Crossfire

Introduction

This is a write-up of my Crossfire campaign, a large single adventure focused on a JSB investigation of a VIP kidnapping. There were 12 players in 2 teams, usually playing alternate weeks. We played in a relatively noisy pub, so we did more combat than was probably necessary.

Characters

Player Characters (Team One)

  • Julie san-Barin
  • Sir Gregor Patram
  • Vivian Carr
  • Suuta Beganaadi
  • Samual Davidson
  • Sten Kurlush (initially)
  • Stahu Nagoya (later)
  • Tala Romoffski (later)

Player Characters (Team Two)

  • Sir Gail Strovink
  • Will Caralis
  • Joshia Mersshon
  • Moran Rummler
  • Kellendrian Darkavar
  • Sten Kurlush (from Team One)
  • Nianna Talor (later)
  • Viktor Ramon (later)

Major NPCs

  • Baroness Sharon McDouglass II
  • Sir Harrin Tiktea
  • Anna Tiktea
  • Baroness Mishu Agesh

The Plot

The Zhodani were trying to undermine the Imperial military position by using Ine Givar terrorists on Efate, Ruie and other worlds along both sides of the Imperial border. Senator Sir Harrin Tiktea, a highly placed Zhodani spy in the Regina Subsector government, recently came into possession of evidence of Imperial involvement to counter Ine Givar activities on Efate, while auditing local Imperial Navy appropriations.

Because of political infighting between Rear-Admiral Lord Frederick Santanocheev and Duke Norris Aledon of Regina, the publicly expressed military view was that there was no Ine Givar activity on Efate or anywhere else in the subsector. However, if the problems on Efate were purely local, then there would be no justification for Imperial involvement there.

Tiktea planned to expose the Imperial military activity on Efate and embarrass the Rear Admiral into withdrawing. Not only would this make it easier in the short term for the Ine Givar to operate, but it would also make it politically harder for the Imperial Navy to reverse their decision should they later suspect the Zhodani. As a precaution, Tiktea had given the relevant papers to his ‘daughter’ Anna (actually his partner, another Zhodani spy) for safekeeping.

Santanocheev, realising what Tiktea was planning to do (but not the real reason why), acted to save his career. He had the Senator kidnapped and taken offworld. He couldn’t have the Senator assassinated until he had secured the papers. Santanocheev arranged for the Senator to be incarcerated in the Gash, a political prison hulk at Pixie. He’d done the right thing for the wrong reasons.

To get the Senator there, Santanocheev hired a small merc unit to kidnap him and smuggle him offworld. The merc unit had, in turn, used the services of the local underworld for such things as a safe house, etc.

The JSB (Ministry of Justice, Special Branch) will investigate the abduction of the Senator and place two teams on the case working independently. (Team One will start on 009-1105, Team Two will start on 012-1105.) They will be directed to locate and rescue the Senator quickly and quietly. The problem is that if they succeed at their mission, the Senator would be untouchable. Of course, Naval Intelligence will make it difficult and dangerous for them.

Events

009-1105

Team One

The members of Team One are introduced to each other, and the situation is outlined by their superior (Baroness Mishu Agesh). They are Julie san-Barin, Sir Gregor Patram, Vivian Carr, Suutu Beganaadi, and Samual Davidson. They check out their contacts, and Sir Gregor identifies the kidnappers as off-world mercs using his psionic abilities.

Their first investigation is of the Senator’s office. They learn that the Senator has papers on Imperial Navy appropriations across the subsector and that he has recently returned from a fact-finding tour of Efate. He had special documents relating to this trip that he was going to present to a closed meeting of the Regina Senate – but they have disappeared. The surveillance camera record of the search has been wiped on order, apparently, of Rear-Admiral Lord Santanocheev. They also find a shipping document from TR Imports (owned by Tala Romoffski). In tidying up, they dislodge an ‘innocent’ file, which falls down the back of the desk.

Julie and Vivian go to the TR Imports warehouse and have a quick look round. They fail to find anything, yet come perilously close to being killed (without even realising it). They meet Tala, who plants a bug on Vivian. Two mercenaries (who were involved in the kidnapping and were using the warehouse) drop by to conclude their business. They thank Tala and say they’ll now leave ahead of schedule. After having met Julie and Vivian, this is when Tala starts to suspect something.

That night the team return to the warehouse to discover that Rent-O-Kill are present and the place is full of poisonous white fog. Donning gas masks, Sir Gregor and Samual proceed inside from the rear followed by Vivian and Suuta from the front. Sir Gregor and Samual encounter two Rent-O-Kill technicians, stunning one and wounding the other.

As the raid on the warehouse continues, Tala watches remotely and phones in an anonymous tip to the local police about the ‘break-in’. Julie hears the alert on her vehicle radio and decides to warn the others. As she enters the rear of the building, she encounters the tied and gagged sleeping form of the first Rent-O-Kill technician.

Meanwhile, the two mercenaries have returned. They have concluded that there is a risk of being traced through Tala and the warehouse, so both must be eliminated. They have brought a bomb with them. Unfortunately for them, one of the mercenaries runs into Vivian and Suuta, and a gunfight erupts. Both Vivian and Suuta are injured, but the mercenary is knocked out.

Tala now calls the press, the fire brigade, and several fringe loony organisations. The press and fire brigade turn up shortly after the police. Julie leaves the warehouse and comes round the front, Vivian and Suuta exit with their prisoner, and Samual and Sir Gregor leave through a side door (but not before discovering the unconscious Rent-O-Kill technician and killing him).

Outside is a growing crowd of confused people. Sir Gregor, feeling confident of the anonymity of his distinctive black outfit, assaults the press cameraman and removes the memory block from his camera. Unfortunately for Sir Gregor, the camera is broadcasting live! The prisoner and wounded team members are rushed off to the hospital, just as the warehouse blows up. Now a few more people are injured, and the other Rent-O-Kill technician is killed. However, the evidence of the murder of the second technician has been erased. Everyone goes to the hospital and is patched up.

010-1105

Team One

The day starts with a call to debriefing at the Lakeview Precinct police building. A police sergeant comes in and announces that the Baroness would be unable to attend. He takes the debriefing and quizzes the party about its activities so far. He also introduces Sten Kurlush to the group. Next, the group ask what is known about their prisoner from the night before.

“He is Sten Comerre, an ex-Army Captain, 28 years of age. Born on Iderati/Five Sisters, his last assignment was with the Imperial 850th Lift Infantry Division on Efate and Menorb. There is, as yet, no information on his activities in the last two years since his discharge. Also, his passport or hotel have not been located.” (The 850th officially remain in their barracks at present as they are not supposed to be involved in the local trouble.)

The group decide to check on their prisoner in the ICU of the local hospital. Samual enters and, posing as a friend of the patient, tries to get past the reception desk. He fails, and the police guard (for the prisoner) comes down to investigate. Samual flashes his ID, and everyone goes up to the ICU ward. Unfortunately, while the guard was away, someone slipped in and switched off the life support equipment. Sten Comerre is dead.

Meanwhile, Tala has checked out of the hospital and heads home. As she travels, she tries to contact her home computer but cannot make a connection. Realising something is wrong she calls up the group and, after getting some very clumsy denials of culpability in the destruction of her warehouse the night before, she tells them to go to her apartment. She doesn’t tell them why.

The group surround the building and head up to the fifth floor (where Tala’s apartment is). Julie kicks in the front door, setting off a booby trap bomb and is killed outright! The rest of the party search the apartment and discover a standard high-security robot. A battle ensues in which Vivian has her hand burnt, Sten Kurlush has his leg severely charred, and even Samual takes some damage. The robot is eventually defeated, whereupon it self-destructs (reduced to a molten metal puddle).

011-1105

Team One

Sir Gregor is ‘entertained’ at the mansion of Baroness Sharon McDouglass II. He is informed that she has taken over from the Baroness Mishu Agesh. He has his wrists slapped over both the team’s performance to date and his own behaviour (i.e. the attack on the cameraman outside TR Imports). Sir Gregor, in return, complains that the team (now his team after the death of Julie) was working in the dark and that the JSB was withholding information vital to the success of the assignment.

Two new members are assigned to the team, one Marine and one Scout (Stashu Nagoya), with orders to wet-nurse the others.

Meanwhile, Tala has decided to join forces with the team. After an abortive rendezvous at a local fast food place where a member of Naval Intelligence was watching, they manage to meet in a high-speed metro.

Stashu, on the suggestion of the team, takes the melted remains of the robot from Tala’s apartment for forensic study. From these, it is determined that the robot was old stock formerly from the Naval base at Pixie.

The Marine, on the other hand, decides to confront Naval Intelligence. He does this on his own initiative. Unfortunately, the officer he visits is a friend of Lord Santanocheev and is in on the plot. The officer asks him if he has told anyone what he is doing or if anyone knew he was there. He answered no. The officer calls in a guard who shoots the Marine dead.

Suuta, meanwhile, is calling in the bars and manages to bribe some information out of ‘One-eyed’ Jack. He learns that there is a contract out on Tala.

Finally, Baroness Sharon calls Sir Gregor with the requested information: That there is political infighting between Lord Santanocheev and the Duke of Regina. That ten experimental cold sleep capsules were shipped by TR Imports last Senday noon by Arean Transport. That the ship’s final destination is Menorb. That there is a political prison at Pixie called the Gash. Sir Gregor deduces that the Gash is where ‘they’ are taking the Senator and asks for a fast ship to intercept. After some negotiations, Baroness Sharon manages to obtain the private yacht of the Duke of Regina!

012-1105

Team One

The team prepare to travel. They plan their route and file three different flight plans (the last one filed will be taken as accurate). Since their take-off spot is for Fiday 14:00, they have some time to kill. First, they go on a shopping spree, Samual buys a few guns for his armoury.

Sir Gregor and Samual go for high tea with Baroness Sharon. They try to get more information out of her but only get her suspicions that there is a spy in the group.

Tala gets an anonymous message asking her to go to a secret rendezvous in the parking structure under the Regency Hotel. Suspecting it to be a trap, she sends Stashu and Suuta instead. Sure enough, at the appointed time, the lift arrives with a cloaked figure. The figure stands very still, and Suuta approaches cautiously to investigate. Suddenly the figure moves, the disguise falls away, and a security robot is revealed! In the gunfight, several vehicles are destroyed, and the two leave quickly.

Team Two

A new start! A second team is introduced to the problem, but with some changes. This new team is made up of JSB professionals. They are Sir Gail Strovink, Moran Ruemmler, Will Caralis, Kellendrian Darkavar, and Sten Kurlush (transferred from the first team). The meet in the JSB offices on the 6th floor of the Government Building.

They are told of the problem and of the actions of the first team. They are also told that they should let the first team draw attention to themselves (thus drawing fire) and act with extreme discretion. In answer to a question over what support the JSB would provide the second team, they were told that because of the possible political angle to the abduction the JSB couldn’t deny that it had been compromised. Therefore, they were on their own.

Using computer terminals, and without leaving the building, they determine that TR Imports rented freight space on Sten’s Pride (an Arean Transport vessel) to Forboldn and possibly beyond. The ship left midday Senday (the day after the abduction). They note the connection between Sten Commarre, whose last tour of duty in the army was on Efate and Menorb (the location of the Senator’s fact-finding mission), and the final destination of the freighter. They also gain access to Tala Romoffski’s confidential file at the JSB which implicates her with smuggling and piracy.

Moran Ruemmler, the most streetwise in the group, learns that there was a contract out on Tala: Cr10,000 plus expenses. (“What kind of contract offers expenses? Man, I ain’t never heard of that before.”) His contact was ‘One-eyed Jack’, a 20 stone fat man in a white suit and Panama hat who drinks whiskey shots, sweats profusely, and has a Spanish accent. Despite his name, One-eyed Jack still has two eyes. One-eyed Jack is the ‘bank’; he holds the contract money in escrow.

Kelle investigates the starport and learns that the freighter from TR Imports was booked through to the end of the line, Menorb, but that the stop before was Efate. She also learns that the freight consignment was described as ten experimental low passage berths.

Sten Kurlusg goes back to Tala’s appointment. He discovers that the home computer had been tampered with and damaged, and that memory blocks were missing. He discretely takes the memory blocks from the security camera in the building foyer.

013-1105

Team One

The day of departure. The first team board the “Sovereign Crown” planning to go to Whanga. They spend the day intensely screening the four crewmen for a possible plant. Shortly before take-off, they are joined by a Marine MP called Joshia Mersshon.

Joshia is actually a Naval Intelligence operative but is not in on the plot. Passing through the Regina system between assignments he has realised that something odd is going on. He knows that it involves Senator Tiktea and the local NI office, but he does not trust them. He wanted to join up with the JSB team in the hopes of finding out more. Unfortunately, they trust him even less than he trusts the local NI. They accept him, however, as his ID passes their checks, but only unarmed.

They travel out to minimum safe distance.

Team Two

With everyone aboard Sten’s ship, they watch the security recording from Tala’s building. Eventually, they identify two strange men who enter the building with a crate. They are scruffily dressed but move with great efficiency, which belies this. The crate contains the robot later found in Tala’s apartment by Sten and the first team. Using selective magnification, they see a serial number burnt into the wood which identifies it as having recently shipped by an Imperial service (e.g. Navy, Scouts, etc.). Unfortunately, the party do not have access to any database which will allow them to pursue this further.

Additionally, from the recording, they get a clear view of each man’s face. Using some old security codes from the Baroness, they are able to identify one as having a criminal record and currently wanted by the police for some recent crime.

Moran becomes the dominant member of the team and comes up with two areas of investigation missed by the first team: investigate the scene of the crime (the Senator’s house) and investigate the daughter (Anna).

Preparations are made for the first. A cover story of being security technicians is thought of. A stolen vehicle is obtained along with boiler suit/uniforms and fake Ids. Some additional funds are obtained from the Baroness (Moran skims a few credits off the top), and Sir Gail lends some money to Moran for his illicit activities as well (again he skims a few credits off the top).

The plan is to visit the house in the morning, thus appearing to be efficient and lending credibility to their rouse. In the meantime, Sir Gail and Moran decide to go to the Penumbra Club and meet Anna. An outfit is obtained for Moran by Sir Gail to get him passed the door.

Sten also decides to go to the club and finds a table. Sir Gail and Moran enter, and they take a table. After locating Anna, they watch her for a while and notice her man friend. Something is passed between them, in both ways and he leaves. Sir Gail and Moran stay in the club watching Anna, but Sten follows the man. The man ducks into an alleyway, and when Sten also enters the alley, he is psionically attacked by the stranger!

Back at the nightclub, Moran tries to talk to Anna. She is polite but antisocial, and he gets nowhere. After a while, she leaves, and Sir Gail follows. Anna goes to a small park down the street and waits by some children’s swings. Sir Gail sneaks around some bushes but runs into a tramp. A tramp with an auto shotgun! He grins and fires at Sir Gail … but ends up fumbling and ejecting the magazine instead. Sir Gail, armed with Moran’s autopistol with silencer, shoots back. Unfortunately for the tramp, although she only hits his arm, she hits a major artery, and he quickly expires. A quick look at the tramp reveals that under his dirty clothing, he is suspiciously clean. Maybe he wasn’t a tramp. By this time, Moran shows up, but Anna has gone.

014-1105

Team One

(In transit to jump point.)

Team Two

Friday morning starts with the investigation of the Senator’s residence. The team is called together except for Sten. Sten relates his ‘accident’ from the night before. The remaining team members, disguised as security experts, go to the house.

A cursory investigation of the outside reveals an apparent lack of security devices. The exceptions being a security camera in a hedge and something odd about the doors. Moran and Will enter via a window and start to look around. They immediately notice that the place has been cleared out: there is no furniture, and even the light fittings have been removed. Moran finds bits of wire in one of the bedrooms and believes this to indicate that another ‘security’ robot is nearby. Will goes into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Kelle notices a bit of litter blowing about the garden. It says “WARNING: EXPLOSIVES”. He realises that this means the place is booby-trapped and warns the others to come out quickly. Moran does this, but Will thinks this is because someone is coming and continues his search. He opens a booby-trapped kitchen cupboard and is killed!

015-1105

Team One

(In transit to jump point.)

Team Two

Time for the second team to investigate the Senator’s office. Keel goes to the Scout base and attempts to requisition Will’s (RIP) Type-S Scout/Courier (she is successful). Sten makes time with his girlfriend (a waitress in a suburban coffee bar). And Sir Gail and Moran go to the government building to check out the Senator’s office.

There is a secretary in the outer office so, while Moran distracts her (at the drinks machine down the corridor), Sir Gail tries to enter the inner office. The door is locked … she tries to pick the lock (without appropriate tools) and succeeds in jamming a piece of a paperclip in the lock instead. She leaves quickly just as the secretary is coming back. She has to waste some time in one of the outer offices (which are semi-open plan) … she asks to borrow all the paperclips from the other secretaries for a sponsored paperclip chain competition, also all the rubber bands as well for a sponsored rubber band competition.

Moran now tries to get access to the inner office. He tells the (by now exasperated) secretary that he needs to pick up the papers for the Senator’s speech. At first, she refuses, so Moran calls Sir Gail and using the authorisation of the JSB they persuade her to comply. They spend the rest of the morning searching the massive stacks of papers. They find the ‘hidden’ file that the first team disturbed and smuggle it out.

Back in Sir Gail’s apartment for lunch, they hold a conference call with Baroness Sharon. The file is of combat material supply requisitions dating back over five years. It is destined for the 850th Lift Infantry Division on Efate. This unit should in its barracks, but the requisitions are far in excess of their needs.

They decide to talk to Anna. They manage to track her down and arrange a meeting for that evening (at the Penumbra Club). That evening, Moran and Sir Gail go to the club, but Sten and Kelle also go. They arrive 30 minutes before the appointed meeting time. Moran and Sir Gail share a table, Sten has his own table, and Kelle stays at the bar.

Just before the meeting, Pendleton Smythe (a Naval Intelligence agent) approaches Kelle and ‘invites’ her outside. He is very insistent. (He has received a tip-off from a mole at the JSB about Will and acting on a hunch staked out Will’s Type-S. Less than 24 hours after Will’s demise Kelle laid claim to the ship.) Kelle tries to covertly switch on her communicator to alert Moran and Sir Gail but fails. Sten, however, sees what is happening and follows. He does not tell the others.

Outside in a side alley, Kelle and Pendleton are met at the car by two Zhodani operatives who kill Pendleton. They had used ESP to realise that anyone leaving the club at that moment in time would be a JSB or NI agent. They then abduct Kelle in Pendleton’s car. Sten detours to his vehicle to pick up mesh body armour and a psi shield. By the time he gets to the side alley Kelle and the Zhodani are gone. He does find Pendleton’s dead body, however, and after putting his things back into his vehicle, he returns to the club for a stiff drink.

Kelle now manages to key in a distress signal to Moran. She keys “Signal GK … GK … GK … “. Moran hears, but he has a dilemma: Anna has turned up. He ignores the signal and proceeds with the meet.

Both sides in the meeting are wary of each other, but Moran is able to find out that Anna and Sir Harrin are Zhodani spies, and that Sir Harrin’s speech was going to embarrass Santanocheev into withdrawing his forces from Efate (as well as damaging the Rear-Admiral’s career). Moran, on the other hand, promised to get Anna’s father back unharmed. Will he keep his promise? Anna’s un-named companion calls off Kelle’s abduction, and she is brought back to the club unscathed.

In a state of paranoia, Kelle puts on a psi shield (to break any permanent psi links) and calls the Baroness to get her records of ownership to the Type-S ‘muddled’ (closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.

016-1105

Team One

The Sovereign Crown arrives at safe jump distance and initiates jump.

Team Two

After a brief call to the Baroness to ask if Admiral Lord Santanocheev had a history of quelling rebellions, Kelle receives an anonymous message to meet in the basement car park of the Regal Hotel.

Moran goes to the rendezvous, staking it out early. Kelle turns up at the appointed time. The rear lift opens, and a tall cloaked figure emerges but stays hidden. As Kelle cautiously approaches, the opposite lift opens, and a security robot emerges. (This is similar to, but a fully specified version of, the type met before.) To avoid being seen, Kelle runs around the lift structure only to discover that the cloaked figure is also a security robot. The two home in on her.

Moran, seeing what is happening, calls for the other team members to bring his explosives quickly. This they do. Kelle meanwhile is ducking and diving to avoid being hit by the robots as they home in on her. She briefly wrestles with one but only delays the inevitable.

Sir Gail and Sten arrive on the scene. Sir Gail, along with Moran, sneak forward with the explosives. Sten gets out of his vehicle and stands in full view of one of the robots. This is too choice a target for the robots to ignore, and Sten receives a crippling laser blast. Kelle is also seriously injured by this time, and she tries to crawl away from the looming robots as Sir Gail throws a breaching charge. Unfortunately, she misses, and the charge lands slightly behind them. Moran now empties his magnum revolver into the explosive to detonate it. Although each shot hits, it isn’t until the last that it detonates. The robots are damaged but still functional.

Moran runs back to his car and, picking up Sir Gail, accelerates away from the action. This leaves one robot hovering over Kelle’s crumpled form and one looming over Sten (both shooting intermittently). Moran and Sir Gail arrive around the front of the hotel and dive into one of the lifts. They take it down into the basement where it opens up right in front of Kelle. Quickly they bundle her into the lift and return to the foyer, where an ERV (emergency response vehicle) has arrived.

At last, the robots run out of time and in accordance with their programming, wipe their memory chips. Out of one of the few parked cars in the basement steps, Jack Kilmor (“Kill More!”). He goes over to Sten’s body with a drawn body pistol to see if he’ll survive. Sten dies without assistance; however, at that point, Moran arrives back and shoots Jack in the head (dead). Jack was an assassin for NI. NI has a secret base in (guess where) the Regal Hotel.

Sten Kurlush is dead. Kellendrian Darkavar will have to spend so much time in the hospital to recuperate that she might as well be.

017-1105

Team One

(In jump.)

Team Two

With the introduction of two replacement team members, Viktor Ramon and Niamma Talor, the second team decides to intercept the first team. The introduction is anything but smooth … moments after they meet a hired thug from a local street gang who makes a clumsy attempt on their lives.

The secret here is that Viktor is a member of NI! He has been asked by the local station deputy head to investigate the illicit activities of the local station head (Santanocheev) and find out the connection to the JSB operation. Viktor’s job is to infiltrate the second team and find out what they know. Unfortunately, his credentials were a little shaky and so the thug was produced to provide “bona fides”. Viktor’s cover is that he is a JSB agent recently transferred from Naval bridge duty with BR154.

To make the interception the team asks for, and gets via Viktor, the Lisiani. She is a PF Sloan class Fleet Escort attached to BR154. They travel out to minimum safe distance and jump.

018-1105

Team One

(In jump.)

Team Two

(In transit to jump point.)

019-1105

Team One

(In jump.)

Team Two

Arriving at the safe jump point, the Lisiani jumps.

020-1105

Team One

(In jump.)

Team Two

(In jump.)

021-1105

Team One

(In jump.)

Team Two

(In jump.)

022-1105

Team One

(In jump.)

Team Two

(In jump.)

023-1105

Team One

The Sovereign Crown arrives in the Whanga system and, without establishing contact without the local starport, heads insystem.

Team Two

(In jump.)

024-1105

Team One

(In transit to mainworld.)

Team Two

(In jump.)

025-1105

Team One

After arriving at Whanga, the party land to find a Gazelle class Close Escort (the Unicorn) already there. At first, they are suspicious of the Unicorn but reason that if it is connected with the plot, then there is nothing they can do, and if it’s not, then they’ll need its help.

They invite the Captain and First Officer over for a meal, during which Tala bugs the Captain. After he leaves, they overhear the Captain and First Officer mention Joshia … and the fact that he was never a Marine MP.

Meanwhile, the party pick up a weak signal from the edge of the system: the freighter Sten’s Pride has arrived and is vectoring insystem.

Team Two

(In jump.)

026-1105

Team One

As the freighter will take another day to arrive, it is time for some R&R.

Samual goes exploring and finds a hermit nymphomaniac. Staying true to form he makes the most of the situation, and the other characters are soon treated to an X-rated radio transmission (he had left his comm open). Sir Gregor goes to investigate and soon finds them. He’s just in time to act as a relief for Samual, taking over where Samual gives up.

The others visit the Unicorn where they get drunk and, inspired by what they can hear on the radio, engage in similar activities.

Team Two

The Lisiani arrives out of jump in the Whanga system and starts to head insystem.

027-1105

Team One

Since the freighter isn’t due until the evening, the morning is free to spend recuperating from hangovers.

When the freighter arrives in orbit, the party are taken up in the Unicorn and crossover in the ship’s gig. They start to search the ship. Some of the PCs go to the cargo hold, some to the bridge, some to the crew section.

Suutu, exploring the crew living quarters, finds a gold-coloured robot. This robot (“Goldie”) appears to be a valet but has more skills than that. It is, in fact, a rogue courier robot on the loose and has been employed to prevent the Senator returning to his home. It ‘befriends’ Suutu.

Samual, on the bridge, has a mental breakdown and tries to open the cargo bay doors. After wrestling with the ship captain, he succeeds. The effect is that Joshia, Tala, and a naval rating are flushed out into space along with half the cargo!

The Unicorn moves quickly to recover the personnel and cargo. Joshia takes command and orders a boarding party to take over the freighter. Meanwhile, Sir Gregor has reached the bridge and shoots Samual with a tranq round. After Samual is tied up, and the rest of the party arrive, they revive him. There are some heated words. Vivian sides with Samual and unilaterally releases him.

The boarding party arrives just as things are about to turn nasty. Everyone leaves the bridge for the main airlock leaving Samual behind. Just after they leave, a Marine in battledress comes in through the bridge window. Samual shoots a snub pistol at him (no effect), and the Marine returns fire with a laser rifle (cutting Samual in two and killing him instantly)!

Suutu jumps into a lifeboat and ejects, landing at the starport on the planet below. Sir Gregor and Vivian are captured and placed under guard in the gig. The guard leaves momentarily, and Goldie appears. He starts to fly the gig. As they reach the upper atmosphere, Sir Gregor, convinced that Joshia would have the Unicorn open fire on them, panics. He grabs the only atmospheric re-entry kit in the gig and bails out. Unfortunately, he’s not experienced in zero-G and, although he manages to use the equipment correctly, he throws up in his suit during the decent and asphyxiates on his own vomit. The Unicorn does not fire and the gig lands safely, depositing Vivian and Goldie to the starport.

Finally, the recovered cargo is searched, and the Senator is found. He is revived and explains to them the situation (omitting the part about his being a spy). The survivors head back.

After some argument over which ship the Senator should travel back in Joshia falls out with the rest of the group. Neither team trusts the other but eventually, they decide the Senator should go back in the Sovereign Crown. They meet at the starport building (actually a wooden hut) to exchange him.

Joshia, the Senator and two naval ratings, meet with Suutu, Tala and Goldie. This is the first time Goldie has come into contact with the Senator since his rescue … Goldie blasts him with an inbuilt laser pistol and then proceeds to fight the others. Fortunately, the Senator was only wounded, and Goldie is eventually defeated.

Suutu and Tala take the Senator back to the Sovereign Crown and launch, Joshia gives chase in the Unicorn.

Team Two

(In transit to mainworld.)

028-1105

Team One + Team Two

As the chase continues, Team One encounters the Lisiani (carrying Team Two) … and is arrested by them.

Believing that Joshia was one of the Senator’s captors, they trick Joshia into docking. Joshia tries to draw a gun but is shot down. He later escapes from sickbay but gets trapped in the ship’s central lift.

029-1105

Team One + Team Two

Reaching the mainworld the Lisiani refuels. It then heads out into space with the other ships.

030-1105

Team One + Team Two

(In transit to jump point.)

031-1105

Team One + Team Two

The ‘convoy’ reaches safe jump distance. They jump to Regina.

032-1105

Team One + Team Two

(In jump.)

033-1105

Team One + Team Two

(In jump.)

034-1105

Team One + Team Two

(In jump.)

035-1105

Team One + Team Two

(In jump.)

036-1105

Team One + Team Two

(In jump.)

037-1105

Team One + Team Two

(In jump.)

038-1105

Team One + Team Two

The ships arrive in the Regina system and vector towards the mainworld.

039-1105

Team One + Team Two

(In transit to mainworld.)

040-1105

Team One + Team Two

(In transit to mainworld.)

041-1105

Team One + Team Two

Everyone lands at Kingbury Downport. The Senator goes to Government Building to call for an emergency session. Acting on information from Moran, he is met by Baroness Sharon and is arrested.

Summary

Senator Sir Harrin Tiktea is handed back to NI. He is given a legal trial for treason and is executed.

Anna Tiktea is arrested by NI, tried beside her ‘father’ and incarcerated in the Gash. With her arrest, NI recovers the evidence against Lord Santanocheev.

Two other Zhodani agents are captured and expelled from Imperial space.

Lord Santanocheev remains politically intact (the evidence compiled by the Senator to damage his career was eliminated). In late 1106, policy change allows the Imperium to openly support the incumbent government of Efate in their civil war. Read-Admiral Lord Santanocheev becomes Sector Admiral Lord Santancheev. This incident, however, leaves him disenchanted with Naval Intelligence and he sets up a rival office (the Office of Naval Intelligence).


Hemdian’s Notebook