Wolf at the Door in June
What do these Vemene want?
The answer to that question, at this time, is unclear. But, to even guess, we have to consider the politics of the Aramis subsector.
The Baron of Natoko, Baron Terran Tukera, is also the Marquis (co-Marquis, actually, with Leonard Bolden-Tukera) of Aramis.
The Baron of Lewis, Lady Arianne Tukera, is married to the Marquis of Aramis, Leonard Bolden-Tukera.
Lady Arianne's cousin, Terran Tukera (the Baron of Natoko), has been granted the current title of Marquis of Aramis, but this title is only for the life of Terran Tukera--it is not a hereditary title (as is the Barony of Natoko).
Lady Arianne has troubles on her homeworld of Lewis. The colonists there have taken root, and she's striving to re-take Lewis, in its entirety, for the Tukera family.
Leonard Bolden-Tukera (the Bolden's have wed the Tukeras before, thus the hyphen) is Marquis of a fief that is somewhat floundering under his leadership, and the Bolden elders have urged him to agree to the marriage with Lady Arianne, bolstering House Bolden's political clout through it's association with one of the most powerful noble families in the empire, House Tukera.
And, Baron Terran Tukera is lord of an undeveloped, sandy rock with only a few thousand people, a starport, and a Naval base.
Lady Arianne used the combined influence of both Tukera Houses (the baronies of Natoko and Lewis) to put pressure on House Bolden for the marriage. House Bolden welcomed the merging of power bases, but are leery of the Tukera's intent. Aramis is the highest TL world in the subsector, subsector capitol, and the hub of power in this fringe county of the Duke of Rhylanor's territory. So, the Bolden's have limited Marquis Terran Tukera's power, granting his title on Aramis for his lifetime only.
For the first time in history, Aramis has two Marquis.
This has all transpiried during the last three to five standard years.
Today, the Marquis Terran Tukera of Aramis, along with Lady Arianne, run the subsector (practically), even though, in title, Marquis Lenoard Bolden-Tukera is the leading noble.
It's a puppet government--the Great OZ, behind the curtain, embodied by (the player character) Terran Tukera.
This story is convoluted--a political story.
Plots. Intrigue. Wheels within wheels.
The MegaCorporation, Sternmetal, is attempting to wrest control of the balkanized world of Aramanx. They're a disrupting influence on the subsector.
The Marquis Terran Tukera has sent many envoys to Aramanx to speak with Sternmetal representatives, but these efforts have met with little but lip service. Sternmetal moves on, focussing it's power as a MegaCorporation on the little TL 6 world with great, unrealized, potential.
Terran is, obviously, concerned about this--not only from his governmental position as the Marquis of Aramis, but also as the reigning head of the Tukera Family in this subsector. Tukera wants this fringe subsector for itself, having built an entire fleet for it's wholly-owned subsector-wide line called Akerut.
So, Terran devises a plan. He charters a tramp freighter to Aramanx, his intention being to slip onto the world, not via a large Tukera vessel or Imperial Naval ship, but as small, un-noticed merchant vessel right under Sternmetal's noses.
Terran plans to meet with the leaders of some of the larger on countries on Aramanx, building a coalition against Sternmetal and it's puppet state.
But, complications occur: The sabotage of the Marquis' vessel; the nuclear attack on the GOLIATH; and now the traitorous acts of the Marquis' own security detail.
Like the professionals they are, the Vemene have taken the ADROIT PURSUIT from within, with no loss of life, without even a shot fired.
The pilot and navigator have remained on the bridge, decelerating the ship in order to rendevous with the enemy vessel.
Two Vemene guard them.
All other crew memembers are in the cargo bay, lined up agains the bulkhead, their hands locked behind their backs by magnetic binders.
The remaining two Vemene stand there in the hold with most of the crew.
Besides the crew and Vemene, the only other item in the hold is a single standard cargo module--something that was supposed to have contained Battle Dress for the Vemene troops in service to their lord.
Instead, the crew have been surprised by the fact that the cargo module is in fact a multi-person cold crib unit of a type typically used by the Frozen Watch on large Naval vessels.
The Vemene intend to put the ADROIT PURSUIT's crew, along with Marquis Terran Tukera, into cold berth--for purposes unknown at this time.
The Marquis is selected first to be installed in the cold berth. As Terran walks under gunpoint to the large, non-standard unit dominating the cargo bay, he is suddenly set adrift in darkness...
On the bridge, the navigator lifts his thumb from the illumination control then quickly cancels the deck plates.
The entire ship shuts into darkness and Zero-G.
And, it started--
--People in the cargo bay were floating around like pop corn seeds in an air popper.
--On the bridge, the nav leaned from his acceleration couch, the staps holding him down, and wrestled the shotgun from the hands of one of the floating Vemene.
--One single blast of the weapon ripped through the chest of one of the Vemene and nearly took the foot off the other.
--Two hit with one shot. The force of the shotgun blast sent the two reeling even further, bouncing somewhat around the cabin. With one hand, the nav swung his shotgun around and blew one of the Vemene away. The target's hand actually separated from the Vemene's arm, sending blood droplets over the entire bridge.
--The pilot unstrapped from his seat and launched toward the disoriented other Vemene guard, beating him senseless with his bare hands.
--The nav then touched on the IR view of the cargo bay, and announced over the comm (only to a single trusted crewmember in the hold).
His words were, "We've got the bridge."
