Calendar

1105-003 -- 1105-004 -- 1105-005

• System - Jump space
• Message Center - Anchor link to section of Message Center
• Ship's Log - Raider Harrier - The page for the Harrier
• In Character discussions - Anchor links to discussions on this page
• Category Tags: Harison, Silas, Sultana, Iskavrin, Harrier, Vignette 4

Skill Rolls

• Sultana:
  • [SKILL] Electronics (2D): [1][4]+0 = 5
  • [SKILL] Pilot (spacecraft) (2D+2): [4][3]+2 = 9
  • [SKILL] Mechanic (2D+1): [2][3]+1 = 6
  • [SKILL] Gunner (2D): [5][3]+0 = 8
  • Astrogation: [SKILL] Unskilled Skill (2D-1) [JoaT 2 applied]: [5][6]-1 = 10
  • Engineer: [SKILL] Unskilled Skill (2D-1) [JoaT 2 applied]: [1][4]-1 = 4

Note: I took no stat bonuses with the Unskilled rolls. I don't know which would be applicable, if even allowed.

After everything looks ok after making the jump into jump space Harison starts making a list of provisions and tools on the ship and what will be needed. He then starts the task of running maintenance on all the ships engines, systems and hull.

Cheacking the Maneuver Drive

Engineering
Difficulty 4
roll 8
skill +1
Taking time +2
Total 11

Cheacking the J-Drive

Engineering J-Drive
Difficulty 4
roll 4
skill +4
Taking time +2
Total 10

Cheacking the General ship systems

Engineering
Difficulty 4
roll 4
skill +1
Taking time +2
Total 7

Cheacking the turret guns

Gunner Turret + Int
Difficulty 4
roll 9
skill +4
Taking time +2
Total 13

Cheacking the sensors

Electroniccs Sensors
Difficulty 4
roll 5
skill +4
Taking time +2
Total 11

List of damages or quirks to the Harrier - See also Raider Harrier

• Holographic Hull

After finishing he checks, he put to gather a report summarising his findings. Total cost of repairs just under 10Mcr(9.79) excluding docking fees obviously the more repairs done at the same time the less cost on docking fees. The priority to get fixed first I would say is the manoeuvre drive. As a small chance that when we using it, it will cut out and we will be left with no propulsion and dead in the water if this happens in a combat situation we are dead so this is a priority to get fixed first. Next to get fixed, I would say is the power plant, the weapon, j-drive, hull, counter measure suite and Holo hull. Now the cheapest to get fixed is the gun and hull At .25 Mcr and .5 Mcr so after the manoeuvre drive, they could be bumped up to fix as there cost is not as high. As for reducing the monthly running cost its cost is very high for very little benefit. To reduce the monthly cost by 7200 it will cost 3.04 Mcr that would mean after 35 years we would make a saving from repairing it. So unless we be come very rick not much point in fixing that I don’t see myself on the ship for 35 years.

Once settled in and fished some of his checks he goes and fines Margaret Blaine. "Well Miss Blane how are you settling in all good I hope? Please let me know if you need any thing. Would it be possible over our trip if I could ask for your advise and expertise on a matter that I have being working on and could use your knowledge to help solve it? And also related so what to that I would like to ask if you be interested in a business offer? It would be very little investment for you other than time we could talk more about it later at your convenience."

Silas traipsed around the ship with a solid grin. He visited the bridge first, of course, and chose the port-side fore station to activate. The holographic controls took a little to become accustomed to, and he frowned whilst figuring them out. He murmured to Vix throughout, checking parameters, fine-tuning controls to his preferences, amping the haptics so that the feedback was sharp and unequivocal. Once the settings had been adjusted to his preferences he stopped to admire the plush velvet chair, the woodgrain inlay and brass trim. The chair arm had a place where a glass might rest, safe from being tipped. 'Didn't they have crystal glasses that fit these?!' Silas thought to himself as he'd remembered hearing that the Harrier produced cubed ice as a byproduct of its fuel processor.

At that moment Harison walked past. "Admiral. I have a thirst. Shall we explore the beverage options in the common room?" he fingered the glass holder and grinned. He fully intended to explore the clinking drinks option.

After he'd finished at the bridge, Silas took time to check out the accommodations. He assumed that Harison and Sultana would like the fore staterooms and so spent some time checking out the aft portside officer stateroom. He assessed the bed and bedding, the fresher, the desk (he planned to do some Astrogation work there). He'd decided that, given the opportunity, this would be home for a good length of time. As a seasoned traveller, this would do splendidly. He put his luggage and equipment down before seeking out the Captain about this arrangement.

The famed Particle Barbette was next on the tour, so he clambered up the ladder and into the gunner's seat. He realised that the ship's guns could be controlled from the bridge, but the opportunity to sit in firing chair of this high tech relic was not to be missed. The holographic controls lit up at his touch, and the weapons sensors and sighting systems were a sight to behold. He gave the barbette a quick turn across available axes and arcs while marvelling at the terrible power at their disposal.

From there he rail slid all the way from the barbette to the lower deck with a wide smile, and hit the floor with boots thumping. He strode the dark neck of the ship towards the prow, assessing first the cargo scoop (he definitely be using this to gather up something valuable... at some stage) and then the fuel processors, where he found the ice machine. He set to work with his mechanic's tools to service it... 'important work... just need some water or ice to crack to get this going...'

After that he walked to the cargo area where he marvelled at the decorated bulkheads, ancient visages of Drinax etched in brass. Apart from the realisation of the incredible embellishment, this was not his purpose in visiting this end of the ships. He'd come to fixate on the mighty Manoeuvre Drives of the Harrier, and ventured into the chambers that housed these drives. In theory he knew much about these. In practise he couldn't diagnose, maintain or fix them. His fascination was simple awe concerning the power that was in their possession. By now he really had a thirst and went in search of his comrades.

Silas Astrogation 10 Pilot 11 Leadership 10 Mechanic 6 Gunner (Turret) 10 Diplomat 10 (when all else fails Silas will talk sense into it)

(Iskavrin) Iskavrin is also in the common area. It was also the doctor room. The morgue. The interrogation room. The games theory room. The kitchen. The briefing room. Do the nature of hollow structures, metamaterials, the room had a number of configurations, for exercising, studying, eating, and with luck, some of them even worked with this mostly functional ship.

They were sitting with a tablet, reading, and taking notes on nother tablet. If one were to look over his shoulder, it would be review on infantry tactics on board a spaceship. Reading a section on a room pumped with just O2 and the explosive peril that that hazard causes.

The newly-minted Captain Sultana has been fairly quiet since the V'Hurg took to the spacelanes. He's taken his turns at all the ship's systems, learning the controls, trying to identify the problems. He's had the most success at the pilot's controls, gunnery station, and surprisingly at the Astrogation controls. All of his findings have gone into the Ship Report for the others to read and confirm. A fully-functioning warship this is not, but it probably wasn't very realistic to hope for more.

In his off time, he's been tweaking at his writing for the next chapter of his latest Shaitana serial, and making notes of the systems in the region in and around Drinax.

18:00 - Crew Meeting including Margaret Blaine

The four people on the Harrier crew are sitting around the table about to begin dinner when Margaret Blaine enters to join the group. She sits at the table, comfortable in her traveling clothes, helping her self to the food and drinks, acting like any member of the crew. She looks around the table at the other four.

(Margaret)"So now that we are away from King Oleb, tell me. Will this scheme to get my belongings back from my old ship work? Can this harrier still do the convoy "defense" activities it was designed for? you can hear the air quotes of convoy defense instead of convoy raider.

Sultana sets down his drink and looks at her for a few seconds, thinking before he answers. "We've been over the ship from stem to stern, and we've all read the others' reports on what we've found. The crew will correct me where I misspeak, I'm sure." A slight smile appears briefly at one corner of his mouth.

"The ship is ... 'functional', is probably the best word. She's definitely not in pristine shape. But if we don't ask too much of her, I think she should be able to hold up her end of the mission." Sultana looks directly at her. "As I understand your mission, our job is to intercept this ship, board her, retrieve whatever it is you left on board, and that's it, correct? You have fairly detailed intelligence on the path of the ship, do you have any on the crew? You implied that they might be amenable to recruitment if properly approached. What do you know about them that makes you think that?"

Sultana gestures to the other crew to ask any questions they might have.

"To be fair to the Drinax engineers they did a great job on the ship. The only main concern is the 3% chance that the manoeuvre drive will shut off every 6 minutes of use and that’s only shutting down not blowing up so such a small chance not the biggest worry. The power plant not being fully up to power means we have to be a little creative with power usage again, not that big of an issue. And the lack of the second weapon the missile launcher not like we find them at everything we see so again no big losses there but the one that works no one wants a hit of that not only blows you up but cooks you from the inside out. There is not a lot of ships in the 200-400 ton category that would give her much of a problem. Even if we came across a brand new version of the ship if we had the 2nd gun I don’t think there be much difference in the fight and would come down to crew skill and we 3 have 3 very skilled and experienced crew members that I would not be against us. The ship is all so far more advanced that the ships native to the region and the vast majority of the ship traveling in the area."

"How are you sure you belongings are still on the ship? What is the ship and does it have any defences do you have any info on the crew and there numbers? Then from our side we will need to get vac suits for the crossing will you be joining us on the other ship or supervising from this one if coming along do you need a suit too? "

Silas was becoming accustomed to his crewmember's voices, the cadences of their speech, personalities and moods. He'd sat at a station with Sultana mulling over the Astrogation controls, manipulating the holographic display, zooming in and out on systems and planets and musing over the somewhat outdated information they found there.

He'd spoken with Harison about the ship's weapons and discussed an engagement and how devastating the particle beam would be.

The ex-Scout also made time for Iskravin and joked about O2 fuelled explosions aboard ships. One had to laugh... when discussing death in space.

"I agree with Harison and Sultana, we've given the ship a thorough examination and understand what shortcomings it has. It is a wonder of the forgotten Sindalian Empire; fast, powerful and capable. I too am keen to understand more about our prey. Information is power milady." Silas deferred to her and her legend, and would always seek for Blaine to regale them with tales of past glories. He'd tried to befriend her and to while their time away with stories, games, music and drink.

(Margaret)"Thank you for reassuring me that we are not likely to fail before we leave jump. she sips her tea

(Margaret)"For the Cincendai, I am not certain of course of the details. I do believe that they do not know about the secret smuggling compartments. At least not the one where I stored my personal gear. if they had found it, or if the Imperial Navy had found it they would not have allowed the resale. Before you ask, no I will not tell you what my personal pieces are. I can assure you that there is nothing of immense value to anyone but myself. What speculation I can share with you is that in 40 years no one has found that compartment. Our goal is to intercept the Cincendai when they are refueling at the gas giant at some point in the next few weeks. 021 to 035 is when they are typically in the Marduk system on their annual route. Of course it depends on travel times and available cargo as they chase the leavings of the Florian Trade Route and then run contraband as they find to make up for other shortfalls."

"What make of ship they have? I have no interest in you possessions in the secret compartment. But would it be possible to show the other crew where it is after you’ve retrieved your items a bit of yeah, take with the left and give it the right hand? Looks like we ambush them as the head to the gas giant depending on the ship but I could not see it being able to outrun us or our gun. And after the jump they should not be able to jump out so it they fight or stand down. Any idea if there is cargo?"

(Margaret)"I have not tracked the Cincendai closely the last couple of months other than to confirm they have followed the same path that I used to travel with it. They should have a cargo of some sort if they are going to make any credits. The Marduk Oghma cluster is just a stopping point for refueling on the Florian Trade Route. Going to the Noricum main from the Torpol cluster. In my old days I would shift from the Hierate Route to the Florian Trade Route and spend time in the Borderlands. If you are able to take the Cincendai without significant damage it might be able to continue along the same path as before. You will need more crew if you do hope to take and keep more ships."

"Please tell us more about the ship. As a pirate smuggler boat what kind of defences might we encounter? The Harrier's particle beam should make light work of it, yes? No extra hidden turrets or missiles you know of? As Harison asks, what type and tonnage is she?" Silas made sure Blaine was well catered for on the journey, so much so that she had to, at times, shoo him away.

(Margaret)"The Cincendai is a standard Far Trader, 200 tons, jump 2 drives, 64 tons of cargo roughly. I had the crew cargo slots modified to hide an additional half ton in my own smuggling compartments. Meant for papers, small effects, computer drives, etc. Nothing that anyone could use for actual trade goods how ever they were acquired. When I was captain we did not have any weapon turrets at all. I left those for our accompanying ships.

Far Trader sheet shared in FG for details

Margaret retires to her stateroom for the evening.

"One question we might want to consider, by the way, is if we want to adopt aliases for protection. Dawn and I both have reputations back in the Imperium that could be damaged if word gets out about any illegal activities." He looks over at Silas and Iskavrin. "Your situations may be different, but you might want to think about it anyways." Nodding to the doorway that Margaret Blaine just exited through. "I wonder what the odds are that Blaine is her real name, and even if so, I bet she hasn't been living under it since retiring."

"Ok if we can’t intimidate and get a Far trader to bend to our will with this ship we may as well give the ship back. I think the plan is to get to the gas giant refuel then stay on the edge so it’s hard to find us and then when the ship comes in we move to intercept and block its path to the gas giant. Then let them know we mean to board them and take a percentage of their cargo. I think some one will have to stay behind to man the ship just so they know if any thing funny happens there dead. All we want is some of there cargo and that a lose in profits is better than a lose in life. I also second the idea of adopt aliases that’s a great idea. I’ll be Mr Tusk."

"Mr Tusk it is. I'll be Captain Slaton. It's close enough to be easily remembered, without being too close to be painfully obvious. And I like the sound of Mr Tusk's plan, unless there's any better ideas. I don't want to make a habit of hitting Torpol, it's too centrally located, and it's also one of the systems we'd eventually like to get on our side. I'll go ahead an pose the question, what if we didn't take any cargo on this one, other than the goods we're supposed to retrieve? Then we pitch it to the captain and crew that we *could* take some of their cargo, but are choosing not to in return for their silence on the matter. Of course, same argument could be made for only taking a portion, say 10 to 30 percent."

"If we take cargo, do we then dare go on to Torpol for repairs? If the ship follows us in and fingers us to the authorities, it could be bad."

"This is just a thought, follow me, see if it makes sense: Torpol's government, such as it is, is supposedly fairly anti-pirate, even to the point of not being very friendly to stolen cargo in trade, even though they're mostly traders. I don't know how much of that is real vs posturing on their part, but it doesn't matter much for this."

"Torpol is also one of the planets we want to get on the good side of, to hopefully lure them into our future alliance. We've already met a couple of their representatives at Drinax, so that gives us a potential leg up."

"What if, around Torpol, we play the role of anti-pirate? We arrive at the gas giant and refuel, and while there we place our good half facing in-system with a holo covering to blend into the planet as much as possible. And while we're refueling we watch for opportunities to play the Good Guy. If none arise, we go on our way with our normal plans. But if something does happen, we thwart it, escort the target in to the planet, and get credit for it. Perhaps we'll be able to get some loot from the privateer, perhaps they'll get away. But the primary reward will be good credit at Torpol."

"If this works, we can switch it up at different systems what role we play, we just need to be consistent about it."

"Also, having Torpol on our side will be vital, because it'll be the main hub for information in the sector, and if they're on our side, bad info will be more likely to be squashed or shaded in our favor."

"Your getting cold feet all ready and we are not ever finished the first jump. We are the hunters they are the prey we are going to take a percentage of there cargo to cover the cost of the trip and make a profit we are not the nice guys in space. I am not going to bargain with them if they don’t know we could kill them and take everything you can point that out to them."

"If they do report us that is just some thing that is going to happen we be heading back to Dranix so there won’t be any record of us in the system. I also don’t see us going to Torpal for repairs I think TecWorld is the only one that has a tec level close to what was used to make this ship."

"Please, call me Goldvane." Silas flashed his golden eyes at his crewmates with a grin.

Sultana raises a hand. "Sorry, my mistake. For a moment there I forgot the Cicendai rendezvous was in Marduk, and was plotting what to do in Torpol with them. Here in Torpol, we're just planning to pick up some gear, maybe some repairs, and then move on. My apologies."

"In Marduk, I'm less concerned with our reputation. Marduk appeared to be so heavily pirated already by Oghma that I doubt there'll be much there for us to take anyways. As Blaine mentioned, we might be able to recruit the Cicendai to our faction. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. We might be able to do it even with taking some plunder. It depends on if the ship looks worth recruiting, and we can make that judgement call when we get there."

"My point regarding Torpol stands, it would be a prime world to get on our side for any future empire building. Oghma, I think, probably needs to be knocked down a bit as a potential threat and/or rival. Marduk is wounded, and would probably welcome any friendly offers. But both of those worlds are outside our proposed minimal boundaries, so aren't as important right now."

"We do need to build up our resources first, and there's no way we can inflict enough damage on interstellar trade by ourselves, especially if we spread out our pickings across multiple systems. And we need to visit all the systems in the region and start making contacts."

"And, finally, sorry for taking so long to get to it, we have Goldvane. Perfect. How about you, Drax-Amarinth? Do you feel the need for an alias as well?"

Silas reminds them all of his own personal ambition, "The Oghmans have my Scout Ship, the Buchador. I would be very keen, once our shakedown tour with Dread Pirate Blaine is completed, to recon that system, locate the Buchador, and relieve the raiders of her. I understand that we are short crewed for taking on other ships, but we might put her into storage at Drinax until such time as she could be put into use."

"For now, I see our plan as, visit Torpol; take on fuel, equipment and scan for potential crew; then on to Marduk, to the gas giant, skim refuel and lay an ambush for the Cicendai. Once this is complete we might return to the Torpol system and seek to begin repairs on the V'hurg. Once this is done, how fo we feel about a visit to Oghma?" The harrier crew could see Silas was determined to reclaim the ship. "I do not wish to delay this for too long, lest we have another ship that requires significant repairs."

"I have no problem going after your ship next unless something more profitable falls in our lap. We might even find a ship better than your scout to take unless your very attached to the scout then we will make sure to get it back. Think we will need to up our small arms."

"I was on a shuttle downed by the Oghmans over Marduk as well. I'm more than happy to repay them for that. It's probably the main reason I've brought them up a few times as targets. I won't let my personal bias get in the way of logic and tactics, however. I think we have our rough plan laid out now:

• Torpol Base: resupply, refuel, perhaps recruit;
• Marduk Giant: refuel;
• Marduk Jump Point: intercept Cicendai following Da.. Tusk's plan. Can we recruit them? If so, into what role?
• Torpol Base: repairs, refuel.
• Oghma System: recon, perhaps a raid if opportunity arises.

"Does Torpol have the facilities to fix this ship it’s a low tec planet with only a class B port would we be better making the trip to some were like Tec World? Also they will have higher level weapons and gear there to stock up with. Also it’s an Extreme Law level so not much hope of getting any real fire power."

Sultana shrugs. "Honestly, I don't know. That's one of the things we can find out on our way through Torpol this first time. If it turns out we can, great. If not, well, we'll make other plans. The stops after the Cicendai are best guesses for now. It may be Blaine needs us to take her further out into the Reach. She hasn't said how long she's going to be with us, or where we're taking her after. Although I think the King is expecting us to go back to Drinax to tell him all about our exploits, so maybe she's expecting us to return her there."

Calendar

1105-003 -- 1105-004 -- 1105-005

• System - Jump Space
• Message Center - Anchor link to section of Message Center
• Ship's Log - Anchor links to Personal Logs & Library Entries -
• In Character discussions - Anchor links to discussions on this page
• Category Tags - Solis, Tennyson, Tepefe, Mikhel, Rao, Pioneer
  • Current Occupants of the Pioneer

08:30 Med Bay

Chef Rao,
As Ship's Doctor/Medic, it is one of my duties to monitor and tend to crew.
Should you have time, and wish to permit me the privilege of overseeing your well being, please consider dropping by the Med Bay at your earliest convenience.
Mikhel Dromah
Pioneer Ship's Doctor, So Called.

10:00 Med Bay

Rao drops by the Med Bay to check in with Medic Dromah "You wanted to see me Sir? I believe I'm in good health, but if I can help in some way I'm usually happy to do so."

"Welcome to the Med Bay, Chef Rao. I have a small series of questions I like you to answer, if you'll take this tablet. Once you've answered them, I'd like to run a full diagnostic scan."

Mikhel hands Rao a small tablet with a brief generic medical questionaire.

The Generic Medical Questionaire will cover things like:
Past Medical Conditions, Surgical History, Hospitalizations, Allergies, Medications, Current Health Concerns, Family History, Inebriant use, Recreational drug use, Diet and Exercise, Dietary Restrictions, Lifestyle Factors, Living Situation, Education and Employment.
Some of these will be "On the Pioneer", such as Lifestyle and living conditions. Depending on how long Rao was on the Floating Palace, she may have a medical file on a chip.

"I'm not looking for any specific problem, but a baseline. With the scan, should I notice anything out of the ordinary, we can discuss it.
For Humans, I'm comfortable I'd notice the unusual. And I'd point out anomalies immediately. I've not done this with an Aslan before. I'm expecting to go through my references and compare your scan to those, before I can say that it is within 'normal' Aslan tolereances. Then, if I find something out unusual, I'll invite you back to discuss it. It won't mean it is a problem, and could be 'normal' for you. We'll find out together, and I will learn a lot. So, thank you very much for the learning opportunity."

She fills out the questionnaire quickly and then prepares for the scan. Co-operating with such is easily done, and she has no physical issues to hide. "I appreciate your attempt at greater understanding of my people, as well as your care for me personally. I'm happy I can help."

"I thank you for your candour. From your questionnaire, there aren't any warning signs to raise concern. Also, your scan looks to be within tolerances. I will go through references to ensure I have a good grasp on what normal should be for Aslan, and get back to you if there is anything that needs addressing. If I contact you as Ship's Doctor in the immediate future, please do not jump to any negative conclusions. It will most likely be that I need to clarify something different from Human of which I have become aware."
"As a note, as part of my duties to ensure health and comfort of crew and passengers, I would be pouring through references trying to identify things on Asim that are of concern to Aslan. I won't be doing that, for you, being it is your home planet. However, if you have some time before we arrive, could we have a discussion on what I should have been looking for?"
"An example of things not of concern to Humans, but dangerous to Vargr, was the humidity and heat on Torpol. I recently learned that Vargr are very susceptible to these factors, and that they are potentially fatal, if care is not taken. So, I now know to warn Vargr of these threats to health and well being, arriving at planets like Torpol. It would be nice to have a similar knowledge for your well being."

12:30 Med Bay

Mikhel will go through the Aslan Medical files he drew from the Pioneer, and look over the scan of Rao. There were some additions to the files, if he remembers correctly. He will take time to read and compare 'normal' Aslan readings, and look over Rao's to compare.

Mikhel: [SKILL] Medic (2D+4) (vs Difficulty 6) [2d6+4 = 10] [+4 Effect] [Average SUCCESS] 1 Hour. Aslan Scanner data vs Rao's readings. Mikhel will take two hours to read and compare.

Mikhel is going to have to button hole a few of the Pioneer staff for more info. Aslan isn't a race with which he'd had a lot of experience.

Yes there is a med file on Te'pe'fe (he was considered one of the un-named researchers when Mikhel took over as Medic at Marduk. Tenny the Engineer has been working with Te'pe'fe on his stateroom etc. (Vignette 2). There is not a scanner chip for Bwaps on file currently. Te'pe'fe might have his own personal one. No to anything in Rao's scans to indicate anything different or out of standard variation for a female Aslan.

1400 Pioneer Corridors

Mikhel walks about the ship, doing checks on First Aid stations, checking on safety and sanitary conditions. If he happens across Nika, he will inquire about her knowledge of Aslan. Perhaps enlist her skills in reviewing med files.

1800 Dining Hall

When Te'Pe arrives at dinner this evening he finds a bowl of something similar to stir fry waiting at his seat. It is piping hot, and smells delicious. A mix of what appear to be meat and vegetables in a spiced sauce fill the bowl.

Rao comes over. "I hope you do not mind, but this is a favorite dish of mine. It is a mixture of some of my favorite meats and vegetables from Asim, prepared in the style of the Aslan. I call it Shifa Shi'Helua. It translates to something like Swift Hunting Grounds, but also references Shifaowoi, a popular and potent spice from Aslan. I hope you enjoy it as I enjoyed making it for you. If not plenty of other things are available. I prepared it for you because I suspect the spice level might be a bit strong for the humans on board, but I enjoy being able to make it for someone who might appreciate such things." She bows slightly and walks away.

The diminutive bwap smiles and bows his head, "Tepawabpeperfobaweafe look forward to enjoying Shifa Shi'Helua." After the meal he makes a point to mention his delight with the dish.

As time passes upon the ship Rao spends her time preparing meals and of course cleaning. She pulls recipes from an extensive repertoire. The dishes are varied, coming from different cultures, and where possible races. She takes care to offer light and rich, vegetarian and meat heavy as much as the larder will allow. Her stash of spices is heavily relied upon, and each night at dinner she makes sure to wow the crew with a beautiful dessert. She also listens to the conversations as she wanders through the space as people are dining, always amazed at how many people let their guard down with servers and while dining.

But she is efficient in her use of time, and has plenty to spare to aid Sherris in her questions about Asim. They discuss the beauty of a sunrise in blue, the extreme tides of her homeworld, slow rebuilding of the capital city of Kingsport (previously Hardesport). So much damage was done in the war, and most resources have gone to agriculture and rebuilding the port. But of course the King has been most generous with helping the city as he can. She shares that Asim is a mostly peaceful world at the moment, the war being so recent relatively speaking. Naturally, being underdeveloped technologically speaking, they are struggling to increase production for export to Drinax. She muses that perhaps the Pioneer might be able to help with this issue. She is friendly and forthcoming with most of Sherris' questions, but does not volunteer a great deal without being asked, though her friendly manner sometimes masks this.

Rao seeks out time with everyone on the ship. She spends a good bit of free time chatting with Hernandez about his books and spices (she hopes to help him do some restocking on Asim while gaining some new ones from him for herself in the process). She works to get to know all of the scientists, and to learn what their specialties are and what they are currently researching. In very short time she has learned everyone's names and positions on the ship, as well as many of their quirks. She listens to all of the gossip, and finds small ways to ingratiate herself without being obsequious. She makes sure the Captain's coffee is made from her special stash of beans every morning. That's it is piping hot, in her favorite mug, and is served EXACTLY as she likes it. All as effortlessly as possible.

Calendar

1105-003 -- 1105-004 -- 1105-005?

• System - Drinax
• Message Center - Anchor link to section of Message Center
• Ship's Log - Anchor links to Personal Logs & Library Entries -
• In Character discussions - Anchor links to discussions on this page
• Category Tags - Drinax

05:00 - Drinax Surface - Roslier Valley - Tuaal Tribe Area - Home of Gunna and Rasha Ulna

[Rasha Ulna] Sleep was fitful for Rasha. He didn't normally have trouble sleeping, but the past twenty-four hours were . . . bothersome. Maeve could have called
him on the radio. He could have been there when the shuttle arrived from the palace, or soon after. Roslier Valley wasn't that big. Why didn't she?

06:00 - Drinax Surface - Roslier Valley - Tuaal Tribe Area

Rasha's respirator breathed loudly as he made the trek from the house he shared with his older brother. He would need to tinker with it. It probably just needed a fresh filter. He could have easily taken one of the new ones yesterday, but nothing about that felt right. Why would someone from the palace simply give away tens of thousands of credits worth of new respirators just out of manufacturing. A tonne of wire? E-grade? It wasn't a fair price. It just didn't make sense.

He looked up at the looming sun. With Drinax so close in orbit, it took up much of the sky. Drinax was always brown, a reddish-brown, the colour of old rust. Where vegetation grew, in the destroyed landscape, they made gardens with lean-tos and greenhouses to protect the fragile growth. These became their food sources, but there food was mostly tasteless grains and tubers growing in the hard glassed grounds. Not everything was destroyed by the Aslan bombing two-hundred-years ago. If it was, Rasha wouldn't be here.

The nobility protected themselves in their floating palace. On the ground, they had run for cover into caves and deep into valleys. Those became their homes for the next hundred years. Parents had children and those children had children and each generation adapted better than the last to Drinax's destroyed ecology. The herds they had used for food were decimated leaving only the small groups that had been sheltered when the bombing came. Those groups too had grown, but with animals' food and water sources destroyed or poisoned, they grew weaker and smaller.

As the populations grew, the caves and tunnels and valley refuges had to grow. The Vespexers were workers when the bombings happened. They remained workers after the smoke cleared even as their world around them turned from a garden to a hellworld. The city remnants were their basic materials. The villages grew, some visible from above, some not, warrens built deeper into cave patterns and underground. Slowly over generations, the Vespexers rebuilt their civilization under the watchful gaze of the palace, all the while serving their floating overlords.

Drinaxians, the people on the floating palace, the useless nobility, insisted that they were Drinaxian. Those below were Vespexers. The Drinaxians kept the Vespexers supplied with just enough to keep them growing, at a controlled rate. Rasha doubted that this was the intent. that would've taken forethought, planning, even simple intelligence.

When the Hierate destroyed the planet, they destroyed the empire. The palace was just as bad off as the planet. Suddenly, their primary source of food and materials was destroyed. They were forced to scramble for their food and shelter just as the Vespexers were forced to scramble into their caves and valleys. But, the Drinaxians had nowhere to scramble to on the floating palace. Their navies were overpowered. Their armies destroyed planetside. The Hierate ended the conflict effectively and concisely.

07:00 - Drinax Surface - Roslier Valley Wire Mill Facility

Most of the workers had not arrived yet. It would be another hour before they started to appear, though a few often made it in the before the whistle. Ore was mined from the quarries and mines not too far off. The ore went to a smelter at the far end of the facility to melt down and purify. Some ores were left pur-ish while others were mixed with other metals to produce alloys. This particular facility spun wire. Other made products of different types: tools, metal sheets, pipes, construction beams, materials necessary for keeping a palace floating.

08:00 - Drinax Surface - Roslier Valley Wire Mill Facility

Rasha made his way through the facility to the great scales at the end of the wire lines. On some lines, the wires were laid out in straight lines to cool. On others, where the wire was a thinner gage or might be coated for use in electronics, they were rolled around a reel or drum. E-grade wire was such a product, but of the lowest quality. It was only good for minor stationary electronics that weren't meant for even moderate use. Bend it or twist is more than a half dozen times and it would break needing replacement. A Vespexer would simply solder it together. A Drinaxian would lack the skill for such a simple process.

The wire wasn't placed on the scales until it cooled or was wound on the reel. There was a setting for when a reel was on the scale and a setting for when it wasn't. Forgetting to make that change would not explain the difference Rasha needed to simulate and it needed to be something small and easily explainable. No one would check on a regular basis unless there was a complaint, so he didn't really need to worry, but still, Maeve was involved and he wanted to protect her.

When Rasha arrived at the scales, four large round pressure scales awaited him at the end of four lines of wire production lines. Maeve and Gunna were also present. He walked up to the pair who were already deep in conversation. They looked startled when he spoke. "If you did what to explain it?"

“Rash, you’re in early.” Maeve moved to embrace her friend.

“I told you he was coming.” Gunna said looking at his younger brother.

Rasha hugged Maeve as he wondered why he hadn’t given in to her desire for a more romantic relationship. “Good morning to you too.”

As Rasha disengaged himself, he looked to his brother. “You said ‘If we did this, it would explain it.’ What do you mean? If you did what?”

Gunna made a motion for Rasha to follow him as he walked over to one of the huge scales. The scale was a round, metal plate, six metres in diameter. It worked on a spring pressure system where it measured the weight of the wire—or anything placed on top of it—through the compression of the springs. “Last night, you were saying you thought the scales were measuring light. You didn’t say which ones, or if it was all of them, but when I mentioned it to Maeve this morning, she said you meant the ones for the e-grade wires.”

Rasha looked back to Maeve who had followed them, but stood a few feet back from the brothers. He wondered what she was doing here this early. Her shift didn’t start until mid-morning, two hours off.

Gunna continued as he knelt down to the scale platform.'' “Well, I was thinking about it last night. Several things could make the scales measure light. Only a couple would make it weigh heavy, and they would almost have to be intentional. But weighing light could be almost anything.”

Gunna pointed to the inch-wide gap around the perimeter of the plate as he continued, “If something got lodged here, it could cause the plate not to register as heavy. Or if the springs got rusty underneath, they might not compress as tightly. Either would cause the scale to weigh light. But that would mean the weight would be light, and the spool would actually be heavier than expected.”

“Exactly. Nothing new. We expect those the springs and make sure the scale is free of debris.” Rasha couldn’t see where his brother was going with his basic explanation. “What about weighing heavy?”

Maeve walked over to stand on the scale, but it was Gunna who spoke. “Obviously someone standing on the scale would add a few kilos.”

“But that would be noticed. I mean if someone was looking . . .”

“Which none of us really do.” Maeve interrupted Rasha with a smile.

“Why would we? If you’re not expecting fraud . . .”

“And who would?” This time it was Gunna who interrupted. “I mean, why would anyone want to risk the Palace making an inspection visit?”

Rasha ran his hand through his hair. All of this was academic. Supervisors, like his brother, made routine inspections of the scales, watched over the measuring of spools for exactly these reasons. Not because anyone would try to cheat the Palace, but because mechanical and accidents happened.

But Rasha wasn’t looking for an explanation. Not really. He wanted to be able to explain the missing tonne Maeve had given for the respirators. If they had come through the normal process, through the weekly shipments, and the wire had gone out the same way, then no explanation would be needed. Maeve should have refused the respirators. Everything would be so much easier if she had.

“What’s this all about, Gunna?” He stopped and drew his brother’s attention. “I told you I was going to look into it. You’re not on for another hour. Maeve has two hours before she’s on. Why are you both here?”

[Gunna] "I'm a supervisor. It's my job. I ran into Maeve at the market this morning. I figured you had told her so I asked if she had noticed anything. She hadn't, but was interested, so I invited her in early."

Rasha looked at Maeve her nodded her agreement to the stated events. Something didn't feel right. Something felt off. But what? He couldn't put his finger on it.

[Gunna] "Anyway, we're going to look over the scales. The three of us together. That way, there can be no question of their accuracy."

Calendar

1105-003? -- 1105-004 -- 1105-005?

• System - Asim
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• Category Tags - Asim - Flort - Wages Of Sin

The pilot tried to impress the Captain.

He talked big, acted bigger—claimed he knew how to shave margins, skip queues, and “make the numbers dance.” Flort might’ve tolerated that, but then the bastard started drinking his Booze. Not the crew stock. The VIP reserve. The kind you only break out when the client’s holding a platinum credit chit and asking about jump range.

He left the bottle half-finished and the cap off.

Then came the real screw-up.

He tried to shortcut the outbound manifest at Asim—cut a side deal with a fixer and rerouted the cargo through a flagged node to bypass customs. It detonated on contact. Half the shipment was seized, Flort was fined Cr12,000, and he had to buy back the remaining goods at an inflated rate just to hold the deal together.

By the time the Wages of Sin cleared port, she’d be limping into Torpol with barely Cr30,000 left to her name.

Flort didn’t yell. He just turned to Spits and said,

“Get him off my ship.”

Spits obliged. The airlock cycled open. The pilot hit the station deck face-first, and his jaw didn’t land clean.

“Boss,” Crow said, voice dry as vacuum, “I believe the term is: ‘lesson learned.’”

Flort toggled his mic. “Spits, that son of a bitch gone?”

“Yeah,” the Gunner replied. “Might’ve cracked something on the way out.”

Crow piped up again—too casually.

“You sure you want me flying? Thrusters are still temperamental, and….”

“As long as I can check your Astrogation numbers, don’t hit a freighter,” Flort muttered.

He keyed Engineering. “Sparks, how’s jump?”

“The engines are not responding to my verbal queries, Captain,” the crew droid answered calmly. “But all indicators are green. We stand ready at your command.”

Flort leaned back in the chair and exhaled. They had four and a half hours after breaking orbit to spool up the jump. No pilot. No room for mistakes. Crow could do it—probably—Non-Sentient AIs had blind spots.

If they made it to Torpol, he’d find a new pilot. Preferably one who didn’t brag, didn’t gamble with the cargo, and didn’t drink the good bourbon.

And maybe, just maybe, one that didn’t need to be shoved out an airlock.