analysis possible at this time.
The Chazhdr-class is a Zhodani light cruiser. This
example is only two jumps from Zhodani space and
has all manner of reasons to be present in a neutral
system.
118-1107:
They have meetings o Arden.
Complications arose, and it was discovered that there was an intelligence program aboard the ship that was siphoning Imperial Ship positions and intelligence dumps from stations to the Zhodani. The Travellers were allowed to keep the ship, and Agent Skull managed to keep the ships systems a secret, instead passing blame to another agent.
The former
Reidd-Valaassi Starship Corporation Contractors were under suspicion but they were recruitiing into a counter intelligence operation. A counter intelligence operation involving the Personality Overlay.
After this is handled the positions are assigned. Stannen is in charge of the overall mission but the positions are assigned:
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