Session 8: Star Forge in the Rear Views Report

General Summary

The PCs started off in the The Salters Peppers after having discovered the messages from the end of the previous session. They first decided to look for George Salter after discovering he, and his pistol, were missing.   Anna used her technological expertise to hunt for the last time that George’s ID Receiver was pinged on the The Port of Aberteen. Though originally looking for messages he’d sent, she found that he was last pinged in a local dive bar  called Maudeens. Dash and Kyra decided to go look into it and went into the rougher “worker” section of the Port to Maudeens. Dash paid a bribe of 30 credits to Maudeens herself (in combination with Kyra’s charm) to get information related to George. She said she’d seen him a few days ago in here drinking until 3 guys came in wearing button-up shirts and black pants. He’d left, come back freaked out (apparently to get his gun and/or manacles), and mentioned they were ‘former coworkers’ and ‘one was supposed to be dead’. He tailed them out of Maudeens.   They left Maudeens and saw a kid who looked like he plays around the area often. Dash paid him (a whole 5 credits) to share what he knew. Apparently the kid had seen 3 guys beating him up in an alleyway nearby. Dash found a camera that partially pointed that way at L’Quinti’s Pawn Shop (eagle-faced wiry man). He paid a massive 100 bribe to see the man’s video footage and an extra 20 to download a clip of it (which had 2 accessible faces and 1 turned away but wearing an Operator 7 Pistol under his left breast pocket).    Meanwhile, Anna worked on the Ship to crack into Maudeen’s receipt records to find and compare the CredStick IDs around the time George was there. After a couple hours of work, she was able to identify his CredStick ID (for future reference to track him down) along with the CredSticks of the 3 men he pursued. Dash and Kyra rejoined the ship crew and they discovered, through a final breach of system records, that the ship the 3 were from was the Araka (independently owned transport freighter) who were listed as bringing a crate of Aluminum and leaving with a crate of Iron (and to all appearances George).   During this investigation, Warren went and recorded an Audio Advertisement with Hopper to send to multiple systems. Jason went shopping for a new set of P-Suit Armor and Vibroblade was only able to find the vibroblade despite his and his shipmates resources and contacts (including Chiara’s aid). Li prepped the ship for a jump to the New Avon system.

Leaving the Port

They left the port together and headed to the outer system. Li and Jason noticed that they were being followed by another ship. Li moved them into a strange flight vector and the ship followed. Dash immediately hailed it with a “What the fuck do you want” which was responded to with them doing a deep scan on the Salters Peppers. Anna countered it successfully to their knowledge and she counterprobed them (discovering their name was Sky Smalt, registration as an Independant Transport Freighter, and the similar strange encrypted signal being broadcast that she’d detected when boarding the Burner "Gypsy Moth"). They ‘turned and burned’ back towards the Port but the ship immediately jumped as soon as they turned.  

Downtime (Mid-Flight)

They made an easy planed jump back towards New Avon and enjoyed 8 days of downtime.
Anna worked on making blueprints that are separable to let her design be manufactured without revealing the entire design. It currently will involve multiple manufacturers to remain secure from them, however.
Li practiced his crazy zen refocusing katas.
Jason and Kyra studied the large Utopia growth on his arm and found it was at least Pure Utopia and possibly the first source of renewable Utopia in the Galaxy.
Warren studied the orb via actively touching it (Empathy) with Dash’s permission and learned the “I am the Orb and the Orb is me” Aspect regarding the orb.
Dash spent his time befriending Chiara and eventually learned of her intention to break into System: Sihnon and kill Doctor Lorie Parker. He promised his help.

New Avon

They navigated to New Avon easily enough (surprisingly smoothly through the Stones of Avon). They landed and checked in with Portmaster Jimmy Dickens for a refuel (50 creds) and price checked a repaint (1500 creds). He explained he was cutting them such a deal since they ‘was good business’.   Dash headed to Trahvi Tavern to buy the old men there a drink (6 creds) and check on Nathaniel Scoxand. They confirmed that he seems to have a fire under his ass and even got a job recently. He chatted with them for a while and also learned that the transport companies were pulling out guards and some mob dicks known as the Hausaga Syndicate were shaking down local businesses.   While Dash dealt with that, the rest of the group headed to Kennio Jenkins Repair Services to meet Aris Scoxand. It started raining on them mid-walk. They found the gate shut and heard shouting inside. Jason headed around into the alleyway to see 2 armed thugs waiting there. Things quickly escalated.   Jason and Li used their melee skills to take down the 2 “spray and pray” thugs in the alleyway, however the 4 thugs inside were alerted. Anna cracked the lock on the Gate while Warren and Kyra tried to create a distraction like they were ‘the station guards’. Jason rushed into the room as one of them clocked Aris unconscious with a Billyclub (they later discovered he was the leader, Dony). Li fired from the doorway of the alley. Warren forced open the gate as Anna started messing with a nearby dumpster to unlock its wheels. Kyra headed inside the dumpster and found Magnesium which started dissolving into Hydrogen Gas in the rain. The thugs and the group exchanged fire. One of the thugs were subdued after being shot by Li then talked into surrender by Warren (now wearing a Mimicked FreeST guard uniform). Jason took out the Billyclub thug (KO) with his new vibroblade’s hilt and while Li ran out of bullets and rushed in beside him. Warren was shot up after opening the grate. Kyra tossed the magnesium at the wall and Anna shoved the heavy dumpster on it (using a lever to move it). The sparks ignited and exploded, sending the dumpster flying and blasting chunks out of the wall. Dash rounded the alleyway and rushed into the room (sliding under the flying dumpster) as Li severed one of the thugs arms off and the Hand of Fate claimed the final thug.   They patched up Aris and found she would be alright but just would have a hell of a migraine. They interrogated the Thug still conscious and learned about Kennio’s deal to fix the datapad they’d taken from the Singleton Freighter they recently raided, Aris being unable to, Kennio ditching, and Dony (the leader) being furious and taking her out for it. They learned that the thugs were Hausaga and dropped off for about a week at a time by Raldy, their captain on the Broken Chrysanthemum. They had collected ‘payment’ from everyone else in town and had about 1,100 Merits (claimed by PCs).   The group bound the thugs and stuck the 3 survivors in their smugglers bay. Aris tried to work on Squibbing the ship but couldn’t. She pointed the way to the Court of Scavs in the Hersperus Nebula, which Chiara (due to her deal with Dash to help) pointed out exists and she’d come through on her way escaping from System: Sihnon.   They discussed and decided to wait on New Avon until the Syndicate Ship arrived. Aris allowed Anna to take the Singleton Datapad (which has multiple bullet punctures through it) and was given a decoy datapad in return. Warren reached out to Colby’s Church and found that Bobby has been missing for a couple of weeks after he started talking about “the Golden City”.

Rewards Granted

1,100 Merits (taken from Syndicate, New Avon Shopkeeper’s ‘protection money’)
Minor Milestone

Character(s) interacted with

Ex-FreeST Officer Chiara Mekiee 
Aris Scoxand
New Avon’s Portmaster Jimmy Dickens
3 Old Men of Trahvi Tavern

Created Content

A literal Dumpster Fire
50 Cred Z-Drive “Refueling” at New Avon
1500 from Portmaster Dickens to repaint the ship
Determined 12-15 decently sized actual Colonies in the GS Rim