Campaign Begins-
-Caelos 20th- Kelstar Station-In Belt 802,
Size 0-Asteroid Belt, Orbitals
0-No Atmosphere
0-0-5% Hydrographics Desert World
(Pop Code 4) Population: 25,000, Majority Voss
Frozen -51º or less Frozen world. No liquid water, very dry
atmosphere. ,
Dry Dock and Core Iron Ore Refinery
Ep 1: Scene 1: Caelos 20th-Kelstar Station
Chaos Factor: 5 -Expected Scene
Leaving the customs office after having handed over the secure access data for the Falco, I step into the main concourse a “free woman”, so to speak. Or, an unemployed one anyway. Alone among the stars sounds more romantic than it really is, but I’m also not really ready to live dirtside. I like space. Anyway, I start looking around for either work, or passage to MIshindi’s Loom.
Suddenly, I hear a man call out, “Nise? You’r Nise, right? Shiya’s sister?” a tall, gangly looking looking guy with dark skin and shoulder length dreads is looking at me, hopeful.
-Int failed -1 Effect-
“Yeah…I’m Nise Kalil, and you are?” I answer hesitantly, trying to figure out where I might have met this man before.
“It’s me! Jax! Jax Rourke! Abeka’s brother! We met at your sister’s wedding two years ago, went out dancing afterwards. Don’t you remember?” he insists.
-Int failed -1 Effect-
“No, I’m sorry. I mean, I was at my sister’s wedding and…you sure. You’re name is Jax?” I ask, straining my memory to recall this guy.
Q: Is he offended? Very Unlikely Exceptional No
“Alright, I get it,” he laughs, “We were drinking quite a bit, and I was just they younger brother tagging along. Anyway…what you doing out here? I thought you was in the scout service,” he continues.
Realizing that he clearly does know me even if I can’t quite place him, I go along with it, “Yeah, just got out. Finished up some last pieces of paperwork and now…how about you? What are you doing out here? I thought Jitten’s friends were army?”
“Nah, my brother’s army. I’m…you…know. I do a bit of this, a bit of that. I’m working as hand on the Wayward Lark. Ship fast, ship fair, and Treborn hospitality for all our guests!” Jax grins.
“Treborn hospitality?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Yeah, Lysa Chen, our ship’s steward, is from Treborn space. She’s a great cook! Sweeter than pie,” he beams.
“You guys heading to Mishindi’s Loom?” I ask, hopefully.
“Yeah, yeah, Voss is lining up cargo right now. Passengers too, but you better hurry. We fill up fast,” Jax grins.
“Lead the way. Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be hiring, would you?” I ask
Q: Will he answer that question? Likely No
“Not sure. You’d have to ask Voss about that. It’s his ship. I just work there,” Jax shrugs as I follow him through the concourse with my duffel slung over my shoulder.
(Generate the previous Astrogator) Q: Did the prior Astrogator quit? Likely Yes Q: Wage dispute? Likely Yes Q: Good terms? 50/50 Yes
Random Event: Move away from a thread “Figure out Jax’s and Mara’s Secret” Weapon Reward
Scene 2: Sense of Calm
Ep 1: Scene 2: The Dock Coupling (Move away from thread, Reward, Weapon)
Chaos Factor: 4
Jax leads me to the dock coupling where the digital display reads “RWC-0200-59015 Wayward Lark”. We are greeted by a well muscled, dark skinned woman with a shaved head walking up to us and slapping him upside the head, he starts to protest when she shuts him down, “I told you to meet me at the shooting gallery for a safety drill, but the instructor said you didn’t show.”
“Sorry, Mara! I forgot! I walked Lysa over to Traveller’s Aid, saw this cute little barista at the coffee shop along the concourse, and lost track of time,” Jax protests while I smirk, shaking my head, and Mara glares at him.
Slapping him again, “Maybe that will knock some sense into you. Voss says he has a lot of ore lined up, so as soon as the trolleys get here, you’ll be busy. Hope you enjoyed your little break!”
Jax hurries up towards the ship as Mara fixes her eyes on me, “Passenger?”
“Heading to Mishindi’s Loom,” I reply hopefully.
Q: Has Lysa already filled the berths? Very Likely Yes
“Sorry, we don’t take on passengers until after the cargo is loaded, and Lysa sent word she’s already got us all booked up,” Mara smirks.
I nod, “What about working passage? You have any crew slots available? I’m looking for work,” I explain.
-Mara’s reaction-Guarded- Q: Does she admit they are a hand short? Very Unlikely Exceptional No
She raises an eyebrow, “Right. We’ve got it covered.”
I nod, unperturbed, “Is the Captain, Voss available?”
Q: Is Voss around right now? 50/50 No
“No. He’s taking care of business. Have a good day,” she replies, then turns and heads back to the ship.
I shrug, then, spotting a noodle cart nearby, realize I haven’t had good noodles in months, and walk over.
-Encounter-Trader with strange curios-
“Hey there,” a mocha colored woman with bow shaped lips smiles at me as I sit down with my noodles. “You look like a bold woman. Unafraid. Have you ever wondered about the founders? How things came to be?”
I sigh, “I’m not really religious.”
“You don’t need to think they are gods to wonder how it happens that humans appear and half a dozen different worlds, with no sign that men came from them. You just have to ask the question…why?” she suggests.
“And I suppose you have the answer?” I raise an eyebrow.
She shakes her head, “No, but I have a piece of the puzzle? And you can have it too for 200 credits,” she pulls from her satchel a strangely shaped relic about as big as my clenched fist.
-Education 8-
“Where did this come from?” I ask, taking the object in my hand, turning it over in my hand, noting the strange markings and unusual material.
-Astrogation 11-
“Clack,” she replies, “The..”
“Spug world? You went into Spug territory…and found this? This isn’t spug. Is it?” I cut her off.
“No! It is from the Founders. It has to be. 500 credits!” she suggests.
-Persuade +3 effect-
“Nice try. It was 200 credits a minute ago, but I think it’s closer to 150 credits because I have no idea what this is or where it’s from. But I’ll give you 150 for it,” I offer.
“Deal!” she grins broadly, and I slide her the plastic chits, then…puzzling over the strange relic a bit more, slide it into my duffel wondering if I should forward it to the Conclave for study.
Q: Do I spot Voss returning? Very Likely Yes
Looking up, I spot an older man walking towards the Wayward Lark, who looks like he’s actually from Voss. Stern, well dressed, with short cut hair and an air of authority. I leap up to my feet, quickly slinging my duffel over my shoulder, “Excuse me! Are you Captain Voss?” I ask the man.
-Neutral-
“Yes, I’m Captain Voss. Why do you ask?” he replies, studying me.
-Persuasion -1 effect-
“I’m Nise Kalil. I’m looking for working passage to Mishindi’s Loom if you can use a another hand, or a long term gig if you need a good Astrogator, or a Pilot,” I offer.
He looks me up and down, “Astrogator and Pilot? Experience?”
“Studied astrogation at University of Espinosa in PanGal. Graduated with honors. Then eight years in the CSS running survey work. Just docked my ship, the Falco, for its next captain. Honorable discharge. I’m kind of tired of travelling the space lanes alone, and…I’d like to find good crew to serve with. If you’ve got an opening, I’m your gal,” I explain.
He nods, “Alright. A couple days till we leave. Let me check with the port master and…I’ll be in touch.”
I nod, “Alright, you have my contact. And…well…there are other captains who might know a great catch when they see one,” I wink, then head towards another berth.
(d6+14 ships in port, mostly for repairs-3 Private Ships, 11 Far/Free Traders, 2 Fat Traders)
Q: Do I get some offers? Likely No
For the rest of the day, I hustle up and down the concourse, talking to captains or their mates and invariably, either crews are full up, or they are in for long repair work, whish is what Kelstar Station excels in as the busier ports in this area really don’t like having pads tied up for weeks at time. I end back at the Falco, to which I still have access, and bed down there for the night.
(1d3 days till the job offer, rolled a 1)
As I lay down for the night, my caller pings, and I answer, “Kalil”
“Voss. 4500 a month two month trial,” he suggests.
-Persuade Effect 2-
“5,000 is standard for Astrogators with half my skill, 6,000 is fair if you want me as a Pilot. I can do both. I want 5500 a month, but we can do a two month trial at 4500, pop up to 5500 after you realize I’m exactly what your ship needs, and you’ll pay a 2000 bonus to catch up and apologize for your lack of faith,” I smirk.
There’s silence on the other end of the line. I calmly wait. If he weren’t considering it, he’d have hung up. Finally, Voss replies, “Agreed. Get over here. There is loading to do.”
“Yes, sir!” I reply, “Over.” We hang up our callers, and I get back up, dress, grab my duffel, take one last look around, then head over to the Wayward Lark.
-New Thread Added: Discover the meaning of the Clack Relic-
-Immersion-Dripping sound-
Ep 1: Scene 3: Wayward Lark
Chaos Factor: 4 -Expected Scene
I arrive at the Wayward Lark as several trailers are queued up to enter the berth. I spot Jax and Mara, along with a petite, round faced woman with the fair skin, silky black hair and narrow eyes of an Alphan. The colorful pattern of her jump suit just reinforces her Treborn heritage. This must be Lysa.
Then I spot Captain Voss talking to the man directing the trailers, “Mara’s going to tell your men where to park everything. No, I don’t want you to just unload here! Drive them into the bay and we’ll crane them off inside. It saves time.”
Q: Does the caravan agree? Unlikely Exceptional No
“It saves your crew time, but not mine,” the shipper retorts, “Unload ’em boys!”
Jax groans in dismay. Mara glares at the shipper, while Voss shakes his head, “Yeah, but your boys had a chance at overtime. You must be your company’s man, not your men’s.” Then he looks up and sees me, “Get on over here! Gather around everyone,” he calls to the rest of the team. Alright, this is Nise. Our new astrogator and my new backup pilot. She’s bunking with you, Jax.”
Jax laughs, “Hey, welcome aboard!”
Lysa smiles, “Yes! Very much. Welcome!”
I grin, “Thank you, glad to be aboard!”
Mara glares at me, “We’ll see if you’re worth the creds.”
I snort, then look Jax, “Where do I put my kit so we can get to work. Looks like we have a lot to do.”
“I will take that for you,” Lysa offers, but when I hand my bag over, her eyes widen as it is heavier than she expected.
Jax smoothly takes it from her. “It’ll just be a minute. Follow me!”
“Hurry back! We need you our here on the dock!” Mara warns him, icily staring after the young man as he leads me up through the cargo bay where a few crates are already in place.
I hear, and then see something dripping from overhead, “What’s that?” I nod towards the small puddle.
“Coolant from life support. Don’t worry, Mara and I are on top of it, but…it’s one of those things that just doesn’t stay fixed very long. Don’t drink it though,” he warns.
“Right. How old is this ship?” I ask.
“Older than anyone on it, that’s for sure,” Jax replies as he leads me into the mess hall, and then opens the slide door to our room. “I’m on top,” he points out the upper bunk, where a poster of the Accra Lions and another poster of a bike decorate his wall.
I smirk and set my bag down on the bottom bunk, “I’ll unpack later. There’s work to do.” I head back out of the room.
“Oh, you gonna be like that?” he laughs.
“Paid and professional? That’s exactly what I’m like,” I grin back at him, “Especially if I don’t want to stay on Mara’s bad side. What’s her deal anyway?”
Q: Does he tell me? Very Unlikely Exceptional No
“She’s all business, all the time,” I shrugs as we finally get back to the cargo bay where Lysa hands me a helmet that says “Sternhard” on the back.
I adjust it as Jax helms up as well, then he grabs one of the loaders from the concourse while Mara drives in a second already bringing the third crate into freight. “Over there!” directs Lysa as I step out of the way, then go get a third loader.
Lysa easily directs each load, and the only difficulty is spacing our timing so none of us are heading in or out at the same time. We get a good rhythm down pretty quickly and after a couple of hours, the ship is loaded.
“Get some rest, departure is in ten hours,” Voss says as we finish up. Lysa takes note, and sends a transmission to the ship’s chartered passengers while Jax and I head up to our room.
“You don’t need to supervise, you know,” I joke as I start unpacking my things.
“Yeah, I know. But I want to make sure I’m on hand if you need me to move anything,” he shrugs as I open up my side of the locker and begin securing clothing. “What’s in those two boxes?” he asks.
“Surveying tools, and…well the toolbox is, in fact, a toolbox,” I laugh, then I clamp the medkit to the inside of the door, along with my filter mask. I stow my sidearm and ammunition as well, then my box of water colors and brushes, and a small stack of canvases.
Q: Does he mention Voss’s interest? Unlikely Yes
“You paint?” he raises an eyebrow. “Voss likes to visit art galleries. He even commissioned a painting of this ship. It hangs in his office.”
“Really?” I grin, “I wouldn’t have guessed that about him.”
“Yeah, he seems tougher than he is. Hey, you paint me?” Jax asks.
“Maybe. Perhaps when we have some down time. I’ve done a lot of painting mid jump,” I sigh as I fix a photo of my family next to my bunk, then a painting of the ranch house, and my framed commendation ribbon.
“Oh! Shiya and Jitten! Can I see that?” I nod and hand Jax the photo, “That’s your older sister, right?”
“Yeah, that’s Naaya, and her husband, Carlo. Their daughters Maria and Luz. That’s my dad, Sushil, and my mom, Janaya.” I pause, biting my lip a moment as I sit beside him pointing out each person.
“You miss them don’t you?” He asks.
I shrug, “Yeah, but my life is in the space lanes. It’s only my heart that sometimes wants to go back home. But when I get there, I grow restless for the stars. Caught between two worlds,” I laugh.
Q: Is he the same? Likely Yes
He grins, “Yeah, I get that. I love my brother, but…I don’t want live dirtside all the time. Not when there are other worlds to see.” He makes for a fist bump and we laugh as knuckles meet.
“Alright, well, I’d like to get some sleep,” I suggest.
“Nah, girl! You gotta get some dinner first. Lysa’s likely fixed up something special to welcome you aboard. You gonna love it!” he beams.
“Alright, alright. Food first, then sleep. I gotcha!” I agree as I get up and follow him as he leads me up top to the passenger galley.
-Immersion-NPC Threatens me-
-Since the greeting sequence was predetermined, time to check Lysa’s attitude, I’ll give her a boon on the roll given that she’s ships steward and Voss just hired me…Neutral. I assume Mara is the one who threatens me-
Ep 1: Scene 4: Mess Hall
Chaos Factor: 4-Expected Scene
I join the rest of the crew in the pristine, white walled passenger mess where Lysa has a large bowl of coulmash prepared. It is a rice based dish with peas, onions, carrots, and corns blended together on a tart, but sweet sauce. There are strips of grilled fish spread atop it, and she is carefully spooning servings onto each of our plates while Voss pours some wine into glasses for each of us.
“To our new crewmember and hopes that you turn out to be a very profitable addition to the crew!” he offers, mirthlessly.
“Here!” grins Jax as he raises his cup.
“Yes, here too,” agrees Lysa, setting down the spoons and lifting her glass.
“Don’t screw up our ship, or I’ll kick you off myself!” Mara announces with a scowl, not lifting her glass at all.
“I’ll bear that in mind,” I sigh, lifting my glass to the others, then drinking after they klink together.
Voss glares at Mara, but says nothing, so she speaks, “You let Sternhard go beause he wanted more money, and now you’re paying this kid more than what he was demanding!”
Lysa and Jax look from Mara, to each other, then me, then to Voss.
-Diplomat 0 Effect)
“Not today, I’m not. I have her at a discount on a trial run. And if she’s as good as her record indicates, she’s worth what we agreed long term. Sternhard’s ambitions and spending habits didn’t match his skills. I hear the Black Jay offered what he wanted. That’s there problem now,” Voss replies coldly.
Mara leans back while Jax and Voss both start to eat. Lysa asks, “Experience then? You have a lot?”
-Persuade Effect 1 on charming Lysa and Jax-
I glance at Mara, “Four years of training at the university of Espinosa in Pan Gal,” then as Mara rolls her eyes, I look to Lysa, “eight years of service in the Conclave Scout Service as pilot navigator of my own ship. I don’t mind a test period. I’m here for two months. If Voss doesn’t think I’m worth it, you’re all rid of me. If I don’t think you all are worth it, I’ll find something better. It’s a two way probation period,” I smirk. Then, taking a bite of the dish, I add, “Oh, you are definitely worth it!”
Jax laughs heartily while Lysa blushes a bit.
-Conversation Topic-Retainers?-
“So, you captained your own ship? How big was your crew?” asks Jax.
“Just me,” I shrug, “Scouts usually work alone. That’s the nature of it. I did some dirtside survey work though, had a Humanis Marine, 2nd Lieutenant under me for about six months. Or…maybe assisting me? Anyway, he was my liaison, bodyguard. But he’d follow me wherever I’d say, as long as the place wasn’t off limits. That’s the closest I’ve been to being in charge.” I shrug.
“That’s nothing,” Mara scowls.
“How about you then, Mara? What’s your command experience?” I ask.
Q: Has she ever held command before? Unlikely No
“I’m in charge of the engine room, powerplant, and every hand who’s ever helped on the crew,” Mara smirks smugly.
I nod, pursing my lips, “Cool! So I guess you’re Captain’s mate? Which is nice, because I just hired on as astrogator and backup pilot. Not command.”
Q: Does Voss intervene? Unlikely No
Voss continues to observe us, eating quietly as his eyes flick between Mara and I, studying how I react to her jabs.
“That’s right! I’m second in command of this ship. Don’t you forget it!” Mara asserts.
-Mara Intelligence Effect -3, fails to notice I think little of her boast-
I smirk, but decide not to press her.
Q: Is the rest of the meal pleasant? Likely Yes (Persuade Effect +1)
We chat a bit longer, superficial topics about where people are from and so on, then call it a night as we all head back downstairs. Then…I go back up to help Lysa with the dishes and cleaning up the passenger mess. “Thanks for the meal. I appreciate it,” I tell her as we clean up.
“Welcome, very much,” Lysa smiles, “Did not have to help.”
“I know, but the sooner we’re done, the sooner you can get to bed too. If you’re ship’s steward, I’m sure you’ll have your hands full in the morning,” I shrug.
Q: Does she defend Mara? Unlikely Exceptional No
“Very much so, yes. But that is my job,” she shrugs her shoulders with a grin.
Soon, the galley is in order, and I retire to my room. Jax is already up top in his bunk, reading from a data slate. I slip out of my jumpsuit and into my night clothes, slide into my bunk and put up a picture of Apfi and I on the beach at Pikwaro, then ask if Jax is ready for me to kill the lights. He uses the switch by his pillow, and soon, there is only the silent hum of the life support system to lull us to sleep. Then I realize what’s missing, “No crickets?”
“Cockroaches,” Jax replies. I sigh, and curse my bad luck. Then slowly, drift off to sleep.
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