Those going on the Vultan up to The Skull should post here.


As it turns out, there is a shuttle that travels between The Skull and the Downport, but it doesn't have a regular schedule--it makes the trip (either direction) when there's enough passengers (unspecified how many that is), when sufficient fees are paid, or when the pilot feels like it... usually some combination of the three.

Heading up to the moon, it's easy to see that the Highport started as merely a refueling depot for ships and then gradually expanded outward, upward, and downward to become a full Class A starport. While there are six external docking bays open to the vacuum of space, presumably these are for special cases and overflow... probably carry-overs from the original refueling depot. A dozen internal docking bays now encircle the central hub.

The Vultan has been assigned one of those internal bays. There's no way, though, to tell from space how many are occupied.

Surrounding the Highport is the shipyards... divided into three equal and equidistant sections. You can also spot at least a dozen weapons turrets across the lunar surface with probably more out of sight beyond the curve of the moon. You guess one of them... the larger one... is probably a particle cannon.

As you approach the docking bay, its bay doors slide aside to allow access to the interior. As with any starport, the ship receives an electronic offer of services that you can accept or turn down as you wish. Surprisingly, only the standard starport docking fee is required. That includes any of the auxiliary services, though: fuel, power umbilical, oxygen resupply, water resupply and waste maintenance.

As the resident ship's doctor, Aaron spent the short flight up to The Skull making sure that the 'medical bay' was still properly stocked and everything was stored in its proper place.

For the most part, once his two guests had been tucked into their coldsleep chambers, they didn't need monitoring. Putting them in coldsleep served two functions: they healed faster and no one needed to worry about feeding them or keeping them under guard.

He was still debating with himself whether he wanted to go with the assault team and hang back or just wait here in the ship to see if anyone would need medical attention.

"I suppose I should tag along... not just to treat any of you," he said to the others, "should you decide to play target but to treat the Mercifuge's crew that will get injured."

"I understand you want their experience not only as pirates but with the ship, but I should probably do a profile on them to evaluate their trustworthiness and loyalty index. As pirates, my preliminary guess is that they value money. It's not so much 'the more money you give them the more loyal they'll be', it's that you just give them money as part of your success."

"Where am I at? Strike force or on the Vultan? I can do either so it doesn't matter too much. You got a plan Cdr. Varca? Will you be giving a clue to us?"

In reply to Collyn Ramburton (msg # 3):

OOC: I'm not certain why there's any confusion about this -- Theodore, Ingrid, Zhouth, and  Rayjaynul were selected to go see The Admiral.  Varca had also suggested that Ghent go with them, saying he/Varca believed that Ghent was well versed in Social Skills...

Ghent was told he could choose where he wanted to go.

Varca has been assuming that, except for the 4 -- maybe 5 -- people mentioned as going to see The Wizard The Admiral, everyone one else would be remaining aboard Vultan (thus going up to The Skull).

Not everyone going up to The Skull has to participate in the raid to capture Mercifuge.  Somebody does need to remain aboard ship, preferably someone with Pilot skills.

Tactically, Varca considers the advantages & disadvantages of a Small Assault Team versus a Large Assault Team to all offset each other -- so anyone who wants to come with, may do so.  Anyone who does not wish to come with, Will be doing us a favor by staying behind to secure a rapid exit, should one be needed.

ooc. Thats why I said "Strike Force" ie, Mercifuge, or am I on the Vultan as crew. Knew I wasn't in the Restaurant. :-P

All Viridian knew was that he wasn't going to the restaurant. Too many scenarios had been suggested with no one actually disavowing any of them. No doubt in Varca's mind he knew who was going where, but he hadn't actually designated who was going where... either that, or Viridian hadn't been paying attention.

"So, which one of the dozen scenarios have you decided on, Varca?" Viridian asked as the Vultan docked in The Skull.

"One-person subterfuge? Six-person assault squad? Teleporting Collyn?"

With BB having to bale on them, Taliesa knew that left her as the resident marine, so if it was an assault on the Mercifuge, she'd no doubt be leading the charge.

On the other hand, subterfuge wasn't her strong suit. Hell, it wasn't a suit at all for her! There just wasn't much subterfuge with an assault rifle.

She knew better than to ask Varca where he wanted her; he'd tell her when he was good and ready.

He might not be a marine, but he knew his way around an assault rifle. Also, being a fellow Vespexer, he was pretty tough--he could take it as well as dishing it out.

Under the current circumstances, though, he expected to be ship security.

"Guess I'll be manning the fort, then, right?" he asked Varca.

Combat wasn't his thing, either. Oh, sure, he called himself a 'mercenary', but that was only because he could be hired to do something for money... as long as it wasn't being a soldier.

"Me, too," he added. "Holding down the fort, polish the silverware, wash the windows, dust away the cobwebs, and so forth."

In reply to Donio Scarte (msg # 9):

     "Okay, to start with, we gotta take into account how we look to the locals." Varca says, "If we look like a buncha thugs looking to beat down a hexapuma, then the locals will come down on us hard and fast.  On the other hand, this is a port that deals regularly with pirate types."

     "So, the trick is to find a balance between our offensive and defensive capabilities.  My thoughts are we go defense over offense.  We wear Raider Suits -- but none of the decals and appliques we have for them.  We wear the suits with no identifiers.  This will send a subtle message that we are ready for trouble, but not looking for it.  Just, hopefully not too strong a message."

     "Next, to offset the message all the armor is making, we cut back on the weapons.  Sidearms only -- non-lethal if you got 'em -- blades and clubs.  We're gonna have to walk through the station to get to where Mercifuge is.  Wearing the Suits will already make folks nervous, so we need to calm them by not carrying an entire arsenal.  So take weapons that you can holster or hang from a belt.  Something that'll let you walk around with your hands empty."

     "All'a you figure out how you're gonna do that, while I log into the station info-net and see if I can locate Mercifuge.  I'm kinda guessing they ain't using that name -- what with the fact that they stole it from The Admiral -- but really, just how many four-hundred-ton salvage ships can there be, docked to this station?"

---

OOC: Today: Varca Lexand rolled 8 using 2d6+2 to run a Computers/2 data search, trying to find where Mercifuge is docked.

[Lunar^(?) Spaceport "The Skull", Orbiting Planet Theev. Aboard Vultan]


      "Whatever you want to do, Rejji." Varca responds with a grin,

     "I know you'll shout me a warning before you run from the Hexapuma.  So, whether you wanna have my back during a firefight crawling through a pirate ship, or if you wanna have my back making sure nobody steals our little Wunderschiff, here -- I'm good with whatever you wanna do."

     "Viridian, that goes for you, as well.  You are probably the better Pilot in this group, but you being a Native of Theev -- as much as that can be said of anyone -- you are invaluable to the Away Team, as an aide to avoiding getting entangled with Local Custom. So, I'll leave the choice to you."


      "You want the detail, you got the detail, Scartty."

     "Taliesa!  BB didn't have anything bad to say in her assessment of you -- as a Space Marine -- but then she never actually detailed your skillset to me.  I asked her if you could do the job, and she just nodded.  So, now having had a couple of moments to think over the basics of my plan, what are your thoughts? Anything from your Marine Ship Boarding experience you can add?  Also, d'you have any suggestions for who stays aboard<?i> with Scartty and, <i>maybe, Rejji?"

     "My thoughts are that a security team of three people should be sufficient to secure Vultan -- or at least, if attacked, to hold on until the rest of us can get back here.  Your thoughts?"

"Where you want me Commander Varca? Striker or support? By the way, I can shoot too, but prefer the blade up close. Want me to teleport into their ship and wait for you?"

In reply to Collyn Ramburton (msg # 12):

     "Actually," Varca responds to Collyn, "I was thinking to have you -- wait!  What'd you just say? I though you guys were kidding about you being able to teleport!  I thought you were a Mindrip--I mean--a Telepath?"

     "Um, right, like I was saying ... Collyn, you'll be on the Strike Team!  You're a good fighter, and we can always use your talent as a back-up, if Silverhands comm doesn't work out."

"Nope, not a mindripper. I can barely read print, never mind minds. If I know where I'm going, I can teleport in. I have to know the location or I could wind up in space or in a bulkhead."

In reply to Collyn Ramburton (msg # 14):

     Varca gives Collyn a thoughtful look,

     "So ... just what exactly do you mean by 'know the location', here, Collyn?" Varca asks, "We talking direct observation?  Could you, say, teleport to a target location seen in a photograph?  Could you teleport to a place seen in a real-time vid-monitor?"

     "And, if you can teleport to a spot you're looking at on a vid-monitor, what are we talking about, video definition-wise, before you can't do a teleport?  Can you, for example, teleport to a location you're looking at in black-and-white?  How about teleporting to places you've seen drawings of?"

     "Tactical uses, Collyn!  I'm not expecting you to be as tricky as a Zhodani Consular Guard but give me tactical details I can plan with, Collyn!"

     Varca suddenly flashes Collyn a rather feral-looking smile,

     " 'Cuz, if you can teleport to a spot you're looking at through an imager -- then we are golden!"

In reply to Varca Lexand (msg # 15):

"I think I'll be able to teleport with that!" he tells Varca...and automatically looks around for Zhouth to confirm that.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:49, Sun 27 Nov 2022.

In reply to Collyn Ramburton (msg # 16):

OOC: Zhouth is down on the planet.  Maybe edit that to "...and automatically looks around for Zhouth to confirm that."


     "Excellent, Collyn!" Varca exclaims, "And have you and Zhouth practiced these Teleports while you were wearing a Raider Suit?  That's important, because it's the PRIS system built into the suit that will let you see through the airlock door and generate an image of the space on the other side of it."

     "That's why I asked about still pictures and drawings -- the PRIS system uses one-hundred percent computer generated imagery to display data.  No direct, live opticals."

     "The downside is that, if we have to have you teleport through the door, it'll take several minutes of scanning through the armored door to generate that image -- several minutes of all of us just standing around looking suspicious, right outside the door."

"I don't carry the kind of hardware that BB did," Taliesa answers, "but I use a bit more brains than brawn to get the job done."

"Getting in through the main airlock is going to be either easy because of the code or hard because it's the wrong code. I realize that you are prepared to assault the Mercifuge, but I think you'll have better luck with subterfuge. I like the idea of claiming to have a message from Silverhand. Whether they believe it or not, a second team of two should try to gain access through one of the exterior hatches while the first team functions as a distraction. I'll need someone with electronics skill."

"I'd recommend Collyn teleport into one of the staterooms as a third string to your bow."

Most of Collyn's 'training' was to teleport to some place that he either could see directly or some place that he'd visited before. He's never teleported anywhere while wearing a boarding suit.

He can't teleport to some place he's only seen a drawing of. He might be able to teleport to a place that was described to him in detail. He can teleport to a place he's viewing via camera or comm unit. Black and white image doesn't matter, but he's not sure about a PRIS image. It's a question of detail resolution.


Like any other starport, there's a public directory of all ships currently docked and which bay they are in. Mercifuge is in Bay 17. Vultane is in Bay 8. Bays 1-10 are upper level, Bays 11-20 are on the lower level.

Of course, you can pay to have your ship not listed publicly.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:49, Mon 05 Dec 2022.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 19):

     Varca, standing in the middle of Vultan's Crew Lounge, ponders Taliesa's suggestions for a few moments...

     Finally, Varca reaches up with his right hand to touch a discrete button on the side of his Raider Suit's helmet -- causing the open-but-opaqued faceplate to silently fold over his face, sealing the suit.  A moment later the faceplate becomes transparent, showing Varca's glare.

     "Everyone suit up." Varca orders via the vocoder in the suit, "Weapon load-out is sidearms and light melee weapons only!  If all ya got is fists, then plan on using them!"

     "Donio and Rejji will remain on Vultan.  Sorry Rejji -- you are in charge.  I know how you just hate that..." Varca smirks,

     "Viridian ... as much as I'd prefer to keep you in charge on Vultan as a pilot, I've got this sneaking feeling that we'll have more need of you on The Skull as a guide."

     "Same goes for you, Aaron.  You bring up a good point that, for this mission, you'll be more useful as a Medic rather than a Pilot, here.  If things end up in a firefight, better you be with us, rather than we try to call for medical aid from the 'Port ... and then dealing with all the explanations concerning what happened."

     "Collyn, you stay close to me.  Do whatever you gotta do to prepare yourself to teleport -- Emperor's Name, I never thought I'd ever say anything like that! -- But you do not teleport without my specific order, got it?  You go jaunting off on your own, and then we won't know where you are!  Got it?"

     "Taliesa -- in the event that our Plan A doesn't go off as planned, then you, Krrsh, and Viridian will become our Plan B EVA Team.  So, check with them to see that they can keep up with you on an EVA.  That's part of Plan B."

     "This is how Plan A works -- we will all head towards the Mercifuge's docking bay.  Everyone just act casual -- it's bad enough that we're gonna be walking through this place dressed for a battlefield -- I don't want any of you acting all tough and bad-ass, as well.  I want everyone to act like we're just a bunch of over-dressed Mercs, out looking for a place to put down a lot of booze."

     "As a group, we make our way to Mercifuge, once close enough, and from cover, we'll give Silverhand's codes a try and observe what happens.  Either the ship goes into lockdown, or we gain access to open the main airlock."

     "Plan A is if we gain access to open the airlock.  Once we know we can open and close that airlock, Viridian will then go to the lock pretending to have a message from Silverhand -- Viridian, I want you to do this because, of all of us, you sound the most like someone from Theev!  We should assume the three Crew on Mercifuge have locked the airlock."

     "So, once we know we control that airlock hatch, Viridian goes to the hatch and announces he has a message.  When somebody shows up, Viridian tries to get them to open the hatch.  If they open the hatch -- we jump 'em.  If they won't open the airlock, then we use the code to open it ourselves -- and we jump 'em."

     "Doesn't matter if they open up, or not.  In Plan A we can open that hatch ourselves.  The purpose of running the messenger ploy is to get one or more of the crew to come to the airlock, where we can jump 'em, without having to hunt for 'em."

     "Now, if Silverhands codes don't give us access to the airlock hatch, or if they put the ship into lockdown, then we go to Plan B." Varca says, "Taliesa and her flunkies will find the nearest airlock to the outside and then spacewalk to the nearest airlock they can find on Mercifuges outside hull.  Once Taliesa and her group are in place, we move against both airlocks."

     "If the codes have put the ship into lockdown, we just shut it off and enter the ship -- the Crew should already be confused by the lockdown, so they might respond slowly to any report of two hatches being opened ... or, we can hope they will be."

     "Now, if these codes we have from Silverhand's comm don't do anything, then we go with a modified Plan B, where it's just harder to open each airlock."

     "That's the plan.  Everyone gear up -- we are out the airlock in ten.  Move, people!"

"Aye, aye Commander Varca!" he advances with the group, right on Varca's right elbow. The entire jaunt to the Mercifuge! He was glued to Varca's elbow! He followed orders exactly! Not wanting to fuk things up!

"Sounds like a plan," Viridian comments as he suits up. He then follows the others out and attempts to walk along the corridor in a jauntily casual manner rather than in a menacing one.

While there were lifts between the various levels of the Skull, there were also flights of stairs that connected the two docking rings and the promenade above. Six lifts, three flights of stairs.

"You don't suppose the crew is upstairs at one of the bars, do you?" he asked over comms.

"Good plan!" Donio also comments. Of course, he was referring to the part where he stayed on the ship.

"Say, Viridian... just how many bars are there upstairs?"

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 22):

     Varca stalks walks away from the ship with the assault team -- he's trying to appear as if he's just another spacer off to have a good time with his buddies.  But the fact he has to walk around this shady starports ill-kept hallways with his faceplate open --so passers-by can see him 'smiling' -- has it looking more like an uncomfortable grimace.

     Which, actually, it is...


      Varca comes to a sudden halt, and turns a wide, Red-eyed look of surprise towards Viridian,

     "That never occurred to me!" Varca admits, "I forgot that non-Vespexers go out and socialize in locations that aren't as secure as their home bunkers -- or in this case, aboard their own ship..."

     Varca pivots slightly and reaches out with his gloved right hand to give Krrsh a light slap on the shoulder.

     "Hey Krrsh!  You used to hang out with Redthane's outfit -- d'you know any of these guys?  Maybe be able to ID any of them in a bar crowd?"

     "Yeah ... if we can account for any or all of these guys being off-ship, that'll make our task of getting onto Mercifuge just that much easier.  Good idea, Viridian!"

     "Alright, slight alteration of plans!" Varca says, rubbing his gloved hands together, "Viridian, you are going to lead us all on the fastest Pub Crawl through the bars of The Skull, ever!  Krrsh, you are gonna check out the crowd at every pub, bar, and dive -- looking for familiar faces.  Specifically, the faces of the three remaining members of Silverhand's crew."

     Varca looks around at the assembled team, "When and if we locate one or more of them, we'll figure out how to grab 'em based on the specific situation at the time."

     "Keep two things in mind..." Varca raises his right hand and lifts a single finger,

     "First.  We try to take these guys alive.  We're gonna give 'em the same choice we gave the boys that were with Silverhand, on the planet.  I just want to be making that offer from a position of power."

     Varca raises a second finger,

     "Second.  I don't care if anybody has a drink or two while we're doing this operation, but anybody screws up because they were drunk, and I'll stuff you in a suit locker, here on The Skull, and leave you behind.  Assuming you survive your screw-up, that is."

     "Okay, Viridian, take us to the nearest drinking hall.  And, Krrsh--just hold it right there!" Varca points an accusing finger at the Vargr, "I can see it on your face--you're about to say you're not sure you can ID these guys for us ... at least, I think that's what you're gonna do.  Maybe you gotta sneeze.  I'm not that familiar with Vargr facial expressions."

     "Well, anyways, I don't wanna hear it!  Just try, right?  Okay, let's go."

"The last time I was here, there were seven places that could be considered 'bars'," Viridian answers Donio.

"I expect Cruikshank's is probably still here. It's a gritty bar favored by pirates but probably too conspicuous for the Mercifuge crew. They're more likely to go to the Devil's Due... or maybe the Stellar Drift."

"Six Suns Cantina caters to the more legitimate commercial interests while Martigan's Belt is a belt miners' paradise and supply store. Starburst casino changed hands five times in the week I was here, so no telling what its status is now."

"All I was going to say was that we have I.D.s on the crew," Krrsh answers. "It's not like they are secret or anything. We should all be able to spot them."

"The only problem with me is that what holds true for them also holds true for me--they might spot and identify me."

"In any case, if they are in a bar, then all we gotta do is wait for them to go back to their ship."

"Viridian's probably right--Devil's Due is a dingy dive where they could lay low."

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 26):

Collyn listened and stayed quiet. Sticking to Varca like glue as instructed! "Take the Mercifuge now and wait for them to come back?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:42, Wed 18 Jan 2023.

As directed, Krrsh leads the group to the upper level and around the ring to the Devil's
Due. Because none of the businesses are built as separate buildings, they all have standard storefront windows, though some are blocked by paint or posters. Devil's Due is one of them, so you can't really see inside without going in.

Keeping Krrsh's concerns in mind, Viridian is the one to enter and survey the occupants. He returns a minute later and informs you that the three crew are indeed in there drinking.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 29):

     "Right." Varca says as soon as he gets the word from Viridian, "If you're certain, Viridian, that it's all three of them you saw, then yes -- just as Collyn said, we'll head for Mercifuge right now, and give the codes we have a try, to get us in."

     Varca starts heading away from the Devil's Due, heading back towards the docking area -- specifically, to where Mercifuge is docked.

     "Ideally, the codes get us into the ship, where we set up an ambush for those three, when they come back, drunk.  Worst case, the codes don't work and those three receive an alarm from the ship.  In that case, we still set up an ambush for them, just out here on the docks."

     "But we can hope that, even if the codes don't work, we won't set off any alarms and we manage get into the ship on our own -- where we still set up an ambush."

     "Remember, we want to try and capture these guys while doing as little harm to them as we can.  Our objective is to gain the ship and recruit these thugs to our crew."
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:10, Tue 24 Jan 2023.

"It was definitely the three of them," Viridian confirms. "Murdo's in armor and doesn't appear to be drinking all that much. I'm  guessing Frad and Lu are both three sheets to the wind, but Murdo's riding herd on them."

"They seem to just be killing time. They probably aren't expecting Silverhand back for another day at least. Did she make contact before we met her? Didn't seem like it. Whoever she wanted to contact had to become available and find a way to get to the Scrap Heap without being seen."

"It's the rats in the Heap that are the main concern. We never detected any of them, but that doesn't mean they weren't there and saw everything. It could take them a few days and go-betweens to pass the info on to anyone that matters."

"Just sayin'..."

Krrsh leads the group back down to the lower deck and then around the docking ring to where the Mercifuge is docked.

Not surprisingly, there's no sign of anyone on guard. However, there is a surveillance camera that covers the docking ring leading to the docking bay. While it'll capture anyone walking along the ring, it won't show the actual approach to the hatch.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 32):

     Varca quickly outlines a diversion for the camera -- in case any person or AI is watching...

     As a group we will walk past the access to Mercifuge.

     Varca & Collyn will move to the back of the group.

     At a whistle from Varca, two people at the front of the group (doesn't matter who) will start shoving each other and shouting/laughing as they have a "good-natured argument".

     Everyone else will crowd around shouting encouragement -- the intent is to provide both a distraction and cover for Varca & Collyn to slip over to Mercifuge's hatch without being seen by the camera.

     At the hatch, Varca will attempt to gain access to the ship using Silverhand's codes.

     If this works, Varca will open the hatch and call the others to follow him and Collyn inside the ship.

     If the codes do not work, then we shall attempt Plan C (C for Collyn). Collyn will use the PRIS system in his helmet and take however long it will take (okay, no longer than 10 minutes) to use those various sensors (including X-Ray imaging) to look "past" the hatch and into the airlock chamber.  Once Collyn feels confident he has a good "view" of his destination, he'll try to Teleport to the other side of the hatch and open the airlock, if he can.
     If he can't open the outer hatch from inside the airlock, Collyn will have to repeat the Teleport process to move past the inner hatch and try to open the door from the shipboard side of the airlock.

OOC:  Varca has Comms, Computers & Sensors all at Level 1; each receiving a +1 bonus.  He has Silverhand's "repaired" comm unit with the "access" codes (for whatever Bonus or Advantage).  He also has a helmet mounted PRIS system & hand-held EM Probe (for whatever Bonus or Advantage).
     If that's not good enough (and it probably isn't ^_^) lemme know and I'll roll 2d6...

Following Varca's plan, Viridian gives Krrsh a light shove as he says, "I told you the ship was in the other direction! And you're supposed to know your way around here!"

He wasn't quite sure if the Vargr would pick up on the cue, so prepared himself for a 'retaliation'.

The sudden shove caught Krrsh by surprise but he picked up on the cue quickly enough.

"It's a friggin' circular deck!" he snapped back as he returned the shove. "It doesn't matter which way we go--we'll get to the ship either way! You afraid of a little exercise?"

As if the shoving would turn into an actual fight, Rejji and Taliesa move forward to break it up if it does.

Meanwhile, Varca and Collyn slip down the access walkway to the Mercifuge's main airlock. Varca quickly enters Silverhand's access code. The text on the little screen pops up showing that the ship is currently under lockdown by Murdo. The code you enter registers as Silverhand... OVERRIDE. And the airlock is unlocked.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 36):

     Varca smiles as the airlock indicates it's unlocked.  Quickly he cycles it open.

     "The Dragon smiles!" Varca comms to the group with excitement, "Everyone onboard!"

     With Collyn beside him, Varca steps aboard the pirate vessel Mercifuge ... scanning with everything he has, for the booby traps his over-suspicious mind just knows were laid by the crew...


OOC: Today: Varca Lexand rolled 14 using 2d6+2 (6,6) with Electronics(Sensors) to scan for traps/alarms.
     WOO-HOO!! Boxcars!!

In reply to Varca Lexand (msg # 37):

     "I said Move It ya scruggs!" Varca growls over the comm, "More'n likely those three just got an alert that Silverhand just walked aboard -- and they'll be scrambling to get down here as fast as possible!"

     "Now, everybody aboard so we can set up an ambush!  And remember -- we want to take them alive, if we can, so try to use non-lethal methods.  And the guy who might give us the most trouble is also the guy Viridian said he saw wearing armor -- so if we gotta go lethal on anybody, make sure it's the guy in armor!"

     "Now MOVE!!!"

Collyn played with his psionic sword.

"Don't forget to reset the airlock security," Viridian reminds Varca as he brings up the rear boarding the pirate ship.

He then starts looking around for some place to hide to ambush the crew when they return.

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 40):

     "Yeah-yeah ... ya ain't gotta tell me how to crush twilk bugs..." Varca responds to Viridian, "I'm gonna shut down Silverhand's overrides and reset the locks just as soon as everyone is aboard."

     "Oh, hey!  As all of you find hiding spots, keep an eye out for internal vid nodes -- the Crew are locked out right now, so they shouldn't be able to access the internal vid feeds -- but once I shut down Silverhands overrides, one of them might think to check the ship's security feed.  So, make sure you've spotted the vid nodes, and you're out of their field of view."

OOC: Okay so, StarMaster is still incommunicado, but he managed to call me from his Retreat in Tibet get in touch with me and gave me some instructions...
     First: we are, for the moment, in Full Control of the Mercifuge.  We have access to all areas of the ship, so...

     This is Mercifuge.

     Location #3, on the upper deck, is the airlock we just opened & came aboard thru.  This airlock opens into a Crew Common Area (location # 5) AND it is the only entrance onto the Bridge (location #2).

     Let us begin plotting...

"What do you want to plot about Cdr. Varca? I know you want them taken alive, but if they put up a fight, what do we do? A few should be too drunk, I know I'm not getting myself killed trying to take the one in armor alive, we might wound him pretty bad. Where you want me to station myself?"

"Collyn, you and Krrsh should take up station in the hall between the staterooms in case one of them wants to... freshen up... or just collapse," Viridian suggests. "A nice gun in the face should keep 'em quiet."

"Varca... you should sit in the far command chair, back to the airlock, so when Murdo steps on to the bridge, he won't see  you right away. Then you speak and turn to face him! Get all piratey dramatic with him."

"They way I see it, he's going to want to double check the bridge first thing... and maybe not even take off his armor just yet. I expect him to want to shoot first and ask questions later... or not bother at all. Clearly, his first reaction is going to be that the ship has been compromised."

"I'll take the Comms/Sensors station, and Taliesa should take cover behind the closer command desk so she can shoot around the corner straight at Murdo."

"That'll give three of us to deal with the other two."

"We just don't have any way to change the layout at the moment."

"I wonder why the Admiral doesn't just take the ship? You think he'll be pissed we took it, or happy? If we could find it, he could have too."

"This piece of shrak?" Taliesa responds. "Wny would he even want it? And that's assuming he knows it's here."

"Keep in mind, too, that there are a dozen pirate factions, all vying for their own superior place in the hierarchy. Darokyn is the dominant one but still can't go against all of them."

"Besides, in places like Theev, there are layers and layers of conspiracies and intrigues. We certainly aren't privy to them."

Fortunately, the team doesn't have to wait long for the rest of Mercifuge's crew to return. They aren't loud or boisterous enough to announce their presence, so it isn't until the outer airlock starts to cycle that you realize they've returned, although Viridian was monitoring the systems from the comm station on the bridge.

"So how much longer we gotta wait for Silverhand to return?" one of them asks as they step onto the bridge.

"As long as it takes!" a gruffer voice snaps back. "I swear you whine too much, Lu?"

"Chill it, Murdo! I was just asking. Figure she might have told you something. It certainly wouldn't have been me!"

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 47):

OOC: Varca (retroactively) approves Viridian's plans.  Make it Happen!
Everyone should be in the locations mentioned by Viridian, ready to follow his plan.

Collyn -- make sure you've "familiarized" yourself with a couple locations you can teleport to.  I/Varca would like for you to be out with the ambush group in the Common Area (at least, start there).  Suggestions for spots you might "familiarize":
... a good hidden spot (or two) in and around the Common room that you can teleport/retreat to during the fight, if needed, and get your bearings to make surprise teleport attacks.
... a spot on the Bridge close to where Varca will be (you ain't got a gun, son). You might be able to disable Murdo's armor suit, maybe, with that glowing toothpick of yours, without having to kill him.
... a spot just outside the outer airlock door (technically back out on The Skull), both as a means to get ahead of anyone who runs, as well as a means for your own escape, if needed.
... And do not forget that if/when the fecal matter impacts the rotary air circulator, you can always bug-out to your quarters aboard Vultan (assuming you have the range).

Krrsh--Varca assumes 2 things with you...that these guys might recognize/know you.  Varca further assumes that, with our group pointing lots of weapons at them (except for Murdo, probably) they will tend to want to believe you, when you tell them to drop their weapons and they'll live.  Be Prepared For That Moment!

Okay, ya buncha Vicious Space Pirates -- let's do us some Recruiting!!  ^_^

You notice another person who has followed Murdo, Frad, and Lu as they enter the bridge. She's a very attractive redhead with her hair in a messy bun, wearing what seems to be reflec armor and with a revolver in her belt. She is ever so slightly unsteady on her feet and her green eyes widen in surprise as she takes in the situation on the bridge, including the many guns pointed in her direction.

She slowly removes her gun from her belt and holds it out by the trigger guard. "What's all this then?" she asks. "This how you treat potential new crew members?"



This message was last edited by the GM at 01:01, Tue 28 Feb 2023.

     Holding out her revolver, and again looking around the large Bridge, Kira quickly comes to the conclusion that the 'many guns' pointed at her and her so-called Crewmates is actually only 3 guns -- and that they are all pointed straight at that piece of crap, Murdo.

     The 3 shooters facing the crew of Mercifuge are all placed around the Bridge so that all of them have great line of sight to anybody standing in front of the door into the Bridge -- like Kira, Murdo, Frad and Lu are, right now.

     All 3 of the shooters are wearing sealed, hardened space armor (something Navy types call a "Boarding Suit"); done up in unmarked black with the faceplates opaqued.  One of them is sitting in the Captain's Chair--he'd had his back to the airlock door when all of you entered--leaving it to the other two to use their suit-amplified voices to order you to drop your weapons.

     That one slowly turns the seat around and joins his companions in pointing a large pistol...at Murdo,

     "Actually...No.  This isn't how we treat potential new crewmates." the one sitting in the Captain's Chair says, via his suit, in an apparently male voice,

     "Them we give a thousand credit sign on bonus, then buy 'em a drink.  However...for the Crewmates of the recently deceased and unlamented Captain Silver--or maybe you were privileged enough to call her Silverhand--we use the much more cheerful 'Drop Your Weapons Or Die' method of recruitment."

     The helmeted head shifts ever-so-slightly, giving the impression the wearer is now looking straight at Murdo.

     "I'm not screwing around, Murdo.  Silverhand is dead.  I blew her up into tiny pieces, myself.  Now me and my people possess Silverhands command codes, and we've taken over this ship.  And--because I'm still feeling the afterglow of blasting your old boss all over the walls of her little hidey-hole, down on the planet--I'm gonna give you a choice...first, you either drop your weapons or die...then, if you drop your weapons, I'll offer you a place in my organization at fair pay and loot shares--and likely better working conditions--or I'll let you grab your personal possessions and walk away--never to cross my path, ever again."

     "Same deal to all of you!  Drop your weapons, and I'll take you on as crew.  Or, if that ain't to your liking, and you don't cause any trouble, you can walk away."

     "Silverhand is dead.  I'm taking her ship--this ship.  You can stay and crew for me, or you're free to go your own way.  I should point out that your fellow crewmen, who went down to the planet with Silverhand--your buddies Drem and Gwyr--are currently in Medbay on my other ship, recovering from the fight and very happy to have found a new Boss who won't use them as Human Shields.  Like Silverhand did."

     The guy sitting in the Captain's Chair raises his pistol just a little, aiming more clearly at Murdo,

     "So...what's it gonna be?  Drop your weapons--Now!--or we open fire..."

"Ahem, we do have you surrounded you know, drop your weapons or you will die right here!" Collyn's blade comes out of his hand as a bright green light. It pulses as if breathing!

As Kira casually drops her revolver with a clatter, she flashes a disarming grin and raises her hands slightly in surrender. "Well, now that we're all playing nice, can we get some introductions?" she says, looking around the bridge at the three armed and armored figures.

"I'm Kira, and I guess I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But hey, if you're looking for a skilled pilot and gunner, I'm your girl. I don't know much about these guys,"" she nods towards Murdo and his companions, "but I'm definitely interested in hearing more about this recruitment situation you've got going on."

As she speaks, Kira takes a small step away from Murdo, hoping to avoid getting caught in the crossfire if he gets shot.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:01, Thu 02 Mar 2023.

If you'd asked anyone about Murdo who knew him (and there weren't many who did), they'd have said he was a piece of work. He was from the Old School of 'shoot first and don't bother asking stupid questions'. He only negotiates from a position of strength and has relied on his aggressive reactions and reflexes to give him that position.

He doesn't see himself as being outnumbered in the current situation--he just sees a target-rich environment. He doesn't really know the threat level you all possess but he still expects his crewmates to back him.

He's already discounted those behind him in the airlock as Collyn has effectively blocked the others. He only spots Varca and Viridian, so 2-1 odds are in his favor.

Although feinting isn't in his repertoire, he's learned a few little tricks over the years that have served him well and serve the same purpose.

His movement to surrender actually turns into a dive for cover as he draws his own weapon and shoots at both Varca and then Viridian.

23:59, Today: Murdo rolled 14,15 using 2d6+6,2d6+6 ((5,3,5,4)).

00:23, Today: Murdo rolled 11,13 using 3d6,3d6 ((6,2,3,5,2,6)).

His unexpected reaction scores two hits--Varca gets hit for 17 points of AP3 gauss pistol damage while Viridian gets hit for 20 points of AP3 gauss pistol damage.

One other shot rings out almost immediately.

00:33, Today: Taliesa Dieros rolled 17,12 using 2d6+5,3d6 ((6,6,4,2,6)).

No doubt more shots and shouting ring out before silence once again descends on the bridge.

Kira quickly dives for cover behind one of the consoles on the bridge, grabbing her dropped revolver in the process. She rolls behind the console with fluid grace, keeping her head down and assessing the situation.

Collyn leaps forward and tries to take the hand with the gun, off at the wrist!

08:41, Today: Collyn Ramburton rolled 15 using 2d6+4.  to hit., what do I roll for damage here for sure? Just 2d6?

09:54, Today: Collyn Ramburton rolled 8 using 2d6.  damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:55, Wed 01 Mar 2023.

Viridian would have shot back... except for two things--he was in too much pain! And he'd lost sight of Murdo.

Nearly across the room from the action, it was all he could do to keep his laser pistol pointed in the general direction.

"AAAAGH!" Lu screams as he drops to the floor with his hands behind his head. The unexpected guests and Murdo's crazy actions were more than he could cope with!

"DON'T SHOOT! DON'T SHOOT! I GIVE UP!" he yells from the floor.

"No freakin' way!" Taliesa shouts in a mixture of shock and awe as she scrambles to her feet.

"He's dead! I killed him! I killed Murdo!"

"I mean, yeah, I was supposed to shoot him if it came to that, but... he was suddenly just there! A foot away from the end of my gun! I just shot! Point blank shot right between the eyes! How freakin' weird is that?"

Collyn's sword does 2d6+2 damage with AP10!

Under the circumstances, that's probably enough to cut Murdo's gun hand clean off!

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 59):

     "Gauss guns!" Varca snarls from his seated position, slamming his gauntleted free hand down on the arm of the now perforated Captain's Chair,

     "Why am I always getting blasted by freekin Gauss Guns!!  Aaron!  Get over here.  Looks like I broke all those pretty bandages you put on me from before..."

     The faceplate on his helmet suddenly clears, and everyone can now see the pasty skinned, rugged and red-eyeballed face of the man who now claims to be the new Captain of Mercifuge--a Vespexer; a barbarian thug from the poisoned planet of Drinax.

     The man has an almost manic smile on his face, and his eyes are just a little too wide open--as the holes in his armor fill with a pink foam sealant which quickly turns maroon as it hardens.

     "Thankfully, my suit's medkit is full of all the tastiest painkillers."

     "Alright, then, let's get this crap started and outta the way..."

     "First--Taliesa!  Nice shooting, Marine!  You get a bonus for shooting Murdo before I could."

     "Second--my apologies, everyone.  We were told that Murdo would be an ass about this and I should have listened.  The plan should have been to put lots of holes in Murdo, right of the start.  My apologies for the bad tactics.  I promise, next time we Nuke 'em first, then collect the pieces, afterwards."

     "Alright, then ... Frad!  Lu!  Get over here!  And you, too..." the bleeding Vespexer points at Kira, "whoever the frack you are, Miz We-Didn't-Know-You'd-Be-Here!  Care to give us a name, before we steal your lunch money then kick you out of the ship?"

     The Vespexer swings his free hand to hook a thumb at himself,

     "My name is Commander--and that's all you get until and unless you decide to join up with my organization.  An organization which happens to be in the process of hunting down a piece of scum named Ferrick Redthane.  As I said before, I looked up Silverhand to ask her for help and she refused.  Now she's dead and her ship is mine.  I could use a few new faces around the group--the pay is fair, loot shares ain't bad, and we eat pretty good."

     "I ain't forcing you.  You interested in signing on, we're serious about it.  You ain't feeling the vibe, just say so, and we let you walk."

     The Vespexer raises his hand to wave at Frad and Lu, "These two I know who they are..."

     He turns his helmeted head to Kira, "Like I said, we didn't expect you--you're a complete surprise to us.  I'll ask again, who are you, and why should we care?"

"*groan* Mama said there'd be days like this..." he muttered through the pain.

"KIRA?!" he nearly shouted despite the pain. "Kira Cerise O'Neill! What the frackin' hell brings you here?"

She'd been behind the other three, particularly bulked-up armored Murdo and Viridian was still halfway across the bridge. She knew he was from Theev. That kind of secret was hard to hide in this neighborhood.  Had she come looking for him? Or was she just checking out the pirate base?

He hadn't seen her in just under a year now... ever since the Kinsolving Caper had blown up in their faces. Scatter and go to ground to avoid getting captured... that had been the plan.

"You really didn't come all this way just for that drink I owe you, did you?"

"Relax, Varca. She's one of the good guys. You know--like us. We had some... good times... and interesting adventures... over the past decade. All roads lead to Theev... isn't that what they say? We were bound to reconnect at some point... you know, considering our... um, proclivities."

"Though even I didn't see THIS coming."

"Well, well, well," Kira says with a smile, looking at Viridian. "If it isn't my old friend Viridian. I didn't expect to run into you here. And yeah, I could use that drink."

"I must say, I wasn't expecting this kind of welcome committee when I dropped in," she adds, seemingly amused. "Your man with the holes in him there thought I might be interested in working for this Silverhand character, but it seems the whole situation has taken quite a turn."

Kira casually leans back against the console, her revolver back in the holster. She's not worried about any immediate danger; she's been in enough scrapes to know when it's safe to let her guard down. Besides, she's more interested in finding out what this crew is all about.

"Well, it's no secret that the pirate Ferrik Redthane somehow got on the outs with the Big Cheese, Admiral Darokyn," Viridian answers Kira.

"He then got it into his head that he could garner support from some of the other pirate lords by pulling off a raid on Clarke and Torpol. He succeeded doing that. The Mercifuge here was one of his ships."

"Anyway, Clarke and Torpol put up outrageous bounties to bring him to justice. That's what we plan on doing."

"The rest of the pirates here could give a rat's arse one way or the other, but Redthane had sent his second-in-command, Miria Silverhand, to... negotiate... with the other pirates. We don't really know which ones or what her... bargaining chip was, but she was our line to Redthane... to where he's hiding. We underestimated her loyalty to him. Now she's dead, and this ship and crew are our new line."

"So, now we have two ships in our little fleet. We sort of promised captaincy to Captain ... Grunge here." He indicated the rather scruffy-looking Vargr that was still goggle-eyeing the scene.

"Oh, snap out of it, Grunge! You saw worse than this on the Fortranza when that damn bug was hunting us!"

"Sign me up!" Lu chimes in after hearing Viridian's tale. "Hate that guy! Always trying to lord it over everyone. We're just little rodents to him. Well, give 'im his due--he is a pirate. Guess he's pretty good at it. We ain't gotten rich yet, though."

Glancing down at the dead Murdo with his severed hand laying about a foot away, Frad is still trying to process what has happened, but it slowly sinks in.

"Ain't got no other prospects just now," he finally says. "Guess you got an experienced Mercifuge crewman if you want one. Say, that bounty don't apply to us, does it?"

Kira listens to Viridian's explanation with interest, nodding along as he speaks. "I see," she says when he finishes. "Well, it sounds like you've got a real mess on your hands. But I've been in worse situations before, so if you need a hand, I'm happy to help out."

She looks over at the rest of the crew, taking stock of the situation. "So, what's the plan?" she asks, turning back to Viridian. "How do we track down this Redthane guy and bring him to justice?"

Collyn collapses his mind blade and watches, not touching his gauss pistol. Varca assumed he didn't have a gun, he did, but he preferred the blade.

     Aaron had been consulting the medkit in Varca's suit and quietly consulting with Varca--when Varca suddenly shouts at Aaron,

     "No!  Dammit, Aaron--No!" Varca shouts, as he rises to his feet, facing off against Aaron,

     "I'm the Medic, and I say you'll do it and do it now!  You're using dangerous levels of painkillers, right now.  You have new bruises to your ribs and I need to re-wrap your ribcage!  So just quit being a candy-assed Vespexer germophobe and open your suit so I can work on those injuries!"

     "Not here, not now!" Varca growls back, pointing at Viridian "Look!  Viridian took a bigger hit than me--go pester him!  He must be dead on his feet.  Leave me alone!"

     Varca holsters his pistol as he stumps away from Aaron and over to Frad and Lu,

     "Right, you two are now with us.  Welcome.  Do your jobs well, and you'll be well rewarded.  Screw up and I shoot you myself.  Consider that a sign of respect...oh, and when you meet our Chief Engineer, be sure to thank her.  She's the one who talked me out of eating the people who disappoint me."

     "Now...speaking of Engineering...we received Intel that Mercifuge was down for repairs.  Is this true and what's under repair?"

     Varca barely pauses for breath before adding, "You may speak, now."

We came loaded for bear, so it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that Varca and Viridian came through virtually unscathed.

Viridian's TL12 Boarding Vacc Suit has protection of +13 worn over his TL12 Cloth with +4 protection for a total of +17. He got hit for 20 points of damage... the AP3 bypassing some of his protection, delivering 6 points! His 9 END dropped to 3!

23:00, Today: StarMaster, on behalf of Aaron Lancaster, rolled 11 using 2d6+5 ((2,4)). Medic skill check. For an Effect of 3! Whoopie. So Aaron successfully treated 3 of those wounds.

Don't get me wrong--Viridian took a hefty kinetic hit to his chest/ribs. Aaron's drugs notwithstanding, Viridian is still sitting there in some pain.


"We find Redthane and collect the bounty," he answered Kira. "We're pretty sure his location is somewhere here on Silverhand's ship. We just have to find it."

"And, no, the bounty wouldn't apply to you, Frad, or Lu or Drem or Gwyr if you weren't on the ships that attacked, now, would it?"

Lu couldn't hold in a snicker as he pointed to the seat of the captain's chair and the piece of silver flex-tape covering up a small tear.

"It was bothering the captain's backside, sir," he replied to Varca. "Repairs have been made."

In reply to Lu (msg # 70):

     Varca turns to look back at the Captain's Chair and the 'damage' that was repaired...then he turns a surprised look back at Frad and Lu...looks back at the chair...turns back to Frad and Lu, smiling, and says,

     "I knew she was a stone-cold Bitch when I killed her, fellas, but damn!  That's..." Varca points at the chair, "...a whole new level of bitchiness to me! Harr-harr-harr!"

     Varca then pulls out Silverhands patched together comm-unit and inputs the code to shut down the override.  Once again, as he's running the code, he gets the idea in the back of his mind that he's missing someth--

     "No.  Frelling.  Way!!" Varca mumbles to himself, as his suspicions come together,

     "I need an Astrogator!" Varca suddenly shouts at the group, "Somebody with better than just the basic familiarity!  Somebody who's any good at Astrogating!"

OOC: Varca is hoping, here, for anyone with Astrogation/2+, but even Level/1 is better than his "basic familiarity" of Astrogation/0

ooc - Teddy is Astrogation 2, but he ain't here.

Kira gives a small shrug. "Sorry, boys, but astrogation ain't exactly my forte. I can fly circles around most pilots, but when it comes to plotting anything more than a basic course through the galaxy, I'm a little out of my league."

She leans back against the console, crossing her arms over her chest. "But hey, if you need someone to pull off a crazy maneuver or shoot down some enemy ships, I'm your girl. Or if you need someone to stir up trouble and cause a distraction, I'm pretty good at that too."

"I said there was something familiar about Silverhand's comm code," Krrsh quipped up. "It's an astrogation location in the old Iltharan coordinate system. I'm pretty sure it's one of Palindrome's ice moons."

"Redthane thought he was being clever... well, I suppose he was. Not too far off the beaten path yet close enough to be viable. A good place to hide for a while. I'd get antsy after two weeks, though."

"He'll be expecting Silverhand's arrival. The Mercifuge should go in stealthy... let him know something's up."

"Okay, now down to business. I'll let the other team know we succeeded," he told Varca.

He then proceeded to type a text message to Teddy: Congratulations! Nebulous enough to be interpreted any number of ways.

"Even with two ships, things are going to get a bit cramped. Just keep in mind that the two people sharing a stateroom will seldom be off duty at the same time. Not as severe as hot-bunking, but should maintain a certain amount of equilibrium."

"Now, the practical side," he added as if anticipating Varca's plan. "Captain Grunge, I volunteer myself as your First Officer. Maybe Kira will consider joining me to catch up on the good times."

"I suggest we take Rejji, too. We can transfer Drem and Gwyr once we're back down at the Downport to pick up the others."

"Ship is fueled and serviced, so we can depart in 12 hours. Probably shouldn't delay any longer than that. Word does get around. And now let's have that drink for everyone!"

"Oh, and what do we do with Murdo?"

"We can use his hand as proof of demise, and dump the body somewhere." Collyn volunteered.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:44, Sun 05 Mar 2023.

"Just dump him out on the gangway," Frad said. "For a hundred credits, the Skull will dispose of the body for you. Hell, for the armor he's wearing, the scavengers will do it for nothing!"

"C'mon, Lu... that's our job. Grab his feet."

"Wait! Might as well spend his creds before they know he's dead! You guys want anything? A couple bottles of hooch can't hurt, right? What about some more ammo?"

He and Lu then proceed to do what he said--spend the creds and drag the body out of the ship onto the gangway.

In reply to Frad (msg # 77):

     "Now you mention it, Krrsh, I sorta do recall you saying something along those lines, before." Varca says, "But my Astrogation skills just didn't let me understand what you were saying.  Sorry I didn't listen to you, then."

     "But now we've got a solid lead on Redthane--and a big ship to add to our forces!  Also, Krrsh, or whatever you choose to call yourself, going forward, I'm thinking we should go with what Viridian just suggested--I promised you command of Mercifuge, and you shall have it!  And I also think it's a good idea for Viridian to be your Exec.  His skillset is being underutilized aboard Vultan."

     Varca leans a little closer to Krrsh and lowers his voice just a little, "Plus I trust him to put a bullet in your head if you ever try to double-cross me.  But of course, we really don't need to worry about that...do we...?"

     Varca straightens up and turns to Kira, "And as for you..."

     "Viridian says he wants you on his crew.  Obviously, there's some history between you two so, I'm gonna leave that choice to you--you wanna stay on Mercifuge and, uh, catch-up on old times, that's on you, and I'm okay with it.  As long as things stay consensual..."

     "Otherwise...everyone now serving aboard Mercifuge will be transferring to our other ship.  That means you two--Frad, Lu, as well as Drem and Gwyr--I hope none of you have skillsets specific for this salvager-type ship..."

     "Because our Vultan is a dedicated warship." Varca pauses, frowns, then adds "...if a little on the plush and fancy side..."

     "Anyways, I want the four of you who served under Silverhand close by, where I can see you, while I and Vultans Captain, determine if we'll keep you on.  Viridian--you want Rejji, he's yours.  I've known him for a while, and I'm certain he'll jump at the chance."

     "That's four for Mercifuge--I'd like to put at least six crew on board.  Collyn?  Should I assume that you will want to stay on Vultan so that you and Zhouth can continue with your..." Varca makes a vague hand gesture towards his own head, "...training?  Truth be told, with those skills you have, I would rather keep you aboard Vultan, but I'll leave it up to you.  Taliesa--same with you.  With the loss of BB, I'd like to keep you onboard Vultan as our Space Marine Operations specialist.  Your choice, though."

     "Alright, that's that, for now.  Eventually I want a full complement of eight, onboard Mercifuge, but we can settle that once everyone is back together."

     "Frad, Lu?  Yeah, take whatever you want off Murdo--any of his stuff, actually--then toss him out the 'lock." Varca nods agreement, "And, hey, speaking of ammo--what's Mercifuge's weapons load-out, and is any resupply needed?"

Kira has seen plenty of death and blood in her career, so she casually ignores Frad and Lu as they haul the carcass of Murdo from the bridge.

She nods at Viridian's suggestion. "Sure, I'd love a drink and a chance to catch up. Just need to get my stuff from the Highport. You're in luck, I was actually on the lookout for a new ship."

She grins, turning to Krrsh. "So, what kind of benefits can you offer?"

      At Kira's question, Varca slowly turns his helmeted head towards Krrsh--a grin of curiosity on his face...

"What? That doesn't make any...." Viridian started to protest Varca's crew assignment.

"Why would you put these spacehands on a ship that they have no experience with and keep them off the ship that they DO have experience with?"

"With the four of them, Grunge, myself, Kira and Rejji, that fills this ship. Leaves you ten on the Vultan."

"I figure these assignments are only temporary anyway. We can figure out the best fit once we collect the bounty."

"Anything else before I file the flight plan downside? Collect the rest of our crew and depart Theev in 12 hours? True destination or not?"

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 81):

     "Yes," Varca nods in agreement, "The ship assignments for our new friends are only temporary--just until we determine that we can both trust 'em, as well as live with 'em."

     "Also, yes, file a flight plan for Vultan to return to the surface as soon as possible, there to wait for the return of the others.  Once they are finished meeting with The Admiral and are back aboard Vultan, return here."

     "Once we are all back together, we'll meet aboard Mercifuge--so everyone can look it over--and then we'll start planning.  Figure we won't be filing an outbound flight plan until the end of that twelve hours--we'll file right before we leave."

     "In the meantime, while we await our dining companions, I shall go and search through the former Captain's cabin for more info on Redthane--as well as any unsecured valuables she may have left in there.  I will most certainly not be pawing through Silverhands underwear drawer! I want to make that clear--right now!"

     "Collyn!  Join me, won't you?  I might need that glowing toothpick of yours to cut open the Captain's Safe..."

     As Varca heads for the airlock door off the Bridge, Varca calls over his shoulder,

     "And somebody find out if this tub has an auxiliary craft!  There's a hanger for one, aboard ship."

Kira listens as Varca and Viridian discuss the crew assignments and flight plans. She's eager to get back to Highport and retrieve her belongings before joining the crew for a drink.

As Varca heads towards the airlock door, Kira speaks up. "Hey, before you go, can you tell me more about this other ship you mentioned? The Vultan, was it? I'm not exactly a fan of flying lobsters, if you catch my drift. Cramps my style. " She grins, hoping to lighten the mood a bit.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:42, Sun 05 Mar 2023.

"Of course there's a launch!" Lu pipes up. "This ain't no fly-by-night op! And it's a atealth launch at that! Silverhand had us paint it flat black while she was down on the planet."

Collyn follows Varca to the captains cabin when he is ready to go.

     Varca, with Collyn right behind, pauses mid-reach for the button to open the airlock, and turns back around to face Kira,

     "Vultan is a fully refurbished Drinaxi Star Guards Harrier-class Commerce Raider.  Consult historical databases if you don't understand just what that means."

     His gaze suddenly turns very intense as he adds,

     "We are a Predator from the Past, returned to once again Prey upon the Stars..."

     After an appropriate dramatic pause, Varca suddenly breaks into a grin, and reaches out to lightly backhand Collyn on the breastplate of his armor,

     "Hey!  That was pretty good!  Remember that bit, Collyn -- 'predator from the past' ... 'returned to prey on the stars' -- yeah, we gotta remember that..."

Kira can't help but let out a chuckle at Varca's dramatic introduction of their ship. "Oh, I like you guys already. It's not every day you come across people who talk like they're in a holovid."

She grins and adds, "But hey, I'm all for it. Let's be predators from the past, returned to prey on the stars, or whatever it takes to get the job done."

"Okay, Kira, let's go get your gear," Viridian suggests, "while Varca loots his new allies... I think he calls it 'building trust'."

"We'll go ahead and stash it and you on the Vultan and I can introduce you to the others, Rejji and Donio."

"We've also got Captain McFarlane, Ghent Bel-Andis, Ingrid Gustavdottir Sigar, Rayjaynul Brown, and Zhouth down on the planet creating a diversion... sort of. Don't worry, they are all on public record... at least as far as it goes on Theev."

He leads her off the ship and up two levels to where the other ship is docked. She's probably got her gear stashed in a secure locker on the upper docking ring. Lower ring security would be doubtful at best.

After retrieving her gear and making their way to the ship, Rejji and Donio are introduced as 'security' but since Aaron was summoned to the combat scene, they have already been apprized of the outcome.

Varca and Collyn pay a visit to Silverhand's quarters. It's a bit on the austere side with two notable exceptions: the lava lamp (those things just won't DIE!) on the side table and the animated holographic picture on the wall that shows a tropical beach at sunset.

The silver sheets on the bed seem appropriate but not particularly unusual.

There is no safe but there is a locked security box. Silverhand's passcode opens it easily enough.

There's a holdout pistol in there, and 6 credstix... one for each of the crew (except Murdo), one for the ship, and one for Redthane.

Crew stix have 2,000Cr on them, 57,000Cr on the ship one, and 365,780Cr on Redthane's.

As Kira takes a closer look at the Vultan, she can't help but admire the ship's graceful lines and intricate designs. She runs her hand over the wood paneling, feeling the smooth surface beneath her fingertips. "I remember when we used to fly ships like this back in the day," she reminisces to Viridian. "Everything was so ornate and luxurious, even the military vessels. Nowadays, it's all about efficiency and functionality."

She hefts her heavy duffel-bag over her shoulder, adjusting the strap. "It's a shame that some of the original fittings and gilding have been replaced or damaged," she says, eyeing a particularly worn area of the wood paneling. "But it's still a beautiful ship. I'm looking forward to seeing what it can do in action."

OOC: It's not a portable security box that you can just pick up--it was fastened to the wall. Doesn't mean Collyn can't cut it away.


In reply to StarMaster (msg # 89):

     As he's checking the contents of the strongbox, without looking up, Varca says,

     "Collyn--grab the lamp and the holo--I think the lamp'll make an amusing present for our fat patron.  His daughter might like the simple serenity of the holo, as well."

     Varca removes one of the credsticks, then closes the strongbox and tucks it under his left arm.  Varca looks around the spartan quarters for a final time,

     "I'll have Frad pack up the clothing and send it over to Vultan.  Silverhand definitely had that whole Man Killing Pirate Bitch style locked down--we'll offer the clothes to Ingrid so she can start working on her own version of that look."

     Varca looks over at Collyn with a smile and a crimson twinkle in his eye,

     "I've got this hunch about us one day needing Ingrid to present herself as a Pirate Queen--and probably some of Silverhands clothing, here, has the appropriate couture..."

     Varca suddenly loses the grin and raises an eyebrow at Collyn,

     "That's right, I said Couture! I know what it means...I read...sometimes..."
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:15, Wed 08 Mar 2023.

Since Viridian will be the XO over on the Mercifuge, he shows Kira to his old stateroom.

"Maybe so, but craftsmanship doesn't have to be ostentatious luxury. In any case, the nature of craftsmanship has changed, changed again, and changed again. It's really about what's trendy, fashionable and in vogue at the time. In 10 years, no one will remember what those were."

With Murdo's body dumped out on the gangway for the scavengers, it's not like no one won't know there's been a shake up on the ship. Whether anyone also associates that with Silverhand's demise remains to be seen.

His filed flight plans had the Mercifuge departing 20 minutes earlier than the Vultan in an attempt to dissociate the two ships. Grunge's ship had to make a beeline to Palindrome as its neutrino trail couldn't be hidden. Vultan, on the other hand, could change course mid-flight and still catch up to Mercifuge before jump. He didn't see any reason to sync jumps, anyway.

With Palindrome's 19 icy moons, he'd opted for an emergence point on the back side of Palindrome away from Silverhand's coordinates.