Heading to Regina

The crew of the Skylark travel to Regina and Fig gets some bad news about his uncle.

This chapter is based on Carl's notes from our August 8, 2021 session. Since we are scattered around the country, we use Discord for voice communications and the Roll20 online virtual tabletop to connect with each other.  The Map is from TravellerMap.com.

Continued from: Investigating the Eye

Location: In orbit over Brodie in the Mora Subsector.

Date: 095-1110

On Brody, ready to go.

The system's red giant made a large shadow for jump, 4 days travel outbound at 3G to get to the jump point. On the way out we passed a miner, the Pacifica, and said hello. Sam thought they might be smugglers.

We jumped to Loneseda, arriving in system on 102-1110.



On the TNS feed there was an announcement - Zhodani atrocities reported on two worlds. We should probably avoid going to either for the foreseeable future.

109-1110 
Departing Lonesida for Icetina.

116-1110 
Into Icetina, more news from Arden.  Better for Imperial side.

News from Lanth and Rhylanor was a big interest for us. Naval base here had decent updates.  Rhylanor has a LOT of wreckage (plunder????) and space travel lanes had been pretty well defined and regulated for safety.

Deciding whether to go to Rhylanor or head homeward toward Vilis and Regina. We can get more updated news on Rhylanor, sounded good.

132-1110 
Into Equus system.

A package from Maxos Shipping arrived on 133-1110. Hmmmm, special and timely delivery. We met some folks from them during the ship rescue, but this was a big surprise.  A nice plaque, gift cards, high passage tickets.  Like we EVER take a vacation...

139-1110
Loaded and ready to go

146-1110  
Arrive in Rhylanor.  News met us with a flash. The war seems to be over.



When the Zhodani started losing, they cut off the Sword Worlds.  Not good for the Sword Worlds, and the Imperium may take the 'metal worlds' now.

It seems like everyone at Rhylanor High Port is celebrating.  

148-1110  
Fig got a message:

From: Pallod Norrim, Chief Inspector, Regina Public Order Commission
Subject: Chattels and corpus of Vlen Backett (deceased)

It is my sad duty to inform you of the death of citizen Vlen Backett, late of Regina/Alell, who died in Credo City, Regina/Regina. Before his passing, Backett had left instructions on file with the Public Order Commission that you should be considered his next of kin for the purposes of resolving his outstanding affairs on Regina, for taking possession of his belongings, and for the transport of his remains back to Alell. A sum of money has been deposited with the First Ducal Bank to cover any expenses.

In the name of his grace the Duke and in accordance with the Public Order Act of 527 (Amended), I hereby require and enjoin you to travel to Regina with all due haste to deal with the affairs and estate of Vlen Backett. In the event that you are unable to do so, you must reply to this message at soon as possible so that alternate arrangements may be made.

I wish to extend my personal condolences on the death of Vlen Backett. His body is being stored in a cryogenic facility in Credo City and will be transferred to your possession as soon as possible. Given certain irregularities with Vlen Backett’s affairs, it is vitally important that you contact the Public Order Commission on arrival.

Sealed this day, 124 Standard, in the 1110th year of the Third Imperium.

Pallod Norum

So.... Heading to Regina soon.  We checked with the shipyards on Rhylanor, and it would be about six weeks until we could get the annual maintenance for the Skylark done. We decided that, since we could be on Regina in about seven weeks, we could just go and get the maintenance done there. Things would probably be tied up on Regina too, but there would likely be time spent with the post death "irregularities".

153-1110
Jump out for Tureded

As we pulled out we met the Scout Ship Venture.  They recognized us from reports. Looks like we have fans.

160-1110
On Tureded, doing the normal stuff.

167-1110  
Jumping out of Tureded for K'Kirka.

174-1110  
Into the K'Kirka system.

We got a report of a 400 ton corsair, the Bellamy, sighted in the outer system. Pirates, hopefully not gonna be bothering us.

202-1110  
Into the Regina system. Home sweet home for Fig.

We got a call from the Public Order Commissioner.We confirmed and were transformed to a priority channel and got a new course right to the heart of the High Port immediately

LOTSA stuff to navigate between, but we got to our docking bay pretty well.

Fig remembered a few times talking with Uncle Vlen Backett, good times with lots of stories, not all of them truly believable, but definitely good stories.

After we docked at the port, an array of Imperial Security Guards were waiting.  They asked us to wait here until a representative of the Public Order Commission came to talk to us. Guards had no idea what was up, they were just here to keep us safe til the POC rep arrived.

A few minutes later, four agents of the POC arrived, led by Pallod Norrim. He signed an electronic chit confirming that he has "taken custody of us" from the starport security staff, then requests that we accompany him to the Regina Territorial Zone attached to the station, where we can discuss the matter of Vlen Backett.

Fig and Kipenzi went with the group. Sam went to do the cargo thing, and the twosome of Leon and Medicus stayed to take care of the ship.

Norrim was clearly a bureaucrat, never making definite statements, just doubletalking about "not at this time" or "I will surely try to effect that for you".

He took us to a shuttle, and we went to a different station, and down into the interior of a largeish structure. We went to an office and sat down. We thought he hit a privacy button.

They think Uncle Vlen was murdered, shot with a low-caliber projectile weapon. the room
was sprayed with an aerosol chemical solvent that destroys most forms of forensic evidence. His stuff was scattered and searched.  They want information, suspecting Vlen was a drug smuggler killed in a deal gone bad.  Once Norrim believed we could tell him nothing he sent us on our way.

The Traveller's Aid Hostel  in Credo is where we need to go, but tomorrow would have to do.

Fig's family had talked with POC but gotten no information.  No one had seen Vlen in years and did not know he was even on planet.

Checking with the port for Vlen's ship, we learned nothing. No record of a ship owned by Vlen Backett currently in the area. We bought the ship database for 50 credits, did our own search and found a reference to a ship owned by him named Star Hunter, which left in 1107 and had no record of return.  200 ton, 2G, Jump 2, Type A2.

Almost like the Voidskipper, but with smaller drives.

203-1110
Medicus told us that his weird dreams had started up again. Oh my, if it's not one thing it's another.  He DID learn that the power supporting the EYE will recharge (the wearer's life essence) over time, but if you go to zero, you are just as dead.

We went to the low port, Credo Down, with the Skylark. It would be easier to get the body and effects into the Skylark than to have it shuttled up to the high port. The view was great going down onto Regina, which is actually a moon, just after dawn.

First stop in Startown was gonna be the TAS, the place where the murder happened. Leaving the terminal area, Fig, Kipenzi and Medicus headed for the (of course) octagon shaped building. This area of Credo was largely run down, much more so than Fig remembered. Well, a war with planetary attack is gonna take its toll.

The hostel was old and shabby, not the normal fine TAS place we were accustomed to. A combination of polite requests and Medicus's TAS card got us in and an interview with a member of the staff.

We learned:

• Backett was an infrequent visitor to the hostel; he would show up every few years, stay for anything from a few days to several months, and then vanish again.
• He arrived three days before his death.
• On the night of the shooting, Backett returned to the hostel with three other men. TAS members are allowed receive visitors at the hostel, as long as they vouch for their guests. All three provided identity cards; the POC have since confirmed that all three cards were forgeries.
• Backett seemed nervous, but not intoxicated or especially worried.
• Poor-quality security camera footage of the three is available. Two of the figures are clearly visible; they are big, dangerous-looking thugs. The third visitor was standing behind the other two and no details can be made out, other than his reddish hair.
• They ordered drinks to be brought to the room.
• Two of the visitors remained in the corridor outside, as if on guard. After an hour, one of them left the hostel and returned forty-five minutes later.
• Two hours later, the three visitors left in a hurry.
• Before they left, one of the visitors called the front desk and reported a spillage in Backett's room. When the cleaning robot arrived, it discovered Backett's corpse and raised the alarm.
• Around the same time, there was an unexplained power surge that knocked out computer and surveillance systems in the area. The origin of this surge has yet to be discovered.
  

Tusal was the drug that was in Vlen's system and on his clothes.  Maybe thug#1 went and got some (its a narcotic for recreational use).  If so, we might get a line on the dealer nearby.  Ultimately we decided it was not worth the risk.

As we watched the video, the receptionist noticed a message for Vlen.  Fig read it.

To: Vlen Backett, care of the Regina Down TAS Hostel
From: Professor Iaros Ujinka, Department of History, University of Regina
Subject: Meeting

Dear Vlen,
I have returned from Beck’s World, and am
now available for that meeting we discussed at your
convenience. If you would care to visit me at my
home on Dancado, I shall be delighted to receive you
and discuss topics of mutual interest.
Yours,
Professor Ujinka

Fig recognized the professor as the person who developed the scanner which could detect some Ancient Artifacts. She had also published several papers in the field, he had recognized her name from research he had done.

We got to see the room, not that it would do anything for us. Just because he was my uncle. Could be an artifact went off badly, could be Uncle Vlen had a recorder set up himself.  We checked out the room, in detail.  Vents, lights, the fully Monty.

In spite of super searching, we came up empty. Not truly surprising but still...

Next we went to the Public Order Building, anticipating a TON of paperwork needed to start clearing this mess up. Giant building, black (of course) It looked like a perfect copy of the the Ministry of Justice building on Capital.

There were a LOT of people outside the building for one reason or the other. After about an hour, we figured out the system and finally got to the morgue. We arranged for the transfer of the body to the Skylark. In a CRYO unit, for shipment, we would not be doing any autopsy ourselves. At least not until we get to Alell.

Looking at the forensics report, which was not too detailed, Medicus noticed that the shot was not as bad as expected. Small caliber, close up, right into the heart.  The report confirms what the POC fellow told us.

We picked up his stuff:

• Sundry clothing and toiletries
• A TAS membership card
• Money - 13,400 credits. Drug deal gone bad???  NOT !!!
• Used tickets for middle passage on board the Great Eastern travel liner from Rhylanor to Regina.
• His comm unit - wiped clean.
  

Maybe we will look up the passenger lists, based on his date of booking into the TAS? It could not hurt, and might help.

Continued in An Assassination on Regina.

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, The Bloodwell, ANNIC NOVA, The Kinunir, Kesser's Return, Justice, Mission to Mithril, Outback, Skylark and the Pit, Last Flight of the Amuar and One Crowded Hour.