The Marshall Cooperative (T20)

We got to Seror and got help...from Angel's brother, Kiri. We almost beat the news of our exploits to that planet, so he was pretty unhappy about her showing up. Still, he acted upon the wishes of their father and helped us out, for a price.

We are now back on Uzdiki and will head up to John Sage's cabin where *hopefully* Cassel is hiding. That boy has some explaining to do, for sure.

Follow up:

January 31, 2010

So, to Seror. It will be 12 weeks if we continue going at Jump 1. Can we hold more fuel? Can we modify the jump drive? Fuel storage may work. There are fueling stations we can hit between known worlds. And for food: base provisions. Water and goo. Uh-oh.

Arthur sends us into light speed and we jump. We can fuel up in this system and probably get loaded up before it’s too late…

Arthur and Nelson build more fuel storage. While en route, Sergey doctors us up.

Jose attempts to reprogram the ship’s auto-responder and calls the ship the “Root Beer Barrel”. This job will not withstand an Imperial investigation at all…we will retain the identity of Mary’s Best for the first fuel stop.

Sergey fixes up Angel successfully. Character level back in lifeblood, several hours in surgery.

Nelson also tries to fix the autochef…T: Mechanical and T: Electronics. It is now making burnt, heavily peppered goo.

After a couple of days, we hear a chime and “Ten minutes!”. We are apparently pulling up on the fueling station, but there is an X-boat leaving from here. If we use a credit card, they’ll have our information for this. So, we’ll just steal the fuel manually.

We follow the computer’s instructions and pull into a bay. The clamps hit to hold us down, and an automated fuel hose latches on. It wants access. Nelson tries to hack it and can’t; it’s arguing. So, Arthur, Jose, and Nelson go out in vac suits to steal some fuel using our pumps. We break the fuel system up a little bit and have to repair our fuel pump, but we do fill the ship up. The main tanks fill up, and we start filling the secondary tanks. We can see fuel filling up past the windows in the cargo bay, but it’s mostly holding.

The computer is reporting to us that our ship’s registry has been recorded and will be reported to the authorities. Looking around, we gank the autochef and spice pack. It’s not the same shape, but we can make it fit.

We point the ship towards hex 11-18, planet Dord. Arthur reports that we won’t be able to land the ship with the cargo bays full of fuel, but we’ll be empty before we land.

We enter plus-light speed smoothly, but a few minutes later we feel a shudder. We probably didn’t hit a deer, but the ride’s a little bumpy. Arthur goes to check it out and says everything looks ok; if we’re leaking fuel, it’s going outside. We don’t want to stop because that’s a lot of stress on the ship. We can check it out later; there is an airlock we can get to without using the cargo space.

Angel sets up an interrogation/torture chamber near an airlock because we’re always near an airlock. Then Sergey thaws out Ukin, mostly because we didn’t brutally slay his sister. He’s up, and he’s got two lifeblood left. He looks around; Sergey fingers a syringe and asks if Ukin’s going to be a problem.

U: No.
Jack: Good, because I’d hate to have to bitch-slap you into tomorrow.
S: The Marquesa wants to talk, which is the only reason you’re awake right now. He’s ok, Jack.

Ukin limps slowly towards the door and follows Jack’s orders. He sits where Angel instructs him.

A: Name?
U: Ukin.
A: Birthday?
U: (gives a stardate).
A: Homeworld?
U: (a planet with higher grav, 4 months from Uzdiki…it’s real but she doesn’t know much about it). He appears to come from a high-grav world.
A: It is my understanding that you wer eon the ship to do what happened earlier to the captain of the ship. Correct?
U: You mean, did we succeed? We were supposed to kill him, then kill you.
A: No, then you failed. Who are you working for?
U: A guy named Cardiss. He hired the sisters, and they knew me. Hired is kind of a strong term; it’s a contract, really.
A: What were the terms?
U: You are supposed to die at the end of it, along with your associates. Bounty on you is four megacredits.
A: Who was willing to make good on it?
U: I don’t know. You don’t ask these kind of questions of people who put contracts on other people. It was enough money for us to try, though.
A: You’ve certainly seen the error of that decision. What do you know about Cardiss?
U: He handles certain contracts, hangs out in Ampanan, sometimes at the up or down ports, sometimes in town. He is kind of a muscle broker, Solomani descent, dark hair, black skin. He’s not too distinctive. I’m sure he’s armed but you’d never see it. (Yes, his descent will show). But he doesn’t act like a Solomani.
A: How do you get in touch with him?
U: There’s a few places he hangs out – bars at the up and down ports, couple places in Ampanan town. He’s not the kind of guy who calls *me*.
U: It turns out this is not an exclusive contract; anyone could take a shot at the Marquesa. For 4 million credits, there’s probably 10 guys looking for you.
A: How old is the bounty?
U: About 12 hours before your limo got blown up is when I heard of it. Not like there’s an official announcement or anything. At least three good hitters, Jimmy the Bomber (not sure if he’s a Villani – never saw him), couple sharp shooters, some regular hitters, and even street thugs want to ice you.
A: Who would you speak to about collecting?
U: Cardiss. He’s probably getting a cut but for that kind of money, who cares? There was also a bounty on the Vargr, but in retrospect it was not high enough. 20k.
A: I’m glad you came to that conclusion, although too late.
U: If I knew he was Imperial, I never would have taken the contract. Hard to research that kind of guy, you know?
A: Well, that pretty much wraps this up. Maybe we’ll have more questions for you after we talk to Kinda. Given that you have been mostly truthful, we will not put you out the airlock. But you are going into low berth again.
U: I am not in a position to do anything about this. And just so you know, this isn’t personal—just business. Whoever wants you dead, wants you bad if it’s for that much money and an open contract. Too much attention even for the guy who takes it out.
U: Good luck with Kinda. She’s a real bitch. Lemme ask you a question—you kill the kid? He didn’t know nothing about this.
A: We figured that out. He’s fine.
U: Good. He’s alright.

We try to get Kinda out of the cooler. She’s at zero lifeblood, so Angel has to go to the low berth area.

Angel: Tell us the truth or we’ll space you. Do you understand?
A: Name?
Kinda pulls out her ID card.
A: You mute?
K: No.

Everyone notices her glance at the surgery tray. Sergey slides it away from her. She rolls her eyes and sighs.
A: That would end poorly for you. Alright. Who do you work for?
K: Nobody.
A: Who gave you the job?
K: Cardiss. That’s what we call him anyway. Got the job on Uzdiki.
A: Now either start cooperating – like when I ask you where, you need to explain more on Uzdiki. Or it’s the airlock.
K: Flametongue Bar…you know where that is?
A: No, but when we go back to Uzdiki, we’ll find it. Not that you need to know why I care.
K: She gives us the address on Ampanan. The bartender’s name is Bill.
A: Is it a place for folk like you, or for regular folks? Bounty hunters or just anyone?
K: It’s not just for bounty hunters, more of a people of like mind kind of place.
A: What kind of mind?
K: Criminal. Some hitters, hookers, credit forgers, thieves, robbers, burglars…blah, blah. She covers the whole penal code of Uzdiki.
A: Thank you.
K: I didn’t want to shortchange you any information, ma’am.
A: How do you get in touch with Cardiss?
K: I normally talk to him, normally in person.
A: How do you arrange these meetings?
K: I usually go down to the bar. If I see him, I decide if I want to talk to him. Sometimes it’s at other bars. I move around a lot.
A: Did you take this job for me, or Cade, or both? I hear there’s a price on both of us.
K: Well, you know what the bounties are? Why are you asking then? I’ll take the extra money, eve n though that other guy wasn’t worth what they were paying, but he was the contract for you. Your friends had similar contracts but not like that. Maybe you get extra, you know? We shot the Vargr because we thought he’d be trouble.
A: More trouble than you know. You’re very annoying. I think we’re done here for now. You’re going back into low berth. And that’s not a question.

Sergey puts Kinda back on ice. Just before he puts the lid down, she says, “I’m gonna kill that bitch.”
Sergey: Not for a while…*lid slams*

Nelson swaps the autochefs and we’re good. Jack wants more burnt peppery goo.

Angel talks to Arthur about giving him a raise. He’s currently making 100 credits a week plus room and board.
Angel: What do you think you’re worth?
Arthur: You offering me a job? How long’s it for?
Angel: As long as you want it. Whenever I need a pilot, I call you. Otherwise, no responsibilities but you’ll still get paid. And, you may be able to be co-pilot on our other ship.
Arthur: You have more than one ship?
A: If you’ve heard of the Marshall Cooperative, we need another pilot. You may be able to be a pilot on Rainwind (200-ton Far Trader)

Arthur is all over this gig. Angel offers him 28k credits a year; Arthur is astonished. He’s good with it, totally.

Angel: Now what to do with the rest of them? Ukin seems reasonable.
Jack: Space the bitch.
Jose: She’s seen Cardiss; Ukin hasn’t.
Angel: You have a point.

Sergey wakes up Ukin again.
U: We there?
S: No, the Marquesa is being fickle.
A: Ukin, please sit. You are infinitely more helpful than Kinda.
U: You didn’t kill my sister. And frankly, and by the…we’re at plus-light, right? Realistically, I have a vested interest in keeping you happy.
Jack: It *is* healthier for you.
A: True. We aren’t discussing tossing you out the airlock. You seem to understand the world that the bounty came from what could be useful when we are on Uzdiki. You’ve at least heard of Cardiss. You could you meet with him?
U: I could try. You’re not really giving me a choice here. What happens if someone takes him out before we get there? And what we, I mean the Vargr, did wasn’t quiet.
A: I’ll tell you what we need when we get there.
U: When are we expected at Uzdiki?
A: We’re taking a side-trip. Maybe 6 weeks until Uzdiki.
U: Low berth, right? Wake me up when you’re ready.

Ukin: It can’t be healthy to do this all the time. Can you have her knock it off?
Sergey: This is the last time.

We have a discussion with Angel about spacing Kinda. It doesn’t really accomplish anything other than let Angel be petty and vindictive.

We change the name of the ship to the “Sugar Shack”. We will lose the ship, then pull in some favors to get a faster ship. Will we have beaten the news of the bounty to Seror? If we just land instead of using the ports (which would suck), we’ll be wanted at the ports but maybe not anywhere else. Depends how much the Imperial representative and local nobles want to push around the planetary government.

Seror is largely democratic. She knows that’s a joke; the planet is ruled by a president Anthony Abbing-Rigatos. This is a minor branch of the family. He’s elected, but the elections are rigged. Even though there is a big show of a rift between Abbing-Rigatos and Duke Rigatos (president argues with the Duke), but it’s a sham. Nothing important is ever denied to the Duke, and he happens to be Angel’s father. The Duke and his sons have a lot of influence with the local government. If we avoid the ports, we’ll need to suit up and walk (which means answering questions, but to the local authorities). If the locals are on our side, the Imperials will have no say in what that means. They only control the two ports. Local law is no too strict with exceptions:
1) No projectile weapons anywhere. Energy weapons are preferred.
2) Reflec armor is very illegal. Authorized individuals (planetary security, etc. and Rigatos-Balim corp security).
3) The eldest son Yani is Duke R’s proxy in the corp. Kiri, the younger brother, is the rep to the planetary government, and mom travels with Dad; he was recently on Uzdiki.

We get up to the Bridge because we’re about to come out of lightspeed. As we remember, the ship shudders every time we drop to sublight. We notice there is an Imperial Star Destroyer out there. We are immediately hailed. Arthur says it’s the destroyer, and he doesn’t want to run in hot (to hope we land before we get killed).

Arthur responds to the Cognizant and thanks them for patrolling. The sister ship Ricksam is on the other side of the planet.

Looks like we’re going to the up-port. Arthur asks why they’re here; they say the Bellerophon has been damaged and is being repaired on Choir up-port.

Two destroyers and a battleship in system. Who would attack a battleship and do enough damage to actually require repairs? Hm, good question…

Land near the planetary capital (Ulon Bator)? We need an ambulance to get the people who are in low-berth. And if we need to blow the ship up? Radio-controlled bomb perhaps. We could also try to sell it to some shipbreakers who could try to make it disappear, or give the keys to someone.

We set down 6 klicks from Ulon Bator, and Angel calls up S. Ward Stanton (aka, Stanton), her family’s butler. We get a signal from the up-port saying we’re off-course; Arthur shuts the radio off. For the first time in his flying career he takes it slow and easy.

Angel chats with Stanton about doing this discreetly, namely, she doesn’t want her brothers to know we’re here.

Stanton: Your brother has left specific instructions regarding you, ma’am. You should quickly and quietly come to the estate.
Angel: Can you arrange for transportation? We are outside the downport, six km’s. We also need medical attention for friends.

He does so. A couple limos and one starport ambulance shows up – it opens the hatch automatically and Sergey and the techs screw around long enough to pull Cade whole out and to the hospital. We will perhaps take our meatsicles…or not. Her brother calls her and tells her to GTF into the car, so he’ll send guards and we’ll get on our way to the limo.

Everyone and Arthur goes into one limo except Angel, who goes into her brother’s car.

Her brother is unhappy, and apparently knows something what happened. An X-ship showed up two days ago, and he knows she’s Wanted.

A: Stole is an improper word.
Brother: Took it out of system without the owner’s permission? Third Imperial Bank? It was a repo. Apparently a Vargr talked some bank manager into letting him rent it, and according to the news…
A: He told us it was his ship.
B: Thankfully we are here, blissfully free of Imperial Law. Yes?
A: I suppose.
B: Why in god’s name did you come to Seror?
A: I need help.
B: I know.
A: This seemed like the best decent place close to Uzdiki with a jump one ship.
B: Father said not to turn you over to the Imperials. His missive was on the same courier ship. But calm yourself…I would like to have this chat with all your little friends. He didn’t say I couldn’t turn *them* over to the Imperials.
A: That’s not very nice.
B: You know I can’t do that. If I have them, I certainly have you. I couldn’t make an excuse for that.

After a bit, we pull into the dome, drive through, and go underground. The family estate is on the fashionable lower levels. There are some inappropriate iron gates; we go through a car-sized airlock and enter the estate…brightly lit and mini-bubbled underground. Stanton lets Angel out; the driver lets the rest of us out.

We gather in a room and are greeted by Sir Kiri Rigatos, “Angie’s older brother”. He tells us that he acts as the Duke on Seror while the Duke is on Uzdiki. And as he knows Angel, she introduces us.

Sergey, the one without legs. Angel says they’re being grown.
Jack von Scheldenhorn, Sir Nelson Larenu (who gets some respect), Jose (who Kiri knows), and Arthur Bump.

Now that we’re here, what do we want?
Angel: A ship to return to Uzdiki.
K: You left one! Don’t want much, do you?
A: They’re looking for that one. We need a different ship. We would like to travel more incognito.
K: Back to Uzdiki. What else? What about the terrorism? Or did you forget that? The little mining colony you visited was with the anti-corporatist league! You found their hideout! By the way, where is that one fellow…
A: Cassel d’Messul? Not here!
K: Too bad; if you associated with enough criminals you may have found him. How lovely.
A: Is the Vargr with us who was us being tended to? The one in low berth?
K: I do not know.
A: He was an Imperial agent of some kind. Surprise to us too.
K: Ooh, excuse me.

Kiri goes and talks to someone and apparently it will be “taken care of”.
Jack: He was gunned down by the rest of his crew.
Jose: Two of them are still in low berth on our ship.
Kiri: How delightfully low class, and you brought them here? I only wish Mother was here to see this.
A: All of these charges of terrorism, we believe, are being orchestrated by someone on Uzdiki.
K: Why? Not to be snarky, but you’re not that important. It’s a lot of trouble just for you.
A: It is! We have something, information, that…
Kiri stops her.
K: You have someone’s secrets.
A: Let us work with that.
K: Not of personal nature? That’s not your style…must be business. Who did you anger?
Nelson: You may not want to know.
A: Do you want to know?
K, to Nelson: If peers on this world can’t keep themselves safe here, you’re not safe anywhere.
A: Baron Sage.
K: Oh, you don’t aim low, do you?! Do you know that just last year the democratically-elected legislature banned his companies from business here? He was competing with us, of course, and we can’t have that. I’m going to trust that Sir Nelson and the rest are reasonably discreet…why run the planet if you can’t pass laws to your own advantage. Of course, the planetary president AA-R was so upset. What an uppity little house.
K: Anyway, you angered John and now he’s trying to frame you and he wants to do worse?
A: We assume so.

Rigatos family is large, they compete with Sage’s company particularly in vacsuit companies. Third largest mfr in the galaxy. Their company isn’t big enough to directly exploit the info we have, but they could get it done.

K: Father wanted me to ask you something. He’s always tolerated your political incidents over the years, more than anyone else’s. Well, Daddy’s girl, is this important enough to put resources into this, or are you willing to take a vacation. If you’re willing to disappear, you, Sir Nelson, and the rest can be disposed of – non-lethally for most, of course (looking at Jose in particular). Or, Father has authorized, no, ordered me to assist you.
K: None of yoru little Moot friends could help? Pay no mind, I’m just mocking you now.
A: This is important enough to pour resources into.
K: Well, Father will expect suitable profits then. We were very disappointed when Amaryllis Kai turned us away from information from Gigakuuli.
A: That was for those who were funding TMC. If Father had offered some money…
K: He gave his daughter! Father played a large hand in making sure you were chosen, you know. It was not proper for you to be in the Moot before him or me. I’m not upset, but Yanni…
K: So, back to Uzdiki – quietly and quickly.

He bangs on the door, someone gives him a datapad, and he hands it to Angel. She has to agree to repay to have a 400-ton yacht Pocahontas if it’s destroyed – 170 megacredits. She signs it…

He has bad news for us – Cade passed away. And they actually did try to save him.

Jack: His word would have gone a long way in clearing us.

K: I want another condition – you need to take his body with. Give him a proper burial or whatever, but he can’t stay here.

In our rooms are fresh identities that will be usable, but we shouldn’t try to use them long-term. It takes a long time to set up credentials that will work galaxy-wide…these will be fine on Uzdiki and Seror but not forever. On Uzdiki the records will be computerized; a day or two is all they’ll be good for. No scanners!

Pocahontas is at the up-port, enchantingly next to the Bellerophon. I would avoid that ship’s captain; he’s proven to be pig-headed, obstinant, inflexible, and demanding. You shouldn’t see him, but if you do, it will be bad for you. His MO is to “put them in the brig and let the judge-advocate sort it out”.

Kiri asks us if we want the ship; we say no. We want Ukin, not Kinda. If she disappeared, that would be ok. We need to make sure she doesn’t cause trouble.

Jose mentions that Angel has a flattering bounty on her head, but Kiri says the starship is worth more than four megacredits.

We’ll be out of his hair in the morning…although, Yanni may get here first. Angel figures this won’t be fun at all.

We get fed, watered, cleaned, etc. The night goes uneventfully. We are woken up quite early, and Angel gets a personal call from Kiri. Apparently a corporate courier ship will be here in three or four hours…it carries her brother, of course. Ukin will be transferred directly, and the other one “won’t bother us”.

We hurriedly bundle up into the limousine as Kiri kisses Angel on the cheek and pats her head condescendingly. We get to the downport, flash our fake passports (which works just fine), we take the next space elevator to the station, and we get a beautiful view of the battleship…pretty and with many guns. Arthur is quite excited. We head over to the private ship wing (next to the Navy wing), and we are authorized as the owners of the Pocahontas. We head down the hallway to meet a family security dude, and he mentions Ukin is quietly sitting in his room.

We ask if our stuff got moved; it’s not. The security guy hands over two laser pistols and a two-shot holdout laser pistol. Then we go aboard. This ship is really sweet; it lives up to the name luxury yacht in every regard. Two engineers and a hop-to (errand boy) are the crew of this ship. We have our own pilot.

Arthur is really excited, and Angel tries to calm him down and convince him not to damage the ship. Ukin is in Stateroom 3. Angel and Jack go down to visit with him, or they will once we’re leaving. Arthur starts preparing to depart.

They go to see Ukin after all…Ukin is reading something off a datapad. He’s impressed at the ship.

A: Do the accommodations suit you?
U: Oh yeah, I’m good.
A: We will need to speak to you about what is going to happen on Uzdiki, along with compensation, depending on results.

He reacted strangely when Angel was talking about compensation, but it’s not clear how.
Jack: You will spend this trip in the stateroom.
U: Fine by me. I haven’t had a chance to heal. And send that doctor by when he’s not busy, my stitches are pulling.

Apparently Arthur has pulled us out of system, and we feel a slight bump. Totally normal.

We pass the Bricksam (the other destroyer) as we head out…no issues. We are apparently not followed. We plot our course to Uzdiki; this yacht is a jump-four. No armament, no cargo space, but tons of room.

We are talking about buying guns. Angel’s account has 40k of credit on it; the rest of us have 300-500 credits.

Nelson wants a gauss pistol. We also need some armor…like what? Advanced cloth? Lt cloth is TL 9, Advanced cloth is TL 9, regular cloth is TL 6.
LT cloth (diplo): can look like normal clothing
Adv cloth (military uniform style): cannot look like normal clothing; it has plates
Reg cloth:

We are looking at planets to get guns. Lakee (sp) has a good TL but the law is Rigid! We find another world, Ladumdugikhii, that will probably fit the bill.

We take the ship’s boat down to the surface to look for guns. Gather Info only 16. We find a seedy part of town and there’s a tri-d TV repair shop.

Guns:
Gauss shotgun – probably can’t get.
Gauss pistols: we’ll take two if we can get ‘em, cost: 3000 each (done) and a dozen clips @ 40 each.
Medium semiautomatic pistol and two clips: 150 (includes 3 full clips)
Light cloth: We’ll get it at the sporting goods store.
Laser pistol power packs: 250 each, we take all three. They’ll need to be charged.
HUD interfaces: 450 x 3
Two advanced cloth, premium quality…it’s gonna take a couple days. 2 x 725, 2 x flak jackets are book price 100 each.
Rainbow pack of smoke grenades: 160 (7 grenades)
Frag grenades: 6 x 12 = 72
Aerosol grenades: 5 x (20% off)
Flash bangs, one case: 10% over

For large and obvious orders, these will typically be packed inside old televisions. We will pick this up later.

We also get survival kits and light cloth armor at MegaDicks. Then we fly back to the ship. Arthur is very excited about having his new gun.

Arthur leads us out of the starport at maximum speed. Ukin says that he fell out of bed when the ship took off like that. Not a problem.

Nelson will attach guns to HUDs. Sergey keeps Ukin healthy. In another week, we will be at Uzdiki.

We arrive in the Uzdiki outsystem, fly into the Alvik up-port, and customs comes onboard. He gives us our passes so we can go to the surface. Several landing pads for ships’ boats and the downport. We will land at a town not too far from Sage’s cabin that we can rent from.

XP: 150 XP.