Two Jobs, One Datatab

General Summary

Coriolis Station

The Flying Circus crew eventually make it to Coriolis Station with their ship in desperate need of repairs. After the events at Alhudu Docks, the crew is relieved to be able to see their new home — Coriolis Station. Its glittering lights, crowded bazaars, and fancy Zenethian elites are all a wondrous sight for the crew.
The first task was to fly the old salvager into Neoptra Spaceport after getting landing confirmation sent by the pilot, Zalua. With her skillful flying, she manages to fly the ship amongst the dizzying array of ships going to and from the spaceport. The ship lands on dock 18 and they engage the cargo bay doors of their craft. They see two Coriolis guardsmen and a customs officer approach the craft:

Salaam, marhabaan bikum fi al Coriolis — fill out these customs declarations and have your paperwork ready. These guards will look around your ship for any illegal items. Make sure you declare anything that needs to be declared. After you finish, come stand in a line, and let me ask you some questions.
As per protocol on station, drugs, weapons, and illegal material are strictly prohibited on station. If you are found to have weapons on yourself, it will be confiscated and you will be fined. Please leave your belongings in your ship.

The crew acknowledge this and store their weapons in the ship. However, Zalua, keeps her accelerator pistol on herself and hides it.
The customs officer orders his guardsmen to inspect the ship and tells the crew to stand in a line. With a tabula in hand, he asks them a few standard questions.

What is your purpose on Coriolis Station? How much money do you have on you?

The crew answer these questions truthfully. They tell the officer that they're here because their applications of immigration to Coriolis has been accepted and that they'll be looking to find work and habitation on station. The customs officer eyes Vaden Korr suspiciously and ask him what he is planning to do on station. He tells the officer that he wants to find "an honest job." The custom officer nods in agreement and tells him, "don't we all, I hope you find what you're looking for." He gives the confirmation of their visas on his tabula and wave them through the spaceport.

Welcome to Coriolis Station and enjoy your stay.

As the crew enter the waiting area of Neoptra Spaceport, they eye a man in a white uniform with the logo of the Colonial Agency emblazoned on his breast. In his hands, he is holding a sign with the names of the crew. Vaden walks up to the man and tells him that they are the people he's looking for.

“Salaam my friends! Welcome to Coriolis! I hope the trip wasn’t too long and difficult! I’m happy that you are well! Well let’s get to it. You are here because all of you won the lottery to immigrate to Coriolis Station. It is not also because of your luck you made it here, but your patron managed to sponsor you all here also. All of you will be working for him to pay off the debt you owe for your transportation and living expenses here. Come come! I am supposed to take you to him so he can give you your first job here.”

The crew follow the man to Wahib's Cantina. It is one of the most popular places to eat, sit, and while the time away on the promenade ring. It is a busy place filled with locals, guardsmen, travellers, and mercenaries. In the main room, they find people intently watching the Bulletin, the galaxy-wide news service. Zenethian insurrections, slavers in Algol, tensions with the Order of Pariah; it’s another regular day in the Third Horizon.

The Stranger

Inside the Cantina, they see Wahib, a smiling old man with a long beard. You see stress marks on his face. He is there pouring drinks and tea while yelling at his children, Iri, Habib, Ala, and Chandra running around the cantina.

“Wahib! Maasalmu Alaikum!”
“Waalaikum Asalaam Zeyad! Who do we have here?”
“New immigrants. They just landed, and I’m taking them to their patron.”
“Oh right! it’s them. So, I've heard. Sure sure, welcome to Coriolis my friends! Come come! sit and have tea. your patron will soon arrive.”

After a few moments, their patron arrives and introduces himself as Wahil Sayyid the III. He tells the crew that he is in need of workers and after looking at their files at the Colonial Agency, they seem to be the right fit. He put in a good word, and specifically requested them. He was also the one who sent them the ship that they’re leasing.
He says that their first job is simple. he shows them his tabula. It is an order of 1000 boxes of baklava to be shipped to the planet of Kua.

“You see, I run a very successful baklava enterprise…. more like… an empire of sorts. It’s expanded so much so that I’m in dire need of cargo ships and crew to supply my branches across the Horizon. This first shipment is going down to the planet of Kua. You will send it to a woman name Yjala Baktou. However, because of the current insurrection in Kua between the Zenethian Hegemony and the Sogoi natives, it is getting increasingly difficult to send shipments, both civilian and military, down to the planet.
So, I need you to negotiate a smuggling deal with the Syndicate gangs in Souk Alesh on station to smuggle these boxes of baklava to the planet. They’re the only ones that can provide landing codes to land on the planet and help you pass the military blockade.”

For the job, Wahil offers 10,000 birr. He offers more jobs if they prove to be useful to him. Jilarah steps in and tries to negotiate a deal with Wahil. She offers 20,000 and her services as a courtesan for the job. Wahil counter offers for 12,000 and her services. Wahil wins out the negotiation and the Flying Circus crew take 12,000.
As this is happening, many people in the bar start watching the Bulletin, the 24/7 news channel from Coriolis. An escaped convict from Titan-161 has escaped and is at large on Coriolis Station. — A picture is flashed on the holo-screen.

It wouldn’t be much of a story if it wasn’t for the fact that the same person on screen is sitting at the bar talking to Wahib at the same moment. Wahil eyes the man, then turns to the Flying Circus crew and whispers in a low voice:

“Uh, you know what. Let’s postpone that job for now. This man is important, I need you to capture this man. And now. I know this man, and it's really really important that you do. Don’t kill him, I need him alive.”
"I'll double what the Consortium is offering."

Jilarah and Abeer make their way to Ithar at the bar and start flirting with the escaped convict. Abeer starts the conversation.

"Hello stranger. Today's your lucky day, you buy me, and you get her free."

Ithar, not having had a lot of experience flirting with women since he had been trapped in solitary confinement in a maximum security prison in the literal outskirts of the Third Horizon, tries his best.

"Well, hello ladies. Uh.. you shouldn't undersell yourself. Your both are worth full price if you know what I mean.. Uh.. you're as beautiful as a well endowed nekatra and as toned as.. uh.. my bicep."

Both ladies, Jilarah and Abeer, don't look too impressed. However, they continue flirting with Ithar and nod at the rest of the crew to sneak up on him to subdue him. When the crew finally surround him, Ithar realizes what's going on and starts trying to get away from the Flying Circus crew. Vaden manages to take him by a chokehold while the rest of the crew start ganging up on him and beating him down. Jilarah tries to use her handfan, but misses so she results to using her high heels to whack Ithar. She manages to pierce through Ithar's armour causing him to bleed. Meanwhile, Bustin, the crew's engineer, uses his power glove to punch him in the groin. He succeeds to do so and everyone hears a loud clang of metal on metal. Ithar is wearing an armoured codpiece. He yelps in pain from the shock, breaks free from Vaden's chokehold, and stumbles towards the door.
Zalua starts yelling out why he's trying to escape and if there's any truth to the allegations from the Consortium bounty on his head.

"No! Not all of that is true! I was set up by that man over there! The one you happen to be working for!"
"Did you have relations with a nekatra?" Bustin asks.
"No! I never did that!"

Ithar points at Wahil, the very patron that brought the Flying Circus crew here. He starts to hastily explain that Wahil framed him and left him for dead at the prison. If they were in their right minds, they would try to get as far away from him as possible. Ithar starts yelling out to them that if they want to know the truth, they would meet him in Spring Plaza if they let him go. Bustin hesitates at this and then asks him for collateral so that they can trust him. Ithar gives Bustin a datatab from his bloodied hands. He tells him that all the answers are in here and if they meet him, he would share more information about it. He then specifically tells Bustin not to share this to Wahil at any point. It would mean the death of them all. The crew see this exchange.
Jilarah, Zalua, Bustin, and Abeer decide not to pursue Ithar because of the potential information he might share. Vaden and Naleeya, having their own personal goals, decide to pursue Ithar. Naleeya manages to throw her nearby bottle of Lubau Special and it hits Ithar in the head and shatters. Ithar feels the pain of the hard bottle hitting the back of his head, but he presses on. Just as Ithar makes it to the threshold of Wahib's cantina, Vaden manages to throw another bottle at Ithar's head from the far side of the cantina. It strikes Ithar, and he falls face first and is unconscious.
The Flying Circus drag Ithar's unconscious body to Wahil's table, and Wahil gives them a slow clap. He is impressed. He orders the Flying Circus to drag Ithar's body to the Wahib's back room to interrogate him.

Old... Frenemies?

The Flying Circus crew drag Ithar into the cantina's store room, hoist him up on a chair, and tie him up. Vaden coolly stands beside Wahil awed by the power and confidence he exudes. Wahil sees him and asks him to join the others behind him while he talks to Ithar in private. Vaden doesn't budge. He feels suspicious of Wahil's intentions, so Wahil reassures him that Wahil and Ithar were acquaintances in the past and would like to catch up for old time's sake. After much back and forth between Vaden and Wahil, Vaden is finally convinced that Wahil is telling the truth, but at the cost of the upfront payment of capturing Ithar. Wahil sends him the confirmation payment for the capture, and Vaden reluctantly walks back to the crew waiting by the door to the store room.
Naleeya tries to listen in on Wahil and Ithar's conversation and hear a strange conversation going on. It seems that Wahil and Ithar are close friends. They're both exchanging friendly greetings and Wahil even gives Ithar a hug despite the fact that Ithar is tied to a chair. She overhears them talking and laughing about how they almost got killed during a job, and how they saved each other several times. It seems like from what they're going on about, that Wahil and Ithar used to work as soldiers or mercenaries in the past.
After some time, Ithar leans back on his chair and addresses the Flying Circus Crew intently watching them in the back.

"Hey! So... when are you busting me out of here? You do know that this guy here left me for dead on Titan-161 right? We were both in prison together, decides to escape with the rest of the crew, and as a joke, leave me behind."
"Why should we believe you? Jilarah asks.
"Well, you heard about those insurrections on Kua between the Sogoi natives and the Zenethian Hegemony? That was our doing. I was part of 'his' team to start that down below. At the end of it all, we were caught by the Hegemony, and for instigating a revolt, sent to Titan."
"Why did he leave you?"
"He thought it would be funny to leave me behind in prison because that's what mercs do. We have a weird sense of humour you see. But, I didn't find it funny at all. I spent a good year in that hellhole in the middle of space, and finally got out and made it here."

At this point, Wahil starts howling with laughter at Ithar's story. He didn't think it would take him that long to escape, and for all the trouble he went to.

"So did you actually have a thing with the nekatra? and did you really punch a kid? That's terrible man," says Bustin.
"No! Oh for the love of the Judge.. Okay. See. Wahil and the crew that we were with at the time decided it would be funny to "add" some things in my criminal record before escaping the prison. So, no. For the final time, I did not have relations with a nekatra and I for sure as hell didn't punch a kid."
"Anyways, if you get me out of here, I'll make sure you're all safe from this guy here from the contacts I have.
"Your contacts? You're the one sitting on that chair tied up," says Vaden.
"Look. I didn't think that of all the 500, 000 people living on this station, that Wahil would happen to be sitting in Wahib's Cantina on the same day that I was doing a job."
"What job?" Bustin asks.
"Oh.. you know.. the thing.. the thing..."
"What thing?" says Bustin.
"The thing that's smaller than you, you dolt! Oh holy messenger... THE THING."

Wahil points his head at Bustin's hands. Bustin finally gets it. Wahil gets suspicious and asks Bustin what he was talking about. Bustin replies that he has no idea and Ithar is talking crazy. Wahil shrugs, but then turns around to the Flying Circus crew and tells them:

"If you decide to help this man. You will be sealing your fate with me. Just so you know, I own all of you. I brought you here from your backwater hell holes you called home. I believe I have a due owed by all of you. Now, if you cross me. I know people that can bring you all a world of hurt."
"What do you want Ithar for anyways? Why is he so important?" Zalua asks.
"Oh. It's personal... kind of a running joke really. Pardon the pun. I'm going to return him to the authorities to ship him back to Titan. If he escapes, I'm going to catch him again and send him back again. It's basically free money and I get to have a little fun catching him. Say.. it's kind of like sport fishing, but with mercenaries."

The Flying Circus crew are puzzled by what Wahil is saying and find it incomprehensible to what he's doing. If they are to take it at face value, Wahil would be at the very least a psychopath that finds pleasure in people's schadenfreude. If not, the crew believe he might be hiding something that is extremely important about Ithar, but not divulging it to them.
Jilarah decides that she needs more information and asks Wahil if he would be ready to take up on her "courtesan services" for the night. Wahil agrees and they walk off out into the night to Wahil's apartment on the Promenade.

The Money Pit

As Jilarah and Wahil walk out of the cantina, Vaden and Bustin decide to have a drink together at Wahib's. Bustin hacks into the datatab that Ithar discreetly gave him, and finds a startling discovery. As he goes through the data stored in the tab, he finds the locations of money caches stored in various locations all across the Third Horizon — totalling at least a billion birr; enough for everyone on the crew to buy a small planet and retire off of forever. The tab also includes the locations of secret Foundation weapons experiments for the Consortium that have been shelved or abandoned. The tab seemingly originates from a researcher named Wahina, who was working for the The Royal Dabaran Institute for Astronic Research Station No. 18 (Royal Dabaran IARS-18). Bustin realizes that this was a research station that was lost in deep space years ago as it was all over the news at that time.
Bustin shows this to Vaden, and tells Vaden that Ithar was telling the truth. Ithar is doing some job, and if they help him, they might get a share of that billion birr, which is way more than what Wahil is offering. They decide to tell this to the crew.
The next day, the Flying Circus crew meet at Wahib's Cantina. Jilarah starts off by telling the crew what she found out about Wahil last night in his apartment. Wahil is a mercenary with a penchant for business. It seems that the baklava enterprise he has is some sort of insurance or nest egg for him to retire on when and if he decides that mercenary work is too much for him or when he gets too old. Wahil also revealed to her that he has an army of child spies that he grew from the beginning of his career that tracks the movements of anyone he deems necessary to be tracked. The Flying Circus feel a bit uneasy by this and start looking at Wahib's children with suspicion.
Vaden and Bustin share what they know about the data tab. After much thought, everyone agrees that they should get a piece of what Ithar is offering them; however, they also acknowledge that angering Wahil also seems a bit risky. They decide to help Ithar escape, but plan to keep it hidden from Wahil.

Report Date

23 May 2020