((OOC: Everyone can continue posting in the Destination: Invermory thread if you want.))


The week-long vacation in J-space ends soon enough by dumping you out into Coventry space. There were three coded vectors tight-beam transmitted to the ship's computer once the Longshot was in space heading to the jump point. This was to prevent interception and someone else knowing how to approach Coventry at this particular time. Yes, the Invermory government is quite paranoid.

It's only a vector once you leave Jump-space. The actual astrogation is left to the ship, since the astrogator might be good or excellent, and the captain of the ship might have his own preferences for how to approach.

The three vectors are apparently based on both the specified drop site as well as the particular day/week of delivery, set up a month in advance. Any 'serious' deviation from the vectors can trigger a military response from the Overwatch ships, one of which is always in orbit around Coventry. Their exact schedule has not been revealed to Vonon or Walter.


There is a map of Coventry, but it's an old map. Nothing more recent than a hundred years ago is available. For security reasons. There are six communities indicated on the map, all within a 100-mile diameter area. The drop site coordinates are also within that diameter, near the perimeter. Unless more recent communities have been established, it should take observers about 6 hours to reach the drop site... more than enough time to unload the cargo pallets and leave.

As it turns out, the orbital gunship circles the planet every six hours. Thus, if you land, you'll be observed within 6 hours, and if you are still there after another six hours, the schrapp will hit the fan. Expect to be bombarded from orbit! No excuses are accepted. While this was never explained to you at the time, it is in the 'fine print' on the contract... Section 5, Clause 9, Paragraph 27, Sub-paragraph 12...

The assumption is either that you are waiting for a prisoner to join you or your ship has been overrun.

There's no exact determination of your fuel consumption, so if you wanted to or needed to refuel at the gas giant, that would probably be okay.


The coordinates of the Iltharan 'ruins' show it to be located on a land mass equivalent to Earth's Greenland, near the southern tip though not quite on it. There's no clear reason for this location, and the map shows the island to be covered in a glacier.

Without a flying vehicle, or at least a fast boat, there is no way the prisoners could reach it inside of a week or longer.

The actual time of your landing at the drop site will depend on the speed you make getting to the planet, as well as the point you exit J-space, which can be intentionally or accidentally farther away.

Likewise, the departure vector from the planet will depend on how long you remain there, where you head when you leave, and the actual rotation of the planet as well as where it is in its stellar orbit.


Once you exit J-space, your ship automatically transmits the standard transponder codes: name of ship, captain of record, medical clearance, engineering clearance, destination, purpose and, in this case, clearance code. It only takes a few seconds to get a response from the orbiting ship; several minutes before you get a second confirmation from the base that's out on the moon of the gas giant.

Sylvester had reluctantly put on the uniform Vonon had for the crew for the 'Jump', though he spent most of his time babying the drives and getting better acquainted with Khue. He polished and stroked the engines, Life Support and M Drives. Anything to make them even more efficient and 'sexy' to him.

In reply to Sylvester Jinx (msg # 2):

Jack points out that "It seems if we plan it right. We have a 12 to 11 hour window to explore. While on planet. Longer if go to the Gas Giant slowly and make a run on the planet on the return trip to pick up the landing party when the gunship is on the far side of the planet. "

OOC: Does "Section 5, Clause 9, Paragraph 27, Sub-paragraph 12" of the fine print in the Contract cover any landing upon the planet, or just the Contracted landings to drop off the Contracted supplies at the Contracted locations, which are within reach of the Prisoners?  Thus, more specifically, does "Section 5, Clause 9, Paragraph 27, Sub-paragraph 12" apply to time required for the mandatory inspection of suspicious surface anomalies?

No, diverging from the standard flight plan to investigate an anomaly supersedes the listed time. Although there is no time limit specified on such an investigation, it is sort of implied that it shouldn't take longer than 24 hours.

Also, just because the patrol ship is on the other side of the planet doesn't mean it can't detect a ship approaching.

Once they are out of J space, Sam checks the flight plan is locked in for their approach, and scans the area for anything which doesn't fit what they are expecting.

ooc
22:30, Today: Samantha Kilgore rolled 8 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 1,5.  Sensors 1 Int 1.

     OOC: I take it from this that we've come out of J-Space closer to Coventry, than to the Gas Giant & the Guard Base located there.



[Bridge, I.A.F. Longshot. Coventry Star System]

     Having done his due diligence as Ship's Captain, Vonon shut's down the comm channel to the Prison Guards, and sits back in his command chair.

     "Okay, Crew, so far, all is well." Vonon announces to everyone on the Bridge, "They were expecting us, and we announced our arrival just as soon as we popped out of Jump Space, just like we were supposed to do.  Now, since we already look like a really old ship, to them, let's continue to play that part and take our time plotting the course to planet Coventry, okay?  Take whatever scans needed, so we can set a course that gets us down to the drop point at a local time, such that we can unload and take off from there just before the sun will be setting at the site of the ruins.  Just like we planned."

"So how fast should we pretend to be? M2? M3? even M1?
Not sure if they will let us stay on the planet to search the ruins while the ship takes a trip to the gas giant and back, but that could buy us several days.

In reply to Kheaiftouaw (msg # 8):

"Won't their military grade sensors tell them what we have? More or less?" he asks Khea.

Inderpal, who hadn't been on shift when they exited J-Space, wasn't listening to this. She turned over and went back to sleep, dreaming about Sharik as a cheerleader. Soon, she would come onto the bridge to do her comm bit for the main operation, but not yet.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:12, Mon 08 June 2020.