Veegint/Foreven (3234 B743784-A) / Date: 189-1106
[Travelling Alone starts once again with upkeep, so Eshtam pays out another cr160 for food, shelter and a travel pass [Cr605 left]. The flowchart leads through the usual buy/sell/heal to Seek Patron. The patron table results in a merchant, and randomly selecting one from the venerable 76 Patrons produces #54. A roll of 3 indicates the cargo is contraband.]
Eshtam bums around the city a few days, eventually making her way back to the downport to try her luck there. She sees a notice on the job boards that a qualified pilot is needed on short notice. She calls the number, and within the hour is walking into a mid-range spaceport bar & lounge to meet her prospective employer.
Kaduushili Aalir is the captain of the free trader Galatea. He is of obvious Vilani heritage, in his mid-forties, with deep brown skin and well-trimmed greying hair. He wears a casual business suit, and attempts to bring an air of decorum to the proceedings. After the usual introductions, he gets down to business.
"This is a bit embarrassing," he confides, "but my pilot has gotten herself locked up for 45 days on a drunk and disorderly charge. None of the rest of my crew can handle a starship. I've got a special cargo that I need to get to Uloryy immediately, so we can't wait. It's 2 jumps there, 2 back, and I don't mean to waste much time looking for cargo on the trip out. Just a quick consignment or two, maybe a few passengers. Coming back will be more relaxed. Druna's a good pilot -- I'm not looking to replace her -- but she's left us in a bit of a bind here. I can offer you a month and a half's standard salary, and a 1000 credit bonus on top of that. Only thing is, we have to leave the day after tomorrow. I don't even have time to check your references, but your CV says you were in the scouts, so I will take that as meaning you know how to fly. What do you say?"
"I say yes."
"Welcome aboard."
Eshtam agrees to return the following afternoon and stay aboard ship until departure so she can meet the crew and get situated. On her way out of the starport...
[random encounter: 3d6 security troops
reaction: hostile, may attack
Q: is this related to the patron? Yes
Q: is this related to the shipment? Yes, but...
Q: do they have any evidence against them? No, and...]
...ten heavily-armed and armoured port security troops surround her. "So, you're one of the good captain Aalir's... associates," the lieutenant asks her at gunpoint. A number of brusque questions follow, questions to which she has no real answers. "I just met him half an hour ago... I'm just flying his ship whilst his regular pilot does her time... I barely know the guy."
[roll streetwise: 8+2. Seems enough to evade a shakedown that isn't really personal.]
"Fine," says the lieutenant, "so you aren't officially one of his crew. Want a bit of advice? I'd see that you stay that way. That ship is bad news. You're free to go."
Eshtam decides to spend her last night on Veegint in a bar in the startown. [Using the old Games Lords' Startown Liberty tables, she manages to find a low-key tavern. She spends cr11 on food and some cheap lager. She is befriended by a pair of Imperial Navy ratings on shore leave, who buy her 6(!)rounds of drinks -- good thing she has 10 END. Stumbling back to her hostel at the end of the night, she has one last encounter, 11 grav-ball hooligans (rowdies from the CT encounter table). she doesn't want to join in their cheering or singing the team song, so they lose interest and ignore her (reaction roll was Non-committal).] She makes it back to her room at the hostel and promptly passes out.
No comments:
Post a Comment