Re: Just Some Worthless Junk
The Vic' was not a military or Scout vessel, so she had the standard active sensors (Radar and Lidar for navigation, detection and ranging) but no advanced military/Scout sensors like Neutrino detector (nuclear/fusion detection) or Densitometer (mass detector). However, as a former smuggler, she had upgrades to her passive sensors that allowed detection of incoming Laser (communication and high-energy pulse/beams) and Radar (search and targeting) signals (Radar Warning Receiver and Laser Warning Receiver) and they could always monitor voice and data radio comms. Passive sensors also included IR/Thermal imaging, and a powerful optical/digital telescope as a backup navigational aid. They could also alter their "Black Box" IFF transponder to alter their ship ID and registry details, which was very illegal.
The information they could gain on the Hegemony-flagged merchantman via their own sensors was somewhat limited. After all, Radar and Lidar could only tell range. They weren't transmitting high-powered radio signals, although they probably had a short-range radio voice comms link to the High Port's admin section as well as wireless data comm. (The High Port was Free Suns-funded and maintained at TL 12 so the data comm linkup would be high-bandwith, but the planet below had a local TL of 8 (1990s Earth) so local data comm would be primitive and low-bandwidth.)
Looking at the visual display from the telescope, the Kazarian seemed to be taking on fuel from the High Port, not unusual for a system that lacked gas giants. Although her streamlining would also allow for ocean refuelling on the planet below such a variance on standard fuelling procedures would hardly be allowed or go unnoticed by the local Free Suns traffic administration.
Thermal indicated the vessel was at low heat activity, likely the power plant was on standby. When the telescope and when it was focused on the ship revealed a streamlined lift-body design with dark markings in both Zhodani and Anglic script, indicating this ship operated deep in the Far Frontiers sector where the Imperial language of Earth Solomani-descended Anglic was more common.
However, the High Port and the Hegemony merchantman was far behind them now in a GSO. As they orbited (that is, circled at 10km out) the Down port in a holding pattern, ATC advised Blake there were taxis and a limousine service available at the airport, even at this late hour (around midnight local). Licencing for ground vehicles (including the air/raft and grav bike) was included in the starport's berthing fee, as desired. Local traffic regulations were uploaded for reference.
GM Note: the preceding should give everyone an idea of your available sensors, they have been upgraded to somewhere between an armed merchantman and military/Scout vessel but sensors in Traveller are not usually extraordinary. Doing some reading, I have also decided you can detect incoming Radar and Laser signals plus have IR/Thermal (etc.) capability, which is not typical for most civilian ships, but not unreasonable for an armed merchantman operating on the frontier.
I will post links to Traveller TLs, that should give an idea of the "common" world TLs. It should be kept in mind that there will usually be areas of lower and higher TLs. Outlying or neglected/devestated regions might be one or more TLs lower, while government services and installations, especially with regard to ports and space traffic control, would be higher than the common TL, if not at the level of the local interstellar government (the Free Suns is TL 12). Megacorporations and other offworld concerns would also usually be at a higher average TL.
The night's forecast was for cloudy with periods of rain. Temperatures in the low teens.
They taxied (using anti-grav) to their assigned berth. Below, service vehicles approached to hook them up for fueling and power, waste management, etc. A retractable gangway began telescoping out from the jetway. Inside the ship, the passengers prepared to disembark from what had been a pretty decent trip.
Various calls came in over the starport channel. Customs wanted to come aboard for their inspection, baggage handlers down below needed access to the cargo lock in order to unload passenger luggage.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:42, Wed 16 Oct 2013.