CT Solo - Part 6 : The gun

056-1105

The Issaries lifts off into orbit, and after about 6.4 hours travelling out to 100d makes a seamless transition into jump space. [no malfunctions, misjump, or ship encounter]

The voyage progresses calmly, and the crew are mostly on good behaviour. Gzo snipes at Stantil a little, but he shrugs it off and she doesn't press the matter. [bad reaction -- avoid on 8+: 2D=8, just]

This is Ortance's first time taking care of passengers, so she does her best to be as attentive to their needs as possible [needs 8+ (Steward-0) to avoid a problem: 2D=11]. She surprises herself at how well she can keep them all happy. The four suits from various firms seem mostly content to talk amongst themselves. The hunter is a little more needy; she's announced her intention to take passage all the way to Jenghe, and aside from making a mess in the passenger lounge, she sems affable enough. Even the angry mercenary from the inn isn't as difficult as Ortance had feared. Nothing is going wrong at all... until the [1d6=] fourth day in jump.

[ship event: Theft from a passenger stateroom or luggage area

Q: Is it one of the 2 interesting NPCs who's the victim? likely (3+): O5 C5 - yes, d2=merc
+Event: PC negative - Take / The mundane]

It starts with a seemingly inconsequential happenstance: Ortance comes back from clearing the galley and notices that the nice perfume she picked on Knorbes [Generously / Feminine] is missing from her stateroom. She doesn't remember taking it off her side table by the bunk. She's still wondering where it got to when the mercenary knocks at her door, asking for a private conversation.

Major Amna Ieske
A8A986   Age 30   Army  3 terms
Homeworld: Mertactor
Rifle-1, Autopistol-1, Blade-2, Leader-2, ATV-1, Gambling-1, SMG-1, Tactics-1
Low Passage, Auto pistol, Cr10000
Personality: Guilt Ridden, Sullen



"Someone's nicked my pistol from my quarters," says Major Ieske.

"I thought all passengers' weapons were stowed in the ship's locker."

"Well, you must have missed one."

"That's a breach of protocol!"

"Is that really what bothers you about this?"

"Of course not. Sorry. When did you see it last?" [1d3-1=1 days ago]

"Yesterday. Ship's time."

"I'll see what I can do."

Ortance goes straight to hal Ushsh. "I need your help..."

[Reaction=11]

She explains the problem, and hal Ushsh surprises her both with her eagerness to help and her promise to keep it quiet for now.

"Whilst I'm serving dinner in the lounge, I need you to look through the staterooms of everyone present -- and quickly. I'll ping your commo if anyone leaves early."

[Q: How many show up for dinner out? d6=all!
Steward 6+: 2D=9]

Ortance's half of the plan seems to go well. All six passengers show up for dinner and she keeps them fed and happy, though Major Ieske's usual grimace seems even more dour than usual. Ortance has planned a meal with extra courses tonight to give her more opportunities to get close to her charges, clearing plates and pouring wine. She hopes that she can detect the perfume thief, though she doubts that anyone would be foolish enough to wear the scent before disembarking. Still, there may be a lingering trace if they'd tried it.

[She'll need to roll SOC- to detect anything: 2D=5, success

Q: So, does anyone smell of perfume? unknown d6=4: O5 C6, yes
Q: Who? 1d5=not the hunter, so random roll on the Patron chart; absurd result =businessperson
d66=naval officer; terms=3, human male]

And there is! And not on who she'd have expected. The man's name is Fadmer Vigapf, and he'd done 3 tours in the Imperial navy before joining the private sector. When he proffers his wine glass for another round, she gets a definite whiff of it on his fingers.

When dinner is over, Ortance pings hal Ushsh for a briefing. Or is that a debriefing? She's no veteran herself, and doesn't want to get it wrong and make an arse of herself in front of her new soldierly shipmate.

[Q: Can hal Ushsh get through all the staterooms before someone leaves? unlikely (5+): O6 C5 - yes
Q: Did she find anything? doubtful (6): O1 C1 - no, and...]

Hal Ushsh is annoyed that she couldn't find any evidence -- of perfume or weapons -- in any of the staterooms. But she agrees to shadow Mr. Vigapf for a time.

Then Ortance reluctantly finds the Captain to make a report.

[Q: on a scale of 1-6, how angry is he? d6=4, rather put out]

He upbraids her for a few minutes for failing to get the passengers onboard correctly, then abruptly asks what she's going to do about it.

"I think I know who stole it. Or, at least, stole something from my quarters."

"You had a weapon too?! You know, I am still within my rights to put you out the airlock."

"No! it was that perfume I bought on Knorbes. I smelt it on one of the passengers tonight at dinner. I think he must be the thief."

"We can't go accusing innocent passengers... or letting rumour get out about how we run the ship."

"I understand. I can take care of this quietly. So far, only hal Ushsh knows. I just need a small toolkit from engineering."

"For what?"

"In case it's hidden in the ducts."

"This is going ot be a theme with you, isn't it?"

"I hope not."

"I'll tell Lluyd to leave a toolkit in your stateroom."

"I'd rather it were on the bridge -- my room's not secure."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

[Q: Anything happen before 'nighttime'? unlikely (5+): O6 C8 - yes
Q: What? Remote event - Delay / Illness (noted)]

The 'evening' is quiet, and Ortance is only bothered a few times by passengers wanting a nightcap or needing help (again!) with the onboard entertainment programme. When everyone is presumably fast asleep, she fetches the tools from the bridge, dons a set of engineering coveralls, turns off the alerts on her comm, and sneaks through air/maintenance vents on the passenger deck to spy on the former naval officer.

[5+ to evade detection, DM +1 for Dex 9: 2D+1=5, just]

It's not as easy as she expected to peer down through the vents. She has to prop herself up awkwardly to see anything. And doesn't enjoy feeling like she's doing something perverse. Thankfully, her suspect seems not to be undressing for bed just yet.

[Q: Anything to see? unlikely (5+): O6 C1 - yes, and...
Q: Does he leave the stateroom? unknown: d6=2: O3 C3 - yes, but... after O has crawled off
+Event: PC negative - Pursue / Investment (suddenly, the pieces all fit into place!]

He is just sitting on the edge of the bed, turning something over in his hands -- the purloined pistol!

Ortance craws back out of the ductwork and balls up the coveralls which she deposits with the tools back in engineering. Then she checks her comm to see there were no messages and goes back to her stateroom to get clean and changed before bringing in the cavalry.

But when she gets out of the fresher, she finds Fadmer sitting on her bed with the pistol in his hand. She yelps and shuts herself back inside. He knocks on the door and says, "put this on and we can have a civilised conversation" whilst handing her uniform through the cracked open door.

Fadmer Vigapf
866AC9   Age 32   ex-Navy Lieutenant  3 Terms
mechanical-1, navigation-1, auto-pistol-1, admin-2, dagger-1




She emerges to see him standing with his back against the stateroom door. He waves her over towards the bed with the gun. She sits on the edge. He remains standing, holding the gun down -- but holding it nonetheless.

"Where is it?" he asks.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. Where is it?"

"I don't know what you want. You must have the wrong person. I'm just a steward on a commercial freighter."

"Please, Ms. Staalazingen. Once they realised you'd fled offworld, Luenvire sent out agents to all the nearby planets to track you down. Fortunately for me, I drew the Knorbes assignment. Poor Agent Yilteseb got sent to Alell. Now, where is the data crystal?"

"What makes you think I even have one?"

Section chief Malaskisan had just gotten one that very day from the stationery cupboard. It was gone when you disappeared. And we know what data you copied. It set off alarms."

"Oh."

"Oh, indeed. If you return it to me, you may just walk off this ship alive."

"It's still on Uakye."

"I don't believe you."

"Why would I lie?"

"Because you seem to have no idea what you're doing, and you think I won't just have you put in cold storage and shipped back to Uakye to face your trial. Assuming they can wake you upon arrival..."

"Fine. But it's not in here. I've hidden it on the ship."

"Where?"

"In a crawlspace somewhere."

"Take me to it."

"So... if I hand it over, then what?"

"That depends on how sensible you are."

"You'd just leave at the next port?"

"Or the one after. Once I'd handed over the crystal, of course."

"And me?"

"Provided you keep your mouth shut, it's not worth having to clean up the mess of your murder. And without evidence, no one will believe your story."

"Oh."

"And if you are thinking of double-crossing me somehow, I should point out that I left word of which ship I'm travelling on. In case of any accidents."

"Fine," sighs Ortance. "I need the screwdriver in that drawer to get the hatch open. I'll get it so you don't have to root through my knickers. Slowly, so don't shoot."

Screwdriver in hand, she leads him silently into the cargo bay and opens the hatch leading to the ducts where she used to hide. She crawls in, then turns to ask, "you coming?"

[Q: Does he insist on following? likely (3+): O2 C8 - no]

"I'll wait here, if it's all the same. But don't try to stall -- or escape."

"The ship's not that big," concedes Ortance, who is inwardly planning to stall. Or escape.

[to stall and possibly outsmart him--
basic throw 8+
DMs -- both are SOC 9, so they know how to read one another; O's higher INT +1, his Mechanical -1, her Electronics +1: 2D+1=10, success]

She crawl back towards where she used to hide, but doesn't go the full distance. Instead she stops round the first bend, but leaves her feet still visible. She messes about a bit with panels and wires, and manages to tap into a computer port. She rips out some wires in hopes that it sends an alert.

[for this to work, throw 6+
DMs +computer, +1 INT over 10: 2D+2=8

Q: What sort of alert? Coolly / Damaged = engine coolant leak]

She stalls a bit longer, and is rewarded by the sound of the iris valve to the starboard engineering section opening. She calls back to Fadmer. "Got the inner hatch undone. I've got to move a few metres forward to get the crystal. Won't be two ticks!"

She slides off and tries to find a way into engineering.

[Q: Can she? 50/50 (4+): O4 C3 - yes, but...]

Ortance comes to a to a grating which she doubts she can remove, but she sees Lluyd looking at the reactor.

"Pssst! Lluyd! Hey, Rawwan!"

"What the fuck are you doing in there?"

"We're being hijacked! Activate the anti-hijack programme!"

[Q: Does Fadmer come in to investigate? unknown d6=2: O6 C8 - yes
Lluyd needs a DEX roll (9-) to alert the crew before he finds her: 2D=9, ok

Q: What does he do? (1d6) 1 attack, 2-3 restrain, 4-5 'take me to the captain', 6 play dumb: 3]

Lluyd sends an alert to the captain from the engineering comm panel moments before the iris opens and Fadmer steps through. He orders her at gunpoint to bind her own feet with emergency bonding tape, then he binds her hands behind her back. It's loud, so gagging isn't a worry. He uses a power drill to quickly unbolt the grating and heads into the crawlspace after Ortance, who is already sliding off in search of an exit.

[Q: Can he pick up O's trail? likely (3+, trail through the dust!) : O5 C2 - yes, and...

to get out of a different hatch before he overtakes her--
basic throw 8+, DM +1 for dex 9: 2D+1=8, ok
She randomly emerges near 1d18=stateroom (between #5 & #10 on the plan in Supplement 7, Traders & Gunboats)]

She thumps through the confines of the twisting ducts, and eventually clambers up to the upper deck through a hatch built into the floor grating between two of the staterooms. As she pulls herself up into the corridor, she sees Fadmer crawling up behind her. As his head and torso appear above the deck, she slams the grating down on him, but instead of hearing a wet thud, the deafening report of his pistol reverberates through the passage, and then lights flash dim and red as the hijack warning klaxons begin to sound distantly in Ortance's ringing ears.

[Q: Is Fadmer desperate enough to shoot? 50/50 (4+): O4 C7 - yes

He's got a base -1DM from Dex & skill, +2 for range (house rule: I don't use the bonuses on the attack matrix for armour, only the penalties), she's evading for -1, so total of +0.

Ortance's: DMs, +2 ~club at close range but -1 for her evasion, so +1 total.

so... F rolls 9, hit; O rolls 8, hit (actions are simultaneous)
O takes 3D=7 damage to (1d3=)DEX, physical UPP now 627
F takes 2D=6 to END, down to 860 - unconscious]

Without looking back, she sprints aft towards the galley, through it, and straight up the port side corridor.

[Q: Any crew there? 50/50 (4+): O1 C2 - no, and... no one (passengers wisely staying in their staterooms!)]

Her pace doesn't slacken as she runs through the next iris, up the corridor and into the passenger lounge. She bangs on the door to the bridge.

"Let me in! He's got a gun! Let me in!"

The iris opens after what seems like a lifetime. Even though they checked the monitor to see it was just her, there are three shotguns pointed at her face.

"Get in!" screams hal Ushsh.

She slips inside and they close the iris.

Gzo is still watching the monitors. "Where is he?" she asks.

"He didn't follow me?"

"Your shoulder!" interjects Stantil. "Have you been shot?"

"Oh. Shit. I--"

"Never mind that," says hal Ushsh. "It's not spraying, so it oughtn't be fatal. Where did you see him last?"

"I-in the starboard corridor. Um, port? No, definitely starboard."

"Stantil, you're ex-navy so I trust you to aim downwards and not hit me in any crossfire. Get to the starboard corridor iris. Staalazingen, you're with me."

Hal Ushsh goes out through the iris without waiting to see if they follow. Ortance and Stantil obey her mechanically, with varying degrees of shock and sang froid.

Ortance directs hal Ushsh back the way she'd run, and points uselessly at the disturbed floor grating towards which her comrade is already advancing. Stantil soon appears just beyond it, gun aimed downward. Hal Ushsh pads up and peers down along the barrel of her shotgun, then relaxes.

She activates her commo. "We're ok. Target neutralised. Cancel the alarms, please. They're doing my head in."

She hands her shotgun to Ortance, opens the grate the rest of the way, and jumps down inside. She tries to heft Fadmer up through the hole, but [STR 6] grudgingly has to call to Stantil for help.

Ortance watches passively as they get Fadmer out onto the deck. His face and shirt are drenched in blood.

"Is-- is he dead?"

"No. But he took a nasty bump on the forehead. That'll make you bleed like a speared hurood."

"Oh. Good."

"Speaking of bleeding," says Stantil. "You're doing rather a lot of it. Maybe we'd ought to see to that now that things are under control."

"Yeah. Um. OK. I'm just going to sit down... here for a moment... first...."


next post: it's not over yet!