Episode 2: Every Ship Needs a Pilot

We are back on Starbase 308 so I can use that rough map (and also I should probably actually sketch out a map of some approximate places and get specific).
Admiral Thoss Chirhat has a younger brother who was on the Gogarg, who he yanked off because of some disciplinary issue. (He spoke out against T'Syr and it kind of looked like mutiny.) But Ishrath was kind of right so now he's assigned to the first available ship, which is the PC's ship.
The only problem is, the ship is scheduled to be there in three hours and no one can find him. The admiral is asking you to find him, quietly, without letting your captain know that he's gone missing.
Do I want to intro my captain here, or leave it to the end? I think here. She can participate in finding, or as an opponent to make things more difficult. Probably opponent. You're trying not to let her know, in exchange for a favor with the admiral.
Ishrath is hounded by someone who seems to be a creditor's thug (is not, and this is a larger plot point I will want to think about). Should be shown that he was getting stuff to help someone on the station, one of my NPCs.
Only about four scenes total: get started investigating, find someone else is after him as well, get down to it (probably with contested checks with Ishrath dodging or fussing the system), and then find him cornered.
Quick side plots: the two arguing shopkeepers who both sell the same thing and resent the other but both know different things about Ishrath, and both need things from the quartermaster; quartermaster needs help with something related to finding clues about Ishrath

Start Investigating

Quick sidebar to note what's happened since last, and ask if they've interacted at all. Also ask "What do we already know about these guys?" And ask about reputation. Scale of 1-20, what's opinion? For purposes of eventual promotions.
Admiral Chirhat summons y'all to his office, introducing to captain, and then it's just the guys. He asks to find his brother. Pressing can reveal sympathies with some worlds that lost out during the Dominion War, and a predilection toward daring actions. Indicates that had a girlfriend on promenade, a buddy across the way, and had been seen talking to the quartermaster.
Pick them. Lexani will need to be convinced, to be less suspicious. Then Garm shows up and they start their fight and you have to break it up. Or Garm will need to be put on target, and then vice versa. (There's a shipment that they both laid claim to. Two, actually. One is art for shop, another one is secretly supplies to be delivered to a beleaguered world. They both helped but now they both want the art part of it. So they're arguing for the same one of two containers, so why not the other one?)
Lt Adaxe is having difficulties with this shipment. Ishrath attempted to come and claim it, and it's missing now and things are chaotic. So it's a matter of coming to find it.
If promenade was first, then just go down there and straight into finding the shipment. If quartermaster first, second scene is bringing other shipment up and determining which one of them might have helped steal it (both, actually). Then Vassia/Quince/Oskar show up.

What Do We Already Know About These Guys

Ask if they spent time in the promenade or shops at all. Or if they had to go to the quartermaster at all.
No contact is easy.
A little time: they know one of the shopkeeper's names. Or might be able to identify the quartermaster on sight.
Some more time: they know both names, and that they tend to feud. Or the quartermaster can identify them on sight.
A lot of time: ask a choice of friends. Will add points of familiarity, possibly a discount offered, easier to get information. The quartermaster would view them as a challenge and probably not be as favorable.

Where's Ishrath?

He's in the lower levels, hiding out the shipment until he can get it off the station. But Tiajo is looking for him because it was swiped from an already stolen bunch of stuff. Ostensibly he's looking for a gambling debt to pay back. This part is a race to get there ahead of goons, so kind of an extended task.
Spend threat to keep it close and throw obstacles in their path.
It's a matter of locating him, maneuvering through obstacles of people and engineering, slowing down the goons, and also keeping movements and what you're doing subtle because Admiral's orders, right? Also avoiding telling captain, or possibly including her but she's got other concerns (Velik).
Tiajo finds him a second too fast and now he's injured. How badly depends on how long it took the group. If long, then he probably got roughed up more than a little. If short, he gets punched really good and that's it. Take it out of his stress.

Showdown

Tiajo needs to be driven off before he can take back the stuff. Save all Threat for his retreat so he can live to fight another day.
Might ask Ishrath to explain, he might lie about it, this is fine. Take to Admiral, that's clearly a fraught relationship. If point out Tiajo Vallol, gets Admiral to sigh really good and say to leave it alone. Has allies and no evidence.
And now the ship is here, and we pull back to see...?

If Velik Can't Play

He's a Cardassian and he got into a fight. Ask how many involved from 1-4, and who threw the first punch. Roll a quick attack to see how well he did, if he's in Sickbay or in the brig. Either way, out of commission for the moment.

To-do list

I will need to (5)

• 8Make a map of the starbase, including more areas I might need
• 7Make stats for the starbase, using Command Division
• 10Make pages for the PCs so I can track them and also their backstories and stuff
• 10Work out larger plot involving Ishrath (what is he up to really?)
• 9Add reminders about points where PCs can use Values to encourage that

I have done

• Gave Admiral Thoss Chirhat a stats page
• Created Veerro Adaxe as quartermaster, Eego Lexani as a shopkeeper, Thomishengarm as her nemesis shopkeeper
• Quick and easy to show who might already know the NPCs
• Created Tiajo Vallol and his three goons Vassia/Quince/Oskar to serve as my villains
• Gave Ishrath Chirhat an article and sheet
• Created Captain Evelyn Suthmeer with an article and a sheet
• Added details to help myself along

Related Session Reports

• Episode 2: Every Ship Needs A Pilot Report