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[Actual Play] Voyage of the Vulture

R

Random Goblin

SOC-12
Episode One:
Stateroom Number Three

So, the PCs muster out on Glisten/Glisten. They're an ex-Scout (with a ship, the Vulture), a Noble, n ex-Merchant Second Officer (also a rich noble), an ex-Navy Lieutenant.

They get together to start a company, with the nobles as investors, and the scout and navy guy as paid employees (also with some shares, but not nearly as many). They write up a charter and everything. They realize that they only have 3 tons of cargo space, but they have big dreams. For the moment, the plan is to deal in speculative trade, focusing on only the most high-ticket cargoes (pharmaceuticals, radioactives, etcetera) so a profit can be made, even though there's not a lot of room.

They find a lot of machine parts at a really good price, buy them, and prep to leave, headed to the agricultural, non-industrial Overnale system one parsec away (0307 B45467A 9).

At the last minute, a shabby-looking man wanders into their berth, chats mysteriously, and then abruptly offers cr50,000 for a trip two jumps away, no questions asked (and it has to be 2 j2 jumps away, too). The PC's waver, and the guy offers 75,000.

The PC's are really suspicious, but that's a lot of money, so they consent, if the guy is willing to be pretty much locked in his stateroom for the whole trip. Turns out the guy is willing.

At th last minute, an SPA agent comes in with a couple of security guys, asking about mysterious packages or any last-minute passengers. Just a routine check, he says. The PCs sweat a little, but tell the SPA guy that they haven't been approached. The SPA agent lets them know that if they are, they should alers SPA as soon as possible.

The players get out of there as fast as they can. At the last minute, they are stopped by a customs frigate who asks some probing questions and sends them some pictures about some suspected Ine Givar terrorists. One of them looks sort of like the guy the PCs are transporting.

Because they promised the guy two j2 jumps, they have to wait to go to Overnale later. They jump to Horosho (0508 C3378A6 A), where they refuel without much trouble at the Scout base. They act natural and avoid questions as best as they can.

From there they head to Romor (0510 B450456 8), but when they get there, they're faced with a surprise. The whole system is locked down by a Naval armada. Three gunboats approach the Vulture and let them know in no uncertain terms that Romor has been interdicted by the Imperial Navy. The PCs had best turn right bakc around and go where they came from. But the TAS hadn't issued any warnings, and Romor is on the X-boat route.

Something strage is going on.

Oh, and the Vulture needs to refuel, otherwise they ain't going anywhere. And don't let's forget there might be a wanted Ine Givar terrorist in stateroom number three...
 
Episode One:
Stateroom Number Three

So, the PCs muster out on Glisten/Glisten. They're an ex-Scout (with a ship, the Vulture), a Noble, n ex-Merchant Second Officer (also a rich noble), an ex-Navy Lieutenant.

They get together to start a company, with the nobles as investors, and the scout and navy guy as paid employees (also with some shares, but not nearly as many). They write up a charter and everything. They realize that they only have 3 tons of cargo space, but they have big dreams. For the moment, the plan is to deal in speculative trade, focusing on only the most high-ticket cargoes (pharmaceuticals, radioactives, etcetera) so a profit can be made, even though there's not a lot of room.

They find a lot of machine parts at a really good price, buy them, and prep to leave, headed to the agricultural, non-industrial Overnale system one parsec away (0307 B45467A 9).

At the last minute, a shabby-looking man wanders into their berth, chats mysteriously, and then abruptly offers cr50,000 for a trip two jumps away, no questions asked (and it has to be 2 j2 jumps away, too). The PC's waver, and the guy offers 75,000.

The PC's are really suspicious, but that's a lot of money, so they consent, if the guy is willing to be pretty much locked in his stateroom for the whole trip. Turns out the guy is willing.

At th last minute, an SPA agent comes in with a couple of security guys, asking about mysterious packages or any last-minute passengers. Just a routine check, he says. The PCs sweat a little, but tell the SPA guy that they haven't been approached. The SPA agent lets them know that if they are, they should alers SPA as soon as possible.

The players get out of there as fast as they can. At the last minute, they are stopped by a customs frigate who asks some probing questions and sends them some pictures about some suspected Ine Givar terrorists. One of them looks sort of like the guy the PCs are transporting.

Because they promised the guy two j2 jumps, they have to wait to go to Overnale later. They jump to Horosho (0508 C3378A6 A), where they refuel without much trouble at the Scout base. They act natural and avoid questions as best as they can.

From there they head to Romor (0510 B450456 8), but when they get there, they're faced with a surprise. The whole system is locked down by a Naval armada. Three gunboats approach the Vulture and let them know in no uncertain terms that Romor has been interdicted by the Imperial Navy. The PCs had best turn right bakc around and go where they came from. But the TAS hadn't issued any warnings, and Romor is on the X-boat route.

Something strage is going on.

Oh, and the Vulture needs to refuel, otherwise they ain't going anywhere. And don't let's forget there might be a wanted Ine Givar terrorist in stateroom number three...
 
The Characters:

Angus Jarlson
4AB926 ex-Scout, 4 terms, age 34
Vacc Suit-1, Air/Raft 3, Mechanical-1, Pilot-1

Angus Jarlson was a scrappy street kid from Efate/Regina. He grew up in a world of poverty and unrest, and the Scout service was his way out. On his eighteenth birthday, he signed on and after training he was assigned to an X-boat tender in the Trojan Reach sector.

The highlights of his career are scanty. He served on a scout cruiser on an extended mission into the Far Frontiers sector, but after that he was assigned to a classified Imperial project in the Reft Sector, where he worked for nearly ten years before being reassigned to an X-boat and then mustering out.

Whatever he was doing for a decade in the Reft Sector, he certainly never talks about it.


Garner Wolfgaard
589999 ex-Navy Lieutenant, 2 terms, age 26
Admin-1, Medical-1, Engineering-1, Electronic-1, Blade-1

Garner Wolfgaard was the son of a nobble rancher on Tarsus/District 268 in the Spinward Marches. He worked hard for his father, but he dreamed of the stars and of doing something better with his life.

He enlisted in the Imperial Navy as a medical technician, but was soon tapped out for Officer Candidacy School. Garner excelled, and he had the chance to explore other fields, eventually being assigned to the engineering branch, specializing in maneuver drives.

His first term was spent aboard the Ukushki Sar, a Kinunir-class battle cruiser operating out of Depot in Corridor. His second was spent on a system defense boat in the Glisten system. A personnel shortage forced him to uster out earlier than he would have liked, leaving him still young, skilled, and looking for adventure.


Baron Kenneth hault-Muncheisen
63C98C ex-Merchant ist Officer, retired, 7 terms, age 46
Vacc Suit-1, Medical-1, Electronics-2, Sword-1, Gunnery-2, Bribery-2, Mechanical-1, Revolver-1

Baron Muncheisen is from a well-respected family, distantly related to the Emperor, with holdings in the Lishun and Old Expanses sectors. With the family's responisbilities well cared for by older relatives with lifespans extended by anagathics, Kenenth decided to enlist in the Merchant service. Partly this was at the recommendation of his uncle who had made many useful contacts during his own service, and partly just for something to do.

He signed on at first with Sarushid, working through the ranks on a liner that made a route between Vland and the Marches. There was a greater deal of political infighting, and after being passed for promotion in favor of another officer, a noble from a rival family, the victor had Kenneth transferred to Oberlindes lines. There, Kenneth was able to be promoted faster and rose to the position of 1st Officer aboard the converted Lightning-class cruiser, the Emissary, operating in the Vargr extents for six years. He was reassigned to a safer route for his last term, and finally he had no choice but to muster out.


Count Sirkan hault-Vaughn
697D8E Noble, 6 terms, age 42
Grav Vehicle-1, Pilot-1, Leader-1, Jack-o-T-1, Blade-1, Navigation-1, Engineering-2, Admin-1

Count Vaughn is something of a remittance man. No, actually, he's the definition of a remittance man. From a young age, he spent his life doing nothing worthwhile, and everything that caused trouble. Eventually his father could simply have no more of the scandal, so he gave Sirkan a yacht which he named the Medurman Houri and sent him to bother his relatives in the Marches. he would have money and his ship, and whatever else he needed, as long as he never came back to the other side of the Rift.

Sirkan took what was offered and headed to Regina, where it was made plain to him by the Archduke that he could do what he wanted in the sector as long as he stayed away from Regina itself.

Since that time, his life has been a series of blunders and misadventures. He's been arrested for drug-smuggling, he's nearly lost his jugular vein in a duel with an angry Aslan, and he's been caught in the middle of more than one civil war.

His most recent misadventure led to his Yacht being impounded by the Imperial Navy at Glisten, with orders from Archduke Norris that it was under no circumstances to be released to him at any time during the next three years.
 
Episode Two:
The Trojan Point

The PC's request permission to refuel at Romor's one gas giant, and are met with first commsilence, then an order to stand by.

About 30 minutes later, a Naval Commander, CO of the lead gunboat, comes over the comm and offers the PCs a deal: they can refuel at the gas giant, but in return they need to take on two passengers- an Army Major and a Navy officer who have hit the end of their term of service but were going to have to stay on for quite some time had not this opportunity presented itself.

Really, the PC's have no choice but to agree. They're nervous because of the possible terrorist fugitive they're harboring, but they can't do a lot about it now. They have to just cross their fingers and hope their next ship isn't a prison hulk.

There's a long link-up with a 40-ton pinnace, and the Vulture takes on its newest two passengers, Jackeriah Johnson and Nakhida Jared.

At this point, the staterooms are getting quite full.

Jarlson, the scout pilot of the Vulture and recently elected CEO of the company, offers Johnson and Jared both the opportunity to buy into the company and to sign on as salaried employees. They both agree. They are also told, without giving too much detail, about the passenger in stateroom number three.

At the same time, Johnson and Jared decline to give details on the operation on Romor.

Escorted by one of the ship's boats, the Vulture refuels and leaves as fast as it can. Next stop, Craw (0309 C573654 3). There, the PCs hope to get rid of their passengers and, come to think of it, maybe sell the cargo hold full of machine parts at a premium price.

Of course, a day before they drop out of jump space, the Vulture starts to get that peculiar Type S Scout/Courier funk. It shouldn't become intolerable for another two or three weeks, and the crew hopes they're able to replace the system, flush it clean, or at least change the filters long before then.

When they get in-system, they are routed by the local SPA around the primary to a smaller gas giant for refueling. It's currently on the oposite side of the system as Craw itself, but one just doesn't argue with space traffic control.

As they enter orbit, the sensor system picks up a faint energy signature coming from the trailing trojan point of the gas giant's second-largest moon. It's odd, but nothing to get concerned about.

The PCs have been directed to the southern hemisphere of the giant, and just as they reach it, another ship comes around the horizon in the northern hemisphere. It's broadcasting identification signal that marks it as the Menacing Stockholder, a type A free trader making a jump-1 trade route though the subsector (Craw-Trane-Horosho-Sorel-Glisten-Overnale-New Rome with periodic side trips to Tsarina, Bendor, Callia, and Egypt).

It'd be a perfect spot for a pirate ambush, and the Vulture's crew is a little nervous at first, but after talking over the comm with the captain, they are put at ease. The Stockholder's crew hasn't heard anything about Romor, but they just updated their ship's library a week before at New Rome and they have it listed as Red Zone-Interdicted, and no one is sure what the X-boat situation is.

After the Vulture refuels, the PCs' curiosity gets the better of them and they decide to investigate the energy signature at the trojan point.

When they get close enough, they are able to interpret the signature as probably emanating from a Power Plant running on low, something between class A and class E. Discussing possible risks, the PCs conclude that there could be salvage profits to be made, and if it was a pirate it would have already powered up it's maneuver drives and attacked. So they carefully pick their way in among the asteroids and debris to take a look.

It turns out to be a Type R Fat Trader, and markings on the side indicate that it is called the Meandering Starspawn. They're too far away to access a ship registry anywhere, but the ship looks battle-scarred (laser scorchmarks?), and the launch is missing from the dorsal dock. The ship doesn't respond to communications on any usable wavelength.

With Wolfgaard piloting the air-raft (the contra-grav generator is useless in space, but the attitude jets and the thrusters make it fine for short distances, as long as the passengers are all sealed up nice and tight in their vacc suits), Jared, Muncheisen, and Johnson all ride out to board and investigate.

After a few escapades in zero-g and a narrow brush with a suit puncture (the dorsal airlock is meant to be opened mechanically, not manually), they are able to call up power to a terminal long enough to read that the airlock is depressurized, and they are able to get the airlock open. Floating in the airlock is a dead body in a vacc suit. They turn it around and shine a light on it, and see that the face is putrid and half-rotten.

Inside the ship, power is intermittent, gravity and lights are off, and the iris valve back to the engineering section shorts out and won't open at all. On their way to the bridge, the team finds three bodies floating in the hallways and inn the forward passenger lounge, all look like victims of violence. The bridge is comletely shut down, and the ship's computer isn't getting power at all.

If the crew of the Vulture is going to coax any secrets from the Starspawn, they're going to need to get back to engineering somehow.

Stay tuned.
 
The Characters:

Angus Jarlson
4AB926 ex-Scout, 4 terms, age 34
Vacc Suit-1, Air/Raft 3, Mechanical-1, Pilot-1

Angus Jarlson was a scrappy street kid from Efate/Regina. He grew up in a world of poverty and unrest, and the Scout service was his way out. On his eighteenth birthday, he signed on and after training he was assigned to an X-boat tender in the Trojan Reach sector.

The highlights of his career are scanty. He served on a scout cruiser on an extended mission into the Far Frontiers sector, but after that he was assigned to a classified Imperial project in the Reft Sector, where he worked for nearly ten years before being reassigned to an X-boat and then mustering out.

Whatever he was doing for a decade in the Reft Sector, he certainly never talks about it.


Garner Wolfgaard
589999 ex-Navy Lieutenant, 2 terms, age 26
Admin-1, Medical-1, Engineering-1, Electronic-1, Blade-1

Garner Wolfgaard was the son of a nobble rancher on Tarsus/District 268 in the Spinward Marches. He worked hard for his father, but he dreamed of the stars and of doing something better with his life.

He enlisted in the Imperial Navy as a medical technician, but was soon tapped out for Officer Candidacy School. Garner excelled, and he had the chance to explore other fields, eventually being assigned to the engineering branch, specializing in maneuver drives.

His first term was spent aboard the Ukushki Sar, a Kinunir-class battle cruiser operating out of Depot in Corridor. His second was spent on a system defense boat in the Glisten system. A personnel shortage forced him to uster out earlier than he would have liked, leaving him still young, skilled, and looking for adventure.


Baron Kenneth hault-Muncheisen
63C98C ex-Merchant ist Officer, retired, 7 terms, age 46
Vacc Suit-1, Medical-1, Electronics-2, Sword-1, Gunnery-2, Bribery-2, Mechanical-1, Revolver-1

Baron Muncheisen is from a well-respected family, distantly related to the Emperor, with holdings in the Lishun and Old Expanses sectors. With the family's responisbilities well cared for by older relatives with lifespans extended by anagathics, Kenenth decided to enlist in the Merchant service. Partly this was at the recommendation of his uncle who had made many useful contacts during his own service, and partly just for something to do.

He signed on at first with Sarushid, working through the ranks on a liner that made a route between Vland and the Marches. There was a greater deal of political infighting, and after being passed for promotion in favor of another officer, a noble from a rival family, the victor had Kenneth transferred to Oberlindes lines. There, Kenneth was able to be promoted faster and rose to the position of 1st Officer aboard the converted Lightning-class cruiser, the Emissary, operating in the Vargr extents for six years. He was reassigned to a safer route for his last term, and finally he had no choice but to muster out.


Count Sirkan hault-Vaughn
697D8E Noble, 6 terms, age 42
Grav Vehicle-1, Pilot-1, Leader-1, Jack-o-T-1, Blade-1, Navigation-1, Engineering-2, Admin-1

Count Vaughn is something of a remittance man. No, actually, he's the definition of a remittance man. From a young age, he spent his life doing nothing worthwhile, and everything that caused trouble. Eventually his father could simply have no more of the scandal, so he gave Sirkan a yacht which he named the Medurman Houri and sent him to bother his relatives in the Marches. he would have money and his ship, and whatever else he needed, as long as he never came back to the other side of the Rift.

Sirkan took what was offered and headed to Regina, where it was made plain to him by the Archduke that he could do what he wanted in the sector as long as he stayed away from Regina itself.

Since that time, his life has been a series of blunders and misadventures. He's been arrested for drug-smuggling, he's nearly lost his jugular vein in a duel with an angry Aslan, and he's been caught in the middle of more than one civil war.

His most recent misadventure led to his Yacht being impounded by the Imperial Navy at Glisten, with orders from Archduke Norris that it was under no circumstances to be released to him at any time during the next three years.
 
Episode Two:
The Trojan Point

The PC's request permission to refuel at Romor's one gas giant, and are met with first commsilence, then an order to stand by.

About 30 minutes later, a Naval Commander, CO of the lead gunboat, comes over the comm and offers the PCs a deal: they can refuel at the gas giant, but in return they need to take on two passengers- an Army Major and a Navy officer who have hit the end of their term of service but were going to have to stay on for quite some time had not this opportunity presented itself.

Really, the PC's have no choice but to agree. They're nervous because of the possible terrorist fugitive they're harboring, but they can't do a lot about it now. They have to just cross their fingers and hope their next ship isn't a prison hulk.

There's a long link-up with a 40-ton pinnace, and the Vulture takes on its newest two passengers, Jackeriah Johnson and Nakhida Jared.

At this point, the staterooms are getting quite full.

Jarlson, the scout pilot of the Vulture and recently elected CEO of the company, offers Johnson and Jared both the opportunity to buy into the company and to sign on as salaried employees. They both agree. They are also told, without giving too much detail, about the passenger in stateroom number three.

At the same time, Johnson and Jared decline to give details on the operation on Romor.

Escorted by one of the ship's boats, the Vulture refuels and leaves as fast as it can. Next stop, Craw (0309 C573654 3). There, the PCs hope to get rid of their passengers and, come to think of it, maybe sell the cargo hold full of machine parts at a premium price.

Of course, a day before they drop out of jump space, the Vulture starts to get that peculiar Type S Scout/Courier funk. It shouldn't become intolerable for another two or three weeks, and the crew hopes they're able to replace the system, flush it clean, or at least change the filters long before then.

When they get in-system, they are routed by the local SPA around the primary to a smaller gas giant for refueling. It's currently on the oposite side of the system as Craw itself, but one just doesn't argue with space traffic control.

As they enter orbit, the sensor system picks up a faint energy signature coming from the trailing trojan point of the gas giant's second-largest moon. It's odd, but nothing to get concerned about.

The PCs have been directed to the southern hemisphere of the giant, and just as they reach it, another ship comes around the horizon in the northern hemisphere. It's broadcasting identification signal that marks it as the Menacing Stockholder, a type A free trader making a jump-1 trade route though the subsector (Craw-Trane-Horosho-Sorel-Glisten-Overnale-New Rome with periodic side trips to Tsarina, Bendor, Callia, and Egypt).

It'd be a perfect spot for a pirate ambush, and the Vulture's crew is a little nervous at first, but after talking over the comm with the captain, they are put at ease. The Stockholder's crew hasn't heard anything about Romor, but they just updated their ship's library a week before at New Rome and they have it listed as Red Zone-Interdicted, and no one is sure what the X-boat situation is.

After the Vulture refuels, the PCs' curiosity gets the better of them and they decide to investigate the energy signature at the trojan point.

When they get close enough, they are able to interpret the signature as probably emanating from a Power Plant running on low, something between class A and class E. Discussing possible risks, the PCs conclude that there could be salvage profits to be made, and if it was a pirate it would have already powered up it's maneuver drives and attacked. So they carefully pick their way in among the asteroids and debris to take a look.

It turns out to be a Type R Fat Trader, and markings on the side indicate that it is called the Meandering Starspawn. They're too far away to access a ship registry anywhere, but the ship looks battle-scarred (laser scorchmarks?), and the launch is missing from the dorsal dock. The ship doesn't respond to communications on any usable wavelength.

With Wolfgaard piloting the air-raft (the contra-grav generator is useless in space, but the attitude jets and the thrusters make it fine for short distances, as long as the passengers are all sealed up nice and tight in their vacc suits), Jared, Muncheisen, and Johnson all ride out to board and investigate.

After a few escapades in zero-g and a narrow brush with a suit puncture (the dorsal airlock is meant to be opened mechanically, not manually), they are able to call up power to a terminal long enough to read that the airlock is depressurized, and they are able to get the airlock open. Floating in the airlock is a dead body in a vacc suit. They turn it around and shine a light on it, and see that the face is putrid and half-rotten.

Inside the ship, power is intermittent, gravity and lights are off, and the iris valve back to the engineering section shorts out and won't open at all. On their way to the bridge, the team finds three bodies floating in the hallways and inn the forward passenger lounge, all look like victims of violence. The bridge is comletely shut down, and the ship's computer isn't getting power at all.

If the crew of the Vulture is going to coax any secrets from the Starspawn, they're going to need to get back to engineering somehow.

Stay tuned.
 
I will take this opportunity to say, I'm reading, and have bookmarked this topic for continued monitoring.
 
Dang. I just remembered that we're playing an Adventure! one-shot this week instead of continuing our Traveller game. So the voyage of the vulture will have to wait until next Wednsday...
 
Dang. I just remembered that we're playing an Adventure! one-shot this week instead of continuing our Traveller game. So the voyage of the vulture will have to wait until next Wednsday...
 
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