Stand Off
The Alex Murphy, under cover as the free trader Bad Wolf, came across an abandoned G’frar ship at a dark point on the way to Elstra. Bletherin, Grendel and an Alex avatar boarded to investigate. They downloaded the computer files and started salvaging parts when two G’frar ships appeared at the dark point.
Grrr alerted the captain of the alien ships’ arrival and opened a hailing frequency. He informed the new arrivals that the free trader Bad Wolf had claimed the derelict vessel for salvage. The G’frar dismissed the claim saying that they had the owner on board their ship.
Grrr replied that under Collective law, the Bad Wolf had legal rights to claim a derelict vessel for salvage. The G’frar, who did not acknowledge Collective Law, powered their weapons.
In the meantime, the away team returned to the Alex Murphy with what they could carry. Grendel reset the G’frar booby-traps. Alex plotted evasive maneuvers and attack vectors. Kovak plotted the nearest jump point. Grrr took aim on the communicating vessel.
Once on board, Bletherin took command and ordered the Bad Wolf to flee in order to be consistent with their cover. They sling-shot around the star. The G’frar fired some warning shots. Grrr expertly fired a shot to just miss one of the vessels just before they jumped out.
Made On Estra
The ship jumped into the Kavra system and then jumped to Estra. There was noticeably less traffic than on their previous visit. There was a different hideously decorated yacht in orbit. There was also a ship of unfamiliar design in the process of docking. It was a ship from the catfolk world.
Before they could contact traffic control, the ship was hailed by a local runabout. A female voice sent an encrypted message to Bletherin. It was the agent from the party informing them that they should not have returned as they had been made. She probed to uncover whether they had switched the goods. Apparently the Estrans had accused the New Canaanites of the duplicity in the meantime. The contact only knew the ship as the Bad Wolf, so their cover was still intact. They just needed to convince the Estrans that they had not switched the cargo.
Grrr scanned the system for threats and identified some Estran planetary defense cutters in the area. Traffic control guided the Bad Wolf to the main commercial station. The runabout headed to the Estran shipyards. On the way, the crew scanned for the yacht they were looking for, but did not find it.
Once docked, Bletherin posted their cover cargo for sale. He received a missive from House Horusca extremely politely inviting him to meet at their offices on the station when their affairs were settled. The cargo was purchased for less than an optimal price, but at a small profit. Bletherin put in low bids for some available cargo.
Bletherin sought out the bar that the traffic controllers frequented with Grrr in tow. They found some traffic controllers and asked to join them at their table. The controllers were indifferent, so they sat and refilled their drinks. He asked about the yacht they were looking for because they had not been paid for their last job and the controllers clammed up. They said that whatever they were owed was not worth it and to write it off as lessons learned.
Grrr pressed for the information. The controller was not inclined to respond. Grrr gave her a data slate to write the name on but she returned it without responding. Then they downed their drinks and staggered out of the bar.
Kovak went to the pilot bar, but learned nothing new. She heard a lot of Space Nessie rumors, including several that she had started.
Grrr and Bletherin sought out more information. The found a Harth who reiterated the warning against pursuing payment. He mentioned that the ship belonged to one of the major houses and it was unusual for them not to pay. He would say no more, and returned to a female who was fawning over him. Another female left in a huff. Grrr pursued her, to her quarters… Bletherin returned to the ship.
Alex had decoded the G’frar data and Grendel was looking over the technical specifications. The only obvious information were the star charts the crew had previously acquired, which were slightly more updated, but not significantly. Kovak and the backup pilot worked on a simulation of the piloting controls.
The Meeting
The next day, Bletherin and Grrr went to the meeting with House Horusca. They were met by a male human with a couple of bodyguard types. They inquired about the Bad Wolf’s return. Bletherin told them that their cargo of pharmaceuticals would fetch a high price.
The representative suggested that Bletherin might had switched the cargo. The captain replied that the seals had not been broken,and that the crew had been instructed not to inspect the cargo. The representative said that he was not accusing them of duplicity, but they did not know for sure.
He said they owed House Horusca and could redeem themselves by acquiring some information about ships that disappear for a period of time and then reappear. He was referring to ships that operated under whatever colors suited them at the time. He also mentioned that the Collective government was angry at the Estrans for putting pressure on the New Canaanites.
He added that it was difficult for the Estrans to get things off of Collective worlds now, but that the Bad Wolf might be able to negotiate. They were looking for information on the output of some Garlan factories that could be repurposed for their needs. Bletherin suggested that they could act as middlemen. He warned that if the Bad Wolf double-crossed them, she should not return to Estra again.
He also warned they should not ask around about his mistress’ ship. Bletherin said that they had been completing for the same job and had wanted to get information on the competition. The envoy did not appear to be swayed. He provided a dataslate of what they were looking for and suggested recording the negotiations to prove their attempt.
New Arrivals
While the meeting was going on, the second G’frar ship jumped into the system and headed for the shipyard. Apparently the away team had salvaged from the derelict successfully.
Kovak scanned the jump points between Estra and Garlan and Bletherin acquired suitable cargo for that route.
On the Road Again
After jumping out of the system, Bletherin reviewed the goal of the assignment. He recognized that the Estrans were looking for parts that could be used to build weapons for use against large animals (like the dinosaurs on the world they had chased the Estrans off).
The Crae system was dominated by a super red giant. There were several planets in orbit, as well as a science station. Another ship was approaching the station, but no one recognized it. The ship was the Amber Rose of New Floridan registry.
The Crae hailed and asked if they had any Garlan cold and allergy medication. The Alex Murphy did not have any other than that in sick bay, which they did not want to share. They delivered the mail for the station and acquired outgoing mail. Then they jumped to the next system.
The backup pilot reported a vague sense of being watched while in hyperspace, but it was unclear whether it had been Space Nessie, the Estrans, or just the pilot’s nerves.
In the Theramin System
The Alex Murphy jumped into the Theramin system. There was a good amount of in-system traffic, but out of system vessels. They headed for the Antar colony on Flaxon, which was the destination for their cover cargo. It was a larger planet with heavy gravity and a temperate conditions.
Having received clearance to land on Flaxon and docked at the orbital station. There were no indications of anything amiss. It took some time to find a buyer, but ultimately Alex made contract with an AI that coordinated the sale. Bletherin learned that the cargo that they wanted was at the Garlan colony.
On the trip there, Kovak was hailed by the pilot of a ship that had jumped into the system. She had had drinks with Helen on the previous voyage to Estra under the Bad Wolf cover. Helen was just passing through, but had heard that Space Nessie was generally seen more coreward. Her ship was avoiding the core because everyone was being called to carry refugees.
She also reported that there had been less traffic than normal, which could indicate pirates. She had not seen anything herself. There were rumors that House Horusca was back on the “buying planets on the cheap” game again.
Theories on Space Nessie
The Garlan colony was established and big, located on a hot, dry, coreward planet barely within the habitable zone. They were hailed by one of the local universities. They had been collecting information on Space Nessie. There were several theories ranging from pilots hallucinating, which had been disproven, to actual, literal hyperspace monsters.
The prevailing theory that it was some kind of gravitational anomaly, especially since the majority of sightings were around Lutrea, where there had once been a black hole. They suggested that the damage ships had taken were the result of rapidly-moving micro black holes that the ships had run into.
The most significant issue was what would Space Nessie eat? There was no evidence that it was following ships to consume residual energy. Kovak debated with the scientists, careful about what she divulged, until forced off the comms.
After docking at the station, the Alex Murphy loaded cargo bound for the Garlan system and some mail, as well as an inquiry from a prospective passenger to Garlan. Bletherin declined the passage.
They next jumped to the Akosea system. None of the many gas giants that system had any moons, the planets seem younger than the star, and there was mysterious debris there. The Alex Murphy avoided the debris and headed for Robi to sell the cargo bound there.
The space traffic controller was surly, but specifically toward them. They docked next to a severely battered freighter. They sold their cargo and sought out some bound for Garlan, but pickings were light. But they did better than the other ship, whose Harth crew were unkempt. Grrr lit up two of his BBQ scented cigars to cover the smell coming from their ship. Bletherin suspected that they might be from Harth Intelligence.
A Garlan science ship jumped into the system while they were at the station but did not dock. It jumped out a short time later.
While waiting for the cargo to be loaded, a particularly scruffy-looking Harth winked at Bletherin. He recognized her as a fellow Enforcer. The Alex Murphy jumped to the Garlan system once the cargo was loaded.
The Home of the Garlan
The backup pilot jumped the ship to the Garlan system, and they headed for Gark, the species’ homeworld. The Garlan were a nomadic race, so there were no permanent cities. There were also few non-Garlan on the planet on account of the heat. There was an enforcer base on Eni, the barren world that was used as a university planet.
The Alex Murphy docked at the station between Gark and its moon. From there, the cargo of kegs, cricket bats, and the Garlan version of Greek letter decals were transferred to Eni. There was mixture of academics, technical types and enforcers.
One of the enforcers recognized Grrr from the academy and threatened to blow his cover. Grrr confronted the enforcer, who was momentarily surprised, but then caught on. He warned Grrr not to cause trouble. Bletherin lost himself in the crowd of Garlan and reported in to CEP headquarters.
Looking for Trouble
Grrr and Kovak sought out a bar to cause trouble in. They were the oldest beings in the place. He attempted to cause trouble, but instead a female Garlan suggested another bar to start something and bought them a round. The conversation was scientific and technical, over Grrr’s head, but Kovak listened intently.
Reporting In
Bletherin made his way to the enforcer base, but knew he was being followed by a Garlan agent. He was granted admission. The officer told him that Bletherin was not expected in that part of space. Bletherin reported that he had proof that the racing ships that attacked the G’frar ship were linked to Avalon, and to one of the major houses.
Bletherin informed command of the Estran interest in the Garlan factories. He was advised that the Bad Wolf should not go back to Estra as the crew had likely been thoroughly documented.
He also informed him of the derelict G’frar ship and the salvaged parts and technical documentation, but the analysis was still in progress.