When arriving at the Long Shot and meeting the others Khea, before anyone can interrupt, shouts at CountDarrel "Whatever you Humaniti do to resolve such things just do it. We won't get anywhere with that conflict between you two.
Can't you simply duel her? Its barbaric but at least its quick. And when gender is an issue I will champion you if you want. Everything is better than doing nothing."

Jones is still there, nursing his third (or is it fouth?) cup of coffee.

At Khea's outburst, he just smiles.

"Alas, Khea, that wouldn't solve the problem, only the issue... assuming he won, of course."

"The problem has already occurred, and we've pretty much got it solved, but now we're subject to the slow turning of bureaucratic wheels of rules and regulations."

"We have a work around for the comms issue, and our trade status has been... altered. We can trade as we wish, but there may be a few... disadvantages to our trading."

"I take it that your own efforts didn't... succeed?"

Khea folds her arms and answers in a grumpy mood
So we will lose money when trading. Just great.

Baroness is pretty unconcerned about accusations of racism and seems to know enough about the Hierate to know how far she can push them.

Looking at Darrel Khea adds in a more snarky voice.
And she made it very clear that all her problems are with specific individuals

  By this point Kaengarr was changing his outfit and accessories to suit the upcoming meeting, but he was still able to hear and respond to everything over the comms. "There's going to be a duel of some sort when they meet, whether it's words, wits, or weapons. Better if it isn't the third, but if she blames him for putting her eye out or anything else of the sort she may have her sights set on taking his, hnnh?"

Sam shrugs at Khea "Duels are possible, but might actually cause us more problems if she loses and her friends care enough to take action. But apart from trading, are we going to look for any other type of work here? Or is it probably just best to bug out and try and find somewhere not run by one of the Count's exes?"

In reply to Samantha Kilgore (msg # 265):

"I hear the Principality of Caledon is nice this time of year." Vonon tossed in jovially, "Or perhaps the Confederation of Duncinae? After all, the community of Outpost, here, is supposed to be the gateway for Imperium-Duncinae trade, yeah? We could just move on to bigger markets. I hear the Duncinaers have this sport called Curling - it's supposed to be very exciting!"

"I don't claim to know the ins-and-outs of noble behavior, except to say that it's usually all bad," Jones said. "As some of you suggested, though, it could devolve into a duel. If it does get to that, one of you should be prepared to serve as the Count's second."

"Technically, I was hired as his bodyguard, so that should fall to me. But, I'm willing to step aside if someone else feels they are more qualified. As I understand things, Walter is probably the only one that isn't qualified to do that."

Sharik blanched for a moment at Gregory and the dueling logic.  "Don't look at me," the diminutive dilettante opined, "I can probably pass for his executive assistant, but there is no way I am going to try and hold my own in any such duel."  She wasn't denying Jones' reasoning, nor was she unfamiliar with a fencing blade; Shar was simply passing on the opportunity.

She was more than willing to let Gregory earn his pay.  Technically or otherwise.

The auburn-haired socialite leaned into Sam and Vonon's conversation about heading  out system and interjected quietly, "Bugging out at this point, once we are done refuelling is always an option."  After a moment, she opined softly, if a touch playfully, "Though, I'm unsure if we'll be able to find any nearby port that doesn't have the Count's stamp on it..."  One might have counted that as a testament to Cromwell's celebrity - rather than his notoriety.

"Well, it might take some work but we could always head back to Imperial space." Sir Walter said. "Nothing keeping me attached to this system." he said, shaking his head. "If we do, we can make it to Garrison in about 5 jumps. Cassandra, Coventry, Dakarr, Lushtkaan and Garrison. Coventry would be the only place we could not trade without special permission since it is a prison world."

"You are quite correct on me and the notion of combat Gregory. Never been one for it and more likely going to use the ships computer system to channel foes into awaiting fire rather than participating in it. The adventures we had on Grendal was more than I had in my entire life." the merchant said as he worked on trades.

Once the Count is at the Consulate, he registers. Next he schedules an "informal" meeting with all the important folks through an action sanctioned by the Imperium. Makes sure everyone on our crew is listed as guests.

Asks(actually instructs the official) to set up connections to the alt-Imperium comms system for myself and our crew.

To the highest ranking official, "I need your support here, the Imperium, as you know, is at the fringe here...help me do great things"...DM NOTE The Count turns on max Persuasion abilities to really convince the official

In either case, Darrel contacts his crew to inform them of circumstances.

IE: Meaning, he will use Imperial comms to override any local comms, when it comes to communicating between ourselves.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:21, Mon 02 Jan 2017.

As Darrel approaches the Consulate, he quickly realizes that it is merely a formality. The Consul General is Mathurin Markayne. He has two assistants in the rather small office.

If there are any alt-Imperial comm systems, he's not aware of them. He's never even heard of such a thing.


He's completely lost with what Darrel is asking. He's not foolish enough to tell Darrel that it can't be done, but it quickly becomes clear that he's used to postponing or delaying anything that resembles making a decision until it usually goes away.

His default for making a decision is that 'he will have to consult Imperial law'.


While the Count turns on the charm, he may have met his match in the bureaucratic stubbornness of the Consul General.

Depending on who Darrel considers 'important folks', he finds the earliest he can schedule such a meeting is 29 days from now.

OOC had way too much to drink tonight...but, i completely get the Dm.   ;-)

  Kaengarr let out a thoughtful rumble. "Maybe there's something in all of those Imperial protocols we can use to our advantage, especially if she's the one who issues the challenge? Setting the terms the way we want them might end the fight before it happens."

"I guess we're kinda dependant on how much his Lordship needs or wants to smooth things over. If we can trade, from my side we're good. If he wants to sort stuff, thats his deal. But as he's on our ship, we need to make sure he doesn't do anything that drags us in. not thats he likely too. But I'm happy to just leave, and let his ex fester. Done it before myself a coupla times when it was easier than wading through their baggage."

And I thought I left all this nonsense behind. But instead it just got more complicated.


Whatever. Lets resole this as far as possible or jus leave and try the next system.

In reply to Kheaiftouaw (msg # 275):

Vonon suddenly claps his furry hands together, "That's it! You two are brilliant!" he says pointing back and forth between Kaengarr and Khea.

"Imperial Protocols! We've been working this problem backwards!" he continues, "We're all pretty sure that whatever kind of drek we're finding our collective butts shoved into, it has something to do with this lady, Twylla Elgin, who we're pretty sure has a weapon-lock on Darrel, for whatever reason. And, this Twylla Elgin has the clout to do whatever she wants to do to Darrel - and thus, us - because she just happens to be the local Imperial Military Commander - she has an entire Naval Base at her beck and call. As such, she can easily brow-beat any of the locals."

"And that's who we've been dealing with! Get it? We've been dicking around with an Imperial Naval Commander who has the full weight of her authority as commander of a Naval base to drop on our heads. That is a fight none of us, not even Darrel, can ever win."

"But! Imperial Protocols! We need to stop making this a fight between Imperial Commander Elgin and Imperial Citizen Cromwell, and figure out a way to make this an issue between His Highness Count Darrel Cromwell, a Noble of the Third Imperium, and Her Excellency Baroness Twylla Elgin, also a Noble of the Third Imperium!"

"If we can figure out a way for this to become a social issue between Nobles, then we can neutralize Elgin's military clout. And, among Nobles, a Count way-outranks a Baroness!"

"By Klono's Frozen Fundament, you just gotta love the Nobility!"

Sam looked at Vonun, and muttered

"That may be why you love the nobility. Its also precisely why I don't." She looked as if she was about to say more but paused.

She shifted posture, and looked up, as if thoughtful "But where would that get us? Pulling rank might solve an issue, but it can also make people you disagree with into proper enemies. Its the Counts" Sam nearly spat that word out "call, and out of our hands. I just am not interested in getting caught in the crossfire or becoming collateral damage."

Seeing that the issue wasn't going to be solved in a timely manner, Darrell decides not to press the issue, and thanks the officer for his time.

realizing that the best course of action was to get the cargo sold and look at moving on from further complications, he returns to the ship. and briefs them on what happened.

Still pretty agitated Khea yells at Vonon "And how should we do that? We are in the middle of nowhere. The only representatives of the Imperium here is the military and they will stand behind Baroness as far as we know. How should we make the rest of the Imperium care about what happens here? Before we fly to the Imperium and back we just could skip the system and trade somewhere else."

Somewhat resigned she paces up and down.
"Ah, what do I know? I hardly paid attention to our males bickering and this is way worse without any protocol of how to resolve such disputes."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:32, Fri 06 Jan 2017.

  "Can we leave if she has that much power and is willing to abuse it? Vonon already knows what I think of noble titles, but making it clear to the whole station that there is a serious personal dispute between the two as nobles would make the local military less likely to accept creative orders about how to react to us leaving, hnnh?"

Back at the ship, Darrel sees this personal issue between him and the Baroness causing tension, "Look, this is something that goes way back, in fact, I wasn't even aware of it until after we arrived here. It's in the ship/crew best interest to just sell the cargo and move on. I have an idea, which may or may not, help. I plan to issue a personal apology/acknowledgement for the Baronesses accident. And, if that can smooth things over, at least enough for you to not get further embroiled in this, I'm willing to do that. And in fact, I'm morally obligated to do so."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Jones laughed at the various comments. "Now I see it! This is just what she was trying to do--get you all bickering with each other!"

"Your own paranoia is doing the rest. She's not in a position to throw the weight of the military at you, even if it occurred to her to do so. No, she's using that old technique of how to win friends and influence enemies."

"If she was going to do anything, she would have either shot the ship down before it ever got here, or else she would have let it set down, stormed the ship, impounded it and arrested all of us."

"And, to be honest, Count, your apology won't mean beans to her. She's had years of resentment building up inside her. Whether or not she sees the bad eye as a drawback to her career, she's not going to throw that career away for it."

"She probably should have had more... or better... counseling after losing her eye. She hasn't completely gotten beyond that. And that may be because of the limits to her career."

"All she's doing now is creating a nuisance for you. Remember, she couldn't even get the Port Authority to 'plant' evidence for her. All she was able to do was to get her friend the Grand Poobah to act on a rumor... probably one she made up herself... just to inconvenience you."

"If you really want her to get off your case, all you need to do is each of gouge out one of your eyes. That'll make her happy."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:51, Sun 08 Jan 2017.

While the team is discussing these issues, Darrel receives a comm from Mutt.

"Hello again, Count Cromwell," Mutt begins. "Hope I haven't caught you at a bad time?"

"Well, I was expecting you to have left already, given the circumstances. After all, there's not much here on Outpost to interest adventuring traders. Anyway, I'm glad you haven't."

"I have a small favor to ask. Well, it might not actually be a favor, but that's for you to decide."

"An acquaintance of mine needs passage to Duncinae. Might that be a direction you were heading?"

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 283):

In response to Gregory's final comment, Vonon raises up his right hand, then sticks out his furry, claw-tipped index finger.

Examining the finger with great intensity, he slowly brings the finger around until the claw-tip is pointed at the blue iris of his right eye.

After a few moments of intense study, Vonon shifts his gaze over towards Gregory, then whips his hand around to point his index finger at the man.

"You first." Vonon says, dropping his lower jaw in a grin.

Sharik tsk'd at Vonon's theatrics.  "Don't bother." the diminutive socialite chimed in, "Think of the mess.  And the Baroness would probably not be satisfied with even that level of reciprocity."

"Besides, Vo." she noted with a touch of playfulness, "It'd throw off your gunnery skills."  Then Shar jerked a thumb towards Jonesy "And his bodyguarding."  After a momentary pause, the auburn-haired dilettante added, "Plus, the Count would likely have to foot the medical bills since it happened under contract."  She glanced at Darrel for confirmation, a crooked smirk crossing her lips.

"As for an apology..." Sharik shrugged slightly at Darrel's contriteness, "I think it is a reasonable gesture.  But I also think that getting gone is reasonable, too."  She shrugged again and then added in an off-hand way with a touch of wistfulness, "I hear that Duncinae is pretty this time of year; it's supposed to be a Rich Garden World."