The Ross Charter

In the most recent installment of our Into the Interface game for Mongoose Traveller, the PCs finally venture into the Interface proper and get their first opportunity to interact with an Aslan.

Ship’s Log

Ship Name Starjammer.

Port of Registry Kline (MAGY 3012 A642987-E).

Ship Type U-CA33 Armed Packet.

Registration # 338-C-2725.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 352-1102.

1846. While in dock at High Nara starport, Captain Cryo, Astrogator Wayne Masada, Chief Engineer Richy Jamoor, and Chief Gunnery Officer Barry Russell performed monthly maintenance on the Starjammer. The Chief Engineer recorded a Cr2,000 expense for replacement parts and materials.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 353-1102.

0700. Captain Mirna Amjad of Solomani Security requested interviews with Starjammer crewmembers regarding the recent piracy incident in the outer system of New Sol (MAGY 0503).

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 354-1102.

1337. The resident entertainer, Daren Gardner (professional name HotLolz69420xxx), left the ship for a meeting with Irvin Savitr, Corporate Strategy Manager for Kline Synthetic Technologies.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 355-1102.

0209. Gardner returned to the ship with Non-Disclosure Agreements for all crewmembers, explaining that these were necessary in order to secure a major holovid deal that he was negotiating. All crew signed the NDAs.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 356-1102.

1245. Purser and Medical Officer Howard reported that KST had deposited the balance of the charter payment, Cr250,000, into the ship’s account.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 357-1102.

1800. Captain Amjad concluded interviews with the crew, but requested that the Starjammer remain in port until the inquiry was closed.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 358-1102.

High Nara Habitat, Wu.

0600. The Owner, Bodyguard Android 3185D31A, “Sonny,” directed the Purser to distribute Cr20,000 bonuses to each crewmember. The crew was given one-week liberty to explore High Nara, an orbital habitat located at the L5 Lagrangian point between Wu and the moon Dal. High Nara consists of two counter-rotating cylinders, each hundreds of kilometers in diameter and thousands of kilometers in length.

The habitat houses a population of 360 million, the vast majority of which are Wuans: a self-geneered subspecies of Humaniti divided into a relatively small number of genotypes, each expressly designed for a specific role in Wuan society. High Nara receives some 1.5 million passengers each year from across the Solomani Confederation, Third Imperium, Aslan Hierate, and independent systems.

Most of the crew planned to buy new equipment, including better armor, weapons, and portable computers.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 359-1102.

0900. The Owner visited Dr. Yijun Tan, an Agilitrix biologics consultant specializing in android health. Dr. Tan’s examination suggested that Verisim-8 androids have longer lifespans than more primitive models, and at the ripe old age of eight, Sonny could be expected to live another twenty years or more.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 361-1102.

0800. Medical Officer Howard proposed that the Owner purchase an autodoc for the ship’s infirmary: a small self-contained diagnostic, pharmaceutical, and surgical system. A TL14 unit, costing upwards of MCr1, is even able to resurrect patients who have been declared dead. The Owner declined to act on Howard’s proposal.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 363-1102.

1000. Gardner received delivery of a modified Popov Robotics Vigil 1000 security robot, similar in design to the AN-427 model popular in the Imperium. Gardner named the robot Tech-9, the O.G. Killzilla.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 001-1103.

0001. Imperial citizens throughout High Nara, including the entire crew of the Starjammer, celebrate Holiday, the first day of the year on the Imperial calendar.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 003-1103.

0800. Captain Amjad announced that Solomani Security had closed the investigation into the incident at New Sol and that the Starjammer was free to leave port.

0953. The Owner placed a notice on the High Nara information net that the Starjammer was available for new charters.

1149. The Owner received an inquiry from an individual seeking a charter for herself and two additional passengers to Himitt (DARK 2206), a lawless, low-technology Aslan world located in the Buffer Zone of Ruih subsector, outside Solomani Confederation space.

2000. The Captain and the Owner attended a private dinner with the prospective client, Madi Ross, a successful young executive with Transstar, a large Solomani transportation line.

Madi’s father had been a prosperous broker on Renfrew Station (DARK 2904), her homeworld. Nine months ago he was murdered by one of his own employees: Timn Xezni, a lowlife drifter who then made off with some family money and fled into the Buffer Zone. Madi took a leave from Transstar and dissolved her father’s business, using the funds to pay for bounty hunters to find Xezni and bring him to justice. Madi’s bounty hunters had learned that Xezni was hiding out on Himitt. She sought transport for herself and the bounty hunters to Himitt, as well as return transport to Wu.

Madi submitted a proposed itinerary and offered to pay 1.3 million Solomani credits for the charter, which she insisted was fair value and incorporated a reasonable premium for risk. She also pointed out that the exchange rate with Imperial currency was generally at par or slightly favorable to Imperials. During the interview Madi demonstrated that she had thoroughly researched the Starjammer and its crew, and that Irvin Savitr had provided a very positive reference.

2247. The Owner and Captain accepted Ms. Ross’s offer, pending completion of their due diligence.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 004-1103.

The Akuusir Cluster in Dark Nebula and Magyar sectors.

0800. The Purser paid the crew their monthly salaries from the ship’s account.

0855. Captain Cryo and Astrogator Masada proceeded to the Solomani Ministry of Information offices to apply for a Class II Commerce License, allowing travel to any Class C or D starport in the Solomani Confederation.

0914. High Nara has extensive Travellers’ Aid Society facilities, including a TAS hostel, and as the Imperium and Confederation do not have formal diplomatic relations, acts as a de facto Imperial consulate. Dame Vasilica Xylander is the Imperial liaison in residence.

The Owner notified Dame Vasilica of his intention to travel to Himitt. Dame Vasilica warned that ancient treaty agreements with the Aslan precluded the Imperium from most involvement inside the Buffer Zone, but she noted that an Imperial embassy was located on the Aslan world of Obalsa (DARK 2106), one parsec from Himitt.

1140. Daren reviewed the draft charter contract and added a rider guaranteeing him access to the bounty hunters “for documentary purposes.”

1332. Captain Cryo and Astrogator Masada applied for an Exit Visa at the Port Warden’s office.

1544. Brogue searched local databases for information on Madi Ross and confirmed the key details of her story. Her two bounty hunters, Roozer Cogbin and Dibefe, were verified as licensed and bonded to work within the Solomani Confederation and the Buffer Zone.

1825. Sensor Operator Ronald left the ship to obtain additional information about the two bounty hunters.

1937. The crew researched the Buffer Zone of Dark Nebula, a region of space with a long and complicated history. The area had initially been settled over 3,000 years ago by dissident Terrans who had rejected the Second Imperium. As the distant Imperium slowly collapsed and the Human worlds began to slip technologically, Aslan began moving into the region—at first as explorers and traders, then later as serious rivals to the Humans.

The resulting Aslan Border Wars were a series of small conflicts between the Humans and Aslan that lasted some 1,500 years, during which the borders shifted and blurred between the two species. Many Human worlds captured by the Aslan were effectively interdicted for centuries and allowed to regress to very low technology levels.

The arrival of the Third Imperium into the region brought new conflict with the major Aslan clans, culminating in the Peace of Ftahalr in 380. This landmark treaty ended the Aslan Border Wars and established a large Buffer Zone between the Imperium and the Aslan Hierate, consisting of much of Reaver’s Deep sector and portions of Dark Nebula.

However, the breakaway Solomani Confederation, established in 871, has not recognized the Peace of Ftahalr and has seized numerous Human and Aslan worlds in the Buffer, including most of the Akuusir Cluster, a string of 32 systems connected by jump-1 distances, located in Ruih, Akuusir, and Danvers subsectors.

The Akuusir Cluster contained several primitive Human populations that culturally identify with the Aslan; many such worlds have proven very difficult for the Confederation to assimilate. These populations often speak Aslanic, a simplified patois of Trokh, the dominant Aslan trade language that is notoriously difficult for Humans to master.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 005-1103.

0421. Ronald returned to the ship to report that both bounty hunters are veterans of the Solomani Confederation Army and have reputations as hard-nosed but effective operators. Roozer Cogbin, a somewhat older fellow, was born in the Buffer and worked both sides of the border for many years. Debife, though considerably younger, had successfully brought in some very dangerous and elusive bounties.

0730. The Captain met again with Madi in an attempt to deter her from undertaking the charter, pointing out the many dangers of the Buffer. But Ms. Ross would not be swayed and insisted on personally bringing her father’s murderer to justice. Reluctantly, the Captain accepted the charter.

1410. The Captain looked into purchasing a protocol robot for translation services and to assist with social interactions with the famously touchy Aslan. An Aslan-made Hikare’ model, one of the Hierate’s most sophisticated personal robots, is a common sight on board Aslan vessels. However, the Owner balked at the nearly Cr700,000 purchase price. Instead, the crew bought translation software for their personal computers and the Owner bought similar software for himself and JUNO.

1730. The Captain posted to the High Nara information net a job notice for a translator and cultural guide.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 007-1103.

0900. The Captain interviewed a female Aslan, Hrol (short for Hroloueayeiua), for the open translator position. Hrol, who asked to be called “Harli,” provides translation and cultural consultation services for merchants working in the Buffer. She was fluent in Anglic, Aslanic, and her native Trokh.

Hrol had been born to a minor independent clan, Hraiiyeeiyea, on Elahkilr, a non-aligned Aslan world in the Buffer. With excellent references and a polished interview, the Captain hired her on the spot for a monthly salary of Cr2,000 plus bonuses.

"Harli" Hrol (Hroloueayeiua)

Female Aslan consultant, Age 30.

UPP 776B95.

Homeworld Elahkilr (DARK 2203 A676757-8).

Skills Admin-3, Advocate-0, Broker-1, Deception-1, Electronics (computers)-2, Gun Combat (slug)-1, Language (Anglic)-2, Language (Aslanic)-1, Streetwise-1, Tolerance-1, Vacc Suit-1.

Comments Hrol served four terms in the merchant company of her clan, Hraiiyeeiyea.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 008-1103.

1400. The Solomani Ministry of Information issued a Class II Commerce License to the Starjammer.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 009-1103.

0700. Miung-3357-C, an assistant to the High Nara Associate Port Warden, met with the Captain to review the Exit Visa application. The assistant reiterated the risks of the Buffer Zone: starships entering this area do so at their own peril, as many local systems lack basic resources and the Solomani Confederation would be unable to render aid.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 011-1103.

1641. Exit Visa issued.

1700. The Purser reported that Madi had deposited the first installment of the charter payment, Cr650,000, into the ship’s account.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 012-1103.

0536. All passengers and crew aboard.

0605. Customs stamped the crew and passenger manifests. The Purser reported all open accounts closed out with a Cr10,500 payment to the Port Authority for berthing fees. All hatches closed and secured. [TAS forms appended to this log.]

0704. Customs issued a clearance to depart.

0750. Departure flight plan filed with Wu System Control.

0755. Engineering reported the Impetus-E power plant online.

0820. Flight plan approved, Starjammer cleared for undocking. Engineering reported the twin Mark V maneuver drives online. Ship decoupled from port and made for Linate jump point.

1013. Linate jump point reached. Astrogator Masada generated jump vector and transmitted confirmation to Wu Control. JUNO received the coordinates and controlling data.

1014. Initiated count-down. Final system checks completed. Jump drive engaged. Engineering reported drive capacitors charged.

1015. Entered jumpspace.

Jumpspace 017-1103.

1540. Daren interviewed Roozer, who was initially surprised to be recorded. The veteran bounty hunter explained that he was extremely familiar with the wild region of Ruih subsector beyond the Confederation border. He disclosed that Xezni had been shuffling back and forth between Wang (DARK 2506), inside Confederation space, and Himitt, just outside. Roozer claimed to have contacts on Wang who would help track down Xezni. Roozer also revealed that he normally works alone and resented having to work with the much younger Dibefe. Daren insisted that Roozer show him the tools of his trade, which included a stunstick, heavy revolver, and a trusty “Acer” ACR-10 advanced combat rifle.

Jumpspace 017-1104.

1643. Daren interviewed Dibefe, a younger but equally confident bounty hunter, also resentful of having to work with another. Dibefe showed off his SGR-12 gauss rifle, “a precision killing instrument,” as he described it.

Linate (DARK 3204 A200544-E) 019-1103.

1419. Emerged from jumpspace approximately 6.7 million km from Seba, a gas giant orbiting the G1 V primary at 0.7 AU. Seba is surrounded by a particularly large magnetosphere that traps charged particles, which in turn form intense radiation belts of widely varying size. The TAS issued an Amber Zone for the system due to the navigational hazard created by these belts. The Astrogator plotted a course to Linate, a desolate moon orbiting Seba.

1440. Weapons Officer Boone requested the log note that work conducted in an Amber Zone system is entitled to hazard pay at twice the standard rate.

1614. Sensor Operator Ronald scanned the area and accessed the in-system communication directory. Made comms contact with the inbound Htuih Ua, a 400-ton Eakhau-class Aslan free trader out of Aowoikies (DARK 1705), Captain Hfauh commanding. The Htuih Ua announced that it was carrying transport from Renfrew (DARK 2904).

2237. Arrived in orbit around Linate and received permission to land at the starport. Linate occupies an advantageous position on a main trade route running coreward-rimward along the spinward edge of Confederation; the starport handles about 40,000 displacement tons of weekly trade.

Iouo Interstellar Yards operates the local shipyard, notable as the only TL14 yard in the Urartu Cluster. The yard has a total capacity of 5,000 displacement tons and specializes in building smaller commercial ships.

2306. Docked at Linate starport, commenced refueling and renewal of ship life support.

Linate (DARK 3204 A200544-E) 020-1103.

0700. Chief Engineer Jamoor, assisted by Astrogator Masada, began monthly maintenance activities on the ship.

0800. Brogue searched local computer databases for any comms references to the Starjammer, but found none.

1132. Ronald left the ship and ventured into the starport in search of more information about Xezni.

1630. The Chief Engineer recorded a Cr2,100 expense for replacement parts and materials.

2320. JUNO recorded an urgent request for medical assistance on the starport concourse.

2341. Ronald returned to the ship.

Linate (DARK 3204 A200544-E) 021-1103.

0135. Achieved liftoff from Linate starbase, began maneuvering for Angle jump point.

0351. Made comms contact with the Urartu Gold, a 200-ton Type SA1 Solomani flat trader out of Greenvald (MAGY 0504), carrying a load of teff grain, inbound from Reynold (MAGY 0105). Captain Philandros Lina.

0953. Entered jumpspace.

Jumpspace 022-1103.

0400. Adjusted grav plate settings throughout the ship to 1.03 g, the first step of a gradual transition to the 1.22 g surface gravity of Angle.

0830. Ronald shared new information about Xezni that he had gleaned at Linate starport. Xezni had reportedly fallen in with Kal Lazzari and his gang of brigands and pirates. The Lazzari gang, notorious for their brutality and ability to evade capture, operate out of low population and low law level worlds in Ruih subsector.

Jumpspace 025-1103.

0001. The Owner marked the ninth anniversary of his incept date with a brief toast on the bridge.

1100. Wayne asked Hrol for a primer on Aslan culture, which she gladly provided. Hrol explained that the sexes have very different roles in Aslan society: males are concerned mostly with military operations, acquisition of territory, and political affairs, while females are concerned more with industry, trade and commerce, and with the accumulation of wealth and knowledge. Aslan place great emphasis on the gender of those they deal with, whether Aslan or alien, and tend to assign gender to others based on social rather than biological bases.

Hrol further explained that the Aslan have long been a noble and proud warrior race, devoted to those in authority above them and responsible for those who owe fealty from below. Aslan society is based on the family and its relationships. Aslan pride makes them a touchy race, and Aslan give or take offense quite easily.

Finally, Hrol noted that the ancient peace treaties presented all Aslan caught up in the Buffer Zone with an agonizing decision: either retain the existing bonds to kindred and allied clans in the Hierate, but relinquish all holdings in the Buffer; or retain these Buffer lands but sever all formal ties to the Hierate. Her own clan, the Hraiiyeeiyea, elected to remain behind on their ancestral world of Elahkilr (DARK 2203).

Angle (DARK 3005 A977223-A) 028-1103.

1943. Exited from jumpspace. The Astrogator reported that the ship had emerged 1.6 million km from the mainworld.

Began maneuvering to the starport. Angle is a low-population world relatively unattractive for settlement, being tidally locked to its M2 V primary and possessing a standard oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere tainted with highly toxic sulfur compounds.

2008. Made comms contact with the Katzensprung, a 400-ton Type SA Solomani trader out of Waq (DARK 2819), arriving from Colcan (DARK 2805) and carrying freight. Captain Alfia Stefans commanding.

2350. Arrived in orbit around Angle. As the starport lacks a highport component, unstreamlined starships remain in orbit and are refueled by shuttles from the mainworld.

Angle (DARK 3005 A977223-A) 029-1103.

0005. The Starjammer landed onworld and docked at the Angle starport. Commenced refueling and renewal of life support systems.

0900. Although the Angle Class A starport is large and fairly new, the facility is mostly empty with many vacant storefronts and empty warehouses. A joint Solomani Confederation Army and Naval base is located near the starbase.

The shipyard, operated by Iouo Interstellar Yards, has a total building capacity of 10,000 displacement tons. The yard generally utilizes offworld labor and specializes in constructing smaller military ships such as escorts, destroyers, and patrol frigates.

1155. Brogue reported that, based on a review of available registry data, Lazzari—and presumably, Xezni—appeared to be using the Linsey Vigo, a 300-ton Aslan Yeao-class armed packet registered out of Doning (DARK 1804), to move back and forth between Wang and Himitt.

Angle (DARK 3005 A977223-A) 030-1103.

0800. The purser paid the crew their monthly salaries. The Captain gave the crew 24 hours liberty in port.

1321. JUNO, which had been monitoring system control channels, reported that the outbound Lara O’Dea, a 1,000-ton light freighter, had received a partially coded message about the Starjammer right before it jumped for the Colcan (DARK 2805) system. Ronald reported that the Lara O’Dea was registered out of Doning (DARK 1804 A431523-A) and claimed to be carrying agricultural goods from Greenvald (MAGY 0504 B864695-A).

1340. The Captain canceled liberty and recalled the ship’s crew.

1500. All hands gathered on the bridge to discuss the current situation. Evidently Xezni or Lazzari had spies in the Angle starport on the lookout for pursuers, and presumably the Lara O’Dea was now carrying a warning ahead of the Starjammer.

The crew debated how to proceed. Captain Cryo suggested scrapping the charter and returning to Wu, but the Owner wanted additional options. The crew decided to attempt a simple ruse.

1630. The Chief Engineer made an urgent request to the starport for access to starship overhaul facilities and placed orders for new—and very expensive—jump drive components. Richy claimed that the Starjammer’s Vegan-made jump drive has suffered a critical fault and would require at least two weeks in the Angle yards. Given the small size of the starport, word quickly spread throughout the facility and to all ships docked at the port.

Angle (DARK 3005 A977223-A) 031-1103.

0800. The Captain met with Madi to ensure that she appreciated the increased risk posed by Xezni likely being warned about her bounty hunters. Although Madi tried to bluff her way through the discussion, she had clearly not considered the possibility that Xezni would have either the foresight or resources to place his own spies in starports.

0900. Brogue arranged for the Starjammer to be transferred to a repair hangar in a remote part of the starport.

1730. Brogue announced that a glitch in the starport registry system would cause a 48 hour delay in updating the database records of ship arrivals and departures.

2000. JUNO reported that three different ships in the last 24 hours had already jumped out of Angle for the Colcan system, each potentially carrying news of the Starjammer’s “dilemma.”

2100. The Owner held an impromptu birthday celebration for Daren in the passenger lounge.

Angle (DARK 3005 A977223-A) 032-1103.

0746. Achieved liftoff from the surface of Angle, began maneuvering for the Colcan jump point.

1150. Reached Colcan jump point.

1153. Entered jumpspace.

Jumpspace 033-1103.

0400. Adjusted grav plate settings throughout the ship to 1.20 g, part of a gradual transition back to 1.0 g standard gravity.

Jumpspace 034-1103.

2123. Roozer Cogbin, following a long session of drinking in the passenger lounge, announced his extreme displeasure at having an Aslan on board the Starjammer, to say nothing of one serving as crew. Other crewmembers escorted the bounty hunter to his stateroom before Hrol could be made aware of Roozer’s opinion.

Jumpspace 034-1103.

0700. Captain Cryo approached Madi to express his concerns about Roozer’s outburst. Madi assured the Captain she shared his misgivings and would personally ensure that her employees treat all Starjammer crew, regardless of species, in a professional and courteous manner.

Colcan (DARK 2805 B9C5268-9) 039-1103.

1548. Exited jumpspace. The Astrogator reported that the ship had emerged 1.43 million km from Colcan, a hostile planet with a corrosive atmosphere composed of helium gas with very large quantities of ammonia and methane. The Solomani Confederation had established a joint forward operating base in orbit in 967.

1820. A sensor scan picked up the CSS Germanicus, a 25,000-ton light carrier, standing by at the Colcan 100-diameter limit.

1938. Docked at Colcan starport, which has only an orbital component operated by the Confederation Navy. A small team of scientific researchers working for the Confederation Army are the only inhabitants of the mainworld surface.

2000. Commenced refueling.

2032. Brogue reported that the starport registry indicated that the Lara O’Dea had jumped out of the system for Wang approximately 19 hours earlier, carrying word that the Starjammer was grounded back in Angle with a bad jump drive.

Colcan (DARK 2805 B9C5268-9) 040-1103.

0307. Refueling complete, undocked from Colcan Orbital. Began maneuvering for the Wang jump point.

0757. Reached Wang jump point. Began preparations for jump.

0758. Engineering reported a warning indicator on the E2X jump drive, possibly a faulty charge in the capacitors. Chief Engineer Jamoor proposed running a bypass and JUNO concurred with this recommendation. The Captain reviewed the calculations and despite the urging of the bridge crew, aborted the jump so that Richy could run a full diagnostic on the jump drive system.

1329. The Chief Engineer reported that the E2X jump drive unit was once again reading nominal. JUNO and UDA both confirmed his assessment.

1347. The Captain ordered resumption of the jump procedure.

1411. Entered jumpspace.

Jumpspace 041-1103.

0400. Adjusted grav plate settings throughout the ship to 0.99 g, part of a gradual transition to the 0.91 g surface gravity of Wang.

Wang (DARK 2506 D789899-2) 047-1103.

1201. Emerged from jumpspace approximately 1.1 million km from Wang. Began maneuvering for the mainworld.

1410. Made sensor contact with the Satwor Affluence, a 400-ton Type SA Solomani trader out of Satwor (DARK 2610), carrying trade and transport, arriving from Caprona (DARK 2607). Captain Dusanka Babik commanding.

1523. Arrived in orbit above the mainworld, a rich and habitable planet with only a primitive technology level, lacking electricity or hydrocarbon power. Seas cover much of the world’s surface, with most land concentrated in a single southern continent. The native Human population retains many cultural influences from the Aslan, including the Aslanic language. In 1054 the Solomani Confederation deposed the indigenous world empress, Saeae Zui, and replaced her with a provisional government overseen by Solomani advisors.

Most of the world’s population is concentrated in a series of coastal cities; the rugged interior contains many wild and lawless areas. Graceful, Aslan-style sailing ships ply the seas while caravans work the crude trade roads. The starport is located at Yooi, the largest city.

World Map Grid
World Name (and UWP) Wang D789899-2	Subsector and Sector Location of World Akuusir/Dark Nebula
Date of Preparation 134-1098	Hexagon Scale (km) 1,005
IS Form 8-E	Size 7 World Map Grid

1528. Prepared ship for atmospheric entry.

1552. Landed at the Yooi starport, little more than an airstrip with hangars and a control tower.

1622. Starport officials came aboard to inspect the crew and passenger manifests. A Solomani physician conducted full physical inspections of everyone while port officials reviewed the ship’s log. The officials noted that an Exit Visa will be required to leave Wang. While all crew and passengers were cleared for entry, the officials left behind a port guide, Iyoi Hou, to stay aboard the ship. As a port guide, Iyoi would act as a witness to supervise and ensure compliance with all procedures and regulations while the Starjammer is in port.

1700. Began refueling.

1730. Brogue reported that the Linsey Vigo was docked only a few berths away from the Starjammer.

1800. Madi, Roozer, and Dibefe prepared to venture into the city to meet a local contact with knowledge of Xezni’s movements. The Captain suggested that, because the bounty hunters are known in Yooi and Xezni was aware that they were coming, it would be better to first send new faces into the city so as not to alert the fugitive. Reluctantly, Madi agreed.

1915. Ronald, Brogue, and Hrol ventured into Yooi, a beautiful trade city filled with graceful, ornate Aslan architecture. The trio proceed to the night market where they sought out Stoi Yu, a purveyor of off-world goods.

2000. Refueling complete. The Starjammer’s purifying plant began processing the starport’s unrefined fuel.

2100. Ronald reported that his team had made contact with Yu. The merchant said that Xezni and several other members of Lazzari’s gang were currently in the city but that it would take some time to identify exactly where the brigands were staying. Yu scheduled a follow-up meeting for noon the following day with Roozer and Dibefe.

Wang (DARK 2506 D789899-2) 048-1103.

Tech-9, the O.G. Killzilla.

1033. While Roozer and Dibefe prepared to enter Yooi, Brogue arranged to have their weapons smuggled in with them. Hrol and Madi entered the bridge to monitor the developing situation from there.

1100. The Owner, Brogue, Wayne, and Howard scouted the nearby Linsey Vigo. Daren, disappointed that he could not bring Tech-9, remained aboard the ship. The scouts observed several Linsey crew members moving in and out of the ship, as if preparing for a hasty departure. The scouts did not spot Xezni among the group.

1204. An explosion from somewhere in Yooi rocked the starport. The scouts immediately returned to the Starjammer.

1207. Neither Roozer nor Dibefe responded to Hrol’s comms requests.

1221. Wayne sent a drone up to investigate the explosion. As the drone hovered over the smoldering market, Wayne reported a mass casualty event and tremendous confusion.

1240. The Captain ordered all hatches closed and preparations made for takeoff. Iyoi Hou, the onboard port guide, registered a formal complaint. Hrol escorted Madi off the bridge and down to the passenger section.

1243. The Chief Engineer initiated power plant startup procedures. The crew opened the ship’s locker and began distributing arms. Iyoi Hou registered a second complaint.

1245. Weapons Officer Boone reported that the shipboard weapons systems were unlocked and online. Iyoi Hou registered a third complaint.

1248. JUNO reported that although Yooi traffic control had ordered the Linsey Vigo back to its berth, the ship was taxiing out to the runway.

1249. Boone reported that none of the weapons had a clear line of fire at the Linsey.

1250. Sonny and Howard made for the cargo deck and the air/raft.

1302. Sonny and Howard piloted the air/raft out of the Starjammer and set the grav vehicle on a direct collision course with the Linsey. Iyoi Hou registered a fourth complaint.

1303. Both Sonny and Howard bailed out just before the air/raft accelerated directly into the bridge of the Linsey, breaching the hull in a dramatic explosion.

1305. The Linsey Vigo shuddered to a stop at the edge of the tarmac. Iyoi Hou registered a series of additional complaints.

1309. The cargo hatch of the Linsey opened and several men emerged firing assault rifles.

1311. Ronald, Brogue, Wayne, Daren, and Tech-9 emerged from the Starjammer to return fire.

1313. Half of the Linsey crew were down, including one blasted by Tech-9’s laser carbine. Timn Xezni appeared with a submachine gun and raked Ronald with a burst of automatic fire. The sensor operator fell, badly wounded, and Medical Officer Howard rushed to perform first aid.

1314. Timn Xezni, the last Linsey crewmember standing, was gunned down.

1331. Starport security arrived on the scene.

1700. Starport officials confirmed that Roozer and Dibefe had likely been killed by an improvised explosive device in the Yooi market, along with 14 onworld residents.

2200. JUNO reported that all onboard fuel had been refined.

Wang (DARK 2506 D789899-2) 049-1103.

0800. A representative of the Wang Provisional Government announced that the entire city of Yooi was under security lockdown and declared a global day of mourning.

1200. Starport officials announced that the explosion in the Yooi market appeared to be the work of offworld terrorists from the Linsey Vigo, and that a full investigation into the incident had been launched.

1400. Madi Ross filed for salvage rights to the Linsey Vigo.

Wang (DARK 2506 D789899-2) 050-1103.

0800. Yooi security officials, assisted by Solomani advisors, began interviewing Starjammer crewmembers.

Wang (DARK 2506 D789899-2) 054-1103.

1200. A representative of the Wang Provisional Government announced that the security lockdown for Yooi had been lifted.

Wang (DARK 2506 D789899-2) 060-1103.

0800. The Captain announced 24 hour liberty for all crew to celebrate Boone’s birthday.

Wang (DARK 2506 D789899-2) 061-1103.

0300. Yooi starport security escorted three unauthorized guests off the ship.

0440. Medical Officer Howard reported that Brogue, Daren, and Wayne were currently in sickbay for various ailments. None appeared life-threatening.

0600. The Weapons Officer was ordered confined to quarters until further notice.

Wang (DARK 2506 D789899-2) 065-1103.

0700. The Purser paid the crew their monthly salaries.

1200. Yooi officials announced that the investigation into the marketplace explosion was now closed, and that bomb-making materials, along with numerous other contraband items, had been found aboard the Linsey Vigo. No questions were taken.

1300. Starport officials assessed Cr15,233 in fines to the Starjammer based upon Iyoi Hou’s formal complaints.

1530. Starport officials announced that Madi Ross had been awarded partial salvage rights to the Linsey Vigo.

1630. The Purser paid the starport fines, the port guide fees, and all fueling and berthing charges.

1655. Exit Visa issued.

Wang (DARK 2506 D789899-2) 066-1103.

0531. Departed from Yooi starport.

0553. Achieved orbit above Wang.

0601. Made comms contact with the CSS Demeter, a 200-ton Type SE Solomani escort, standing by at the 100 diameter limit.

0853. Colcan jump point reached.

0858. Entered jumpspace.

Jumpspace 067-1103.

0400. Adjusted grav plate settings throughout the ship to 0.92 g, part of a gradual transition to 1.0 g standard gravity.

Colcan (DARK 2805 B9C5268-9) 072-1103.

0058. Exited jumpspace, began maneuvering to Colcan Orbital starport.

0131. A sensor scan detected an Aslan merchant ship refueling at the outermost gas giant: the Tiykhu, a 200-ton Kteiroa-class seeker out of Alaoyaah (DARK 1714), arriving from Dengmi (DARK 2605). Captain Ktaweiyeiei commanding.

0548. Reached Colcan Orbital. Began refueling.

Colcan (DARK 2805 B9C5268-9) 075-1103.

0639. Departed Colcan Orbital.

1026. Sensors detected the CSS Surprize, a 1,000-ton Type SM Solomani patrol frigate, standing by off the innermost gas giant.

1129. Reached Baconan jump point, entered jumpspace.

Jumpspace 076-1103.

0400. Adjusted grav plate settings throughout the ship to 0.93 g, part of a gradual transition to the 0.48 g surface gravity of Baconan.

Baconan (DARK 3104 C574534-7) 082-1103.

2119. Exited jumpspace approximately 785,000 km from Baconan, a habitable agricultural world. Begin maneuvering toward the starport.

Baconan (DARK 3104 C574534-7) 083-1103.

0009. Arrived in orbit above Baconan. Received permission to land.

0052. Docked at Baconan starport, commenced refueling activities and resupply of life support systems.

1904. Completed refueling, began fuel refining.

Baconan (DARK 3104 C574534-7) 084-1103.

1648. Completed fuel refining.

Baconan (DARK 3104 C574534-7) 085-1103.

0742. Cleared for takeoff from Baconan starport.

0807. Achieved orbit.

1029. Reached Wu jump point.

Jumpspace 086-1103.

0400. Adjusted grav plate settings throughout the ship to 0.55 g, part of a gradual transition to 1.0 g standard gravity.

Wu (MAGY 0203 B66A99A-E) 092-1103.

0839. Exited jumpspace. Established contact with Wu System Control.

1150. Docked at High Nara starport.

Copyright Information

The Traveller game in all forms is owned by Far Future Enterprises. Copyright © 1977 – 2021 Far Future Enterprises. Traveller is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. Far Future permits web sites and fanzines for this game, provided it contains this notice, that Far Future is notified, and subject to a withdrawal of permission on 90 days notice. The contents of this site are for personal, non-commercial use only. Any use of Far Future Enterprises’s copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, any program/articles/file on this site cannot be republished or distributed without the consent of the author who contributed it.

Materials produced by Digest Group Publications (DGP) are copyright © Roger Sanger. Any use of Digest Group Publications’ copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this Web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights. Usage is intended to follow the guidelines announced by Roger Sanger on the Traveller Mailing List for preserving the overall Traveller milieu.

Sound Retreat

I recently attended a gaming retreat with several good friends and had a blast hanging out, playing different games, and eating and drinking all manner of good (and bad!) things. We had envisioned this as our first post-pandemic gathering but unfortunately, it appears that might have been wishful thinking.

A few highlights from the weekend:

• We did a booster draft of the new Dungeons and Dragons-themed Magic the Gathering set, Adventures in the Forgotten Realms. While I enjoy playing Magic, I’ve never been very good at it and it’s been years since I followed it closely. That said, even I was really looking forward to this set, if only for the art. Unfortunately, a lot of the art appeared dark and cramped to my (admittedly, older) eyes. It was pretty nifty to finally see explicitly D&D branded cards, but many mechanics seemed pretty out there. I’ll leave it to my MtG playing friends to weigh in on how the new set plays.
• Ghosts of Saltmarsh. My same friend who DM’d our awesome Strahd campaign is running this and I’m trying my hand at playing a tank: Sturmagant the Goliath fighter. Although I had the 1e module U1 Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, I never ran it and never even read the subsequent installments, so I’m coming in cold and really looking forward to playing through this campaign.
• Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. We play this D&D game a couple of times a year. It’s a cool adventure run by a great DM, but so complicated that it’s hard to go so long between sessions. I’m hoping we can play more frequently in the next year.
• Wingspan. Several of my friends have really gotten into the new board game scene, and I keep telling myself I need to try one of these out. A couple of years ago I read an intriguing article about the development of Wingspan, and finally had a chance to play it. It’s great looking, and like all of these new board games plays quickly and offers a ton of strategic choices. I really want to try this again.
• Sly Flourish’s Fantastic Adventures for 5e. One of our regular players wanted to try DMing for the first time, so we played through one of the adventures from this anthology. It was a crazy collection of characters: I played a tabaxi rogue, another friend played a goblin rogue. Our DM rolled with all of it, and we had a pretty fun adventure. I hope he runs more!
• Into the Interface. I had a chance to run another installment of my Traveller game, “the Ross Charter.” I had a good time, but it was the last session of the retreat and energy was a little low for some players. Like Waterdeep, i probably suffers from a little too much complexity and too much time between sessions. I’ve wanted to do some Zoom games again, so maybe I’ll try to get something on the books for October.

All in all, I had a blast and I’m already thinking about our next retreat!

Reaper Bones 5

About nine years ago Reaper Miniatures launched a fateful Kickstarter campaign for a new line of plastic models: Reaper Bones. I pledged, even though I hadn't painted a single miniature since high school. I've pledged all of the subsequent Reaper campaigns and re-found a pretty enjoyable pastime. Today my reward package for Reaper Bones 5: Escape from Pizza Dungeon arrived, and it's pretty impressive:

Every iteration of this Kickstarter has shown steady improvement in both the quality of sculpts as well as the quality of casting. The first few campaigns used a relatively soft PVC-like plastic. The advantage of this material was it was relatively cheap, but it was only so good at holding details and had a tendency to droop or bend. Reaper has gradually tweaked the formulation and the current material, Bones Black, is stiffer and retains much sharper details—it seems almost as good as most metal castings. I believe Reaper Bones 5 is the first set to use this material exclusively.

Although I've pledged all five campaigns, I've steadily been decreasing my orders, in part because I've had less time to paint, but mostly because I now have a fairly large collection of painted miniatures. Since I mostly DM, I mainly need monster figures and at this point, other than some rather rare monsters, I've got a suitable miniature for most encounters.

Bones 5 is making me rethink that strategy: although I have many examples of monsters that are included in this set, such as kobolds, skeletons, or undead, the quality of the newest sculpts is so much better than those from earlier campaigns. Also, I'm a much better painter than I was nine years ago. So I'm thinking about revisiting some of these familiar figures. For example, these giant rats have far more detail than the ones included in the first Kickstarter.

Although I have several, very nice owlbear sculpts, the newest one is so good I'll probably need to paint this one up even though, realistically, how many owlbears are you ever going to need in one encounter?

Similarly, the troll from this set has got a fantastic pose that doesn't really come across in a photo. Some miniatures you really have to hold in your hand in order to appreciate the quality of the sculpt.

I really have fallen behind on my painting with the pandemic due to all the online gaming, but I'm hoping that ironically, with the relaxation of most restrictions, I'll have some more time to practice.

Out of Out of the Abyss

We finished the Out of the Abyss 5e adventure last night on Roll20, and it was a pretty fine end to a fun campaign that took us all the way through the pandemic and back again. We began on January 28, 2018 but only got in a handful of monthly sessions before we went on hiatus. We picked the campaign back up at the very end of 2019 and then pretty much played weekly all through last year. In total, we completed 56 sessions and I’m going to guess a bit over 130 hours.

A total of 9 players and 17 characters cycled through the game, though we only had a few PC deaths. At the end, we had six PCs: Trent Purpling, drow necromancer; Jigme, gnome monk; Titus Basswood, elf ranger; Jhandor Jobis, half-orc barbarian; Jalen Stoutmantle, cleric of Pelor; and Leaf Woodcock, elf druid.

I need to collect my thoughts about the adventure in a future post—my overall feelings are a little complicated, but I do want to relate a bit about last night’s final session.

Serious Spoilers Follow!

The final chapter of OotA involves the characters planting a magical device that will draw in all of the demons rampaging across the Underdark to a single place, where—being demons—they will be induced to battle each other to the death. The characters are then expected to dispatch the weakened survivors.

My party elected to place the device directly in the drow city of Menzoberranzan. They had successfully banished Baphomet, Yeenoghu, Zuggtmoy, and Juiblex, leaving only the demon lords Orcus and Demogorgon for the final battle. The default script then has a weakened Demogorgon to fight the PCs.

Under the circumstances, I found the final battle to be rather wanting. Just from a time perspective, I couldn’t see a fight with a weakened Demogorgon lasting much more than 30 or 40 minutes. A bit anticlimactic, if you ask me.

I also wanted to integrate the final battle more fully into Menzoberranzan. After all, the PCs effectively dropped a WMD in the middle of a bustling drow city: I wanted to show the consequences of that choice.

So I greatly expanded the base script for the final battle. I also wanted to really amp up the epic factor for this last session. I pulled out my copy of the 3.5e supplement Hordes of the Abyss and added some additional demon lords from that excellent source into the scenes of chaos and destruction. I wanted to present a series of horrific, powerful demons without a lot of explanation or exposition; many of the descriptions I used were adapted straight from Hordes.

The following script of my final battle was intended to be just a baseline for improvisation. I ad-libbed a lot of description based on player questions and ideas. Some embedded notes indicate game-mechanical directions, and I was ready if the PCs wanted to interact with any of the scenes I described.

The waiting is the hard part. Time seems to drag as you remain alert, weapons drawn, every nerve singing with the tension in the air all around you.

On the street before you, a drow merchant haggles with a potential buyer over a spider-silk cloak. Two off-duty guards lounge about, passing a wine skin back and forth. Three drow thugs shake down another merchant, holding a knife to his throat. A shabby, destitute drow, a strange sigil carved into his forehead, staggers through the street, murmuring about a great double prince.

Finally, a swirling light begins to flare in the darkness. A barely audible humming shakes you to the core, rising and falling like a vast heartbeat in the depths. 

A hush falls over all of Menzoberranzan. All of you suddenly feel very . . . different: calmer, and somehow more hopeful. It is easier to focus. You realize that for months and months a certain part of your waking energies has been spent fighting off the demonic madness, and without this constant drag on your mind you are able to think clearly again. On the street, the merchant and his buyer shake hands in agreement. The two lounging guards stand up and straighten their tunics. The thugs pick up the merchant they were harassing, and apologize. The destitute drow stops, looks around, as if awakened from a dream.

Then the calm breaks and the press of madness returns, now even stronger than before. You hear a faint rustling whisper, growing louder and louder. A dark line of scurrying rats, scuttling spiders, and flapping bats stream across the streets and rooftops, away from the outskirts of the city.

The glow of faerzress gathers and brightens, creating swirling pools like holes torn in the air. A roar sounds from far away as shadows move in the depths of those pools of light. 

The demons are coming.

You hear, in the distance, screams. Bells ring. Flames jet up in the darkness several blocks away, some nearly reaching the ceiling of the great cavern. Screams are joined by smashing, splintering, roaring, and insane, wicked laughter.

A patrol of two dozen drow guards, accompanied by a dozen bugbear slaves, begins to form up in the streets. But although the captain calls out orders, the guards begin bickering and shoving one another. Suddenly, the bugbears attack their masters, and the guards are caught by surprise by the onslaught.

[Psychic wave of anger, frustration, and fear. Take 20 psychic damage, DC 16 Wisdom save for half.]

A monstrous, blue-faced parody of a mandrill, twelve feet high, with enormous black raven wings with rotting feathers [Mandrillagon] roars and lopes forth into view. It is accompanied by nine rampaging demons, looking like powerfully muscled orangutans with filthy, rusty-red fur [barlgura demons]. These demons seize and rip apart the guards and bugbears and eat them in the streets. 

[2 barlgura demons]

A rickshaw, pulled by a massive, scarred troll carries a haughty drow priestess. She is accompanied by an elite guard of twelve female drow fighters. The priestess consults with an officer, then points to a distant area and the group charges ahead, toward the chaos.

A bandy-legged, 24-foot-tall giant [Kostchtchie] strides through the streets with a thunderous roar, just as snow begins to fall and an unnatural chill rolls across the scene. He wields an immense maul crafted of cold iron, his malformed head jutting above his hunched shoulders. The giant swings his hammer back and forth, smashing several orangutang-demons, splintering and battering entire drow buildings to rubble. The towering mandrill demon sniffs the air, then swiftly clambers up to a rooftop and disappears.

[Each creature within 30 feet of a point you choose must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6 bludgeoning damage and falling prone on a failure.]

A winged demon [Pazuzu] swoops down from the darkness above to attack the giant. The winged figure has the body of a tall, well-proportioned man, but its legs end in powerful birdlike talons and its four feathered wings shine with oil and writhe with smoke on his back. Its head combines the features of a handsome man and a feral hawk, its cruel, hooked beak filled with a forest of needle teeth. The giant roars and charges, but the winged figure vomits a swarm of buzzing locusts that envelop and devour the screaming giant.

A headless troll, carrying an empty, burning rickshaw, races through the streets away from the chaos, before tumbling into a heap in the streets.

A phalanx of five horned and winged fire demons [balor] marches down the street, driving a pack of burning giant spiders before them. The demons are fourteen feet tall, wreathed in fire, and bear whips and flaming swords. Behind them marches another fire demon, but even larger and carrying a greataxe [Belaphoss]. Its red flesh is covered with glowing black sigils. As these demons advance the buildings along the street alight on fire. 

[Each creature within 20 feet of a point you choose must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 3d6 fire damage, or half as much damage on a success.]

At an intersection the fire demons meet a strange shimmering in the air, announcing the arrival of a shape, little more than a billowing white diaphanous sheet [Pale Night]. Closer inspection reveals a lithe and seductive form beneath the sheet, a voluptuous feminine figure indistinct and hazy. Now and then the edges of the sheet rise a little too highly, yet never rise high enough to reveal the details that writhe beyond.

The fire demons roar in unison and charge the shimmering figure, which floats down to embrace one of their number. The fire demon cries out in terror, becomes insubstantial, and disappears. The remaining fire demons immediately fall back.

Lightning blasts play upon the roof of the great cavern. Somewhere something large and brittle shatters.

The great mandrill demon leaps from the rooftops upon the largest fire demon and rampages among the group while the shimmering figure hovers and watches. The mandrill demon rips two fire demons apart, tearing one’s arm clear off and breaking the horns off a second, before being cut down and destroyed by the surviving fire demons. The mandrill demon screeches as it burns. The fire demons suddenly rise up, as if heeding a silent command, and then hustle away as the shimmering figure watches.

[A character you choose must make a successful DC 13 Dexterity saving throw to dodge a stray attack. On a failed save, the character takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage.]

A darkly handsome, ebon-skinned man nearly 9 feet tall [Graz’zt] arrives with some two dozen naked, fawning drow in his wake. When the dark figure stops the drow fall to the ground, clutching and kissing his feet. The man’s slightly pointed ears, yellow fangs, and six-fingered hands mark him for the demon he is. 

The shimmering figure floats down to street level. Immediately, many naked drow rise and blindly rush the shimmering figure. They are easily destroyed each in turn but the dark man slashes the shimmering figure with an enormous, wave-bladed sword. Again and again the sword slashes through the shimmering figure until it flashes brightly and is gone. 

As soon as the shimmering figure disappears, a great, high-pitched wailing sounds and many drow hiding in the rubble are clearly driven mad, wandering dazed out from their shelters and into the streets.

A group of six drow warriors, bloodied and battered, come rushing through the streets. Their weapons are discarded, they run for their lives. 

[Sound of Demogorgon]

Dozens of terrified drow citizens rush through the street, headed toward the great cathedral of Lolth. Many are trampled. The dark man skewers one for fun and laughs.

In the vault high above the streets of Menzoberranzan, an aerial battle: on one side a massive demon, 15 feet tall, with the body of a grossly obese man, the head of a ram, leathery wings, a barb-tipped tail, and thick-furred legs ending in cloven hooves. This is dread Orcus, Demon Prince of Undead. He is accompanied by thirteen flying figures: pale, thin, wearing tattered black rags. On the other side, the four-winged, hawk-headed demon prince with dozens of vulture-headed demons. The pale flying figures dart and wheel until they break through the vulture-demon ranks, allowing Orcus to close and strike the hawk-headed demon prince with his skull-tipped wand. Black energy bursts from the wand and the hawk-headed demon prince is destroyed, tumbling down to smash in the city streets.

[3 vrock demons land]

Now comes Demogorgon, the Prince of Demons himself, accompanied by three large demons, six-armed women with the torsos and tails of great serpents, along with a dozen capering toad demons. Demogorgon and his guards clash with the three remaining fire demons back in the intersection. The snake-women and toad demons destroy the two smaller fire demons, but are themselves destroyed in turn by the largest fire demon. Demogorgon batters the largest fire demon with a series of tentacle blows, breaking its flaming greataxe and finally knocking it low.

[Roar of Demogorgon]

The dark man with the wave-bladed sword turns to face Demogorgon, and begins to speak.

But a 30-foot-tall wave of black, putrid water rushes down the street. An enormous black shape [Dagon] emerges from the roiling waters to swallow the dark man whole, destroying him. The water dissipates and the monstrous demon prince flops upon the street. The demon is immense, its glistening bulk heaving monstrously as a writhing storm of hook-suckered tentacles unfolds from its shapeless lower body. Its two longest tentacles terminate in immense five-fingered talons. Its head is that of a deep-sea fish, twisted with cruelty and leering with a primordial intelligence, its stiletto-like teeth immense and translucent. Its body is not quite sea serpent, not quite mollusk, and not quite shark, but somehow, horribly, a combination of all three.

[Wave of terror and revulsion. Anyone viewing Dagon takes 30 psychic damage, half on a DC 18 Charisma save.] 

Orcus and Demogorgon immediately close with the titanic fish demon, along with a mob of vampires and lesser demons. Buildings are flattened and scores of demons and vampires are extinguished before the giant fish demon is brought low.

Orcus and Demogorgon turn on each other.

The sounds of battle finally die away, the ground before you stained black and red with demonic blood and ichor. In the terrible grip of Demogorgon, even the mighty Orcus looks almost small. Tentacles hold the Demon Prince of Undeath in a crushing grip, slithering across the maggot-riddled flesh of the horned demon, as they tighten inexorably. A strangled gasp issues from the demon lord’s throat as a horrific crunching sound echoes throughout the cavern and his skull-topped wand clatters onto the floor.

Demogorgon casts aside the limp form, which melts away as Orcus returns to the Abyss that spawned him. The Prince of Demons throws back his two heads and roars his triumph. As he does, his nearer head turns, burning eyes raking across the battlefield. Filled with bloodlust and battle rage, the demon lord searches for another target.

[Roar of Demogorgon]

Betelgeuse Sector

I was recently reading Leroy W. L. Guatney’s archived Traveller site, IISS Stellar Cartography. In the 90s and early 2000s, Leroy did a lot of development work on the trailing and rimward regions of Charted Space, particularly the Hive Federation. Many of his names for sectors appear to have been incorporated into Traveller canon.

I noticed something I hadn’t before: Leroy had named a “Betelgeuse sector” four sectors rimward of Magyar. This sector, which lies roughly 135 to 180 parsecs from Terra, is currently unnamed on Traveller Map.

The star Betelgeuse is a M1 Ia red supergiant, the tenth brightest star in the Terran sky. It is located in the constellation of Orion, which lies roughly rimward/spinward-rimward from Terra—so Leroy’s Betelgeuse sector is in the right direction relative to Terra.

Betelgeuse is normally listed as 642.5 light years (197 parsecs from Terra), which would unfortunately put the star outside the boundaries of Leroy’s Betelgeuse sector.

However, the star’s distance has been notoriously hard to pin down. A recent study found Betelgeuse to be about 25% closer than currently understood: an estimated 548 light years (168 parsecs) from Terra. And happily, this finding would put Betelgeuse squarely within Leroy’s sector, in either subsectors I/M, N, O, or P, somewhere on an arc from hex 0130 to hex 3234, plus or minus a lot, due to the vagaries of projecting 3-D stellar data unto a 2-D jump map.

Given this serendipity, I propose naming the sector located at (-1, -7) Betelgeuse. And while we’re at it, let’s place the following system in hex 1632 of that sector:

Betelgeuse Sector (-1, -7)

Hex	Name	UWP	Remarks	{Ix}	(Ex)	[Cx]	N	B	Z	PBG	W	A	Stellar
1632	Ardra	X000000-0	As Ba Va	{-3}	(500-5)	[0000]	-	-	-	000	4	NaXX	M1 Ib

Betelgeuse sector lies directly rimward of Holowon sector, and is a wilderness area only eighty parsecs removed from the edge of Charted Space. Betelgeuse would be a bright star from almost any world in Magyar sector, as well as any of the rimward sectors of the Solomani Confederation.

Copyright Information

The Traveller game in all forms is owned by Far Future Enterprises. Copyright © 1977 – 2021 Far Future Enterprises. Traveller is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. Far Future permits web sites and fanzines for this game, provided it contains this notice, that Far Future is notified, and subject to a withdrawal of permission on 90 days notice. The contents of this site are for personal, non-commercial use only. Any use of Far Future Enterprises’s copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, any program/articles/file on this site cannot be republished or distributed without the consent of the author who contributed it.

Materials produced by Digest Group Publications (DGP) are copyright © Roger Sanger. Any use of Digest Group Publications' copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this Web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights. Usage is intended to follow the guidelines announced by Roger Sanger on the Traveller Mailing List for preserving the overall Traveller milieu.

A Guide to New Sol

Revised Starjammer

Kline Control, this is IMV Starjammer. We’re clearing 100 diameters, on approach to the Grendel jump point. Preparing to jump outsystem, no estimated time of return.

Now that we’ve re-redesigned the armed packet (Type U) and discussed generating starship chrome to flesh out individual vessels, let’s revisit the Starjammer with these ideas. This level of detail wouldn’t make sense for any old ship, but is certainly appropriate for a ship owned or operated by the PCs.

The Starjammer Armed Packet

Starjammer crew patch, alternate Vilani text. The legend reads “IMV Shaanseri.” Not worn while on duty within the Solomani Confederation due to political sensitivities.

The I.M.V. Starjammer [Vilani: Shaanseri, lit. “sun-diver”] is a modified Type U armed packet, potentially the prototype for a TL14 redesign of the venerable TL12 Pemami class. The Starjammer appears to have been developed as a joint venture between the Magyar shipbuilding firm Allied Prefabricated Ships & Vessels and the Vegan engineering tuhuir Tsyasha Kwa.

The Starjammer had its keel laid down at the APS&V shipyard at Kugle (Magyar 2423 A522656-E) on 011-1082 and first flew on 295-1083. Its homeport is Kline (Magyar 3012 A642987-E). Based on the official registration data, the ship has had only a single previous owner, Three Sectors Exports, LIC, and one previous captain, Marko Shugilii, though no further information about either the company or captain is readily available from the standard databases.

The ship’s official log records only sporadic travel between Kline and Shululsish (Solomani Rim 0214 A584A52-F), with occasional jaunts to Dingir (Solomani Rim 1222 AA89A98-F) and Hsuishlesh (Solomani Rim 1120 A644986-E) in the Vegan Autonomous District. However, close examination indicates that the hour meter gages on major ship components have much higher runtimes than would be expected from the log entries. The Starjammer has an immaculate maintenance record, which is remarkable for any commercial vessel with 20 years of service.

The Starjammer is currently an Imperial flagged ship registered on Kline and assigned the registration number 338-C-2725. The owner aboard is the synthetic person 3185D31A, also known as “Sonny,” a Kline Synthetic Technologies Verisim-8 android designed to closely resemble a Human. The ship’s master and pilot is Captain Cryo, and the Executive Officer and astrogator is Wayne Masada. The Second Officer and chief engineer is Richy Jamoor, while the Third Officer is the medic and purser Howard. The Fourth Officer is the Starjammer’s sensor operator Ronald.

One of the Starjammer’s most notable upgrades over a standard Type U is JUNO, the primary on-board computer: a Tsyasha Kwa JN0 Model/6.3. JUNO runs a highly optimized Vegan operating system that utilizes an unusual architecture. The computer’s default display uses the Vegan language, though this can be changed to either Anglic or Vilani. This powerful Vegan-manufactured component has enough processing power to simultaneously run both Evade/2 and Fire Control/3 programs, giving the little ship a significant edge in any firefight. JUNO also runs Intellect and Jump Control/3 programs, as well as a Counselor program, which functions like a Digital Friend specialized for clinical evaluation and treatment.

While not a true Artificial Intelligence, the computer’s sophisticated programming provides a measure of self-awareness and responsiveness. In conversation JUNO appears both attentive and intuitive, exhibiting a self-assured and almost genteel personality. The computer is highly inquisitive with strong maternal impulses, closely monitoring the physical and emotional states of all crewmembers and passengers, and freely offering advice on nutrition, sleep patterns, physical activity, and interpersonal relationships. JUNO expresses reservations about most off-ship activities and readily volunteers library data about planetary crime statistics, environmental hazards, or any dangerous native organisms.

The ship’s secondary computer is a more conventional Shululsish Internetworking UDA Model/3. In contrast to JUNO, UDA presents an abrupt and rather cold personality.

JUNO maintains a patronizing and almost resentful attitude toward UDA, “that old busybody.” UDA, in an uncharacteristic flash of personality, sometimes refers to JUNO as “Her Highness,” and appears to actually enjoy questioning JUNO’s decisions.

Starjammer Details

The Starjammer is easily recognized as a Type U variant due to its sesquiplane airframe configuration, designed to improve handling in atmosphere without adding substantial weight to the craft. An armed packet utilizes two distinctive sets of wings: a smaller pair above a larger pair. In atmosphere the Starjammer can reach a maximum speed of 2,565 km/h and has a cruising speed of 1,924 km/h. Retractable landing pylons support the ship while on the ground.

Specifications

Ship Profile	Armed Packet (U-CA33).
Manufacturer	Allied Prefabricated Ships & Vessels/Tsyasha Kwa.
Hull	300 displacement tons (airframe). 4,200 cubic meters.
Dimensions	Length 50.7 m; Beam 50.2 m; Draft 11.1 m.
Mass	4,890 tonnes unloaded, 5,003 tonnes loaded.
Electronics	One Tsyasha Kwa JN0 Model/6.3 on-board computer and one Shululsish Internetworking UDA Model/3 backup computer.
Engineering	One Tsyasha Kwa Impetus-E 750 MW fusion power plant coupled to one APS&V Type E2X jump drive/governor unit and two Mark V 3G impulse maneuver drives.
Gravitics	Shuiwo Wuish inertial compensators and adjustable floor field.
Performance	One jump-3 (3 parsecs) and 3g constant acceleration for up to 30 days.
Armor	36 mm bonded superdense plating.
Armament	One dorsal triple turret mounted with Delgado M3C 250 MJ pulse lasers, two triple turrets mounted with Delgado S2A semi-automated missile launch racks.
Crew	Pilot, Astrogator, Engineer, Steward, Medic.
Accommodations	Sixteen staterooms (three luxury), four low berths.
Cargo	Twenty-four tons.
Ship‘s Craft	One Ling Standard Products Sirvaan four-ton air/raft.

The hull of the ship is smooth and strong. Penetrating the hull is possible only with anti-ship weaponry. While a standard Type U has a light armor layer of crystaliron, the Starjammer’s armor is composed of bonded superdense alloys, which provide better protection with only a fraction of the mass. Superdense alloys are created by compressing the molecular structure of crystaliron materials in extremely high gravity fields, while bonded superdense materials have electron bonds artificially strengthened by means of a field similar to that used in damper technology.

Air/Raft Doors: Sliding doors are located in the aft starboard section of C Deck for access to the air/raft docking space. These doors are normally closed. Suitable controls inside the bay and on the bridge can open the doors, as can a coded command from the air/raft itself.

Airlocks: The Starjammer has three separate airlocks, all sized for Humans. The airlocks protect the interior environment through a set of interlocking doors. On worlds with acceptable atmospheres, JUNO will allow both sets of doors to open at the same time.

Each cycling of an airlock includes routine decontamination for potentially harmful biologics, with x-rays, ultraviolet light, and as necessary temperature extremes, ultrasonics, or chemical agents. Additional equipment is available for decontamination from corrosive or radioactive environments.

Inside each airlock are four vacc suits and an emergency cabinet with a patch kit, fire extinguisher, and first-aid kit. Power sockets for the operation of tools are also available in the airlocks.

Emergency Airlock: This airlock is accessed from the passenger section in the stern of the Starjammer’s A Deck.

The Port and Starboard Airlocks: Twinned air locks allow controlled access to the Starjammer’s B Deck. Both airlocks are accessed from the lower wings of the ship. The Port Airlock is normally reserved for passengers, while the Starboard Airlock is used by crew.

Biometrics: JUNO uses biometric identification to distinguish between crewmembers and passengers and track their movements throughout the ship. Access to sensitive shipboard areas and systems is restricted to authorized personnel only.

Bulkheads: The major structural components of the Starjammer, the ship’s bulkheads are generally composed of either superdense or bonded superdense materials. Slug throwing weapons are ineffective against bulkheads.

Bulkheads form the outer hull and compartmentalize the ship for damage control and environment maintenance in the event of disaster. All deck floors and ceilings are assumed to be bulkheads.

Cameras: The Starjammer has security cameras in public areas, including the galley, infirmary, cargo bay, passenger lounge, and airlocks. Authorized personnel can view any camera from any terminal.

Cargo Doors: These large hinged doors, located in the bow of C Deck, fit snugly and are pressure-tight, allowing access to the cargo hold. Powered, with extendable ramps, these doors allow large cargo items to be loaded easily.

Computer Terminals: Computer terminals are available on the bridge, in the drives rooms, the lounges, all staterooms, and the cargo hold. These terminals allow access to the Starjammer’s library data, JUNO’s computational ability, and to other capabilities of the computer. Safety interlocks prevent these terminals from tampering with the main functions of the ship.

Interior Walls: These partitions are non-load-bearing panels firmly fixed in place. They are not pressure-tight and cannot withstand a concerted assault.

Iris Valves: These pressure-tight automatic portals are set in bulkheads. An iris valve functions much like the iris of a camera: many panels retract to leave an open passage or extend to block the portal with solid metal. Iris valves are operated by pressing a touchpad on the wall next to the valve. A valve may be locked from either side or by JUNO, and a red light shows on the panel to indicate this condition. Valves cannot be forced closed if already open.

Valves are very difficult to force open once fully closed. Gunfire and explosions simply block the valve tighter. Iris valves close automatically when a pressure difference is sensed between the two sides of the bulkhead and the ship’s power is on. They will not close fully until the valve is clear of any foreign objects such as legs, hands, etc.

Life Support: The Starjammer has a Kline Synthetic Technologies Khika-7 bioregenerative Total Life-Support System with variable environmental controls, 350 kg daily capacity. The Khika-7 includes the self-regenerating air supplies and filtration system, food and water stores, waste handling system, and other consumable supplies needed to keep the passengers and crew comfortable and healthy while aboard a ship in flight. The life support systems can produce edible food from algae and mycoprotein, though the product is a bland-tasting, dry, flaky paste or cake, often gray or brown. Flavor additives make the product more palatable.

Lift Shaft: The Starjammer has an elevator to lift personnel or goods between decks. This consists of a pressure-tight lift car and a shaft extending between all three decks. Ordinary sliding doors close the shaft when the lift car is not present. The lift car itself is sealed with a sliding door that is pressure-tight. Between decks, the lift shaft is sealed by pressure doors, maintaining integrity between the decks.

Maintenance Hatches: At some points, small, unobtrusive maintenance hatches have been placed in bulkheads to allow repair or service personnel access to machinery or equipment. Maintenance hatches normally stand closed and are generally ignored. Maintenance hatches are unpowered and lock with a common service key. All Starjammer officers have a key that fits all maintenance hatches.

Manual Hatches: These portals are hinged pressure doors secured by a handwheel and extending bars. They are not automatic, and are not controlled by JUNO; simple sensors will indicate to the bridge if a hatch is open or closed.

Ship’s Cat: The Starjammer has one Thinking Machines, Inc. J0NZ-E-model pet robot, designed to be an endearing, affectionate ship’s cat. This particular unit closely resembles a male tabby cat, though its fur is beginning to get ragged. J0NZ-E occasionally wears a white peaked cap with a tiny cap badge bearing the Starjammer’s insignia. The ship’s cat is able to use the lift and open all iris valves, even accessing spaces restricted to crew members. Occasionally JUNO cannot determine the robot cat’s location within the ship. J0NZ-E has an unsettling tendency to emerge anywhere, even behind bulkheads closed off with manual hatches.

Sensors: The Starjammer features a Shululsish Internetworking 774-A integrated electronics suite that includes communicator, sensor, and jamming components. The 774-A communicator is a basic multi-frequency broadcast communicator capable of sending and receiving radio signals over great distances to carry voice and image information. Transmissions may be scrambled (encrypted), but if continuous will be received by all radios within range. Lasercom is a tight-beam directional communicator using a modulated laser beam. Only another lasercom can receive its signal and only if directly in the path of the pencil-thin beam.

The 774-A contains a military-grade sensor suite to facilitate operations in frontier systems by using different sensor technologies to provide advance warning of potential threats. An array of infrared thermal imaging and low-light telescopic cameras gives the bridge crew a visual picture of objects within range in a 360-degree arc. The radscanner is a multifunction energy scanner that can detect and scan for various types of radiation, such as radio, neutrino, or radar emissions from all directions simultaneously. Neutrinos can reflect the presence of stars, starship or world fusion reactors, or nuclear activity. Radar/lidar arrays project focused radio pulses in sweeping scans of an area and interprets the returned signals (the echoes) for information about a physical object’s size, distance, and speed.

Finally, the 774-A includes a sophisticated electronic countermeasures system that scrambles or distorts the transmissions and readings of other sensors. This component contains a laser/radar detector, area radar jammer, deceptive radar jammer, infrared jammer, and batteries.

Signage: All passenger areas have dual language signage in both Anglic and Standard Vilani, which can be a source of consternation for Solomani Confederation officials and passengers.

Sliding Doors: These portals are set in interior walls. Sliding doors save space over more conventional swinging doors, and so are standard on most starships. They are not air-tight, and serve merely as privacy screens.

Sliding doors are powered, and when the ship’s power is on they open completely when a touchpad is pressed on the wall next to the door. Such doors may be locked (from either side or from JUNO) and a red light shows on the touchpad panel to indicate a locked condition. Shipboard courtesy considers locked doors a call for privacy, and they are respected except during emergencies. When the Starjammer’s power is off, sliding doors will not open automatically, but can be manually overridden with brute force.

Staterooms: These cabins support four basic functions: sleep, personal sanitation, privacy, and storage of personal items. For sleep, the stateroom provides a large bed adapted to Human dimensions. When not in use, the bed folds into a wall storage niche, allowing more space for other functions during non-sleeping periods.

For personal sanitation, the stateroom includes a wash basin, toilet, and a shower. All fold into niches in the wall when not in use. Privacy is a major function of the stateroom; long periods of travel in jump make it essential for everyone that a place be available for personal privacy and solitude.

Personal possessions can be stored in the large number of built-in shelves, drawers, and compartments in the stateroom. Bulk equipment not needed while in flight often remains stowed in the cargo hold, but personal clothing, equipment, or even hobby materials are kept in the stateroom for easy access.

All staterooms contain an inconspicuous emergency locker with rescue balls.

Vertical Shafts: Ladders leading through portals between decks are present at vertical shafts. Each portal is sealed with a hatch. One shaft, located in the forward starboard section of the ship, connects all three decks. A second shaft, located aft, connects the quarters and operations decks.

Interior Conditions

Normal interior conditions on the Starjammer generally approximate those of a livable world surface.

Atmosphere: The interior of the Starjammer will normally be pressurized to one standard atmosphere with an oxygen/nitrogen mixture. Each compartment can be set to different settings; the default setting is 0.55 atmospheres with very low humidity, consistent with a thin breathable atmosphere. Recycling equipment maintains the atmosphere and removes waste gases. Airlocks may be pressurized or in vacuum, depending on the last use of the facility.

JUNO monitors atmosphere pressure and quality, temperature, and other conditions. Alarms will sound if the gas mixture strays out of certain limits, if atmospheric pressure drops too low, or if a fire is detected. Air and water quality is also monitored for known pathogens, and for any condition that threatens the health of anyone aboard.

Gravity: Deck flooring includes integral grav plates. Sections of the internal grav plates can be turned on or off, adjusted from 0.1 to 2.0g, or even reversed, locally or by JUNO. The Starjammer’s default gravity setting is 0.5g, though the ship is normally set to one standard gravity. The negative grav field is used on the cargo deck to assist in loading and positioning cargo.

Shuiwo Wuish inertial compensators negate the effects of high acceleration and lateral gee forces while maneuvering. A ship’s passengers cannot normally tell whether they are moving through space or grounded on a planet surface unless they look at a viewscreen. Notwithstanding the use of grav plates, personnel are normally confined to their staterooms or to acceleration couches in the lounge when the ship is taking off or landing.

Light: Most areas have full intensity lighting available, sufficient for reading with ease. The intensity of lights can be varied by a simple wall switch positioned in each room. JUNO can also be used to vary lighting and to monitor its levels. Emergency lights are also set into the ceiling, ready to activate using internal battery power should the ship’s power grid shut down.

Some areas of the ship have special lighting capabilities. The bridge and corridors can be lit in red light to preserve night vision.

Plumbing: Standard, but simple, sanitary facilities (including toilet, sink, and shower) are available in each stateroom, as well as on the bridge and in the drive rooms.

Power: The Starjammer’s Tsyasha Kwa Impetus-E 750 MW fusion power plant provides power for heat, light, and other essential services within the ship. As long as the power supply is operational, life support, ventilation, and recycling continue on a constant basis. Wall outlets situated throughout the ship provide connections for most uses. Such connections are Imperial standard.

Temperature: The interior of a normal ship is about 20 degrees centigrade. The temperature in each room in the ship can be individually adjusted either by JUNO or through local controls. The default temperature is 35 degrees centigrade, which is rather hot for most Humans.

Inside the Starjammer

The Starjammer is typical of the armed packets, built with three decks parallel to the direction of acceleration. Fuel tankage is carried on both sets of wings.

Starjammer Deck Plans. Click to inspect.

A Deck (Quarters)

The uppermost, or quarters, deck holds the staterooms, lounges, infirmary, low berths, and access to the dorsal turret, as well as attachment points to the upper wings. During flight passengers are generally restricted to this deck and encouraged to remain within the passenger compartment in the stern unless they need to visit the Galley or Infirmary.

A. Lift. See Ship Details, above.

B. Vertical Shaft. See Ship Details, above.

C. Ship’s Locker. The Starjammer carries the following items in its locker:

• Five TL14 emergency skill wafers (Astrogation, Engineer (M-drive), Engineer (J-Drive), Medic, Pilot)
• Twelve vacc suits
• Three hostile environment vacc suits
• Four submachine guns, each with 50 loaded magazines
• Four autopistols, each with 50 loaded magazines
• Three mobile comms
• One survival kit
• One field medical kit

D. Galley. A variety of preserved foods are available from this computer controlled kitchen. Most meals are stored in a condensed state until selected by a crewmember or passenger.

E. Dorsal Turret Access. A retractable ladder provides access to the dorsal triple turret, which mounts three Delgado M3C 250 MJ pulse lasers. A rechargeable power cell provides power for each shot while Fusion+ components generate the power required to maintain the rate of fire. This weapon system can be operated manually by a gunner from within the turret, or remotely from the gunner’s station on the bridge, or automatically by JUNO.

S1. Captain’s Stateroom. This stateroom is slightly larger and better furnished than the other crew staterooms, with wood paneling.

S2–S6. Crew Staterooms. These staterooms represent standard accommodation. The furnishings fold into the wall in order to save space. Each room has a computer terminal and doubles as an intercom, and some sort of shelves, cabinets, or racks for storing personal possessions. An armed packet with a full complement of gunners requires the crew to double up with bunk beds.

Crew Lounge. This area is where most crew members spend their time when not sleeping or on duty. The lounge has tables, chairs, entertainment consoles, and exercise gear as well as an attached kitchen area.

S7–S16. Passenger Staterooms. These staterooms are standard accommodations but better equipped than the crew cabins. The walls of each stateroom can be adjusted to display a variety of color schemes or murals and passengers can adjust the appearance of their quarters to suit their individual tastes. Staterooms 11 and 12 are slightly larger than the others and assigned to passengers travelling High on a first come, first served basis.

Passenger Lounge. This area is where the passengers take their meals and spend most of their time when not in their staterooms. This lounge has been plushly carpeted and lavishly furnished. The lounge decor includes walls finished in a fine wood paneling, various exotic plants scattered about, and fine art on the walls. The dining area includes two tables with chairs. A foldable game table and an entertainment holo-projector can be deployed as desired.

Infirmary. The sickbay provides workspace for medical personnel to treat wounds and illnesses on an outpatient basis. The Starjammer’s infirmary has facilities for treating up to five patients, including four beds, one diagnostic table, and one operating table.

Low Berths. This area contains the low berth units, medical supplies used in awakening passengers, and a fresher.

Fuel Scoops and Processor. This equipment allows for the collection and purification of raw fuel from a gas-giant atmosphere or planetary ocean, turning this material into refined fuel. Fuel processors use catalytic grids and molecular filters to extract the hydrogen from gas-giant atmospheres.

Fuel Tanks. These are ultralight self-sealing internal tanks for storing liquid hydrogen, with cryogenic equipment. These tanks are not normally accessed during flight.

B Deck (Operations)

The middle, or operations deck, contains critical areas and is not normally accessible to passengers while in flight. Bulkheads divide the operations deck into several distinct compartments: the bridge, the power plant, jump drives, and maneuver drives. B Deck also contains the attachment points for the lower wings.

Avionics. This area is crammed with electronics, including the Starjammer’s military grade sensor suite as well as transmission jamming equipment. Access is available through two small maintenance hatches from the bridge.

Bridge. The bridge is the nerve center of the Starjammer. It contains consoles for the pilot and astrogator, as well as separate stations for the chief engineer, a sensor operator, and a gunner. Any of the ship’s turrets can be operated from the gunner’s station. The bridge is outfitted with holographic displays.

The port bulkhead contains an iris valve leading to the port airlock and the lift. As the bridge is a critical area, this iris valve is usually locked at all times. The hatch in the starboard bulkhead leads to the starboard airlock and the vertical shaft that connects to the quarters and cargo decks. The hatch in the aft bulkhead opens directly into the power plant compartment.

C. Computers. Although JUNO and UDA, the ship’s primary and secondary on-board computers, are distributed throughout the Starjammer and can be accessed from any of the ship’s consoles, particularly vital or sensitive electronics are housed in this specially shielded and protected compartment located just off the bridge. This area also contains reference manuals and spare components.

D. Port and Starboard Turrets. Each turret mounts three Delgado S2A semi-automated missile launch racks. Each turret holds twelve Delgado XS-7 250mm high explosive anti-ship missiles. The port turret has evidently been replaced, though this is not detailed in the ship’s log or maintenance records. Examination of the area around the new turret shows signs of extensive blast scoring.

These turrets can be manually operated by controls within the turrets, by the gunner’s station on the bridge, or automatically by JUNO.

E. Utility Space. This small area has a refreshment station that dispenses drinks and snacks, and contains fire extinguishers, two emergency lockers with vacc suits and emergency gear, and storage cabinets with spare parts and tools.

F. Fresher. These facilities are provided for bridge crew use.

G. Captain’s Office. This small space is used for administrative and planning activities.

Power Plant. This compartment houses the Tsyasha Kwa Impetus-E 750 MW fusion reactor, a very advanced TL12 power plant able to produce more energy with a much smaller footprint. This area, along with the drives compartments, contain wall-mounted tool racks, diagnostic equipment, and repair and spare parts compartments.

Jump Drives. This compartment contains the APS&V Type E2X jump drive/governor unit, another very advanced TL12 design able to generate jump fields using less energy and with less drive tonnage. The E2X allows the Stajammer to make jump-3. Engineering functions that cannot be controlled by JUNO, such as the tuning of the drives or making repairs, must be undertaken by the engineer in the drive room. A small access corridor within the drive room allows most parts of the drives to be inspected and repaired.

Maneuver Drives. Each of these two compartments contains a single APS&V Mark V impulse maneuver drive unit. These advanced drives are compact and require less energy. Together, these two Mark V units allow the Starjammer to achieve continuous 3g acceleration.

M. Fabricator. This compartment contains a Tsyasha Kwa Sutler 1100, a TL14 Maker device that uses nanotechnology to fabricate temporary tools, parts, and equipment from raw materials. The maker requires detailed specifications of the item to be manufactured as well as suitable feedstock. The Sutler 1100 unit is capable of printing TL12 items up to one displacement ton in volume. The Fabricator compartment also contains stores of common feedstock.

This compartment also contains a ladder up to A Deck.

C Deck (Cargo)

The bottom, or cargo deck, consists of two main compartments: the cargo hold and a docking bay for the air/raft.

Cargo Hold. The flooring of the hold is bare plating marked with guidelines for the placement of cargo containers. The ceilings are lattice-work with lighting panels well inset so that mishandled cargo will not crush them. Several mechanical fixture points permit cargo containers to be firmly locked to the deck or walls. The cargo hold shows fairly recent damage from small arms fire, including at least one laser blast in the ceiling.

The cargo doors have an unsightly weld patch from recent battle damage. Since there is no airlock, the entire cargo hold must be evacuated before the outer doors can be opened.

Panels in the cargo hold port and starboard bulkheads provide narrow access to landing struts.

Air/Raft Docking Bay. The Starjammer has a four ton, Ling Standard Products Sirvaan open-topped air/raft, a standard grav vehicle used to run small errands while the ship is in port planetside, loading and unloading cargo. Massing four tons, the air/raft is capable of lifting the pilot and five passengers plus 0.25 tons cargo. It has a 100 kph cruise speed and endurance up to 1,500 km. A Sirvaan can reach orbit if required.

The entire docking bay is a close fit for the air/raft and is an air lock with interior iris valves leading to the cargo hold.

Starjammer Design Details

Hull Points 120

Crew Pilot, Astrogator, Engineer, Steward, Medic, Gunner x3

Maintenance Cost Cr7,797 per month

Purchase Cost MCr187.125

The Starjammer, Armed Packet

TL14		Tons	Cost (MCr)
Hull	300 tons, Streamlined	–	18
Armor	Bonded Superdense, Armor: 5	12	7
M-Drive	Thrust 3 (reduced size, energy efficient)	8	20
J-Drive	Jump 3 (reduced size, energy efficient)	24	45
Power Plant	Fusion (TL12, reduced size, energy efficient), Power 153	8	10
Fuel Tanks	4 weeks operation, J3	91	–
Bridge	Standard, Holographic Controls	20	1.875
	Sensor Station	1	1
Computer	Computer 30 (Primary)	–	40
	Computer 15 (Secondary)	–	2
Software	Library	–	–
	Maneuver/0	–	–
	Intellect	–	1
	Jump Control/3	–	0.3
	Fire Control/2	–	6
	Evade/2	–	2
Sensors	Military Grade	2	4.1
	Countermeasures Suite	2	4
Weapons	Triple Turret (missile) x2	2	6.5
	Triple Turret (pulse laser)	1	4
Systems	Fuel Scoops	–	–
	Fuel Processor (100 tons per day)	5	0.25
	Medical Bay	4	2
	Maker Workshop	2	0.1
Craft	Docking Space	5	1.25
	Air/Raft	–	–
Staterooms	Standard x13	52	6.5
	High x3	18	2.4
	Low Berths x4	2	0.2
Common Areas		17	1.7
Cargo		24	–

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