From Jesedipere to Regina
Having
ended the trade war between Oberlindes and Tukera, the crew heads to
Regina for some much needed R & R and finds the trip more eventful
than planned.
This note is from our December 20th, 2015 session and was mostly written by Carl and Kay with additional material provided by myself. The map is from TravellerMap.com
Continued from: Showdown on Jesedipere - Part 2.Date: 228-1105 Imperial.
Location: The planet Jesedipere in the Aramis Subsector.
228 to 233 - 1105
Winding
down our time at Jesedipere, doing the merchant thing and celebrating a
LONG but pretty well done mission. Oberlindes throws us a party, at
which Gvoudzon introduces us to a Vargr delicacy called Akanarzh, a kind
of fermented meatloaf. It’s foul and smells awful, proving that Vargr
have a different physiology and psychology.
It seems only two years since we were naive youthful innocents on Aramis, before we visited the museum.
OK, time flew and we are no longer as young.We also are saying bye to Gvouzdon. He has accepted a job with Oberlindes, as a gunner on the Emissary.
The Emissary is Oberlindes’ Lightning Class cruiser in the Vargr Extents, the one the Navy was selling for scrap, but the Baron managed to get it with the guns intact. Gvouzdon is going to be the richest crew dog gunner ever...In further news, he’s getting married to Gharrukh, the cryptographer, who will be living on board with him while conducting her research and performing “special projects” for Oberlindes. As Kipenzi said, “She created Tukera’s codes... You work it out.”
We took on some data packets to transfer for the Navy, Tukera and Oberlindes and started the final preparations for departure. Supposedly the data we were carrying was that the tradewar Between Tukera and Oberlindes was over. If we were going to be getting into bar fights, it wasn’t going to be for that anymore. At jump 3 we would be running ahead of most of the messages from this area as we made our way back to Regina.229-1105
Two ships come in: the Charging Rhinoceros and the Leaping Snowcat both inbound from Junidy. They’re safari ships going to Galla in the Vargr Extents.
232-1105
On
one of our last days before leaving, we met Teric Ugixe, a religious
person of some unique beliefs. He is sure the Ancients are still around
and controlling things at the Empire (Galaxy?) level. He also said that
life as we know it will change/end on 132-1116. Shades of Y2K and the
Mayans. He also thought that the Marquis of Aramis was one of the
Ancients in human form, and was suspicious of us when we offered him a
ride to his next destination. He also said he had a dream on Junidy that
something “momentous” would happen on Jesedipere, which is why he was
here. Stopping a tradewar and preventing the Vargr pirates from getting
two meson guns could be considered momentous. Hope we didn’t overlook
something. The Marquis of Aramis was involved in the “negotiations” and
involved in trying to get the brooch back, which means he could have
been involved in the meson gun transfer.
233-1105
Leaving Jesedipere on our way to Lablon, bound ultimately for Regina.
240-1105
Arrive
Lablon - uneventful stay. Here we changed our transponder back to
“Skylark” from “Chamax” and got another paint job. Loaded trade goods
and refueled.
267-1105
Heya - Inbound to
port, Kipenzi on sensors finds a cargo container sized object which
turns out to be an empty escape pod with a cloud of debris scattered
around it. It was not worth much as salvage but Sam got what he could.
It was Vargr and may have been from a ship that was attacked by pirates.
Heya is on the border with the Vargr Extents after all.
We get a news report from Regina:
⑆Regina/Regina (0310 A788899A) 201-1105
¶Last night a series of explosions ripped through Vehicle Assembly Building No 3 of the General Shipyards facility on Pixie. Both company and military investigators on the scene report that the damage was almost certainly the work of saboteurs.
¶General Shipyard's Vehicle Assembly Building No 3 housed the main assembly line for the production of L-Hyd drop tanks. The L-Hyd drop tank project, undertaken in conjunction with the Tukera Line (of Vland/Vland), is expected to open up the Regina subsector to high capacity commercial access from the interior. A spokesperson for the company reported that the explosions probably set the project back by at least three months.
¶Imperial Navy Commander Lobeck hault-Donosev, the naval system liaison officer on the L-Hyd project, high General Shipyards press secretary Harcord Haveln discounted any political motives for the sabotage. "There are commercial concerns in the subsector", he said, "who place their own self-interest above that of the population as a whole." When pressed to explain, he refused to elaborate. The naval liaison officer to the L-Hyd project, announced that Naval Counter-Intelligence was exploring the possibility that the sabotage was the work of Ine Givar terrorists. Ine Givar activity in the Regina subsector has thus far been limited to scattered and ineffective strikes on Efate and Feri, but that this incident "definitely bore their signature," he explained.
¶The public affairs officer of the Pixie office for Naval Counter-Intelligence refused an interview later in the day, but issued a press release disavowing any responsibility for the remarks of Commander hault-Donosev and stating that the NCI had no evidence whatsoever of Ine Givar activity on Efate, Feri, or Forboldn. Ω
Barhopping for rumors, we meet Kreva Daivand. He’s interested in cavern systems on Jesedipere. We tell him we didn’t notice any.
274-1105
We
leave Heya. Heya orbits a huge red giant, it takes us five days to get
out to the 100 stellar diameter limit so we can jump to our next
destination.
Jump to Becks’ World
286-1105
On Beck's World - We get news of lots of break-ins at a Regina Scrapyard:
¶ TNS - General Shipyards has reported 276 confirmed break-ins of its scrapyard at Regina during the last six months and is considering instituting a "take a number" system. Ω
We leave system and encounter the medical ship Good Samaritan inbound for Pixe carrying high-tech medicine for the poor.
We hear about a big investigation concerning the explosions on Pixie, but not much info.
300-1105Arrive in the Feri system. We pass the Free Trader Heron inbound decelerating at 1 G. He makes a sarcastic remark about our engines, making references to hot shots with their 3G acceleration.
We get some news on the TNS feed:
⑆PIXIE/REGINA (2307-A100103-D) 241-1105
¶ TNS - The joint investigative commission into the mysterious series of explosions that ripped through General Shipyard’s Vehicle Assembly Building No. 3 three months ago today released their findings. The two page report concluded, contrary to initial statements, that there was no evidence of sabotage and that the explosions appeared to be due to equipment failure resulting in simultaneous discharge of liquid hydrogen and oxygen, which was detonated by sparks from a short circuit in a flux welding unit which had been inadvertently left on at the end of the evening work shift.
¶ Public attention has been riveted on the investigation since it was revealed that the explosions had seriously set back the production of L-Hyd drop tanks, equipment necessary to the opening of high-capacity commercial service between the Regina sub sector and the interior.
¶ An initial public statement by naval commander Lobeck hault-Donesev, the former project liaison officer, had suggested Ine Givar involvement in the incident and had mentioned Ine Givar activity on both Efate (Regina 2109) and Feri (Regina 2410). A subsequent Naval Counter-Intelligence press release had denied any Ine Givar activity on Efate, Feri and Forboldn (Regina 2212).
¶ When the Naval Counter-Intelligence representative on the joint commission, Lieutenant Artura Gramlyn, was questioned about the inclusion of the planet Forboldn in the denial statement, she replied, “Well, there isn’t any Ine Givar activity anywhere in the subsector. We are familiar with all Ine Givar activity, and there isn’t any.” Ω
We
learned here that Oberlindes is (on this planet, his nominal Barony)
just a figurehead with little actual power on Feri. He was granted the
Barony of Feri by the Duke of Reginaat the direction of the
Emperor in 1101 for his contribution to the economic recovery of the
Marches following the Fourth Frontier War.
How disappointing. Though with 7 independent nations on world it sort of makes sense.
We also found that he has recently constructed a new freight terminal at the port.Leon and Medicus were out doing the cargo thing this time, and the local politics intruded a bit. Two of the states, Melana and Raysia, had basically put a lock on trade, excluding the other 5 from access to the starport. Not the kind of thing that ever ends well. Raysia also controls most of the planet’s petrochemical resources.
The excluded nations, going by “The Broken Starburst Alliance” broke out in protest, and started a small war attacking the city containing the starport. It took some good driving, and ultimately the sacrifice of a rental vehicle for them to make the 30km back to the starport. There were some minor injuries, but Medicus and Leon were able to first aid themselves.We left shortly after that fracas started, just before the port was overrun.
304-1105We leave the Feri system jumping to Knorbes.
311-1105
Arrived in the Knorbes system. Heading to the planet, we pass an inbound Scout ship Pulsar they arenot particularly friendly. One other ship at the port is the Everest Star
a 600-Ton, jump-3 merchant liner that normally carries 21 passengers
(hig/mid) and 20 low passengers. It is empty and planning to head out to
Regina from here. They came in with scientists going to a research
station 3 days ago. We recalled from our previous research, that there
is an ancient site on Knorbes. Have they found something that needed a
liner full of scientists to study?
Leon sells our cargo as Sam continues his vacation. Leon had only 20 tons to sell due to our abrupt departure from Feri.
We get some news:⑆REGINA/REGINA (2314-A788899-A)
¶
The Travellers’ Aid Society regrets to announce the indefinite closing
of its class A facility on the planet Efate (Regina 2109-A64930-D),
gutted during a recent firefight in the administrative capital. There
are no immediate plans to repair the facility until civil order has been
restored on Efate.
¶ In the event that travel to
Efate is necessary, a Society travel agent remains on duty and can be
reached through the offices of the Oberlindes Lines at Down-Franklin
Starport. Travellers are advised, however, to avoid travel to this world
if at all possible. Ω
Fig and Kipenzi had the action at this stop. Out walking and (well, duh) drinking, they were nearly set upon by a mob of anti-tech extremists. Running like rabbits, they got to the air raft and out of there fast.
325-1105
Arrived in the Regina system, capital of the Spinward Marches and home sweet home. At least for me, your favorite chronicler.
With a good amount of cash for all of us and needing a break, we took a few weeks off. Classes and general R&R figured in prominently. Sam bought an upgrade to the Skylark’s computer systems.
Part of the planet, I am sorry to say, seemed to be getting seedier. Creedo Startown, outside of Creedo Down Starport, had taken a turn for the worse. Crime up, less cleanliness, overall not the place it was when last I visited.001-1106
Kipenzi: “New Years and we’re still alive!”
We give the Skylark her annual maintenance.
038-1106
We get news from Dentus:
⑆DENTUS/REGINA (2605-C979500-A) 361-1105
¶
Word was received today that two weeks ago the Imperial Battle Cruiser
Adamdun mistakenly engaged and destroyed the merchant craft Bloodwell of
the Oberlindes Lines. The Bloodwell, according to the crew of the
battle cruiser, was not showing its ID transponder signal and would not
answer broadbeam hails. The ship was under full acceleration and, after
it refused to change vector in response to laser warning fire, was
engaged by high-G missile fire and destroyed. A subsequent (and
unsuccessful) search for survivors resulted in the identification of the
ship.
¶ Oberlindes Lines officials called the
story “an obvious coverup of a tragic display of incompetence” and
claimed that the Bloodwell’s ID transponder had just undergone its
annual maintenance check and could not have failed to function. As in
all commercial vessels, the ID transponder was supposedly tamper-proof
and could not have been turned off by the crew. Legal action is
expected. Ω
Kipenzi: “Dentus is at the Vargr Extents border. It could have been boarded by pirates who sent it into space with a dead crew. Who knows?”
040-1106
News from Efate: Oberlindes was sending legal and tech teams to Dentus.
⑆EFATE/REGINA (0105-A646930-D) 363-1105
¶
A spokesman for Oberlindes Lines formally announced that the shipping
line was sending a legal and investigative team to Dentus to determine
the reasons behind the destruction of the merchant craft Bloodwell. The
legal team will also work with the local authorities to allow prompt
return of the deceased to their families. The spokesman maintained the
official Oberlindes Lines position, that the Bloodwell was destroyed due
to negligence by Imperial Naval forces.
¶ A
Naval spokesman refused to discuss the incident, but did note that a
review of the incident was being conducted. The naval spokesman insisted
that this was standard practice after every naval engagement and should
not be a considered as evidence that the crew of the Adamdun acted
incorrectly. Ω
About dinnertime that day we received a message from someone claiming to represent Oberlindes. The message said that the Skylark crew "comes highly recommended" and the sender wants us to assist in the investigation of the Bloodwell incident.
After overcoming Sam's knee-jerk response of "NO! If it is anything but trading, WE DON'T DO IT!!!"
We read further and have pretty well decided to go to Efate for a briefing and make a decision after that.
Oh well, R&R was getting a little stale.
Continued in: The Bloodwell - Part 1
See Also: Dramatis Personæ, Skylark 2, Campaign Starts, The 2nd Adventure, The Chamax Plague, Horde, Shadows, Research Station Gamma, Twilight's Peak, Prison Planet, Leedor on Aramis, First Call at Zilla, Trade War.
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