Avastan: Planetfall

[joertexas]

All

A summary of "Resolutions"... and a Conclusion of Business?

The nuke (specifically a Sword Worlds Navy Darraðr class ship to ship nuclear missile warhead).
The unit elects to keep the above and it is duly made (very) safe re-assembled and placed aboard the Deliverance for transit to Collace.

The Hawkwind
The vessel and its crew of Sword World merchants are granted liberty to leave and escorted to the jump point by merc assets (Erica's Gig is handy). In restoring the ship its liberty SEMC hint that putting some business the Bartizan's way might be helpful. Erica states that she expects the ship's owners will demonstrate their gratitude in due course.

The Corporate Lien
Anxious to be free of any debt to SuSAG the unit makes due considerations and then decides on a plan proposed by Kit which relies upon Jakob's business contacts and direct input to come to fruition. Effectively the 200t free trader Saxon will be re-mortgaged and the released funds used to effect electronic repairs to that ship and then pay off the lien on Deliverance in full. The trader will continue to work off any outstanding lien of its own and/or loans taken out to cover its repairs by working local trade routes in 268 as a separate business entity from SEMC. The ship will return a high yield by both conventional trading with the Domici family's support and by occasional courier/small packet work for The Shore.

The Mythical Berm Elves
Remain undiscovered despite an extensive and exhaustive search of the berm loading bay (including use of Imperial grade customs scanners). The bay being empty appears to support the theory that the "elves" were either an imagining of the Ihatei Aslan and/or an artefact of lost mistranslation from Trokh. An examination of all remaining evidence suggests that whoever was in the loading bay killed the Imperial agents/ISS mercs firing on the SEMC units defusing the nuke at the Hawkwind (Jakob). These same SEMC assets (Prerna and Kit supported by Freya and Erica) engaged and killed Avastan Secretary Vladimir Mikhailov, Viktor Solonik aka “The Gravedigger” and their Avastan Bratva troops thereby giving a "politicial" win to accompany tactical success at the battle for Avastan Downport.

The Aslan
Will continue to garrison the berm when SEMC leave and hold it as property of the Iyhlua Clan.

And, we also get Viper's Nest with its surviving fighters?

[Tiglath]

Addendum:

And, we also get Viper's Nest with its surviving fighters?

(OOC: Yes! )

Viper's Nest (400t Auxiliary Carrier)
Is also part of the haul with a brace of 10t fighters (missile armed) and one under repair. Selling the other pair will be necessary to generate working capital for the SEMC Flotilla.

The QSM appears to require all available cargo space on the trader under the terms of an arrangement brokered with the "stevadores" of the "new regime" Avastan Downport. The trader is loaded with Imperial standard cargo containers plus high end mid tech vehicles together with a number of (barely) functional looted AFVs (including a pair of wheeled APCs mounting autocannon).

Prize/Scratch crews are available from 4DC assets for all new vessels for the return jump to Collace .

[joertexas]

Addendum:

And, we also get Viper's Nest with its surviving fighters?

(OOC: Yes! )

Viper's Nest (400t Auxiliary Carrier)
Is also part of the haul with a brace of 10t fighters (missile armed) and one under repair. Selling the other pair will be necessary to generate working capital for the SEMC Flotilla.

The QSM appears to require all available cargo space on the trader under the terms of an arrangement brokered with the "stevadores" of the "new regime" Avastan Downport. The trader is loaded with Imperial standard cargo containers plus high end mid tech vehicles together with a number of (barely) functional looted AFVs (including a pair of wheeled APCs mounting autocannon).

Prize/Scratch crews are available from 4DC assets for all new vessels for the return jump to Collace .

Prerna speaks up. "I'm qualified to stand bridge watch, but my billet is Engineering. Whom else do we have to crew Deliverance and Viper's Nest? Also, do we have anyone to engage for repairs to Saxon?"

[Leitz]

"I don't have any shipboard skills, yet," Jakob said. "On the maintenance, you know my position."

[The Bindoner]

Jess:

I've never worked on ships, but they're just vehicles, right? I can do repair and maintenance, I should think. Only a matter of scale, ain't it? Same skills, bigger tools.

Similar on Sensors too. I'm rated to operate those, so bit of orientation, I'll be fine.

(Jess has Mechanic 1, Sensor Op 1)

[gurusql]

Kit

Kit served multiple years as ship board security, but never performed other functions (piloting, navigating, engineering, etc.)

His only potentially useful non-combat ship board skill is Electronics-1

[BackworldTraveller]

I can fly, but always had an astrogator. And I joined a mercenary company to be planet side.

Those "Berm Elves" are of interest. There may be no immediate sign of them, but have they left a scent? Both the Vargr and Aslan have good sense of smell. They may break contact with a jump, but wherever they have gone, they will move on foot. I propose a joint patrol to see if we can sniff them out before we give up completely!

Also, somewhere they will have had a support team and may have left evidence even if they have gone now. The locals might be able to help there...but as we have no in with the locals that may not be a help. Indeed, the locals may be willing to shelter these guys until we're gone.

[Tiglath]

All

Erica suggests "4DC have a Freight Tractor Vessel - the Heyan Rose berthed at Avastan orbital. More correctly I believe it is owned and operated by The Shore but it can carry 300t of cargo - more than enough to transport your stricken 200t trader back to Collace's high tech repair yards. I could liaise with Colonel Skeet and maybe call in a favour".

She adds "I can also help with your shortage of prize crews as I am a qualified starship pilot. My papers are registered at Collace - I'm rated for commercial flights and I keep my hand in so I'm still current. I've also managed to sneak a few hours of "stick time" flying anonymously with Collace PDF so I'll not be completely lost on a military vessel". She pauses and fixes Prerna with a playful smile "One caveat - I'd have to insist on picking my own oily engineer".

"Patch" contacts SEMC command and advises that the Vargr will be lifting for high orbit with their newly expanded flotilla. He wryly complains that "Unfortunately it seems that decent pirate bases are in increasingly short supply. Happy hunting!"

Unfortunately requests for the Vargr to assist in an "elf hunt" appear to be greeted with hilarity and derision. Subsequent contact runs afoul of serial Vargr comms officers who insist on conversing only in Gvegh and/or being left on hold listening to "Pound" musik...

The Aslan males also clearly find the topic uncomfortable and/or suspect it to amount to some form of "ribbing" and therefore refuse to cooperate. However, the female Aslan (Hatsuyuki (初雪, "First Snow") can be persuaded to assist and actively helps. She complains that "Human infantry have moved through the whole area therefore findings will be obscured". She reports on the area that the ISS troopers were facing "An energy weapon was fired from here all scents are destroyed but the bearer did not move away from the spot. The scent was not dragged in any direction - all around there is no trail". From the place where the ISS troops were killed she mounts a loading bay to the east (their rear) and stands in plain sight "It is difficult but I understand that the shooter stood here to kill the ISS prey. Two shots with the trolitakheal* - an efficient disposal of unworthy opponents. I can find no trail away but it may be lost". Turning to the entrance to the "storage" area at the rear "This area smells badly of excited human soldiers! If the "elves" were here then it was here that they waited and were calm. There was a very scared human male - he dishonoured himself. I can not tell in which direction these elves left indeed their scent is ever more masked by that of humans and the yokai that remain".

(OOC: * Trokh translation: High Tech [TL13+] Laser rifle).

With the numerous N/PCs mucking in you have sufficient prize crews to move all the prize ships back to Collace.

[joertexas]

All

Erica suggests "4DC have a Freight Tractor Vessel - the Heyan Rose berthed at Avastan orbital. More correctly I believe it is owned and operated by The Shore but it can carry 300t of cargo - more than enough to transport your stricken 200t trader back to Collace's high tech repair yards. I could liaise with Colonel Skeet and maybe call in a favour".

She adds "I can also help with your shortage of prize crews as I am a qualified starship pilot. My papers are registered at Collace - I'm rated for commercial flights and I keep my hand in so I'm still current. I've also managed to sneak a few hours of "stick time" flying anonymously with Collace PDF so I'll not be completely lost on a military vessel". She pauses and fixes Prerna with a playful smile "One caveat - I'd have to insist on picking my own oily engineer".

Prerna blushes and nods. "I'm not current, but I believe we can log these as ferry flights, so long as we aren't carrying paying passengers or paid cargo."

[BackworldTraveller]

All

Unfortunately requests for the Vargr to assist in an "elf hunt" appear to be greeted with hilarity and derision. Subsequent contact runs afoul of serial Vargr comms officers who insist on conversing only in Gvegh and/or being left on hold listening to "Pound" musik...

The Aslan males also clearly find the topic uncomfortable and/or suspect it to amount to some form of "ribbing" and therefore refuse to cooperate. However, the female Aslan (Hatsuyuki (初雪, "First Snow") can be persuaded to assist and actively helps. She complains that "Human infantry have moved through the whole area therefore findings will be obscured". She reports on the area that the ISS troopers were facing "An energy weapon was fired from here all scents are destroyed but the bearer did not move away from the spot. The scent was not dragged in any direction - all around there is no trail". From the place where the ISS troops were killed she mounts a loading bay to the east (their rear) and stands in plain sight "It is difficult but I understand that the shooter stood here to kill the ISS prey. Two shots with the trolitakheal- an efficient disposal of unworthy opponents. I can find no trail away but it may be lost". Turning to the entrance to the "storage" area at the rear "This area smells badly of excited human soldiers! If the "elves" were here then it was here that they waited and were calm. There was a very scared human male - he dishonoured himself. I can not tell in which direction these elves left indeed their scent is ever more masked by that of humans and the yokai that remain".

Thank you for looking Hatsuyuki. It seems that the Elf can jump between places. Without the support of your warriors we could not search for places outside the port where the Elf may have gone as he withdrew. The presence of Zhodani in the subsector makes for a complexity in combat that the Warriors may not like to admit. You should consider it in your future plans. Where there is one, there are others. Their equipment is not easy to hide or move and they need intelligence, just as we do, to go where they are wanted. That takes people.

But, our contract is fulfilled and these issues will be the problems of those that stay.

[shaidar]

Frank is eager for the company to return to collace and directs everyone to focus on that end.

"Colonel, If you could speak to 4DC about the freight tractor that would he appreciated."

[Tiglath]

All

But, our contract is fulfilled and these issues will be the problems of those that stay.

Hatsuyuki replies "Your insights are valuable - I will include them in my report to The Twilight. However, while our task is also complete I believe the issues with "elves" will not necessarily remain here but follow those who they hunt".

Frank is eager for the company to return to collace and directs everyone to focus on that end.

"Colonel, If you could speak to 4DC about the freight tractor that would he appreciated."

Erica makes arrangements and 4DC come through allowing the transport of the Saxon (Trader) as cargo in the tractor vessel's pod. This removes the stress on filing prize crew positions and solves the repair/logistics issues with the crippled trader at a stroke.

With all plotting issues and in game tasks addressed I'll move the SEMC through their shift to Collace

Congrats all on a job well done in a challenging tactical situation!

[gurusql]

Kit

Now that we are getting ready to head back to Collace, Kit has been thinking about his assignment before leaving for Inchin. He continues to put Clues (Cluedo?) together and will pull the Colonel Mustard aside making sure that there are not others in earshot and give the following summary

"You asked me to look into some killings on Collace and I have a new primary suspect"

Once the door is shut Frank gestures to the chair by his desk. "Please sit, there is something I need your help with, a rather delicate matter. It seems that the city has attracted two killers. The first is some kind of vigilante attacking hoodlums up in midspire, I'm not particularly concerned about that. The second one does concern me...someone is killing gang members in the downspire and Bartizan area, the same MO each time, slash attacks. Information is sparse and not particularly reliable but they started around the time our original team attacked the Bartizan, stopped during the period the company was on Inchin, and there has been another murder since we returned. I need you to look into this situation, discretely, and keep me informed. Currently the police aren't particularly interested, but somebody might notice the gap in deaths matches the Inchin trip, and this may be even more obvious when they stop while we are on Avastan. I'm not currently looking to have whoever is responsible handed over to the police, but if the situation should escalate then we need to be ready to act. "

(bold added by me)

"My investigation focused on the active members of the unit. When I was doing it in a discreet manner, a few alibi's were determined. After the first few alibi's were determined and we started asking them to vouch for others turning the times of the murders which lead to all members of the company being 'cleared'."

Kit is soon in the (inevitable?) position of having the entire unit vouched for by someone else already eliminated from the enquiry.

Those who are Collace born seem entirely familiar with the legal position of "alibi" and instinctively (and sometimes inventively) swear blind that those needing to have been somewhere else at the relevant time, in fact, were.

"The entire time of the investigation, I was focusing on members of the unit without looking at people that are not officially part of the unit, but have been travelling the same time we are. There are multiple instances that Polly has shown skill in HTH and knowing her way around a melee."

The pirate (who Kit notices bears “wings” over his name tag and an image of a “pile of snakes”) lets off a shot which goes wild and makes a horrified “Ack!” as Kit propels his deceased mate on top of him. Draped with his dead mate he then screams as Polly repeatedly strikes at him from behind with her black translucent blade. He collapses (quite possibly as lack of effective muscle functionality only just pips blood loss) torn up by the deep raking wounds inflicted by her archaic weapon.

The tug of war over her handbag takes a turn as her assailant now gets a handhold on the body of the bag leaving Polly grasping the baton like clasp along the top edge. She smiles as the clasp detaches itself from the bag and one end of its chain strap drops loose. Polly whirls the loose chain expertly and flicks its weighted end at the pirate's face as she hefts the “baton” still attached to it in her other hand. Her footwork is now sure and poised and the nature of the fight between her and the pirate shifts. He grabs up a bottle and smashes it into an improvised dagger as Kit arrives. The pirate then swings a wild blow at Kit with the broken bottle. However, Kit sees it coming and converts the pirate's lunge into an arm entanglement successfully grappling him. That's when Polly hits him in the side of head with her “baton”. The point of the scythe blade penetrates deep into his skull and the pirate immediately goes limp in Kit's grasp.

Polly has her hair pinned into a casual "up do" and wears a pale blue silk belted dress bearing the Iyhlua Clan mon and wafts her fan which when opened reveals the same device. She has accessorized her outfit with a pair of kama (sickles) thrust through her belt.

I suspect that if were to dig deeper into the slashing deaths, it is very likely that kama's could be the weapon of choice. Of course, all of this is circumstantial but if my understanding of the internal politics of the SEMC, the unit may not want to know the answer to these questions. I would ask the Colonel would you like me to question Polly or let it be?

[shaidar]

Frank

"Thank you for your thorough investigation Lieutenant. As I said at the start I'm more interested in protecting the company from surprises than about justice, and the local police do not seem particularly interested. With the lack of hard evidence, and the complication of the potential involvement of clan Iyhlua, I think it best we leave things for now. I hope you understand? Although we should monitor the situation to ensure things do not escalate.

[gurusql]

Kit

"Sir, yes sir. That was the answer I anticipated which is why I sought your leadership mid-investigation."

[Tiglath]

Avastan Epilogue

After only a relatively short delay a SuSAG Corporate (although they identify themselves as representative of McClellan's board) arrives from orbit aboard another trader. This appears to be McClellan Factors' flagship a 1000t Triad Class Merchant Vessel named Triskele. It's sensor and comms profile are almost an exact match to a vessel previously encountered by SEMC on Inchin referred to by the code name: Óðins vagn.

The significance to all mercs involved in the operation is that the "Corp" officially signs for receipt of the entirety of Avastan's Starport facilities and thereby authorises payment via the various unit's brokers. Immediately the Corp's stylus hits Accept and the mercs gain receipt tight beam comms streak to orbit to a "Shore" scout courier waiting outside 100 diameters - which immediately jumps. The money will be in your accounts before you make landfall on Collace.

A detachment of SuSAG badged hired security / PMC take over your fighting positions and custody of the berms (less the Aslan one). Their NCO cadre and officers are polite and overly "business professional" striking you as hardly stellar fighting material - which their infantry surely aren't being both distinctly "sub par" and noticeably nervous of the mercenary troopers. Colonel Skeet summarizes the disdainful commentary on SuSAG's hired help with "Well worth knowing in case any over us have to come back but for now - we all got paid. Everybody goes home!" Grinning mercs pile aboard their (often new transports) and covered by 4DC fighters and starmerc elements in orbit the merc flotilla climbs out to the jump point.

Watched by the new owners of Avastan High Orbital the merc traders jump first covered by their auxiliary carriers which then recover their fighters and make their own jumps in turn.

Then as the mercfleet leaves there's one last jump signature - from deep outsystem...

Fin

Please post henceforth in a new Chapter: Collace Homecoming

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