How big is the merchantship ??  A pinnace ?? From the corvette ??

Ken calls ahead to the port to make arrangements for the cargo to be offloaded as well as to warn customs of their passengers.  He also made contact with the various brokerages to scare up cargo.

Walking back he shook his head. "Blake, I'm a little worried about the merchant.  Do you think there is any coincidence that Kalamaru is tied in closely with the Descarothe Hegemony and the relic in the bar?"

The ID transponder for the pinnace identified it as a local charter ship. As the local TL was 8 the local datanet would take some effort to access. It didn't appear to be attached (assigned) to the Corvette. The merchantman was a 400 ton Zhodani civilian design, berthed at the high port (a simple fueling and cargo offloading station) in GSO above the down port.

Nomail Down signalled they were ready to offload cargo and passengers upon landing. The ship passed by the high port, through the orbit of the two small asteroid moons. It was difficult to say if there were any installations or settlements at this diatance. The beautiful blue-green planet itself was young, featuring dramatically tall mountain ranges and several continents. It was also a little cool, so most settlement was on the equator.

The planet had a full GPS and space navigation system, so they were given a guide path down into the Earthlike atmosphere to Nomael Down.

As they neared their reentry point, Mariel checked the scopes. She then had a sip of tea.

"Our approach is looking good. Too bad we can't tell if someone's locking on to us or scanning us, what I wouldn't give for a Navy or Scout sensor suite.

"Should I take 'er down? Time to get paid!"

Interstellar travel was by wormhole through Jumpspace as calculated by the Navigation program in the computer, and in-system was mostly on autopilot as directed by the Manoeuvre program. Where pilots were really needed was during takeoff and reentry.

Ken glanced about at the sensors and the view through the large set of windowscreens in the bridge.  "Go ahead and bring her in Mariel.  We're on a short leash."

Relaxing in the turret gunnery station, Jaxxon had a coffee and tried to keep alert.

"Standing by."

"Roger. Course is laid in. Taking 'er down. Everyone strap in."

She punched a few keys, then checked the course. "Lookin' good. Commencing orbital reentry in three, two, one, mark."

Nomael Down was on the nightside, so they crossed the terminator into the blackness of planetary night. Lightning flashed over a massive storm in the southern hemisphere, a few pricks of light marking the major cities were visible.

Along the horizon above the night side and below space was a narrow glowing band, following the curve of the planet. This was the "ariglow", a faint luminescence glow from the atmosphere seen side-on. Soon, the forward head-shields were glowing and the ship was buffeted a little as they commenced atmospheric insertion.

The Empress Victoria came in for a landing at Nomael Down. Off to the side were runways for the jet aircraft which were the main transportation on the planet, although grav vehicles were beginning to take over. Traffic control indicated there was a jetliner taking off so they were put into a holding pattern, orbiting at 10km out.

Blake make a mental note to check on pinnace rentals later ...  If we pass within visual range of the merchie, max the sensors out for a look/see.  Otherwise a local weather forecast & a night landing.  Make a call for some taxi service for the passengers as well ??

Ken went back to strap in as they commenced entry into the atmosphere.  Once they were down in clear air he moved forward to the bridge again.  "We'll want to head right over to the bar and check out the artifact from the bar tender.  The cargo can be offloaded tomorrow.  The only thing we need to worry about tonight is getting the passengers off if they want and getting to the bar as long as it's not too late in local time."

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.

Blake deals with the port paperwork for an unknown stay, along with vessel shutdown procedures.  Then it's another round of inspectors & cargo handlers ...

He will do a morning visual ship inspection, by sunlight.  Find out what Ollie wants to tinker with, service, tighten, loosen, etc, etc.

Ken turns to Blake. "Let's get her fueled right away.  I want to be ready just in case.  We're going to head over to the bar immediately if it is still open.  You can stay with teh ship or come with us if you'd like."

He heads aft, catching up to each of the crew one by one.  "We'll get the passengers off and the customs complete and then head to the bar.  The cargo can wait until tomorrow."  Ken then thanked each of the passengers before he headed down to deal with the customs inspectors while Linus and the others dealt with the baggage handlers and passengers.

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 198):

All the passengers seemed tired but happy with the trip and service. Ken was given a card and comm code for the local Frontiers Development office.

When the Customs inspectors were done, it was well past midnight, 0400. Dawn was in a couple hours. Routine Jump drive maintenance would typically take about 18 hours.

The bar, "Traveller's End", was not in the city of Varnov's Landing or the startown next to Nomael Down. Instead, it was in a town (Urssolvograd) up in the mountains about 300 km away.

The regulations for air/rafts was no flying (above 1m) within city limits, all traffic laws to be obeyed as ground vehicles. The boundaries were programmed into the World's GPS, which was League funded and supported.

It was late and Ken sighed as the unloading and paperwork took longer than he thought.  It was just as well that the place was 300 km away.  They could travel to the city in the morning after they had a bit of sleep.  He arranged for a 0800 wake up and the rental of an air raft if it could be set up.

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 200):

Mariel yawned. "We have an air/raft already. Licencing is part of the berthing fee. As well, Stanley's got his grav bike."

Looking at the planetary business directory, which was available online but in a primitive form, he realised that only ground vehicles were for rent. While local industry could in theory support the manufacture and maintenance of air/rafts, actual civilian anti-grav vehicles were actually rare, so that none were available for hire.

Baja dune buggies ...  ran thru his dreams ...

Ken nodded to Muriel.  "A local model would be best but it doesn't seem you can get them for love or money.  Best to just take ours then as time is important."

You're all quite familiar by now with Stanley's belief that the Descarothe Hegemony are a bunch of nasty blighters who are way too close to Alzenei (the capital of the Free Suns). Clearly, he says, what the Free Suns needs to do is move their capital to Mirayn, and reinforce Winder, thereby keeping the capital well insulated from warmongering empires like the Descarothe. The fact that Mirayn is his homeworld and not actually a part of the Free Suns is....a minor trifling detail that provides no bias to his opinions on the subject. Absolutely none.



"Hmmm," mused Stanley. "Potential business opportunity or three there."

Having spent the trip feeling not merely the usual level of superflous, Stanley had spent the trip learning every nut and bolt of his grav bike, reading and reading the owner's manual, and practicing sword drills in the hallways so that he would be use to fighting in the cramped confines.

Although the financial pressures the crew had been facing these past months were vented by this trip, Stanley only felt more keenly aware of his need to provide value to his ship and his crewmates. On Mirayn, his family connections and familiarity with the world had been worth paying for. These last months, he often felt like his primary value to the universe beyond his tiny home was as a mere curiosity. The urge to prove himself was growing stronger with each passing month -- especially since he had received no word about his little side-venture, and whether it had slipped past Mirayn Customs safely.

157-1108

0800 rolled around. It was a cool day, the forecast was for cloudy periods, with fog in the lowlands.

The post-Jump drive maintenance would normally take 16 hours to complete.

Ken will joust with Stanley by offering up that the League should crush the Hegemony outright rather than pussyfooting around.

He gathered the crew together.  "Who wants to head with me to the bar?  I'd like a bit of back-up if possible."

Sure, once the morning tasks are done.

"Ah, but do they have the strength to do so? No, I misspeak. It is not the strength that the Free Suns lacks. It is the skill. The navy of the Free Suns does not have the discipline or experience that the Descarothe have, and your Imperial naval habits do not instill the same traditions of excellence that the Zhodhani do. Certainly, they could quickly grasp all but Desaaekhe itself in a single push, but could they keep it? Against a Zhodhani client state?"


(Stanley probably has above-average knowledge of the Junglebut political sector, but I'm not sure what that would look like."



Stanley nods. "I assumed I was going, on my bike. I could take one other with me. Who shall take the Air/Raft? We will need it if we acquire the object. <pause> You know, we should name the Air/Raft and my 'Cycle. Why should Empress Victoria  have a name, but these other mechanical steeds do not? Perhaps we should name them after members of Victoria's retinue?"

In reply to Stanley (msg # 209):

Looking up from his breakfast, Jaxxon offered, "I can stay here and mind the ship with Mariel."