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Campaign Date: 7 May 2362 The Exodus to Sagittarius Human Space before the Exodus The Exodus The Sagittarius Arm The Triffid and Lagoon Nebulae Campaign Information Gateway Long Jump Map S.D.C. Colonial Survey Campaign Timeline Common Knowledge Rumors and Events NPC Roster AMC Registry of Vessels Spacecraft Overview Classification System Designs Deckplan Tools Aliens in Sagittarius The Dhaoghissi Empires The Ratalshan Sphere The Lantere The Quilah Sagittarius Encyclopedia Beastiary Corporate Overview Glossary of Terms Technology Overview Spacecraft Technology Small Arms Media System Generator Astrosynthesis Sector File |
Campaign
Timeline A summary of events during the campaign from 9 July 2361 to the current campaign date of 7 May 2362
29 January 2361 The Sagittarius-Orion Stargate implodes due to unknown causes and cuts off the Sagittarius arm from the rest of human space. The SDC attempts to establish order and calm in the wake of the disaster, and to strengthen and maintain the infrastructure that links the colonies in Sagittarius. 28 May 2361 Fa Zheng De is believed to have died in the HM+47 4301 System as the result of a rockslide. Sun Cheng sends word of the tragedy to the planet Fury in the HM+53 0102 System via the yacht Celestial Phoenix (AMC-127). 7 July 2361 Fa Mei Ling, the wealthy daughter of Fa Enterprises industrial magnate Fa Zheng De, receives word of her father's death from Kong Wei and makes preparations to leave Fury for the planet Scherzo. 9 July 2361 - Start of the Campaign Fa Mei Ling is entertaining guests at a party in her honor before she leaves the planet Fury in the HM+53 0102 System for the planet Scherzo in the SAG+55 2007 System to hear the Last Will and Testament and collect the remains of her recently deceased father. During the party, she falls in with Alina Murry, a famous wildlife illustrator, and with Laguna Playa, a celebrated contemporary ballet dancer, and invites them to be her companions for the trip. Doctor Ai Tanaka is along as Mei Ling's personal physician, and Master Sergeant (ret.) Rigel McCracken is chief of her personal protection detachment. Also making his way into Mei Ling's company is Michael Teach, who almost half-jokingly is hired on as Mei Ling's personal valet and porter. 10 July 2361 The Celestial Phoenix completes its preparations and leaves Fury orbit for the SAG+55 0107 System Jump Point. 17 July 2361 The Celestial Phoenix jumps from the HM+53 0102 System (Fury) to the SAG+56 0107 System, and transits from the Jump Point to the planet Aquilla. 30 July 2361 The Celestial Phoenix arrives in Aquilla orbit and makes preparation for a landing on the surface. 31 July 2361 Mei Ling and her retinue arrive on the surface of Aquilla in the colony of Cuidad Aquilla and are received into the home of Ben Fang Long, an old friend of the family, and his grandson. Feng Long owns and operates a shop specializing in traditional Chinese Medicine and other cultural curios. Fang Long gives Mei Ling an ornately carved jade box, containing documents as well as a curious obsidian medallion featuring a black dragon motif. He also admonishes her for coming to Aquilla, and warns her that her life is in grave danger as a result of the death of her father. Later in the evening, while staying at the famous Hotel Esperanza in Cuidad Aquilla, Mei Ling and her retinue have various encounters with the locals, including a rendezvous between Li Shu Fei and a man believed to be connected to a Triad. Rumors of a colony ship coming under attack and being destroyed over a year ago by an unknown assailant in the HB+55 1522 System are just now making their way through to known space, and come to the attention of David Hawkins. 1 August 2361 Mei Ling makes her goodbyes to Ben Fang Long and returns to the Celestial Phoneix with her retinue. The Celestial Phoenix leaves Aquilla orbit and transits to the HD+54 1018 System jump point. 11 August 2361 The Celestial Phoenix jumps from Aquilla to the HD+54 1018 System, and makes way for the planet Midgard. 15 August 2361 James Farrior, the scion of the Farrior family and son of the President of the Ceres Metals Corporation, is abducted by privateers in the colony town of Forte, on the planet Scherzo in the Scherzo System (SAG+55 2007). He was attempting to cement a partnership deal between Ceres Metals and Fa Enterprises of Sagittarius in the wake of Fa Zheng De's untimely death, and to investigate possible outside interference with the proposed deal. 16 August 2361 Captain Arnold Preston, ship's master of the Celestial Phoenix, orders a Storm Cellar Drill prior to making orbit around Midgard. The HD+54 1018 System's K8V primary is noted as a variable flare star, and the possibility of encountering a damaging solar flare is very real. The drill takes place as planned, with several late arrivals prior to the sealing of the ship's Storm Cellar: Li Shu Fei, and two of the ship's engineers. 18 August 2361 The Celestial Phoenix enters low orbit around Midgard and makes preparations for sending a lander with Mei Ling and her retinue to the surface. The LLM-400 Liftstar lander, piloted by Captain (ret.) David Hawkins, ASF, begins its deorbit burn when a malfunction occurs, and the HEPLAR drive does not secure itself after the programmed burn time. Captain Hawkins manages to secure the drive, but when this happens, the propellant dump valves open, and the lander's fuel reserves are vented to space. Rightly suspecting sabotage, Hawkins manages to bring the lander safely through atmospheric entry to make a rough but serviceable dead-stick landing on the surface of Midgard. The location of the lander is not precisely known, but believed to be roughly 1500 kilometers west by southwest of the settlement of Jotunheim. Assistance from the Midgard authorities will take upwards of two weeks to arrive given the lack of long range aerial vehicles on the planet. In addition to the sabotage of the lander's propulsion plant and drive computers, the Celestial Phoenix's hangar bay doors are stuck open and will not close, preventing the ship from dispatching the second lander for a rescue. Sabotage is also suspected. In the meantime, the landing party decides to proceed overland via their Venture Explorer off-road vehicle to Jotunheim, where they can obtain transportation to the main colony of Bifrost. 19 August 2361 The Explorer makes slow progress down the mountain range where the Liftstar lander made planetfall, and enters a rocky coastal plain. Alina Murry discovers curious animal tracks of a possible predator species. As darkness approaches, the party decides to make camp and wait out the 33 hours of night that await them, so as not to risk disaster traveling over rough, unfamiliar terrain in poor visibility. 20 August 2361 Shu Fei is observed leaving the encampment for the perimeter where he apparently relieves himself. Doctor Ai Tanaka, sensing treachery on Shu Fei's part, goes out to investigate the site later and encounters a pack of undocumented indigenous predators (Land Vaeters) perhaps attracted to the smell of Shu Fei's urine. She spooks and makes a run for the camp, only to be pounced upon and brought down by one of the animals. The quick actions and able shooting of Michael Teach save her from death and drives off the predators, but she suffers serious injuries to her hip and shoulder which require greater medical attention than they can provide in the wilderness of Midgard. 21 August 2361 The landing party continues along the coastal plain, encountering various indigenous life forms with no difficulties until they discover an encrypted Lostproof Thrall with an optical strobe beacon in the middle of nowhere. Investigation around the area of the Thrall reveals a cache of jet fuel, small arms ammunition, military food rations, other consumables, and two general purpose mini-missiles with launcher. A pack of Land Vaeters attacks the group while they are investigating, causing a curious lack of injury to Shu Fei when he is pounced upon, as well as an accidental shooting incident that strikes him in the hip. The predators are swiftly put down, and the landing party continues on towards Jotunheim. 23 August 2361 Aside from a minor incident when the Venture Explorer bottomed out and had to be dug out in a rough spot of ground, the landing party reaches the final mountain range between them and Jotunheim with little trouble, and begins their ascent. Two thirds of the way up the pass that will carry them over the mountains, they encounter a string of Lostproof Thralls and beacons. At one point not too far off the pass, a flat strip of ground has been cleared away from the fungi-coral tree forest. Investigation reveals a landing zone with another cache of supplies, aircraft tools, food and small arms ammunition, long range radio, and a palm top computer belonging to the mysterious Colonel Kai with data on an archeological dig in the area. The party realizes that bad weather is on the way, and decide to move out rather than continue their investigations of the site. 24 August 2361 Not long after leaving the landing site, as they near the top of the pass, the landing party encounters a Horseclaw limping down the pass in the opposite direction. Alina Murry and several others go to catch the animal and discover what it is doing there, but run into yet another pack of Land Vaeters, who are pursuing the wounded Horseclaw. A firefight ensues, accidentally killing the Horseclaw in the crossfire. Alina is badly wounded by a Land Vaeter bite but manages to burn it down with her laser pistol. Now pressed for time even more urgently than before, the party heads down the mountain and onto a final stretch of coastal plains. 26 August 2361 The landing party drives within range of their long range manpack radio set and succeed in contacting the authorities in Jotunheim, who scramble a heavy tilt-rotor aircraft to rescue them and their vehicle. Doctor Tanaka and Alina Murry are tended to in the Jotunheim clinic and are expected to make full recoveries within three weeks. 27 August 2361 The Celestial Phoenix makes contact with the party from orbit, and reports that the ship has suffered from additional sabotage to its main computer and communications systems. Captain Preston has declared a state of emergency on board the vessel and has mandated the Two Man Rule for all personnel - no off-watch member of the ship's crew or any passenger is allowed to leave the immediate area of their bunks without another person accompanying them at all times. Violators of this policy will be placed under arrest. Captain Preston advises that Mei Ling and her party remain planetside until he can determine the identity of the sabotuer(s). 28 August through 1 September 2361 The landing party rests and recuperates in Jotunheim under the care of Doctor Dominc Triari while Captain Hawkins and the crew of the Lander assist 4th Officer Jill McCloud and a salvage crew to inspect the downed interface craft and prepare it for the return to orbit. During their stay in Jotunheim, they encounter rickshaw opertor Snorri Thorsen, a source of local gossip and opinion, as well as a curious group of men at the space port who own several aircraft including an MV-51C Peregrine military tilt-rotor. Rigel realizes that the Peregrine is the only aircraft present with sufficient range to reach the Lostproof Thralls they encountered in the wilderness, and that it is well protected by expensive security sensors. Back in town at Olaf's Tavern, Rigel establishes a rapport with the owner and proprietor of the establishment, Olaf Hansen. One of the men involved with the Peregrine spotted at the space port, Georg Lukas, attempts to pick up Laguna and Mei Ling in the tavern, but is politely rebuffed. In the meantime, Lukas' companions Carlos Ibiza, Valery Rostovich, and Grigory Dnieper enter the tavern. They flash a great deal of money, most of it in gold Solarian dollars, and drink expensive imported vodka from Earth. Other than chatting with Olaf, they are content to keep to themselves. Later on during the rest, Laguna and Mei Ling are chatted up by Jurgen Haasek, the local big man in Jotunheim. When they decline his offer to accompany him to his chalet up in the mountains, he becomes irate. A confrontation between Jurgen and Michael Teach escalates into a brawl, with Rigel jumping in to assist. The brawl ends in a showdown over the barrels of Jurgen and his remaining bodyguard's pistols. Michael attempts to outdraw Jurgen without success, and is riddled with bullets and a laser beam. Fortunately for Michael, his discrete body armor stops all of the bullets but one which miraculously passes through his cheek without causing serious damage, and the laser beam which damages his cybernetic hand where it joins with his arm. The fight ends before it can escalate even further when Olaf produces a combat shotgun from under the bar and orders Jurgen and his gang out. As Michael receives medical treatment from Doctor Triari for his wounds, the local Sheriff for Jotunheim, Harald Ridderstolpe, appears in the clinic to take their statements over the brawl and shooting incident. Suspecting that Harald is on Jurgen's payroll, Rigel and Michael give pseudonyms as their identities. 2 September 2361 Realizing that things are getting a little too hot for them in Jotunheim, the landing party decides to take the next chartered flight to the main colony town of Bifrost, so Mei Ling can visit a residence her father owned in the hills overlooking the town. On the drive up the gravel road to the house, something out of the ordinary is spotted just ten meters off the road. Rigel and Michael investigate, and discover the two bodies of the live-in housekeeping and valet staff at the house wrapped up loosely in ponchos. They have been bound at the hands and feet, and shot execution style in the back of their heads. An quick examination of the bodies by Doctor Tanaka reveals that they have only been dead 2 or 3 days at the most. Cautiously approaching the house, they discover that it has been ransacked, although several valuable works of art as well as the antique china and the 22kt gold flatware are intact. Mei Ling is asked to tell the party what she was looking for and where they can find it, but otherwise demand that she stay inside the Explorer. She refuses, and leads them to the basement and the pump for the house's fresh water well. From there, she reveals a cleverly concealed safe, and takes out a jade box similar to the one given to her by Ben Fang Long. They gather up the few valuables still intact, as well as some curios of Zheng De's, and retire to the Explorer. Monitoring the road with the Explorer's sensors, Doctor Tanaka observes an MHI-19B Hoplite light combat robot as well as a dozen heavily armed men advancing up the road in a staggered formation. Tanaka warns Rigel and the others, and they set up a hasty ambush using the mini-missile launcher taken from the supply cache discovered in the wilderness on the 21st of August. While Rigel mans the launcher, Tanaka mans the Explorer's remotely operated heavy gauss machinegun. The ambush is swift and deadly, knocking out the robot with an APX-03 general purpose missile, and a few expertly placed bursts from the machine gun taking out all twelve men before they have time to react. There are only two survivors of the ambush, both in a serious but stable condition after Tanaka tends to them. The landing party further engages two trucks waiting at the bottom of the hill in a second ambush position, destroying one vehicle and driving the other off to the space port in retreat. Their enemies routed, the party decides to liftoff from Bifrost and return to the Celestial Phoenix. 3 September 2361 The Celestial Phoenix leaves Midgard orbit and begins a transit burn for the Scherzo Jump Point. As they leave, they take note of the Wanderer class free trader Dahan Feng Hao (AMC-241), a ship registered to the Dahan corporation, which seems the obvious choice for the source of the men who raided Zheng De's house and attempted to ambush the party. Captain Preston is appraised of the situation on the surface of Midgard, and a discussion of what is to be done is had. 5 September 2361 First Officer Bryce MacAllister observes the drive plume of the Dahan Feng Hao as the ship leaves Midgard orbit. After performing a calorimetric calculation on the drive plume readings, MacAllister concludes that the Dahan Feng Hao is not a stock Wanderer class free trader but has in fact much more powerful main engines. Analysis of the burn duration and vector concludes that the Dahan Feng Hao will overtake the Celestial Phoenix on an intercept course with a closest point of approach of 1200 km - far too close to be anything but intentional. Captain Preston convenes a meeting with his officers and with members of Mei Ling's party over what to do about the situation, and makes the recommendation that they allow the intercept with the intention of depleting the Dahan Feng Hao's propellant reserves first. Mei Ling agrees, and authorizes the operation. 13 September 2361 The Celestial Phoenix, having forced the Dahan Feng Hao to burn propellant in evasive maneuvers prior to reaching the Jump Point for the Scherzo System, allows the latter to close within weapon range. The Dahan Feng Hao opens up with its Class-1 laser battery and two Type-91 1 MT thermonuclear detonation laser submunitions, knocking out one of Celestial Phoenix's Class-1 free-electron laser batteries and damaging the hull. The Celestial Phoenix retaliates with its remaining lasers and a special surprise - an R-45 Lancer thermonuclear detonation laser missile Captain Preston kept stowed away in the hold, which badly mauls the Dahan Feng Hao in return. After twenty minutes of maneuvering and skirmishing, the Celestial Phoenix loses both Class-1 laser batteries and its drives are forced to shut down due to battle damage, leaving it to drift helplessly as the Dahan Feng Hao, itself burning in places and heavily damaged, closes to finish the job. Before the privateer vessel can deliver the coup de grace, Captain David Hawkins, piloting the damaged Liftstar Lander as a suicide weapon, eludes the Dahan Feng Hao's point defense battery and rams the starship amidships. Hawkins manages to eject prior to impact, and his ramming attack breaks the Dahan Feng Hao's back, ending the battle. A boarding party using the remaining Liftstar Lander collects Hawkins from space, then proceeds to board the shattered wreck of the Dahan Feng Hao. The twisted, ruined vessel has airtight integrity in only one place - the ship's Storm Cellar deep within the primary habitat. A tapping is heard through the airtight door from James Farrior, scion of Ceres Metals Corporation, who was kidnapped by the crew of the Dahan Feng Hao on 15 August. Farrior reports that he is wearing a pressure suit, and so the compartment is vented and the locked door forced open. Inside the Storm Cellar is Farrior, as well as the recently slaughtered bodies of the two privateers tasked with guarding him during the battle. Also recovered from the wreck is the First Officer, though his right leg must first be amputated above the knee by Doctor Ai Tanaka while still wearing his pressure suit in order to free him from the wreckage, and the surviving truck driver from the ambush on 2 September. The captain of the Dahan Feng Hao, lying dead beneath the wreckage of the ship's bridge, is relieved of his ship's keys as well as another obsidian medallion with an Asian style dragon. Shu Fei reports that he had served with the dead captain as a Manchurian privateer during the Commerce War with Russia for a time, and knew him as a cold-blooded but well-connected psychopath. 14 September through 23 September 2361 The Celestial Phoenix completes sufficient repairs to jump to the Scherzo System. During the transit from the Jump Point to the planet, the prisoners are interrogated by Rigel MacCracken, Michael Teach, David Hawkins, and James Farrior. As three of the four prisoners are already under the influence of strong opiate painkillers for their injuries, they prove to be quite cooperative. The Dahan Feng Hao's First Officer is the most helpful, as the two soldiers and the truck driver from the ambush know very little and are essentially thugs. The First Officer, Yang Li, informs the party that his ship was a privateer vessel and not actually one of Dahan's merchant fleet. The captain, Shen Kuo, now deceased, was the ship's contact with their paymasters, though Dahan was apparently providing them with logistic support. Their instructions were to capture Mei Ling, or barring that, to kill her and anyone connected with her. If they could obtain the jade boxes that Mei Ling had collected from Aquilla and Midgard, that would bring them a hefty bonus. Yang Li does not know why his anonymous employers want both Mei Ling and Sun Cheng dead. 24 September 2361 The Celestial Phoenix arrives in orbit around the planet Scherzo, and Mei Ling and her retinue make planetfall in the town of Forte, where Fa Enterprises, the SDC, and the Bank of Sol all have offices. Doctor Ai Tanaka requests to perform an autopsy on Zheng De's remains, and Mei Ling grants her permission. James Farrior learns that his aunt, Emma Farrior, who had disappeared from all contact with the family, is among the dead recovered from the wreck of the Astral Adventuress (AMC-105), which was discovered lost with all hands in the HB+55 1522 System in June. Sun Cheng seems to be somewhat nonplussed to see the arrival of Mei Ling on Scherzo, which arouses the suspicion of several members of the party. 26 September 2361 Doctor Tanaka completes her autopsy on Zheng De, and comes to the conclusion that the story of his death is a fabrication, and that he was most likely the victim of foul play. Mei Ling is informed of the results of the autopsy, and immediately relocates to the Celestial Phoenix in orbit. She then consults with James Farrior to determine the best way to separate Sun Cheng from Fa Enterprises. 27 September 2361 The Bonaventure Class Explorer Enterprise (AMC-003), with Captain Jan Mercer commanding, arrives in orbit around Scherzo. The prisoners taken from the Dahan Feng Hao are remanded into the custody of the SDC as pirates. The arrival of merchant prince Varun Amra of Ganges to attend a charity horseclaw race in Forte causes a stir across the entire world. Varun Amra himself becomes entranced with one of his favorite artists, wildlife illustrator Alina Murry, and invites her up to his starship for dinner and a tour. 28 September 2361 Two members of the Celestial Phoenix's crew, Reuben Bellows and Jerry Salvia, cash out their wages and resign their employment. It is quickly noted that these two men, both Engineering crew with Logic Systems ratings, are the two men who were curiously late to the Storm Cellar drill conducted on 16 August in the Midgard System, shortly before the sabotage of the Lander and the Hangar Bay doors occurred. The party searches Forte for a sign of the two men, and eventually discover the deceased body of Salvia hastily hidden in a pile of straw at a horseclaw stable. Salvia had been murdered with an expertly placed stab wound to the femoral artery in his thigh, apparently by a man known as Janos. Reuben Bellows is seen on a surveillance camera near the stable as being clearly upset by his friend's murder, but departs in the company of Janos nonetheless. Efforts are made to locate Janos, who is believed to live across the bay from Forte. During this time, Alina Murry is feted aboard the Ahura Mazda (AMC-115) by Varun Amra, who offers to become her patron if she will become his companion aboard the spacegoing palace. Alina demurs, and returns to the Celestial Phoenix. 29 September 2361 What is believed to be Janos' residence is found on a lonely beach roughly 100 km across the bay from Forte. An assault team made up of James Farrior, David Hawkins, Rigel MacCracken, Michael Teach, Dr. Ai Tanaka, and Li Shu Fei quietly invade the surprisingly fortified residence, confront a hostile Janos, and manage to subdue him. Reuben Bellows is discovered bound and gagged in Janos' home. In a lucky break, Janos' personal computer was logged in at the time, permitting the party to gather clues and evidence to the nature of the plot against Fa Zheng De and his daughter Mei Ling. 30 September through 3 October 2361 After thoroughly examining Janos' computer and interrogating Janos himself, it is determined that the death of Fa Zheng De was ordered by a renegade Manchurian Viceroy who commonly went by the nom de guerre of Kuan Yin. Kuan Yin was Viceroy of Shenyang, Manchuria's richest and most prosperous colony (as well as a reputed Crime Lord over several Triads), until she suffered a humiliating reversal of fortunes after the Anglo-American special forces raid in 2351 exposed Manchuria's lies regarding the disposition of Western Alliance troops. It is learned that at some point soon after Sagittarius was opened up to colonization in 2357, Kuan Yin came to Jin Xian and restarted her criminal empire. Kuan Yin, through her stakes in Dahan Corporation's Sagittarius division and the Jin Xian Development Cooperative, has come to control the commerce in a large swathe of Human Sagittarius, and saw Fa Enterprises as competition, and Fa Zheng De as a personal enemy after breaking with the Black Dragon Society. In a deal worked out with Janos, a meeting takes place at Forte Downs racetrack with a member of the crew from a free trader known as the Jifeng (AMC-211) to arrange the evacuation of Sun Cheng's mistress and daughters, and turns into an assassination attempt on Janos himself. James Farrior and Michael Teach are both wounded in the shootout, which kills four of the six gunmen. Janos realizes now that he is a dead man unless he gets help from Mei Ling and the party. 4 October 2361 Mei Ling learns through a second round of questioning with Janos, Sun Cheng, and Shu Fei that her father's death was in fact a suicide to protect her from Kuan Yin. She decides to abide by the decision to dissolve Fa Enterprises, at least superficially, and give herself the cover to plot her revenge on Kuan Yin. The party is to return to Fury for Zheng De's funeral, and to finalize the dissolution of Fa Enterprises. Varun Amra offers his patronage to Alina Murry to produce an illustrated travelogue and wildlife guide of Sagittarius, which she accepts. 19 October 2361 The Celestial Phoenix arrives in Aquilla orbit so that Mei Ling can discuss the issues at hand with Ben Fang Long. Now that Mei Ling has a better idea of what is going on, she feels that he won't be as cryptic and evasive as he was before. The party lands at Cuidad Aquilla to discover that Ben Fang Long's shop and home have been burned in a fire, and that there are no signs of him and his grandson. Observation of the Hotel Esperanza, which is catty-corner to the shop, reveals that someone is observing the ruins and taking an interest in them personally. A little heavy-handed persuasion from James Farrior, Rigel McCracken, and Michael Teach convince the guy to 'fess up, and he reveals that he is a low-level informant for a local Jovian Syndicate boss named Miguel Torres, and that he is supposed to be watching out for the Chinese thugs who ransacked and burned the shop to return. An investigation of the shop reveals a clue that tells the party to travel out of town about 60 kilometers to a riverside truck and tractor maintenance shop and tavern/general store. Michael Teach encounters a twelve year old local boy who is charged with keeping Ben Fang Long and his grandson safe in a cellar beneath a horseclaw pen. The party returns under cover of night to get Fang Long and his grandson back to the Celestial Phoenix, and make preparations for the transit to the Fury Jump Point. 20 October 2361 The Celestial Phoenix, now quite wary of Chinese free traders, spots the Wanderer class starship Dahan Jin Xian (AMC-147) in orbit, and decides to convoy with the Cimmeron Armed Merchant Sagittarius Chapparal (AMC-026) for safety. With word of the Ebon Veil pirates prowling in a nearby system, the convoy advice sounds good to the SDC captain, so good that he invites the Dahan Jin Xian along as well! 28 October 2361 A tense week passes in interplanetary space as the party expects to get ambushed by the Dahan Jin Xian. Instead, they encounter three corvette class ships bearing down on them for an intercept - it's the notorious Pirates du Voile D'Ébène in their three Citoyen D'Honneur privateers, the Citoyen D'Honneur, Terreur des Cieux, and Sang De Vierge! The pirates demand surrender, and the convoy decides to fight it out instead, with ex-Legion Etranger officer James Farrior hurling insults at the pirates in their native French. The pirates decide to single out what they think is the most vulnerable target, the Dahan Jin Xian, only to discover what the party already suspected - the ship is no mere free trader but yet another Corsair class corvette. The three convoy ships pound on the pirates, and succeed in driving them off, with the Dahan Jin Xian burning fuel to get to the jump point and disappear way ahead of the other two ships. 14 November 2361 The Celestial Phoenix arrives in Fury orbit. Fa Zheng De's funeral is attended by Leticia Mercer-Aurimas as well as other dignitaries. The Fa Enterprises company is formally dissolved, and Mei Ling goes into 'retirement' on Fury. Her companions are let go with the unspoken knowledge that Mei Ling may call again for them some day to help her gain her revenge on Kuan Yin. Both Janos and Ben Fang Long go to ground on Fury, assisted by the Jovian Syndicate, which has made an enemy of Kuan Yin and the Black Dragon Society, and could use their help. 15 November 2361 to 15 Janury 2362 The party recovers from their six month voyage to the outer frontier of known space in Sagittarius. Alina Murry holds an art exhibition of her work. Doctor Ai Tanaka catches up on the latest medical findings, and comes to remember why she left Fury in the first place when her old enemy muddies the waters at a conference on the SDC's future role in medical support for the fledgling Mercer Compact. James Farrior makes the final arrangements to take possession of the refitted Traveler class armed yacht Sarritor (AMC-215), as well as arrangements to hire on Mei Ling's old retinue for his own projects. He and Michael and Rigel also take the opportunity to get some needed cybernetic and biotech work done on themselves. 15 January 2362 The Sarritor (AMC-215) leaves Fury for the Pu'uhonua System (HD+35 2017) on the first leg of a journey to Tartarus (HM+31 5806) to touch base with Ceres Metals and Farrior's family. Accompanying them are two paying passengers, Emil Lafarge and Jerome Delancy. Emil keeps exclusively to his quarters during the voyage to Avignon (HM+31 3323), while Delancy is more outgoing as he travels past Tartarus to Neu Bavaria (HM+31 7329). Also making the voyage is 200 tons of wet bionano for recycling systems, procured at a fire sale price by Michael Teach, who takes certain precautions to make sure that there are no 'irregularities' when the cargo is shipped up the Beanstalk to orbit for transfer to the Sarritor. 7 February 2362 to 10 February 2362 The Sarritor arrives in Pu'uhonua orbit to refuel and enjoy a little shore leave. Alina Murry enjoys local hospitality courtesy of Kahoku Keilani, and takes time to continue work on her travelogue and wildlife illustrations. Michael Teach chats up the local scene with a fellow named Waipahu, who is looking to unload 100 mL of an unknown psychoactive he procured through some unspoken means. James Farrior charters a local to take him on a sport fishing/hunting trip on the open ocean, but gets more than he bargained for when he and his guide are attacked by Sea Dragons. James barely escapes with his life thanks to his blood scrubber and excellent physical condition. His guide isn't so fortunate, and disappears into the sea in a haze of bloody seawater. Up on the ship, Shu Fei observes that Jerome Delancy is taking a curious interest in Emil Lafarge, going so far as to never let the man's cabin out of sight while they are waiting in orbit, and points this out to Farrior. Having had enough fun in the sun, Farrior orders the ship to break orbit on the 10th, bound for Avignon and the next leg of their journey. 9 March 2362 to 11 March 2362 The Sarritor arrives in orbit around Avignon in the HM+31 3323 System. Emil Lafarge agitates for an immediate lander trip to the surface, and all of sudden Jerome Delancy, who was supposed to be moving on with the ship to Neu Bavaria, decides he needs to get off here as well. When confronted by Farrior, Delancy plays it cool, but it is obvious that something is up. When Farrior offers up Emil's location on the planet, Delancy confides in him that Lafarge is a corporate spy and his job is to track him down. Farrior lets him go without further comment. Michael Teach unloads the cargo of wet bionano for an excellent profit, and at the same time ingratiates himself with affluent Avignon society, where his curious psychoactive drug is quite a hit with the young party scene. He agonizes over whether he should get Ai to examine the substance more closely, and decides to do research on his own, fearing (perhaps rightly so) of her disapproval. The Sarritor, its business concluded, departs Avignon for the Tartarus Jump Point. 26 March 2362 to 27 March 2362 The Sarritor arrives in orbit alongside Tartarus Above, the massive Sagan class space habitat that serves as the headquarters for Ceres Metals Corporation. James touches base with his family, confirms that his aunt's remains made it back safely, and reports on what is going on with Dahan Corporation, Fa Enterprises, and Kuan Yin. He receives word that a Cimmeron armed merchant, the Ceres Mercury (AMC-253) is missing and believed hijacked. Its master, Diego Goya, was short on crew and planned to recruit on Avignon and Paydirt for four positions before arriving in the Fury system with a delivery of platinum and iridium for Mercer Heavy Industries worth over $76 million on the Fury commodities spot market. Goya was a long serving and very loyal officer of the company with family on Tartarus Above, so it is not considered likely that he went rogue and stole the ship. 12 April 2362 to 13 April 2362 A brief stopover in Avignon to pursue leads on the disappearance of the Ceres Mercury turns up the name of Barak Otumbo, who signed on with the crew on 10 October 2361 as a Sensor-2 rating. Barak's only known acquaintence is a stevedore working at the space station Avignon Above known as 'Pierre' Paul Letourneau. 'Pierre' tells them that Barak was something of a socialist revolutionary wannabe, and had claimed to have been radicalized on Paydirt where the wildcat miners were being squeezed out by the corporations, including Ceres Metals. 13 April 2362 to 2 May 2362 Nonstop transit from Avignon through Pu'uhonua to Paydirt. 2 May 2362 The Sarritor arrives in Paydirt (HM+36 2309) orbit. James Farrior and company land outside the Ceres Metals Corporation compound on the surface of Paydirt for an inspection of the facilities and an investigation into the disappearance of the Ceres Mercury. The executive in charge of the operation is Natalya Podkorov, a competent if somewhat heavy-handed manager who runs a tight ship, and doesn't particularly like the wildcatters, and one wildcatter in particular: 'Terrible' Ted Cruikshank. Cruikshank has been banned from the Ceres Metals dome as a troublemaker and orders to shoot him on sight are in force. Because of this, the wildcats have stopped coming to trade ore for supplies or for drinks in the dome's small saloon. Natalya isn't exactly put out by any of this, but the rest of the employees in the dome can feel the tension, and the minor but annoying acts of sabotage to the dome's environmental systems aren't helping the mood. The air outside is -20 degrees, 1/6th of an atmosphere in pressure, and almost pure carbon-dioxide, so pranks with the air system aren't very well appreciated. 3 May 2362 The party learns that Captain Goya did not conduct much recruiting at the Ceres Dome, but instead took a lander out to the various tumbletown settlements scattered around the planet. One tumbletown nearby has been in existence for about 12 months, so the party travels out that evening looking for information. They encounter several interesting people: Frank Church, who inhabits a broken down lander and is living in his own drunken filth. He is crude and lecherous, unbelievably foul, and an alcoholic literally dying of liver failure before the party's eyes, but he seems to be well-connected with the people of Paydirt. He does not care much for Ted Cruikshank. Greg O'Doyle operates a vacuum still that keeps Frank in the bag, but what Greg gets out of the deal is anyone's guess. He knows Ted Cruikshank, but gets along with him even if he doesn't agree with his politics. Marie Saint-Jean and her son Kalid run a hostel for wildcats and, (we can presume) Marie will also provide other 'services' if adequately compensated. Her husband died on Paydirt, and she and her son have no means to get off the planet, so they eke out a living as best they can. Marie also doesn't care much for Ted Cruikshank, as his rabble-rousing is drying up business and depressing an already depressed economy. Finally they speak with Chun Bai, the wizened old broker and dealmaker who may be providing more support to Ted and his faction than he would prefer to let on. 4 May 2362 The party moves on to the largest independent settlement known as Copper Canyon, a rift dug into the surface of Paydirt down to a depth of 500 meters, and roofed over to support a pressurized habitat. Copper Canyon continues to support copper and some gold mining operations in a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers dug out of the rock from the walls of the rift. Notable people encountered thus far are Jace Boland, a former miner and now owner of Copper Canyon's saloon, Bob White, the operator of the refineries and environmental systems, and Pym Schuyler, an intellectual disciple of Ted Cruikshank and (more distantly), noted 23rd Century nanotopian socialist Samuel Urquhart who serves as a focal point for local discontent in a gallery of the canyon habitat known as the Bitching Hole. James Farrior upsets the apple cart in Copper Canyon by soliciting Jace to act as a partner for a development venture that would create prosperity and as a consequence bring stability to the habitat - which in turn threatens the state of unrest that Cruikshank and his followers need to continue their plot to overthrow the corporate domes and usurp their control over the mines. 5 May to 6 May 2362 While in Copper Canyon, James Farrior and company meet with the settlement's leaders to propose their venture and conduct inspections on Bob White's refinery and environmental systems to determine the investment requirements. During a brief return to the Ceres Metals dome to touch base with Natalya and have the shoot to kill order on Ted Cruikshank rescinded, Farrior receives a visit from William McBride, an executive from the Weyland-Yutani dome. McBride informs them that he has reason to believe that the Ceres Mercury (AMC-253) is anchored in an orbit in the system's asteroid belt. He also advises Farrior that Chun Bai is possibly a plant for a militant faction of Jin Xian's leadership that is using Ted Cruikshank and his revolutionaries as tools to inflict grievous harm to the SDC and make the Jin Xian Commonwealth the dominant political and economic power in Sagittarius. Farrior and McBride make a deal - Weyland-Yutani will seize Chun Bai while Ceres Metals deals with Cruikshank, then they will compare notes and possibly swap prisoners. Farrior then returns to Copper Canyon to make his business proposal to the people of the settlement. While Farrior makes his pitch to the founders, David Hawkins and Michael Teach are jumped by ten of the miners loyal to Cruikshank. The fight is short and brutal, and several of the miners are killed as a result. To add to the surprise, Teach spies what he is certain is Barak Otumbo observing the ambush from a safe vantage. At around the same time, a Weyland Yutani strike team descends upon Chun Bai's drop capsule, capturing him, but also causing the death of Greg O'Doyle and several other residents of the tumbletown. The failed ambush as well as the taking of Chun Bai causes Cruikshank's faction of the miners to hole up within their mines and galleries as if to wait out a siege. |
