We recently had a chance to play through a couple of short “Into the Interface” scenarios. In the first adventure, the crew of the Starjammer deals with ramifications from the Ross Charter. And in the second adventure, the Starjammer receives an unusual new charter with some demanding passengers.
0800. At High Nara starport the ship’s purser, Howard, paid the crew salaries. A total of Cr35,225 was debited from the ship’s account. Captain Cryo, Chief Engineer Richy, Wayne, and Brogue all took their liberty off station. The rest of the crew occupied the Travellers’ Aid Society Hostel on High Nara. As Weapons Officer Barry “Boone” Russell is a TAS cardholder, he received VIP treatment.
1200. Several members of the crew engaged in training programs to improve various skills. Boone entered High Nara to purchase a cowboy hat, boots, and custom belt buckle. The ship’s entertainer, Daren Gardner, had his security robot, Tech-9, further customized. In addition to the tricked-out paint job, Daren added disco lights, a bass booster, and a concealed fabricator unit capable of printing TL8 items of up to 1 liter in volume.
0800. Howard paid Cr49,500 in berthing fees for the Starjammer to the High Nara Port Office. The starship was then transferred to a maintenance bay for its annual overhaul. Chief Engineer Richy and the Captain returned to High Nara from liberty in order to supervise the work.
2000. Ronald, Boone, and Howard celebrated the sensor operator’s 40th birthday in the bar of the TAS Hostel.
0800. Howard paid the crew their monthly salaries.
1200. Crew members completed their training programs. Howard and Ronald improved their proficiency ratings with vacc suits and energy weapons, respectively. Daren was unable to complete his vacc suit course. Boone purchased a skill wafer providing expertise in unarmed combat. The ship’s android owner, Bodyguard 3185D31A (“Sonny”), completed a basic education course.
2133. As Boone, Sonny, Daren, Howard, and Ronald relaxed in the lounge of the TAS Hostel, they noticed a disturbance near the lobby entrance. A tall, dark-haired woman scuffled with a couple of men dressed in suits. As Hostel security convened on the melee, the woman drew a primitive sword and stabbed one of her attackers. Boone intervened and disarmed the woman, who was then shot by one of her attackers with a gauss pistol. The woman stumbled toward Boone, whispering a single word to him before dying: "Klementin." Solomani Security soon arrived to secure the scene. Boone and the rest of the crew were detained.
2300. Sophron Hampson, the TAS Director of Facilities on High Nara, checked in with Boone and apologized for the dreadful inconvenience. Hampson assured Boone that nothing like this had ever happened before at the TAS Hostel. Boone asked about the woman, and Hampson said his security team thought that, based on her build and use of a sword, she was probably an immigrant from one of the barbarian worlds on the edge of Aslan space.
Hampson discretely urged Boone to be cautious in dealing with Solomani Security: the agency closely monitors the movements and communications of Imperial citizens and maintains an extensive network of paid informants. The TAS Hostel is relatively secure, as the staff regularly sweeps the facilities and computers for surveillance devices. Hampson agreed to comp the party drinks while they awaited an interview with Solomani Security.
0100. Boone was braced by a representative from Solomani Security who introduced himself as Strephon Oest. Oest asked the same questions over and over again, asking Boone about his service record in the Imperial Marines, the recent charter to Wang (DARK 2506 D789899-2), how Boone knew the woman at the Hostel, and whether she had given him anything—or told him anything—before she died. While Boone omitted any mention of Klementin, he truthfully explained that he had never seen the woman before. In the course of the interview Oest revealed that the woman was a Wangian native named Yora. After a couple of hours Oest released Boone.
0900. Daren accessed the Wuan information net and confirmed that Oest was an officer of SolSec, assigned to Wu two years earlier. Daren inserted fictitious, embarrassing information into Oest’s public file. Daren learned that Yora arrived from Wang approximately six months earlier and had been placed on a SolSec watchlist.
Daren also reviewed library data that provided some useful historical context. In 1054 the Solomani Confederation deposed the indigenous ruler of Wang, Saeae Zui, and replaced her with a provisional government overseen by Solomani advisors. Ever since then the Empress of Yooi has lived in hiding, leading a government in exile. Due to ongoing political turmoil on Wang, all visitors from that system are flagged for enhanced surveillance by SolSec.
Although Daren found no records of a person named Klementin, he did identify a bar named Klementin in the Little Yooi section of Gyon, the capital city of Wu. Little Yooi contains a large community of expatriates from Wang and is located in a poorer section of the city.
0600. Boone, Sonny, Daren, Howard, Ronald, and Tech-9 took a 95-ton shuttle down the gravity well to the Wu mainworld. Tech-9’s laser weapon was disabled to comply with Wu’s high law level.
0721. The shuttle landed at Wu Down starport, located just outside Gyon, a megalopolis of 1.8 billion that sprawls along the eastern shore of Keun Island.
0847. The team found a secluded space in a local museum for Tech-9 to print out body pistols, which are illegal on Wu’s surface. Tech-9’s laser was reactivated.
1222. The team arrived at Klementin, a nondescript bar in Little Yooi. The party chatted up the bartender, who was suspicious but invited them to come back tomorrow, when he might have some additional information about Yora.
1301. While at Klementin, the party was approached by a disheveled man with a bad haircut who introduced himself as Niilo Král. Král claimed to be a huge fan of Daren’s professional alter ego, HotLolz.
While sitting with the team, Král claimed that he was working for the Duchess of Walpurgis and said that the Imperium was very interested in establishing contact with the deposed Empress of Yooi. Král hinted that the Imperium may wish to provide support to the Wang government-in-exile.
Král left his contact information and encouraged the group to seek out the Empress, but Daren was suspicious: the man did not seem to actually know Duchess Shanika and—more damningly—seemed rather poorly dressed for a fan of HotLolz.
1347. Ronald used his considerable street smarts to lead any SolSec tails on a wild goose chase through the slums and alleys of Little Yooi.
1615. The team found lodging in a modest offworlder hotel on the outskirts of Gyon.
1100. The team returned to Klementin and found two imposing Yooi tribesmen armed with swords waiting for them. The group was then ambushed by Král and three SolSec operatives wielding gauss pistols and monoblades, which are swords composed of super-hardened material with the edges honed to the width of single molecule. The team quickly joined forces with the tribesmen against the SolSec operatives.
After a fierce battle Král and the Solomani operatives were killed but Howard and Boone seriously wounded. The Yooi exiles quickly disposed of the bodies and wiped down Klementin before Solomani reinforcements could arrive. Boone claimed one of the monoblades, Daren another. The tribesmen then offered to take the team to meet the Empress.
1433. The team was led to a heavily guarded safe house where they were brought before Saeae Zui, the deposed Empress of Yooi. An imposing woman dressed plainly, she explained that she was only seventeen when the Confederation forced her into exile nearly fifty years ago, and she had lived on the run ever since. She asked what the team knew about the attack on the Yooi market, and insisted that her partisans were not behind this act of terrorism. She agreed that offworld brigands were most likely responsible.
0700. The team boarded a return shuttle to High Nara.
0823. The shuttle docked at High Nara.
1500. The Starjammer was released from its overhaul and the TAS renewed the starship’s annual operating certification.
2017. Brogue and Wayne returned from their vacations.
0800. Captain Cryo reported that Hrol, the female Aslan translator, had identified a potential charter for the Starjammer.
1000. Cryo, Sonny, and Wayne met with Hrol. The prospective charter for Cr700,000 (Solomani) would deliver three Aslan males and the body of one of their fallen comrades to Akludu (MAGY 0902 B568669-A) and after a short layover, return the three Aslan to Wu. Wayne noted that for the Starjammer, Akludu is a three jump trip from Wu—completely within Solomani Confederation space.
Hrol explained that the Aslan are all members of the Solomani Confederation Army’s 630th Assault Infantry regiment, assigned to Akuusir subsector. While serving on a peacekeeping mission to Wang (DARK 2506 D789899-2), the Aslan soldiers were caught in the same Yooi market explosion that killed the bounty hunters Roozer Cogbin and Dibefe. Sonny countered the proposed charter, asking for the fee to be Cr700,000 plus fuel costs. Hrol thought she would be able to negotiate this amendment.
1200. Howard, acting as the Starjammer’s chief medical officer, performed annual physicals for the crew. All crew members were certified as fit for duty.
1630. Wayne submitted a flight plan to Wu Control; Sonny applied for an exit visa.
Akludu and surrounding worlds of the Urartu Cluster.
0800. Hrol reported to the Starjammer to provide a detailed training on interacting with Aslan males, who can be notoriously touchy and prone to violence. Hrol noted that a male Aslan is on constant guard for any perceived slight to his honor, and will usually challenge the offender to a duel. Hrol strongly urged all crewmembers to avoid receiving such a challenge, but explained that declining a challenge would result in a great loss of face.
The three Aslan passengers, Eirleal, Feyol, and Khuias, are all members of the Treakhouaia clan, which had once been dominant in Akuusir before the Confederation annexed their worlds following the Solomani Rim War. Many Treakhouaia were forcibly relocated to settlements on distant Akludu. For desperate young Aslan males growing up in the settlement camps, the Confederation military is considered the most viable means of upward mobility.
Hrol explained that these Treakhouaia soldiers are only partially assimilated into Solomani culture. They have lived among Humans long enough to have gained a modicum of tolerance and can speak enough Anglic to understand basic commands. But otherwise, they observe Aslan cultural practices and will view the Starjammer crew through the lens of traditional Aslan gender roles, which are rigidly defined. Male Aslan, for example, have no concept of money, which is exclusively handled by females, and it is considered offensive to offer a male Aslan money—he will assume he is being cheated. For the charter, Hrol will handle all monetary transactions for the passengers.
Hrol explained that the captain, pilot, and weapons officer will all be considered male by the Aslan soldiers, as they are performing traditionally male roles. In contrast, the purser, engineer, sensop, and cargo master will all be considered female. Hrol advised the crew to simply accept these perceptions, rather than confuse—and potentially offend—the passengers. One benefit of being perceived as female: male Aslan do not challenge female Aslan to duels.
Hrol described Aslan dietary preferences to Howard so that the Starjammer would be appropriately provisioned. An Aslan diet is almost entirely meat-based, and the Aslan have difficulty digesting Terran-based animal proteins without special supplements. She further recommended Howard lay in a quantity of hkyadwaeh, a mildly intoxicating beverage known to Humans as bitter-root tea.
Hrol explained that a traditional Aslan way to pass time in jumpspace is to trade stories. Daren took great interest in this information, although Hrol attempted to dissuade him from engaging with the passengers, noting that Aslan tastes in art differ greatly from Human tastes.
Finally, Hrol suggested that the crew designate one of the empty staterooms a “Shrine of Heroes,” a traditional Aslan space used for meditation and veneration of fallen heroes and respected ancestors.
1730. The Starjammer’s exit visa and flight plan were approved.
0600. The Starjammer departed from High Nara starport, bound for Wu’s only moon, Dal (F10086A-A).
0702. Ronald contacted the Confederation military base Sereniti on Dal, requesting permission to enter restricted space and land at the base. The base control provided a specific flight path and coordinates, urging the Starjammer not to deviate.
0726. The Starjammer landed at the designated pad on the moon’s surface. A Confederation Army inspection team came aboard to review the manifest.
1120. After a thorough review, the inspection team declared the Starjammer free to take on passengers.
1146. The Aslan soldiers Eirleal, Feyol, and Khuias came aboard with the body of Akou preserved in a cryo unit draped with a Confederation flag. The three Aslan soldiers each stood over 2 meters tall, wore Confederation Army uniforms, and carried only their army packs and their yeheals, a traditional Aslan autorifle.
1200. Brogue carefully secured the unit in the cargo hold.
1315. Howard provided a safety briefing for the Aslan before showing them to their staterooms.
1401. The Starjammer was cleared to leave Dal and made underway for the Greenvald jump point.
1654. The Starjammer reached the jump point and entered jumpspace.
2000. Much to Hrol’s consternation, an excited Daren premiered a new holovid he created to the Aslan soldiers. The vid was a gaudy, over-the-top action piece featuring Aslans, filled with gratuitous violence, nonsensical explosions, and a concussive soundtrack. The soldiers watched with rapt attention, and roared their approval at the end, insisting that Daren play the entire holivd again from the very beginning.
1100. As Daren entertained the Aslan soldiers, the robotic ship’s cat J0NZ-E entered the passenger’s lounge. The Aslan assumed the cat to be a mockery of the Aslan species. The outraged soldiers began working themselves into a rage, but Daren—to the surprise of Hrol—skillfully defused the situation.
1553. The Starjammer exited jumpspace just outside the 100 diameter limit of the Greenvald system’s cool red dwarf primary, Novisad—nearly 115 light-seconds or approximately 34.4 million km from the mainworld. The starship made underway for Greenvald, almost 19 hours distant.
1027. The Starjammer reached orbit around Greenvald, a rich agricultural world similar in size and atmosphere to Terra. As the starport had no orbital component, Captain Cryo ordered the Starjammer to prepare for atmospheric entry.
1057. The Starjammer landed at Greenvald Down starport, located on the western edge of the Equitorial Ocean. Howard paid the starport authority Cr250 in berthing fees.
1322. Eirleal, Feyol, and Khuias debarked from the Starjammer for a rendezvous with on-world representatives of their clan, Treakhouaia. Hrol explained that the Aslan have a tradition of providing hospitality to visiting clan members. Although Daren was invited to accompany the Aslan, the entertainer wisely declined.
The rich, agricultural world of Greenvald (Magyar 0504 B864695-A) in the Urartu cluster. The planet is locked in a close, resonant orbit with its M1 V primary star, Novisad. The Terrans first established a major colony world on Greenvald well over 3,000 years ago.
0700. Chief Engineer Richy, Wayne, and Boone began monthly maintenance activities. Howard purchased replacement parts from the starport for Cr2,339.
1622. JUNO relayed a Greenvald news report of a disturbance in startown with shots fired. Local law enforcement were said to be en route.
1632. Ronald tuned the comms into a planetary emergency frequency that was reporting the theft of a grav vehicle. The car was flying easterly from the starport and out over the Equitorial Ocean, with two local civilian vehicles in pursuit. Law enforcement units had been dispatched to intercept.
1636. Captain Cryo ordered the Starjammer powered up.
1637. Engineering reported that the Impetus-E power plant and the Mark V maneuver drives were online.
1638. Wayne reported that an intercept course was laid in.
1640. Ronald requested emergency permission to depart from the starport tower. Permission was denied.
1642. Ronald feigned that the tower’s last communication had not been received and declared an emergency. The Starjammer lifted off and made at top speed over the ocean for the fleeing grav car.
1706. Ronald reported visual contact with the lead grav car, which contained three Aslan exchanging fire with two following civilian vehicles. Law enforcement vehicles were several hundred kilometers behind.
1708. Boone reported weapons systems unlocked and online.
1713. Wayne maneuvered the Starjammer in front of the lead grav car while Brogue opened the main cargo hatch. Boone fired warning shots from the dorsal turret’s lasers at the trailing vehicles, which veered away.
1715. Wayne decelerated in order to allow the Aslan to fly into the cargo hold. They crashed their grav car into the hold and Brogue narrowly avoided being crushed.
1717. Brogue reported the cargo bay doors secure.
1739. Wayne reported that the Starjammer had reached orbit above Greenvald.
1900. On the bridge, Captain Cryo toasted Wayne’s 38th birthday.
1320. Wayne reported reaching the 100 diameter limit of Greenvald’s primary.
1326. The Starjammer entered jumpspace.
0516. The Starjammer exited jumpspace and began maneuvering toward the Sharn mainworld.
0800. The purser paid the crew their salaries and transfered Cr7,797 to the annual overhaul fund.
0828. The Starjammer arrived at Sharn Highport and commenced refueling. Howard paid the starport authority Cr1,000 for berthing fees. The mainworld below is a garden world, a member of the Wuan Technology Association. But the oppressively high law level gave the world an Amber Travel Zone. As such, landing by Starjammer crew or passengers was inadvisable.
1928. Refueling complete, the Starjammer departed from Sharn Highport.
2301. The Starjammer reached the Akludu jump point.
2308. The Starjammer entered jumpspace.
2100. Howard and other offduty crewmen celebrated his 38th birthday in the crew lounge.
0258. The Starjammer exited jumpspace and got underway for the mainworld.
0540. The Starjammer landed at Akludu Down starport on the planet’s surface. Akludu is a rich, agricultural world under military rule. A large Confederation joint Army-Navy base is adjoined to the starport.
0700. Eirleal, Feyol, and Khuias cleared customs with the body of their comrade, Akou.
0800. Howard paid Cr250 to the starport authority for berthing fees and Cr29,000 to renew the life support systems.
1000. The Aslan soldiers returned to the Starjammer.
1124. The Starjammer lifted off from Akludu’s surface.
1141. The Starjammer reached orbit.
1500. Ronald reported contact with the CSS Nirah, a Type SX fleet courier arriving in system from maneuvers in the Xian (MAGY 1103 B7B48DC-9) system. The courier did not respond to hails.
1601. The Starjammer reached the Sharn jump point.
1608. The Starjammer entered jumpspace.
1958. The Starjammer exited jumpspace and made for the Sharn highport.
2310. Ronald reported contact with the outbound Aristelle, a 400-ton Type R subsidized merchant registered to the non-aligned world of Reynold (MAGY 0105 C401899-B). Captain Katya Knox was making a hasty departure for the Yamashita Belt (MAGY 0602 E000535-A). She warned the Starjammer of Sharn’s extremely high Law Level.
1646. The Starjammer docked at High Sharn starport and began refueling. Howard paid Cr1,000 to the starport authority for berthing fees.
0610. The Starjammer finished refueling and departed High Sharn.
0634. Ronald reported contact with a 95-ton shuttle in orbit, standing by for landing on the mainworld surface.
0722. The Starjammer reached the New Sol jump point.
0841. The Starjammer entered jumpspace.
0042. The Starjammer exited jumpspace in the outer system and set course for the gas giant Hfoileiiau.
0100. Ronald reported that a beacon in the inner system warned that the mainworld remained under Confederation interdiction.
1049. The Starjammer reached orbit around Hfoileiiau and began fuel skimming and refining.
1419. The Starjammer completed skimming operations and began maneuvering to the 100 diameter limit.
0047. The Starjammer reached the 100 diameter limit and held there while the fuel processors continued to refine the raw hydrogen.
0839. The Starjammer completed fuel refining.
0845. The Starjammer entered jumpspace.
1235. The Starjammer exited jumpspace.
1400. The purser paid the crew their monthly salaries and transferred Cr7,979 to the annual overhaul fund.
1529. The Starjammer docked at High Nara.
