Characters: All
NPC: Shiraamer, Chuck, Oda, & Dyce
Linnachre's family (low berths)
Location: Miishakaal
System: Lishun 0108
After a pleasantly uneventful week, Miishakaal has emerged from
jumpspace. Scans come up empty. There's no one here but you. It's a bit of an
eerie feeling, being in the middle of nowhere. Sardia is the closest system, but
it's 4 light years away. Kilikiir, your destination, is 7.3 light years away.
After a thorough check of the jump drive, Slade okay's the next jump.
Fortunately, it goes off without a hitch.
System: Kilikiir
Whereas the first week of jump was restful, this one has left the crew feeling
restless. There's a need to get dirtside after two straight weeks cooped up in
the ship. Kilikiir won't be much of a respite, but the recycled air of domed and
grav cities will at least relieve the feelings of claustrophobia.
Shiraamer guides the ship to the orbital starport. In the distance, sensors are
picking up Vilani naval ships. With no naval base in this system, they're
obviously part of border patrol. Kilikiir's A-class starport and wealth of
metallic ores are still worth protecting from pirates, not to mention Lucan.
"We're still on the run people," the captain cautions the crew, "so I don't
think we can stay here for long. Hopefully, word about us hasn't reached these
guys yet. I won't hit CargoNet. We'll just refuel and go."
And that's what you do. The tech level of 13 is a shopping temptation but funds
are a little low and there's that ever present fear of getting caught by agents
of the Makhidkarun Intelligence Agency. You keep a low profile and are in and
out of the place in no time.
"Where to?" Gvarokh asks.
"Lishun 0510. It's another empty parsec. From there, we'll cross over the border
into Imperial space. The sooner we're there, the safer I'll feel."
Characters: All
NPC: Shiraamer, Chuck, Oda, & Dyce
Linnachre's family (low berths)
Location: Miishakaal
System: Lishun 0510
Cabin fever is running higher. The few hours at Kilikiir's spaceport were no
respite from being cooped up. Ever fearful of the Vilani Navy and Makhidkarun's
agents, Miishakaal did not linger.
Miishakaal emerges from jumpspace. Scans come up empty. There's no one here but
you. It's less eerie than before. Irgiida is the closest system, but it's 3.5
light years away. Shiraamer has decided to make it the next destination as it
will mean only another half week in jumpspace.
After a thorough check of the jump drive, Slade okay's the next jump. As before,
it goes off without a hitch. It's starting to feel routine.
System: Irgiida
Miishakaal emerges from jumpspace. As the ship closes in on Irgiida,
passive visual sensors reveals a world with a mottled face of yellows, whites,
and oranges. It's hot. The average temperature is 81.5°C (178.7°F).
With only 20% of its surface covered with seas, briny ones at that, most of the
planet is a desert, pockmarked with mountain chains.
Gvarokh steers the ship towards the south pole, where the starport lies. It's
early winter in the southern hemisphere so the crew should expect "mild"
temperatures during the day of 41.5°C (106.7°F) and -10°C
(14°F) at night.
The starport is hailed and gives permission to land and told to prepare for an
inspection team. This strikes the some of the crew as odd, but it's shrugged off.
It's a small starport, with enough gates for 10 ships. There's only one other
ship, a free trader, at the port.
After the ship has landed and the docking collar extended, a boarding party,
consisting of a starport warden and armed retinue of four guards, comes aboard.
Each is armed according to local tech (7) with SMG's.
"This is unusual," Shiraamer says to the warden.
"There's a war going on, captain," he replies, "And we're too close to the
border. One can't be too careful, especially with you Vilani around."
Shiraamer is taken aback by this.
The warden requests copies of passenger, cargo, and crew manifests as well as a
copy of the navigation logs. He then searches the ship to verify the
information. His retinue never far behind.
After they depart the crew lounge, Gvarokh whispers to Shiraamer, "Must be the
local bureaucrats."
The warden is quite thorough and confronts Shiraamer about Oda and her sleeping
brother's family not being on the passenger or crew manifests.
"I was doing a friend a favor," is her reply.
The warden seems non-plussed by this response. He fines her 2500 credits (500
per infraction) for the undocumented passengers. "I always thought Vilani were
better at paperwork than this."
Shiraamer replies, "But we're not Vilani. This is an Imperial ship."
"Your transponder says otherwise."
"But we had to get a Vilani transponder in order to do business there. We're
Imperial citizens, loyal to Lucan."
"Siirkasaare sure sounds Vilani to me. Good day, captain. Or should I say, good
dran." With that he departs, his guards silent, yet waiting for Shiraamer to
make a move.
Gvarokh puts an arm around her to restrain her, just in case. "Good day!"
Gvarokh barks at the warden's back.
Shiraamer growls, "We are NOT staying. Let's just refuel and go. The sooner
we're out of here, the better."
"But we're almost of beer," Chuck whines.
Shiraamer shoots him a look that would melt glass.
Fuel prices are triple, the fuel tender explaining that all of it has to be
imported.
While the crew are reluctant to hop right back into jumpspace, it is clear that
staying here would be no picnic either.
Characters: All
NPC: Shiraamer, Chuck, Oda, & Dyce
Linnachre's family (low berths)
Location: Miishakaal
System: Larkarda
It is with great relief that Miishakaal returns to Larkarda. The ship
ran out of beer, even the crappy stuff. The only food left was of the "instant"
variety (just add water!). Everyone is eagerly awaiting the end of the trip:
real food, beer, dome air (it's still better than ship air), and a paycheck.
But before anyone can assemble a few credits and head to The Bridge for a
beer from their favorite bartender, Jum Tixem, there's a bit of traffic to deal
with. Scanners are picking up naval ships escorting inbound traffic. Small
craft are observed docking with merchant vessels while patrol cruisers and
system defense boats monitor the situation from a safe distance. Apparently
ships are being searched before they're permitted to land.
The ship is hailed and ordered to get in the queue for inspection. Shiraamer
complies.
Fortunately, the wait isn't too long. A couple of technicians board, accompanied
by a squad of Marines. The squad leader, much more polite than the customs
warden at Irgiida, informs Shiraamer and the crew that there have been a couple
of terrorist attacks. "The Equal Rights for Vargr and Larkadan Liberation Army
are both claiming responsibility, but there are rumors that offworld agents may
be involved. You're Vilani ship warranted searching."
"But we're an Imperial ship," Shiraamer pleads tiredly, "We had some cargo to
deliver to Theton and the Vilani made us change our transponder."
"Let me see if I can verify that. Sergeant."
"Sir?"
"Check the starport registry for this ship."
"Yes, sir."
A few minutes later, it pops up.
"Good. That backs up your story. I still have to let the techs do their job
though."
Shiraamer doesn't begrudge him that. When the techs give the "all clear",
Miishakaal is granted permission to continue on to Larkarda.
Gvarokh lands the ship at the starport. Normally, this would be the sleep
shift for the rest of the crew but they got enough of that this week in
jumpspace.
As soon as the ship is at rest, Shiraamer fires up the comm through a secure
channel, "Ok, let's get Mersshon on the line. That bastard owes us."
The comm call goes through. Mersshon's face appears on the viewscreen.
"Captain Siirkasaare! It's so good to hear from you! I was beginning to fear
you'd been lost."
"No surprise there, considering the real nature of the job you sent us on."
"Oh come now, captain. If I told you Oda was a spy for Imperial Intelligence,
would you have done the job."
"Probably not."
"Exactly."
"But we had to bust her brother and his family out of prison."
Mersshon shrugs. "A bonus. I'm sure that Oda was grateful."
"Did you know that she turned on you?"
He pauses, apparently choosing his next words carefully. "We suspected that she
might have been compromised when some of her reports didn't pan out."
Shiraamer folds her arms across her chest.
"Well, captain. Shall we meet? Say in the starport's central park in two hours?"
"Yes, that will do just fine."
Characters: All
NPC: Shiraamer, Chuck, Oda, & Dyce
Linnachre's family
Location: Miishakaal (Gvarokh, Slade, Vincent, Simrii); Starport's
Central Park (Shiraamer, Lakir, Chuck, Vlad, Oda, Dyce Linnachre's Family)
System: Larkarda
Shiraamer has decided that the group will walk to the park. The legs need to
be stretched. She's accompanied by Lakir, Vlad, and Chuck. Simrii was going to
go but Chuck insisted. Shiraamer seems to think she knows why, and, if her hunch
is correct, it couldn't hurt.
Shiraamer doesn't expect any trouble but the group is armed anyway. Lakir has
his gauss pistol. Vlad has his body pistol and a sword. Chuck has his shotgun.
Shiraamer has her prized snub revolver.
Comm channels are open. If there is trouble, the rest of the crew can be there
in a flash with the air/raft and heavier firepower.
Mersshon is found easiliy enough. He's sitting by himself on a park bench near
the street. Once he spots the group, he waves as he stands up.
He offers to shake hands with Shiraamer and her crew but no one takes him up on
it.
"I see that we're a bit testy today. Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this
morning?"
Vlad growls.
Shiraamer answers, "Let's just get this over with."
"Right down to business. I like that. Well, I see you've brother Oda and her
brother's family all safe and sound. Excellent." He turns his attention to Oda.
"You're well I hope."
"Yes, Mr. Mersshon. I'm sorry that I had to send you bad intelligence."
"Well, considering the circumstances, I don't blame you. This war has been hard
on all of us. To think that Makhidkarun would stoop so low as to hold your
family hostage to get you to cooperate....."
"Like you haven't done worse," Lakir shoots back.
Mersshon's smile fades. "We do what we have to, Lakir. I would think that
you of all people should understand that."
Lakir considers a response but decides against it.
"Were there any casualties during the operation?"
"None," Shiraamer replies.
"Good! Should I take it that you avoided bloodshed?"
"Yes, you could say that. I have a very clever and resourceful crew."
"Yes, you do."
"We were able to use our wits to outmaneuver Makhidkarun."
"Splendid. I must say that I'm impressed by your performance."
"Great. Then you won't mind paying us the balance of what you owe us." Shiraamer
presents her bankcard and a reader.
"Not at all." He takes out his bankcard and swipes it through the reader.
Shiraamer watches as the remaining 200,000 credits are deposited into her
account. She then presents Mersshon with a holocrystal.
"What's this?" he asks.
"Expense report."
"Ahhhhh. I'll have my accountants go through it and cut you a check next
business day."
"I'll be expecting it."
He looks past the group at the street. "Ahhh, there's our ride."
Three speeder vans pull up. The doors open.
"I'll be with you in a minute," Oda says to Mersshon. Meanwhile, he walks
towards the lead van. Dyce Linnachre and his family thank the captain and head
towards the vans.
Oda looks like she's going to cry. "There isn't any way I'll ever be able to
repay you for what you've done for us," she says. "Everything I've ever owned
was on Theton."
The captain replies, "That's ok. Mersshon covered it."
Oda hugs everyone. With Chuck she's a little more intimate. Kissing him
passionately, she tears herself away and runs toward the vans. She calls out,
"I'll never forget you!"
Everyone turns to stare at Chuck.
"What?"
Once Oda climbs in the first van with Mersshon, he calls out, "I think I may
have need of your services in the future. I'll be in touch."
With that the vans take off and head towards the highway back to Oriole.
"Well, what now cap'n?" Chuck asks.
Shiraamer shakes her head, as if she's just now realizing that the job is done
and they're all back at Larkarda safe and sound. "We grab the rest of the crew
and go visit our old friend Jum. Drinks are on me."
"Aye, aye cap'n!"
End Part 1
Return To The Game Log