Iron Stars - helbi

Helbi Hyland awakens in her Ash City apartment on Acastus. Too long at rest and not enough time on the streets cultivating leads, just like the old days when information was the difference between ending up on the wrong side of the firing squad. All sorts of work have been tried following discharge from the spy community within Greystar, and though the time may have passed, it has not passed peacefully. Nothing has ever replaced the feeling of knowing you are the best at a job, and executing it well, and the more signs for recruitment and re-enlistment passed wandering the dark, neon lit, rainy streets, the more coming back into the fold sounds better. Webs of information are always going to be needed, more so now with the giant question mark of the Northern Free Singularity State in the north, and the white peace declared in the Etxaurren War to the south. No one is sure what path the galaxy is going to take, but finding out first seems like the best move.

2:15 PM

Thunder cracks outside, as another rainstorm begins coming in from the northern ashlands

Helbi resists the temptation of his soft sheets as he slips out of bed and right back into his old habits. He checks his door's lock and the pen precariously balanced on the handle, pretty low tech, but sometimes you can't beat the classics. His warped reflection peers back at him from his washroom mirror, watching him attentively as he applies a rudimentary fake scar across his forehead. If he's going to go through with his plan and get back into the game, it's best to have a false and memorable feature that draws the attention of anyone he talks to. Time to go. People will be looking to get out of the rain soon, and it'll be easier to find someone helpful when there's only so many places they can be. He takes only his knife and compad along with him, being armed and armored just isn't common courtesy. He leaves the door open only a crack so he can lean the pen against it, then closes it completely. Then he slips a thin mask over the lower half of his face and steps over the water already pooling at the entrance of his apartment complex, walking out under the flickering flashes of the streetlights and lightning to search for the divey-est place he can find.

There is a bar at the corner of the street that for some reason does a lot of business during the day. You can see the umbrella stand just under its dark awning had many of them in it, so there seems to be a decent crowd inside. It’s neon signs paint puddles in the street a variety of colors as the storm begins sending its rain down to the ground

He slides in through the door, making sure to keep the water outside where it belongs, and ambles around aimlessly after cleaning his boots off while occasionally glancing towards the corners of the establishment. Specifically the corners because they’re an excellent place to observe the majority of the patrons while simultaneously avoiding being unknowingly observed in turn. With some luck, he’ll spot someone who’s not here for the atmosphere and drinks, but for the company they keep. That’s who he’ll talk to first.

You notice most of the crowd are all coffee factory workers, come here to get something to drink after a long overnight shift. They enjoy teasing one another and playing a few rounds of cards before knocking off to get home and rest- before waking up to do it all over again. There are a few strays here, people in the neighborhood just coming to relax and do something different for a night, and in at least one booth it looks like there might be some kind of date going on.

Well, he can’t be lucky every time, so he might as well meet some new people. Taking an empty stool at the bar, he orders some water and looks at the people seated beside him. If he can chat up any of the factory workers, he might be able to chat his way into some niche economic information, even if it’s not directly helpful, you never know. He heads over to one of their card playing tables, and waits until a space opens up before approaching them. “Nice game you’ve got going there, mind if I join in?”

(Just got my own clarification, what would you be trying to do? Get information was something I remember you saying but if you had some pointers about what I can make sure we put the right chances in front of you)

(Since I’m just starting out, just little contacts with semi-important info, then hopefully slowly building connections and opportunities until he can start really learning about topical important information. Immediately though? Probably looking for a small timer that’s part of any sort of organized crime, for the aforementioned connection building.)

“Sure. Have a seat. We were just discussing some recent news , not sure if you’ve been following. So much information out there. Easy choice not to be informed “

“I know exactly what you mean, with everything going on I imagine it’ll pay well in the long term to be au courant” He makes an express effort to not do too well at the game they play, everyone tends to be in high spirits during a winning streak, a mood that lends itself to a fair amount of casual conversation. “Though if I’m being honest, I’ve been slacking off recently. If I recall correctly, the most recent piece of news had something to do with a group called the NFSS? At least I think that’s what their name was”

“Not much really. They’ve introduced themselves but they’ve mostly kept behind their borders. Lots of empty space between here and there and no one has really said much of anything since their initial transmission”

“Yeesh, hopefully the polities will stay relaxed, there’s been enough fighting recently, and it can be really bad for business, don’t you agree?” He’ll end the conversation soon, and then move on to the next bar he can find, like a pub crawl with more talking than drinking.

The next place on the list is a coffee house where people of a bit more learned background come to congregate. The conversations are more educated in nature here especially as universities open across Acastus open again

Helbi steps in, straightens his posture and puts the nicest look he can on his face before ambling around and listening in to conversations as he passes by tables. If he can hear any students or other people talking about politics, specifically in a heated manner or loud-ish debate, he’d buy a coffee and pretend to accidentally eavesdrop on their conversation as an excuse to ask a few more questions.

There don’t seem to be many internal matters up for debate right now. Almost everyone is focused on the federalizations Galatea has been discussing , and on relations with the NFSS, and Inheritor Alliance. Most aren’t sure what to make of the NFSS, but want the Inheritors on friendly terms

He makes a mental note of the cafes name and location for future reference, then steps out back into the pouring rain for one more stop, he specifically keeps an eye out for a gambling den or somewhere similar where those with nebulous morals meet and gather.

There is shouting from a nearby street corner as it looks like some sort of dice game is underway. A few people who have lost their money walk away looking angry or upset.

Drawn to the commotion like a mosquito to blood, he casually approaches the game, making a show of staring at the disgruntled losers. He takes their place, and looks at the master of this game. “I’d never have guessed that dice could be so anger-inducing, I mean, it is just pure change, right? Not much to be upset over” Of course he’s insinuating that there may be more than meets the eye when it comes to this game, it’s probably a decently safe bet when it comes to street games like this.

"You're more than welcome to see for yourself friend!" the dice-shark calls "Care to play a round or two?"

He grins, and takes out some credits. “Sure, I can’t say I’m not a little interested in the set up you’ve got here. Let’s start with one round”

(we doint have to actually gamble if you don't want to, more just the backdrop for you asking your questions)

(Sounds perfect!) “This is a pretty risky profession, don’t you think? Never know who’ll you’ll meet on the streets, or the problems they’ll cause. How does an enterprising soul such as yourself deal with the danger of doing business?”

"The streets here are pretty safe, but you try something like this on Buey or Shaila and they'll have you up on shanks for this kinda thing. Little too strict on their own if you believe it"

“I’ve no doubt about it. Though I doubt your licensed or registered, so you’ve probably had a problem or two with some unsavoury citizens?”

"Of course, the Volcano Street Kings like to come through and claim random corners every now and again, but the gangs are a thing of the past almost, just a few stubborn people left behind, fighting over scraps" (edited)

Disorganized, and maybe even desperate. A bigger opportunity than he thought he’d find here. “Dramatic and apt, a great moniker. You wouldn’t happen to know where I could find the headquarters of these delinquents, would you?”

"Headquarters? You're thinking too big. They don't do that kind of thing. Like i said, hang out on a corner long enough and you're going to get accosted by one of them. Especially in this neighborhood"

He chuckles, and sets the dice down, paying the shark whatever he was due. “Fair enough. Thanks for the information and the games, but I’ll be going now. À bientôt” First things first, he goes to purchase a semi-automatic pistol and twenty rounds of ammunition for eighty credits. He would prefer a rifle, but his budget is limited and he could hardly carry out a casual conversation heavily armed. Then he makes his way to one of the sketchy corners described by the dice shark, takes a seat on a bench or against a wall, and waits for the aforementioned perpetrators of street crime to confront him.

(notice./wis)

(notice/wis 7)

It does not take long for you to find who you're looking for. Two people in red and yellow striped jackets make their way through the crowd on the corner, casually trying to pick pocket people or otherwise distract and bother the people just trying to get through another day

1:32 PM

You feel a hand tightening around your own wallet before you catch the offending wrist

He gently removes the prying arm from his pocket, and raises his eyebrow at the colourful criminal. “You could at least try to be a little subtler, maybe if you looked a little less like a marching band you’d have a bit more success” He holds onto their arm, and keeps an eye on their compatriot while he awaits an answer.

He says nothing, but the human tries to struggle out of your grip, still holding onto your wallet.

He refuses to let go, and instead looks directly at them and their partner before he speaks. "You can keep doing whatever this is until you pickpocket the wrong person, or you can let me help you expand and profit. I know, a deal with a stranger, but I can assure you it's a chance you want to take, there's a lot more for the taking than street corners"

He cannot get free and instead looks at you with fading confidence “What do you want from me? Let go!”

"Well, I can tell that cooperation might be a little bit of a stretch, so how does symbiosis sounds? I'll help eliminate the competition and you guys can give me the inside scoop. Might want to consider your answer carefully, I'm sure there's some other petty criminals who'd gladly take my offer instead. So how about it? We can work together and you can stop scrounging for scraps, not as leader and follower, but as partners of sorts"

“You can do me better than the kings? We run these streets man. You don’t even know man. Alright. I’ll take you to the boss just so we can laugh when he sends you away”

“That’s even better! I appreciate your effort, so lead the way mon ami” If their so-called king won’t work with him, he’ll have to find a way to replace or dispose of them. Everything so far has only worsened his espionage itch, and he’s getting desperate to really dip his feet back into the hidden world he’s missed so much.

You’re taken to a large warehouse on the processing side of The city close to where the factories are. There are two more people in the same color uniform at the door and they give you strange looks as you enter the warehouse under escort

He makes note of the guards and their armaments, if he could see any on them, just in case of course. He continues following his guide, glad he bought that pistol, as a rifle probably wouldn't endear him to this particular crowd.

You don't see anything in your quick glance, but surely a sidearm or blade is present here.

As he walks along behind his escort, he wonders what kind of leader a gang like this would have. No matter who or what they turned out to be, he'd have to try and make a deal with them nevertheless.

You are brought to a small office in the back of the space and it looks like you’ll be searched before going in to meet whoever is in charge

To be fair, he should’ve expected this, even street thugs are bound to have some semblance of common sense. Though this means he’ll have one less backup plan to resort to. To make it easier and a little quicker, he takes out his knife and pistol on his own, and hands them to whoever searches him.

(If you’re not hiding anything I won’t habe us roll a check)

(Yeah, not hiding anything right now)

Satisfied you’re not carting weapons into the presence of their boss you’re allowed in and invited to sit. The boss is wearing normal clothes. A taros male, he is hard nosed and has scars detailing a life of danger where he has not always come out on top. He is also missing half of his ring finger.

Straight to business, their boss looks like a man who’d appreciate not beating around the bush. “I know it’s a bit different than business as usual, but I’d like to make a mutually beneficial agreement with you and your men. I can help deal with any of your completion, and help you expand your influence” He’ll only give his offer, not what he expects in return, in the hopes that it will make it easier for the taros to consider his arrangement.

"And what do you expect to get from all this. You're doing this for a reason, aren't you?"

7:31 AM

He is sounding like he has not slept in some time, and is irritable. Someone has jsut come into his office and insinuated his gang is having problems, and he is trying to maintain a front for his soldiers.

“Of course; Information. The GSC is returning to its roots in espionage, which means that there will be new lucrative opportunities for organizations in the business of gathering intelligence. What I came here to say is that I need your help. I need connections, ones that you can help me find, and in return I can do my best to work with you and your men to supplement the growth of your power”

he opens his hands in an accepting gesture, showing he is listening to you and he sits back in his chair. "Well, connections? What kind? What is Greystar after? "

“Contacts, specifically. As for what kind? Anything. Trade, politics, military, et cetera. They can all yield interesting and topical information. Knowledge is what makes the world go round, but, among another things, it’s a path to predicting the actions of others. Which is a capability that any polity would kill for during a period of uncertainty such as the present. Crime and corruption are almost omnipresent, which means there’s a unique opportunity to be had in almost every sector of life”

“We are a street gang. We don’t deal with the military or trade. Do you even know where you wandered into? “ he looks confused why you came here to the den of a street gang for high level political information. “You want other gangs or corners we own , we got you. Otherwise…” he shrugs , unsure where to go from here

“Exactly my point. If we work together, you very well might be able to move up into a different weight class. How about this; I’ll help you out, and we just see how far we can get together, street corners or otherwise, does that sound like a deal worth making?” He’ll see if they want to start simple, then as things progress they might choose to reevaluate their relationship. If the leader doesn’t take his offer, he’ll have to find another gang to work with, or simply make one of his own, though only as a last chance measure. (edited)

"You still haven't said how you could help us. You just came in and wanted our contacts. You might even be a cop for all we know";

“I worked for the GSC when it was still an intelligence agency as an assassin, for the lack of a better term, and I’ll help remove obstacles to your success. Whether it’s rival gangs or overzealous bounty hunters, I’ll get rid of them. You also wouldn’t have to worry about any unwarranted attention, I can make sure that it’ll be very difficult to trace any of my activities back to you”

This now seems to have firmly hooked their interest and he pulls a large black book off the shelf. there must be dozens of names and pictures in it. "I need all these people dead"

“That certainly expedites the process. I’ll check back in with you after each target, just to touch base” He takes the book with him if he’s allowed, and if not he’ll take pictures instead. If they really want to keep the book under wraps, he’ll jot down some quick notes about the first target, or simply do his best to commit them to memory. “Consider it done” *He then takes his leave from the warehouse, taking his usual route back to his apartment.) (edited)

~~(Shopping list is: Sniper rifle, armoured undersuit, monoblade knife, mag pistol, metatool, low light goggles, 3 type A cells, and a TL4 backpack for 1,720 credits)~~ (edited)

(I don't think we've had a credit reward come out yet for anything we've done. Where is the money coming from?)

(Greystar agent monthly payment, that is, if I am eligible for it?)

(I’d say not until we complete a mission and get into their service. This is just us following the background you wanted to use , but we can say it’s held until you finish this)

7:22 PM

(I don’t want to take it from you but I don’t think it makes sense to get it since you haven’t been brought into official service yet)

(That makes sense, I’ll just keep that list for later lol. For now, back to the apartment to grab my weapon and then on to the first target) (edited)

A four strong gang of enforcers belonging to the rival Street Hounds gang is commonly seen near the fish packing plants, preying on the workers coming home from shift work with pockets of the days wages. Volcano Street tends to leave these people alone, trying to convince them to part with some of those wages for drugs or other street pleasures, and eliminating this crew will mean they might be able to attract some more clients.

For these goons, he plans to make it look like revenge killings, like one of their regular prey finally had enough of their harassment. He’ll stake out their usual areas of activity, then choose the most blatant and unsubtle member of the gang to follow back to their home. Based on their living circumstances and security, he’ll decide between breaking in and killing them, or ambushing them in the dark streets of the city.

(are you trying to abbreviate doing all that? I don't mind, this might just become a short mission instead of a few missions)

(A little bit, yes) (edited)

(Okay)

2:56 PM

You follow the weakest of the gang members home and he is distracted from a third rise full of drinking.

Helbi stalks him, creeping around corners and taking extra precaution to stay far from the neon glow of the well lit parts of the city. He’ll wait a few hours outside his house, scouting the layout and any entrances and exits, until it’s probable that the man has fallen fast asleep, only then will he make his move.

There is only one set of doors into the tall apartment building, along with a fire escape built into it on each side to ensure people can get out in the event of an emergency. You would assume his apartment has fire escape access and a front door.

He starts to slink up the fire escape, careful to not alert any other habitants of the apartment. He plans on snooping on the man by way of his fire escape access, then breaking in and doing the deed.

2:34 PM

(Sorry for the long wait)

(sneak/dex)

(sneak/dex 9)

You’re not observed by anyone on the street, anyone in the building , or your target who is back to the window watching the soccer match on tv. The fungal hounds are playing in the finals and are down by one right now in the game to the Tece Torches

He watches along while he slips on a pair of dark gloves, it feels like killing him now would be in poor taste, but if he’s got to go it might as well be while he’s doing something he likes. He feels gently around the sides of the window, probing for a weak point or a lack of structural integrity.

The window isn't locked, but it is closed. You're able to get your fingers under it and pull up slightly, little bits at a time without making noise.

He keeps gently pulling and prying, he’s in no rush. Once it’s open enough for him to climb through, he’ll do so, still trying to remain unnoticed for as long as possible.

(Didn't beat your 9 for sneak, so he has no idea, but i think how we go about the act is important, since what you're doing is still murder- you're not yet in greystar service)

(Definitely. The original plan is to frame it as a revenge killing, since they’ve been regularly robbing the factory workers, and make it look like one of the workers decided to take it into their own hands)

(Okay, I get that, lets make sure we roleplay what we're doing in scene to push that end, this is delicate )

1

1:52 PM

(The about to be victim does not know you are there)

Helbi sets a plan in his mind as he creeps up slowly behind his target. To properly set the scene, he’d have to do a few things very carefully. First, the motivation. This man made a living from stealing, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume a victim would want some of their wage back. They’d also made those factories a regular target, so they’ve probably had a few regular victims as well. Revenge and recovery, it should work. Second, the method. It would have to be unprofessional, not a clean, passionless kill. His shots would have to be aimed at center mass, so that no one could miss. They would have to be shots, plural, too, a singular kill shot would ruin the illusion. Any bullet casings would need to be kicked under a couch or a fridge, easy enough to find but not gone completely or left in the open. Lastly, the escape. He can’t mask the sound of the gunshots, so he’ll have to be quick in ransacking the apartment for a wallet or stash of credits, which he’ll be stealing to stay in line with a possible motivation. After that, the fire escape is a perfect exit route. From there, he can hopefully disappear into the shadowy lit streets of Ash City. Of course, it’s a plan until something goes wrong. So, with all that in mind, he stands behind his target, weapon in hand, for about a minute. Center mass, several follow up shots, then he’ll move on from there.

9:53 PM

(So far that’s the plan, as for action, is it possible to set up an execution attack with a pistol? If not, he’ll just start shooting)

(It is possible, it is a shoot dex Vs Dc8 with a gun at close range)

6:21 PM

(thanks for setting that up. A "you do it" post didn't feel appropriate here given how we fast forwarded the entire investigation of them/their habits)

1

(shoot/dex 7) (I’m guessing the follow up shots will be normal attacks?)

(we will get initiative now since this misses)

3:46 PM

The shot misses just barely, punching through the chair under an arm blowing out the Tv. He springs to his feet and draws his own weapon just 2m away

(Initiative 9)

(You’re first) (edited)

He leaps backwards, aiming for cover in the form of a doorway or furniture while simultaneously aiming the barrel of his gun towards his armed adversary. (Semi-auto pistol 18 attack/4 damage)

The second shot doesn't miss, taking the man in the chest and staggering him back to crash into the broken TV. He lies there for a moment, blood dripping into the carpet before both he and it fall down on top of one another.

Helbi’s feels a bit crestfallen, at least the killing looks a fair amount more amateurish, unfortunately. Nevertheless, it’s time to get to work. He boots the still-warm cartridge across the room, and flips the television set off of the corpse. Then his gloved hands pat down and probe pockets and clothing, searching for a wallet or any credits, after which he proceeds to search the rest of the apartment. Flinging open any drawers and cupboards he can get his hands on, looking under furniture and generally making clear and obvious that looting has occurred. Whether he finds anything or not is less of a concern, he just wants to make it look as obvious as he can with the time he has. He’ll only give himself a minute or two, then he’ll have to leave. (edited)

You make as much of a mess as you can, before pocketing the wallet and leaving. Going through it is going to need to happen in a safe place later on when the authorities aren't about to arrive to investigate the noise.

He dashes towards the window he slipped in through, and climbs out onto the fire escape. He partially slides and partially climbs down the escape, his boots clanging loudly all the way down, the police would know for sure how he entered the apartment, so a quiet exit is not a priority of his. He lands in a small puddle with a splash, and takes a quick look around to analyze his surroundings and check for possible escape routes.

The streets around you are not yet filled with authorities. You can go left toward more apartment blocks or right towards the factories

To the factories then. He spins on one foot and feels the ground pass by him as he makes a beeline towards the factory. He settles into a light sprint, the rhythmic thudding pattern of his boots on the street resonating throughout his body. He plans ahead a little more, any witness will report him heading towards the factory, so he’ll just stash the wallet nearby, maybe under a dumpster or behind some trash. He keeps his ears open for any sirens, and his eyes peeled for flashing lights and anyone who might have seen him. (edited)

There are sirens a few streets over, finally drawing close now that it has been a few minutes. You undoubtedly had been seen by people on the street and in buildings along the way but no one has decided to take it upon themselves to chase you

He makes it to the factories as fast as he can, and hides away the incriminating wallet in a nook or cranny nearby. Now he has the matter of escaping the long arm of the law, as they’ll no doubt cordon off an area after hearing from a witness that he’s bolted. So it’s a matter of moving far away in an inconspicuous manner, then waiting for the heat to blow over. He resolves that finding a garbage bag, or a similar item, to sling over his shoulder and carry would be a fair enough disguise, to appear as just another dumpster diver.

The sirens are still coming and it seems like you can put some distance between yourself still. With the bag in hand no one pays anymore mind to you as you escape the area

Helbi takes a long, winding route back to his apartment before disposing of the bag, then he waltzes right into his building, and into his room. He’ll cross the name of his victim off the list, and take a rest before moving on to the next gang member.

1

(spending a whole night? A few hours? trying to determine what should refresh and what should not)

(Probably a whole night, wouldn’t be wise to move onto another target just yet)

(If you've accumulated any strain you get 1 back, if you've been wounded, you restore your character level of HP, )

1

(No strain or wounds I think, so far at least, I’ll have to remember that for later) (edited)

You don’t see anything on the news come first rise. Your killing either has no suspects or was done on someone that nobody will miss and publicizing the investigation is a waste of time.

He reloads his pistol, and wonders how he should go about killing the next gang member. They’ll either be laying low, or they don’t know one of their number has been murdered. He’ll try and see if they go for the factories again, and if they don’t he’ll have to find a different way to get to them.

2

You get a knock on your door as you begin thinking about it, and you can see two members of Volcano Street outside. They do not seem hostile, just that they're here on business.

He answers the door, a little concerned that they know where he lives, but it’s only fair they know where to find each other. “What’s up? Need me to do something else for you?”

"Boss wants to see you. Says you made your point. Doesn't want this to turn into a turf war yet"\

“Alrightio, see you guys still based out of that warehouse?” He doesn’t forget to take his gun with him, and wonders what their boss might have in store. If he’s being honest with himself, he didn’t have much of a plan beside crossing names off a list, a bit unwise in hindsight.

"Yes, see you there later on, come alone. You know the drill"

He nods and closes the door, he’ll wait until it’s dark before wandering out and meeting up at the warehouse once again.

Approaching the warehouse you take a step inside when suddenly lights and sirens outside begin flashing. Greystar agents and local police forces begin swarming as vehicles pull up and quiet grav flyers hover over the scene with their spotlights. It’s always dark on Acastus but even on third rise there are plenty of people awake. Strong hands pull you from the entry of the warehouse and you’re quickly bagged and thrown into a vehicle. You sense someone else is in there with you as it begins speeding away from the arrest site. “I’m sorry about the rough handling. We had to get you away from them , they got to you first. A few people saw you last night. One of whom was a retired agent of ours. We could use you, Helbi”

It takes a minute for him to clear the noise and chaos from his mind. Once he can think clearly again, he stares into the pitch blackness of the bag and towards the voice near him. “No worries, I’ve always wondered what it’s like to be kidnapped and wrangled, just never thought I’d get to know so soon. ‘Retired’, hey? In for a penny in for a pound I suppose. Whatever deal you’ve got, I’ll take it. Beats working alongside some petty thieves and vandals. Also, I might be a bit out of touch, but last time I checked Greystar became a very legitimate and proper government. What use could I have for you?”

"You seemed to do well enough with wetwork here on this world, but you're more than just a killer. You got an introduction with those gangers somehow, through your own smarts and moxie. Those are skills we're always looking for and you've got them"

7:47 AM

(3xp, 5000 credits, and you can take that last payment now from last month now that you're in official service)

**Level Up**
Level: 2
Focus: Connected lvl 2
Old HP: 8
HP Roll: 8
New HP: 9
New Skills: Talk 0 for 1SP, charisma +2 for 3SP
Current AB: 2

(Any thoughts as to what you wanna do as the Galaxy moves forward ? Or do you want me to toss something at you )

(Learn more about parts of the NFSS, make connections and contacts, do jobs. My big goal is to just gather information, and make a network of contacts to reliably do so. Aside from that, I’m happy with whatever you throw my way)

)okay, Eish mentioned going semi-openly, aboard Tawny Owl 2 is something the polity is interested in with the intent of offering or at least proposing some kind of intelligence sharing deal, so we'll move into that if that matches with what you wantr to do)

(Sounds perfect!) (edited)

"Well saying that, we want to approach the Northern Free-State Singularity. Semi openly, at least. Greystar is independent now as you know, we need to present some kind of intelligence deal to them in the hopes we make ourselves useful and might learn something ourselves. We aren't looking over the borders for an armada to come steaming in frm the UNW, but its good to prepare"

“Alright, sounds like a plan. What kind of deal are we aiming for here? More of a partnership or more of a non-aggression sort of deal?”

"That's largely going to depend on what they give us and how receptive they are to an envoy."

7:41 AM

(eish and i will figure that out behind the scenes to keep you from going astray, this is a little thorny as he is technically kind of playing both sides of the issue, so we'll figure out an appropriate in universe resolution for that as your visit unfolds)

2

“That works for me. I’ve been itching to figure out what their deal is ever since I found out about them, it’ll be even nicer to see in person. Speaking of seeing, is the bag still really necessary?” He wiggles about, trying to dislodge the sac around his head so he can catch a glimpse of their surroundings, or at least be able to find out who’s talking to him.

"I suppose not. We got to talking and I just forgot about it" the handler laughs gently as its removed, and the wrist shackles are taken off you.

2:05 PM

"You've been paid by the polity, twice now it seems, you should have enough to outfit yourself. We'll radio ahead to Tawny Owl and let them know you're coming aboard to head the mission. "

2:05 PM

(if there;s anything we want to do before we go, we can stop to do it, otherwise I'm good to push on)

(Nothing else, just that shopping list, I’ll repost it right away) “Perfect. I’ll grab some gear, then I’ll head straight to the Owl. By the way, thanks again for this opportunity, it’s nice to be back in the game” Helbi hops out of the vehicle, bidding the handler and his men goodbye and good luck, before he heads out to do that shopping he’s been planning for a while. (Shopping list is: Sniper rifle, armoured undersuit, monoblade knife, mag pistol, metatool, low light goggles, 3 type A cells, and a TL4 backpack for 1,720 credits)

(Alright. Sounds good. I’ll post the stats for tawny owl and we can plan our route )

Eisheru, et al. pinned a message to this channel. 11/11/2021 9:48 AM

(So from Acastus we push north. I guess the biggest question is I generate reports for planets on the way would we be stopping or are we just going to push right on through )

(Profiles along the way would be amazing, just in case we pass by something interesting or noteworthy on our journey)

(3 days to espinoza is first)

8:29 AM

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/espinoza-article?preview=true

Espinoza

Helbi stares out at the planet, and instructs the crew to refuel at the nearest solar body and continue on course. He also makes sure to maintain relative radio silence, even if they had good relations with the NMC, it doesn’t feel like a good idea to give their listening post more to intercept than necessary. (edited)

1

(This is a Greystar world now. That’s just the site GSC is using as their base )

12:53 PM

(If that changed anything , otherwise I’ll continue on)

(In that case, probably just a friendly hail as we pass by)

(Alright. Did you want to pick the next jump?)

(Heading straight for NFSS borders, so I think the next stop would be at Hrefna)

(We'd have to stop at Koffa first since it intervenes, but we can pass on by if we want since theres nothing there really, so 4 days total in downtime before Hrefna)

8:01 AM

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/hrefna-article?preview=true

Hrefna

Helbi spends his free time reading what he can about the NFSS, studying in particular the economic activities of the Cyberean League state. Relying mostly on a single group as a breadbasket and industrial heart for the rest of the states is an interesting decision in his eyes, but he refrains from making more assumptions before he knows a little more. (Training Know-0, 4/90 days)

9:07 PM

(Next stop looks like Saheera. Won’t be stopping at Al-Yaldal or Zufiaurre, the former since there’s NMC research ongoing, and the latter because of brain parasites)

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/saheera-article?preview=true

Saheera

7:56 AM

(no one's ever landed here, we just passed by, so the WA is all we know for the moment)

(In that case I think I’ll pop down just for a little visit and reconnaissance. Has the planet been contacted before or is this their first encounter with someone outside of their system?)

(if they were contacted it would have been Pre-scream last time they were)

1

Addressing the crew before they touch down, he emphasizes the importance of competence and courtesy, or at least the semblance thereof. “The first impression is the most important, so let’s make sure that whenever the people of this planet think of Greystar, they remember only our consummate professionalism” After his little spiel, he then directs the crew to contact the authorities of this planet, and then to land if they are permitted to.

(I'll get a map together for you)

1

(nearluy done!)

6:38 PM

(Is the tribalist seat the largest settlement?)

(They’re about even)

(Then I’ll land at the Tribalist Seat)

(How close did we want to set down?)

(A few minutes away from the town, not too far but not on their doorstep either)

Setting down in some light woods you see birds scatter skyward. Your mask begins filling with oxygen to help you breathe , taking heady full gulps of rich air.

He heads out of the ship towards the town, keeping an eye out for any welcome party, friendly or otherwise.

Moving through the plains close to town you see a trio of buggies moving in your direction about ten minutes after you’ve set off. They have long radio antennas. Three men are in each including the driver. They’re armed but don’t seem in a hurry to drive up shooting.

He himself has only brought his pistol, and makes sure his hands are clearly visible as they approach him. Once the vehicles are within a hundred meters he stops moving entirely, waiting until they choose to come closer.

The patrol comes a bit closer and 50m from you the vehicle comes to a halt. Two members jump off the back- one armed, one not. The unarmed one holds up a hand in greeting as they walk into a distance where you can shout or at least talk loudly.

Helbi calls out across the flat field to the first responders, keeping a casual, yet jovial tone to his mannerisms and speech. “Hello there! Do you speak Mandate?”

"I do ! You do too it seems. We're off to a good start!" he calls back

He chuckles, at least their first meeting isn’t overly formal. “We’re here on a diplomatic mission of sorts, are you an ambassador, or could you take me to one? I’m here on behalf of a certain polity, and I’m sure I’ve got some information that would be of great interest to your world”

“A certain polity ? Any chance you could tell us who? The evasiveness might not be intentional, but I’d like to know who I’m doing business with”

12:01 PM

No one has pulled weapons yet but you can see the escort is becoming wary

“Greystar, not the closest polity mind you, which is the reason for my earlier lack of specificity. Currently however, though we’re not the most convenient option when it comes to alignment, we are looking for new member worlds to integrate into our confederation” He keeps his composure cool, not showing the hint of apprehension he feels. “I’ll save the sales pitch for later, assuming of course we are the first polity to reach out to your world”

“You are. If the sales pitch is for later what’s your business here now?”

“To catalogue, if we’re given the ability to do so of course, this world, including the people and society on it. Even if you don’t end up siding with the confederation, there’s a growing number of explorers and cartographers in the interstellar community who’d be fascinated to know more about your world, and it would be remiss of me to pass by this opportunity”

"You're welcome to come back to the settlement with us then, probably a better place for this conversation"

He nods, and without making too many fast movements, he strides across the field towards them and their buggies. With some luck, he hopes to convince the people of this planet that siding with the confederation is a deal worth taking.

The vehicle begins moving and on the way you’re asked if you have any questions about this world

Helbi questions the other passengers as to what sort of government they have, and the most common culture found o. The planet.

They don't have a specific name for their culture, they just have the lifestyle they are used to. Their government is a tribal council made up of the two strongest warriors, the medicine man who is most senior in experience, and the law-giver, a learned local who has many books and the locals trust them to make fair decisions.

Helbi asks if it would be possible for him to have an audience with these leaders, since they’ve got the support of the people behind them, it would be in his interest to see if they’d feel it’s beneficial to join the confederation first.

"I'm going to be honest with you, strolling in there as a nobody to the people who live here and asking them to trade away their independence isn't going to be a conference that goes in your favor. The people are going to want to know what they're getting into, and need to be shown that your promises are more than words. This new era is dangerous for everyone, and people are more suspicious than they used to be"

“That’s reasonable. Though I’ll be honest with you as well, as you’ve no doubt realized I’m not much of a diplomat, I just so happened to have been in transit over this planet first, so I’ll have to consult with my colleagues to get together an appropriate proposal, then hopefully we can offer reach a compromise. In the meanwhile, I’m still going to be here. Off the top of your head, is there an issue you could use some assistance with?” (edited)

"We lost a team in the mountains trying to get a transmitter set up so we can listen to space. Been a week since they checked in last"

“Could you tell me the general area where they were supposed to have set up that equipment? I’ll take our ship up to survey the location as soon as I check out the city” He immediately notifies the crew of the ship through his compad to begin scanning for any medium-to-high powered planetside signals, and any emergency signals in general. If the team had a functioning transmitter, there’s a chance they could have found a way to broadcast a signal with it.

(You'd have seen it from space if they did. The whole trouble is there's no signal for them to do anything about)

1

8:51 AM

"That's all I can think of then. We're not ordering you to do it, but if you find out what happened it might look good for you

He nods, and spends the rest of their trip to the city admiring the surreal landscape as it speeds by them.

The city is a large place with walls made of wood and stone. It reminds you of a fortified dark age city in the middle ages, and you can see that the men at arms here still have guns rather than swords and other period weapons. You're brought into the city center to a large holdfast building where city leadership resides.

He wonders what conflict might necessitate the maintenance of the walls, or if was a historical priority instead. Before he heads to meet the leadership, he takes some time to walk around town in search of statues, museums, or other indicators of the history of this city and this world.

(you're being escorted so they're not going to let you wanted now that they've arranged a meeting)

1

8:23 AM

You're brought into the main holdfast building, and the city council is waiting for you. There are three people here, all human. They wear functional clothing rather than something too ceremonial, and are eager to meet with you, to hear about the rest of the galaxy, and so on. The walls look to be something created when the colony was founded, but it looks as though the locals are maintaining them.

“My name’s Helbi Hyland, I’m here on behalf of the Greystar Confederacy to hopefully establish contact with your planet and the rest of the polities. I’ll answer any questions you have as best I can, do you have some?” Based on what they ask, if they ask anything at all, he plans on getting a better idea of their priorities.

You're asked about Greystar Confederation, and what you're doing here. They want to know about where you come from and about what you're doing so far beyond your borders. Space travel is not common in this Post-Scream age.

“We’re a former intelligence agency, now government, that looks after a fair amount of planets, and I was on my way to consult with another polity when I passed over your planet. I landed here because I noticed the galactic community hadn’t yet made contact with you, and that we had little information about your planet and your people, so I came to gather that knowledge myself”

"A former intelligence agency? How do your people feel about that, someone prrying into their private lives like that. Assuming you do, of course. Just hard to not see a world like that given all of your backgrounds" One of the aldermen says, idly picking at his nails from his position across from you at the table

“Former is the key word in this case, our leadership and structure has changed a bit, as well as our goals. In fact I would say that currently we are much more active in the naval sector than in any brand of espionage. I would even go so far as to say our background, as you put it, is more of a boon than a risk. As even the remnant of our collective experience makes counter intelligence a little easier. After all, it’s harder to pull one over on someone who knows the tricks”

"Perhaps. Naval sector makes it seem like you're transitioning into overt force projection, but that remains to be seen I suppose. "

“Independence is something to be safeguarded, and gunboat diplomacy can be quite useful to maintain it. Do you have any more inquiries, or can I ask a bit about your world?”

"please, your questions. Lets have them"

“Could you tell me a bit about your city and world? I noticed that the walls here seemed pretty old, were they built by the founders of this colony?”

“The jungles used to be a more dangerous place. The walls kept the wildlife from randomly entering the city and getting into things they shouldn’t. Still true, even if there’s less wildlife around than there used to be. The walls remain a necessary precaution. Even the rats here can be vicious”

“Interesting, would you think that’s a side effect of the terraforming? Also, your diplomat who met me where my ship and crew landed notified me of a missing transmitter team somewhere in the mountains. While search and rescue is outside my area of expertise, I’d like to offer my support, is there anything I could do to help?”

"We'd like to find them. An overland expedition is dangerous and we can't spare the manpower as much as we'd like to find them or find what happened to them"

(Since the Tawny Owl has atmospheric configuration, would it be possible to try and search for the expedition by flying at a lower altitude over and around the mountains?)

(yes you coulddo that)

Helbi has the crew fly low and keeps a look out for any signs of the team.

(Okay, is helbi with them, or are you ordering them to do that while you remain in the city ? Is the conversation still going if you are and that’s happening in the background ?)

(I’ll be going along with them to search)

(Program /int)

(Program/Int 2)

The mountains seem to reflect signal and almost seem to be working counter to you trying to get signal traffic or any kind of electronic intelligence on the team that went missing here, or even a detailed picture of the terrain itself. Everything seems like it has been turned up to 11 here, and the scanners return impossible readings

He checks with the pilots to see if they can get a closer view, to search manually and visually, per se, for any signs of the team on the mountains.

He doesn’t have a way to scan again without getting the same results. An on the ground search is the only way you’re going to find them it seems

(Does the ships locker have some equipment we could use for harsh climates? If not I’ll look for some back in the city)

(The ship and its fittings have been pinned to this chat. it has an armory and locker)

(Oh rad!) Rummaging through the ships equipment locker, he procures a climbing harness, a survival kit, three thermal flares, a pair of binoculars, and a few days worth of rations (Would there be enough to outfit two crew-members with similar equipment?)

(yes)

The ship sets down at the edge of the mountainous region, the scanners effectively dead from@the ground interference

The cold bite of the air pierces his skin as he steps out of the Tawny Owl and onto the ground with his two crew mates. His first decision is to look for any paths that may have been marked by the explorers before him. Barring that, he simply looks for the least risky way up the mountains in front of him, where they can walk more instead of climbing to preserve their energy and proceed with more speed.

(survive/wis)

(survive/wis 10)

You're able to find part of a path here that leads up the mountains more gently, and proof that the team came this way. Cast off parts of a weather station and some discarded ration wrappers pressed into the light snow guide your path forward

He proceeds forward, the crunch of the snow underneath his boots keeping him from dwelling unnecessarily on the unfamiliar and slightly unpleasant meteorological conditions. His second priority, aside from searching for more traces of the signal team, is staying on guard for any hostile wildlife. Usually he wouldn’t expect anything too dangerous to live on rocky and frigid terrain, but with the bizarre fauna on this planet it wouldn’t hurt to stay frosty while travelling.

You do notice paw prints in the snow as well. There are many of them going back and forth and this area looks to have lots of activity by a medium sized creature , or many of them.

He let’s his compatriots know to keep their heads on a swivel, and his hand never strays too far from his sidearm as he continues up the path.

Heading up the path you find your first body. Its environment suit has been torn open. Ribs and organs have been scattered and dashed by the rampaging creatures that live here. In their hand is one of the components for the transmitter they were trying to build

Steeling his stomach against the splattered viscera, he holds his breath as he snatches the part from the corpse. He knows it would be hard to tell how long ago this unlucky traveller was killed based on the condition of their body, cold weather tends to mess with decomposition a little bit, but whatever up here with them is agressive, but hopefully not hungry. He needs to find the rest of team, and orders his crew members to stay low and slow to avoid attention, to maintain a constant vigilance. As they start to move on from the sobering scene, he contemplates the sense behind this excursion. There’s no need to move on if the rest are presumably dead, especially if whatever killed them wasn’t stopped by the equipment and weapons they used to protect themselves. Speaking of, he takes a cursory glance around for a weapon, as well as any more tracks belonging to the remaining members of the team.

You can see the broken shards of some kind of hunting shotgun with the body. It’s an old pattern and looks like they didn’t get a chance to use it, both barrels are still loaded.

He pulls it open and checks the shells before snapping it closed. Intending to not be caught off guard, he carries it by the barrel in his left hand as they proceed onwards. He informs the other two of his guess that the party fell victim to ambush predators, and that it would probably do well to avoid a similar fate. Nonetheless, he treks onwards, steadfast in his determination to discover the fortune of the remainder of the transmitter team.

There are more prints in the snow ahead. You can see blood speckled with dragging boots and paw prints in the snow and several empty shell casings. You find the first of the beast corpses here too.

8:35 AM

He counts the amount of unique humanoid footprints that he can make out from the chaos on the ground. It strikes him that the team has been missing for some time, and based on what he’s found so far they must have been attacked soon after they departed. He doesn’t expect to find any survivors, but he holds out hope nonetheless. In fact, he picks up the pace. The chill prickling the skin on his back, and the macabre scenes have only served to push nagging paranoia to the front of his mind. At least he has the time to prepare, unlike these poor souls.

You can see that there are four other pairs of prints here and based on what you can see in the snow this encounter saw everyone walk away- though in what condition it is not certain.

5:20 PM

Ahead you can see the path winds up the mountain and tracks close to a cave mouth where it looks like more fighting took place. The corpse of one of the creatures along with blood, a human body , and laser burns carpets the entry

If there are armed people inside, he doesn’t want them to open fire on his group, but alternatively he doesn’t want any creatures to be alerted to his location. He puts his bet on the creatures having won, and decides to attempt entering the cave silently, without announcing his presence.

(Sneak/dex)

(Sneak/dex 11)

You don’t even hear the sounds of snow or rock crunch underfoot as you approach the cave. You can hear the sounds of labored breathing inside and the sounds are wet, like bubbles rising from deep water. It may belong to man or beast. It’s impossible to say from out here. Whatever is inside is unaware of you.

As he meets the mouth of the cave, distrusting the noises emanating from within, he drops prone. Proceeding at a snails pace, he moves until he can get a clear view of the source of the breath while staying as obscured as possible.

Two wounded men are huddled inside. Each of them lays surrounded by a brood of the lesser versions of the dead creature you had seen outside. They fought hard and are on the last of the little life they have left

He posts his crew mates at the entrance to watch, and gives them his sidearm, a mag pistol, before beelining it towards the injured men. He checks the extent of their wounds, and unsheathes his monoblade to begin slicing strips of their clothing off that could serve as impromptu tourniquets. A medic he was not, but he’ll do his utmost to help however he can. “Are there any others?” In reference to both survivors or the predators, he also asks to keep the minds of the men in the present and focused.

He shakes his head no to both. Everything you see is what is left, and you see each of them has one of the remaining beacon parts on them.

He gathers the remaining parts, and after tending to their wounds to the best of his limited ability, and calls over his crew mates to help carry the wounded men. He wants to get them out of the mountains as fast as possible, but he knows they’ll be slowed considerably thanks to their injuries. He peers into the sky to attempt to ascertain the amount of light they have left. If they have a fair amount, he’ll proceed onwards and take up the rear. However if it looks like darkness will envelope them sooner than later, he’ll set up camp in the cave.

(Heal/int. They’ve gotta be stabilized if we can or they won’t survive being moved )

(Heal/int 6)

Their wounds are severe. They're going to perish if they're not removed from this mountainside in the next hour or two but you've made them safe enough for transit for now.

He alerts the other two at the cave entrance, and helps them pick up the injured men before taking the lead and heading back out of the cave. Once they’re on their way, he makes sure to keep an eye out for the others, as they’re probably a bit preoccupied, and might not be paying much attention to their surroundings, so he stays extra vigilant to try and compensate.

(whats our general plan here? did we want to evacuate these guys first and then set up the weather station/transmitter. or split off into teams to try to do both? if so, what time would you be with? )

(Hopefully evacuate these guys first, then come back and set up the transmitter. Not going to risk splitting up, especially with injured people)

The ship that brought you here has a medbay and a space is prepared for them aboard. Another few minutes out there and surgery would have gone from risky to impossible. It's in the hands of the ship sawbones now, and night is coming fast.

Having witnessed firsthand an abject lesson in how even well prepared travel on this world can be met with disaster, he comes to the conclusion that a nights rest wouldn’t hurt, and that the next day will be a more opportune time to finish the job started by the team.

(Alright, healing your level of health if needed, clearing one point of system strain if needed)

1

In the morning, he makes his way towards the medbay as fast as he can without breaking into a jog. If they managed to pull through, he has a few questions about the transmitter to ask them. If they didn’t, he’ll have to contact the planetary authorities and arrange a proper handoff.

By morning the patients are stable but sleeping. They've endured incredible injuries and the cold, and the doctors think for at least one of them that another round of surgery might be necessary to ensure survival

In that case, he collects the components and sets them out in front of him to try and figure out how they would be pieced together into their final product. He knows he’s not exactly qualified for this job either, which is why he resolves to not touch or mess with the technology for fear of breaking it.

(Fix/int)

8:41 PM

(Or know. Also with int. Your call)

(Fix/Int 0)

You're not sure how this would go together. Your ship does have an engineer , he could make the risky climb with you to help set it up, but losing him means your journey home becomes far more dangerous. (edited)

He decides to shelve his pride, and heads to the bridge to re-establish contact with the city to offer his assistance and to inform them of the condition of their citizens in his care. He informs them of the onboard medical diagnosis, and that he would be open to allow their doctors inside the ship, or deliver the men to them. He also offers to personally help escort another team to build the transmitter, as he does not the expendable resources to perform such a task.

The city is willing to accept those terms and are happy they at least have some answers and closure. The next days pass as a blur between getting the patients dropped off and the tense escorting of a second team to the peaks , but by the end of the third day a new transmitter is in place , and the city can now get signals over the mountain.

6:43 AM

(3xp ,5000 credits. One mission isn’t going to convince them to join but they’re certainly friendlier )

1

(Would there be a way to put them in contact with Greystar’s government? I’m hoping to establish official channels with them, and maybe even negotiate some kind of rudimentary agreement or treaty)

(That’s what I’m sayin, they’re not interested in that after just one mission. You helped them and they’re friendlier for it but they don’t want to give up their independence )

(Ah, fair. In that case, would it be possible to set up another meeting with the leaders to talk again?)

(That’s what they’d say. If you want to talk about other matters they’ll talk about them but if it’s just going to be hey join Greystar we aren’t going to get anywhere )

(In that case I’d better get back on the road. A good first impression isn’t too bad a start, but since they’re clearly not interested in joining, it’s probably best to leave them to their own choice, and continue onwards to the NFSS)

(|what's our next system?)

(I think it’s Astinoos)

(program/int on entering the system) The planet appears clean when you enter real space. There is evidence of a biosphere and the actual gravity well itself appears free of vessels from the shapers, any polities, and any activity at all. In addition to a yellow sun, nd a barren planet there is a habitable one, and there is a strong energy reading covering the entire planet, like some kind of field.

(Program/Int 7)

There is only one small gap in the energy field, with what looks to be some kind of facility below. It will otherwise not permit a ship or any other solid material to pass through.

(Is the gap large enough for the ship to pass through, or is this a really small hole?)

(large enough for a ship)

8:10 AM

(but not much bigger)

He commands the pilots to move towards it, but slowly to ensure that it is a genuine weakness in the shield, and not some kind of bait. If it appears to stay stable and open, he’ll have them pass through.

The field seems like it just has not been extended to cover this area. below you can see a large facility of energy projection dishes, a large lab space, and a wide tarmac for ships to land.

He attempts to hail them with their onboard communications once they’ve passed through the barrier. While he’s itching to land and get to the bottom of this as quick as he can, it’s clear whoever set up this lab wanted to be left well enough alone, so it’s probably better to be safe than sorry.

The ground is silent. It’s not just that nobody hails your ship but it seems there is a lack of any kind of communication signals at all.

He can’t stand the pull of the mystery, and gets the crew ready to land. Watching the lab carefully as they descend, he ruminates on its potential purposes. If there is seemingly no one here, the shield doesn’t fit. To go to the extra effort just to leave it empty makes him a little suspicious of what might await them on its surface. He resolves to go out alone and armed, and to keep the Owl prepped for takeoff, just in case.

(notice./wis! as we set down and get a feel for the place)

(Notice/wis 8)

THe place seems entirely abandoned. There is a scorch mark on the tarmac that shows a ship took off from here probably just over a year ago, and the smell of burned electronics still lingers in the air. Security and any sort of people are non-existing here in equal measure,

Then that would likely explain the gap in the shield, perhaps they left a clue of their research behind if they left in a rush or weren’t diligent enough. He quickly returns to the ship to grab a combat rifle and four magazines of ammunition from the armoury, one of which he loads into the rifle, before heading deeper into the facility. The weapon is more of a personal assurance, as he doesn’t truly expect to have to use it. Picking up the pace a little, he jogs towards the first entrance he sees, hoping the former occupants left it unlocked.

(we are at 1 right now)

He heads directly for the fourth building, searching around it for an easy entrance or an alternative one, though preferably the former.

There is a ground level service door that looks to lead inside the machine shop. You're reminded of a conventional entry door on a garage. There is no keypad, but the door handle is locked.

(Can I tell what the door is made of? If it’s not reinforced I’m planning to try and shoot the handle/hinges off)

The door is made from a thin metal. It’s a barrier against the elements and a way to prevent casual entry more than a fortified deterrent against someone with the time and tools to get in

He slides his mono-blade knife from its sheath, placing his rifle next to him, and uses the knife to attempt to pry off the handle and generally try to destroy it enough that it will give out.

(Would be a sneak/dex for picking )

(Sneak/dex 10)

There is a click as the lock disengages you you find your way inside to a tool shop where ships could have been directly towed in - upon opening the large bay doors. Ships could be overhauled here.

1

If it’s still operational, he wonders if it might make a fairly useful outpost to have, especially if he could figure out how to control the energy field. Either way, he’ll have to take this discovery to the more navy-inclined agents, as he doesn’t have the firmest grasp on shipbuilding and alteration. Next, he retrieves his rifle and heads to the building from which there seems to be a lot of pipes originating from or heading into. He picks up the pace a bit, the eerie isolation doesn’t sit quite well with him, so he endeavours to find the reason behind it as soon as he can.

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 2/8/2022 8:41 AM

building 5 looks to be some kind of lab building and you can see the door has been breached. Explosives were used to knock the main lab doors down and scorch marks are everywhere on the decking. You see the remains of a security turret that has been pulled apart with telekinetic force here as well, not seeing any weapons damage on the exterior or armor plating.

He hasn’t yet found any bodies, or other signs of assorted battle damage, which leads him to believe what happened here must have been a fairly surgical strike, maybe even a sort of inside job, and that whoever pulled it off left through the field without closing it up. Which means that there was something here of value, after all. Meaning he needs to search this lab for a remnant of what they might have been researching. He careful steps around the debris from the turret, and begins to make his way through the room, looking for any hint of an answer.

Entering the building you see most of the computers here have been destroyed. A shield status panel, and the information logs have been left intact as entries on the system.

He decides to take his chances with the logs, they’re probably what he needs to put the pieces of this puzzle together. So he starts to look through them, specifically for personnel and ship logs, if they’ve been recorded they could be pretty useful.

The logs have largely been redacted given ship movements, personnel in and out, and numbers of them- additionally it does not state who this facility belonged to. Something that is mentioned here is the "essence transferal process" and studies involving it. It seems the end of this process has resulted in the impenetrable energy shield covering most of the planet and this process is at 99.9% currently and has held there for quite some time.

1

He elects to follow the pipes to their source once he’s cleared the rest of this compound. For now, he looks for any kind of portable storage device that he can download the information onto, as this technology would likely be something the confederation would be very interested in.

As you plug your removable storage into the machine you see an error message appears. The connection has been refused.

If this facility yields little context, as clearly whoever ransacked it made sure to leave nothing behind, then he might have better luck somewhere else on this planet. There could be a chance that it’s just an experiment, or there might be something here worth safeguarding. He steps outside the building, and heads to the walkway parallel to the pipes, intending to follow them until he gets to the source, but not before he checks back with the ship to see if they can get a kind of scan of the surface so he has an idea of where he’s headed.

(I’ll draw a map this weekend. I’m away from my computer until tomorrow )

8:21 AM

You follow the pipes to the rear building where it seems like most of the effort here has been invested. The doors here have likewise been through a very concerted attempt to get them open (edited)

(Awesome, thanks!) Assuming for a moment that he wouldn't be able to complete what a group with a telekinetic couldn't with the equipment he has on hand, and heads around to search for an alternate entrance.

(That was my bad. They are open. You can just tell someone’s been real rough getting in)

1

He heads on in, with a sizeable amount of confidence, as he doubts there’ll be any security left to oppose him, and to see what used to occupy this room.

You enter the main lab and you see a large chamber studded with coils and brass coatings. There are many gauges and dials here, and a single computer that looks to be working, though the screen is cracked and the keyboard has melted down.

He performs a cursory check around before returning to the ship to check for a scan of the planet’s surface. If the compound itself doesn’t yield any answers, then maybe somewhere else on this world will.

(I’ll draw you a planet map )

2

9:48 AM

(each hex is 200km)

Surprised to see what appears to be settlements that dot the surface of the planet, he gathers two crew mates to accompany him on his way while he prepares to head to the nearest one that’s just south east of them.

(D10!)

(7)

Passing over a forest you see that it is empty. There is no life such as birds or tree dwelling rodents and approaching the village from above you can see that there are no people here either.

5:49 PM

Things look to be abandoned , but done so in good order.

He plans to start a search of the houses and buildings in the village for clues, maybe even a note or two left behind by the previous inhabitants. It seems bizarre that a whole population would up and leave, especially without leaving a indication of why, so he hoped he can find one before too long here.

5:50 PM

(Going to begin looking through any houses nearby

The settlement is littered with propaganda leaflets from the government that used to rule this world. It seems like they were some kind of scientific organization and posters of a brave knight holding a shield to knock back a shadowy looking talon occupy most of the image. DO YOUR PART. MAKE YOUR WAY TO AEGIS SCIENCE CENTER TODAY! LEARN TO DEFEAT THE ALIEN MENACE

The talon reminded him of an alien life form, Shapers, if he recalls their name correctly. The fact that whatever government used to exist here needed propaganda leads him to believe they must’ve been pretty desperate, or at least needed a lot of recruits. If they were just training citizens, a science center would be a weird place to do so. So if they abandoned this town, maybe they left behind whatever they were working on. He checks the pamphlet for any hint of an address or location, and contacts the Owl to see if they can detect any wayward signals.

The papers point directly to the science center where you've already been. There are no signals.

Now the shield iconography makes a little more sense to him, as the field of energy. He starts back towards the ship, as he’d like to check out the settlements on the other landmasses, first the city directly south east and across the ocean from this one.

Every city seems to be more or less the same. Empty homes, leaflets everywhere, signs of an orderly exodus out of the area, and nature returning to claim what humanity has left behind.

It seems like whatever happened here is determined to stay undiscovered, and based on what he’s clued into so far, that’s for the best. He orders the ship to leave through the same breach they entered, and to return to their course towards the NFSS. When he fills out a report for this quick stop, he writes that there is not much to be found, just a few abandoned settlements. Probably best to leave this experiment to the void of space.

(Menosa would be the next closest world if we're making a straight shot there)

1

(Yeah, heading straight there)

(okay, ill get a report together)

1

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/menosa-location

Menosa

(I think I’ll keep moving for now, which would take us to NFSS space I think)

(sounds good, conferring with Eish on how we're gonna do this, one of us will reply here soon)

(okay, looks like we're at Uzov, ill get a repirt together)

1

Uzov is a small system at the edge of NFSS space consisting of a sun, a temperate world, an asteroid field, and a barren planet covered in toxic gas. The system lacks a gas giant or nebula, making it a rarity in the Iron Stars region. The system is war weary and recovering from defending several Shaper assaults during the wars against the Fleshshaper Host. A strong NFSS naval presence and large naval base exists in the system and there are many salvage efforts underway to recycle what remains of destroyed NFSS ships. There is no evidence of any organic Shaper wreckage in the system. A single city exists on the habitable planet. It looks like some kind of environmental recovery effort is underway here to repair damage to the biosphere from the war.

Helbi tries to reach contact with the navy base first, as if there were to be any diplomats or contacts that might be in this system, he feels they would likely be there. He uses an official hail, announcing his status as a member of the Greystar Confederacy, and that he is here on a diplomatic mission.

Greetings Greystar Vessel. 

Welcome to Uzov, who is your captain, and why have you entered the system?

One of the fast cruisers broadcasts the welcome as it slips from its moorings on an intercept and escort course.

He reduces their speed, and responds to the message. “I am Agent Helbi, and I’m here for the purpose of pursuing a diplomatic connection between the government of your systems and mine”

You will be greeted by an NFSS delegate on the platform. Please enter unarmed, and you will be treated with respect and courtesy aboard our station. Do you agree to the terms?

“I agree. See you soon” “He guides the crew to land, and steps out wearing Greystar’s standard issue uniform. He leaves his weapons, but brings along his compad, just in case.*

(compad is fine, not a weapon) You're passed through a weapons and medical scanner before entering the main part of the station terminal, where a well dressed 'Tre representative and a few bodyguards are waiting. "Greetings, Helbi of the Greystar Confederation. It is good to see you've made such a dangerous journey so safely. I trust everything was smooth in getting into the platform?"

“As ice. You’re running a clean operation, especially considering the events that’ve transpired here. Thank you for welcoming my ship and I aboard so courteously. I’ve no doubt you’ve been informed of my intentions, though I’d like to elaborate a bit more on them if you’d allow; I’m here to pursue agreements between your states and mine, specifically the exchange of information, a valuable commodity in times like these”

You're taken somewhere private to talk and it looks like a ship officer has been temporarily displaced from their stateroom to give you a place to speak without the prying eyes of others. "We know too little of Greystar to call what we feel for you respect, but we recognize the value in keeping friendly relations with a spy agency. You are the guest and have said you want to elaborate on some things, so you will be permitted to speak first" the ambassador says

“Your candidness is appreciated, though I’d like to note that we are more a legitimate government now than an intelligence agency. Still keeping it to broad strokes, we’d like to establish a trade of economic, political, and social knowledge, along with the more in depth kind. Starting small and expanding the terms as our relationship and trust in it grows as well” He can tell by the ambassadors words that what he said about the lack of respect is quite true, though he tries to keep his comments polite and professional.

"That all sounds very good in principle but you have much more to learn from us than we could from you. No partnership as unequal as this one lasts for long, but there is something you could do for us to perhaps prove the value of a cooperation agreement with Greystar"

“That depends, what ‘something’ are you suggesting?” His suspicions rise a tad, it seems the NFSS knows at least a bit about Greystar, so he hopes that the confederation doesn’t have a leak it needs to plug.

“I’m hoping you could do what you do best and get some information for us. The Protectorate is probing to be not negotiating with us in good faith, such as finding a loophole to benefit from the technology sharing agreement we made with the ISF without actually contributing anything to it themselves. We want to know what’s going on within their borders. Who the movers and shakers are. What their plans are. And so on. We don’t want you to damage them on our behalf , we just want to know what’s going on”

“That’s quite an ask, especially given that should I do that, you would have all the plausible deniability someone could ask for. What would you be offering in return then? This is a deal that needs something concrete from both sides to solidify its mutual benefit” He would never agree to these terms, and he makes it clear in his tone of voice that he doesn’t appreciate the offer as it stands.

"Favorable trade deals, technology, information of our own, advanced processes to make day to day living better for every single one of your citizens. We have much to give"

“Alright then, you have a deal. I’ll use the inter-polity transport to reach their borders. Once I have what you’re looking for, where will I be able to reach you or one of your compatriots?” He starts to stand up, and stretches out his hand to mark the agreement with a shake.

"We'll be waiting" he says, firmly shaking your hand. "It'll be worth your while, and Greystar's"

10:21 AM

(3xp, 5000 credits)

(Is there public inter polity transport between the NFSS and the Protectorate?)

(there is not)

1:20 PM

(The NFSS maintains no routine contact with anyone other than its own members)

He heads back to the ship, and charts a course home to Greystar space. From there he plans to hitch a ride into the protectorate, after which he’ll begin his new mission.

(Menosa, Astinoos, Saheera, Helga, then Shaila is the itinerary if I got that right. No stops this time I think, heading straight back)

(perfect, there are a few stops in between, since you cannot spike through intervening planets, but it comes to 19 days of downtime)

(Alright, I’ll keep training Know which would take me to 23/90 days)

12:39 AM

Once he arrives back, Helbi returns the Tawny Owl and it’s crew to the Confederation, and looks for a public transport that would be able to take him to the Protectorate, or at least to the UNW to allow him to hop from polity to polity.

1

(Transport goes all the way to the Protectorate too, just need to know what world we're going o)

(Rad! I think I’ll be heading to Erdoza to start off)

(19 days of downtime. I’ll post you the system report )

5:10 PM

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/erdoza-article?preview=true

Erdoza

(Which settlement does the transport land at? Or can I choose one?)

(You can choose )

Helbi steps off the transport at the resistance encampment with most of his equipment stored in a pack on his back, save for his larger weapons. He looks for an administrative building, or a place where he could get some reputable information without raising suspicion.

The camp is largely abandoned now, just with a small support staff overseeing the end of operations as the Protectorate gradually takes up the task of governing here. There are perhaps a dozen people and a pair of light vehicles as part of the facility, and "the admin building" looks to be nothing more than a log cabin near the back of the camp that is slightly bigger than the rest. A security officer stands outside the main door to get in.

He heads over to the guard, making a show of confuse sky looking around the camp as he does so. “I may be working off of expired information, I’m not from nearby. You wouldn’t still have openings for ‘skilled labour’, would you? Or someone I could speak to?” He is attempting to appear as if he had the intention of helping the resistance, but simply got the information about it too late to make it in time to help.

The guard explains that your information is indeed out of date, and there is not really resistance anymore, since the former governor is deposed and the people are now Protectorate citizens. Aside from doing some book keeping, and assisting with the peaceful transfer of power, this camp does not really serve as a hub for much of anything right now. Erdoza does still have its problems, but none to warrant and armed movement of the citizenry against the planetary government.

He thanks the guard for helping him out, and asks where he might find some Protectorate government officials, as he has information that they might be interested that he came across during his journey.

He thinks some of the major cities will probably be better places to go for that kind of thing.

(Alright, going to transit to Cekonis, and do the same search for official buildings)

(connect/cha)

(Connect/cha 8) (edited)

Landing at the starport here instead you spend some time walking the streets. The official buildings are in the center of the city and have been scrubbed of any information or resemblance of the previous administration. Protectorate officials have not yet arrived in numbers to expand to occupy all the offices within the buildings, and city services are slow, or inefficient as a result.

(Sorry for the absence, got super busy for a minute) He can imagine that the scraps of the government here must have their work cut out for them at the moment, so hopefully they might be more welcoming to outside aid. He looks for the (relatively) largest concentration of officials, so as to hopefully find whoever is in charge of the operation. He’ll present himself as a contractor, which isn’t entirely untrue.

(how would you be presenting yourself? Are you saying who you actually are, or is this a cover identity? Are you attempting to disguise yourself in some way? I'm just trying to figure out the parameters of the scene here so the NPCs know how to react)

(A cover identity for sure, no disguise, just a different name and claiming to be just someone looking to be of aid to alleviate pressure on the government)

(okay, lets get a perform/cha then )

(Performance/cha 10)

You've got a passable looking fake ID, and are here impersonating a Protectorate agent from what has been thrown together by Greystar ID shops. Entering the building you quickly get a meeting with the local mayor, and he sits behind his desk waiting to hear what you plan to do, or what information you need.

“I’ll keep it quick, since you’re probably quite busy. I’m here on behalf of the Protectorate to aid in stabilizing the new government here, to make sure nothing unsavoury slips into the foundations while it’s built up. I’ll be here to help oversee, if you are alright with it, of course” He puts on his most convincing professional, yet friendly, act.

"That;'s all well and good but what are you trying to help with specifically? "

“Consider it counter espionage, a bit like auditing. Going over details like activity and contacts to ensure that everyone involved is legitimate, and that no subversive elements manage to sneak in”

"What can we do to support you?"

“An assistant would be nice, someone who could help get more in tune with local customs and cultures so that I can make more informed decisions. If you can”

"I'm sorry, we have no spare help right now, we're pushed to the limits here as you can tell"

“Ah, then I’ll pick up a guide or some help along the way. Thanks for your cooperation, mayor. I’ll make sure that it’s recognized properly” He stands, and begins to make his way towards the exit. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I ought to leave you to your duties so I can perform mine”

(he's got nothing further for you then, hd' just let you go)

(Sweet!) First things first, Helbi heads towards the department that handles offworld communications with the rest of the protectorate. From there, he hopes to be able to glean a few ways to contact officials unofficially.

There is a large communication complex here, where there are messages carried off world. It is close to the starport, and the building has several guards and fences outside of it keeping the unauthorized from entering easily.

8:56 AM

It is part bunker, part state building, and everything here has the look of being fairly official compared to other arms of the government here.

He approaches one of the guards near the gate, and produces his forged I.D. He inquired as to whether he could take a look inside, just to inspect the security measures and processes they have. He also mentions briefly that the mayor gave him permission to perform searches like this.

!Roll 2d6

Nekosmash Roll: [6, 5] Result: 11

“This badge doesn’t seem to be working” the officer says after trying to scan it many times. “You’ll have to check in back at whatever admin office you came from for a new one. “

4:04 PM

(He doesn’t suspect it’s fake but it’s lacking what is needed to get into a military installation like this)

1

“Ah shoot, thanks for letting me know. I’ll be back soon once I’ve got it” He suspects that to produce a new I.D card the mayor may have to perform a kind of background check, which would not end well. He spends a few days working on improving his cover identity, such as setting up fake contacts and references, along with assembling the best facsimile of physical government identification that he can. He can’t hack to save his life, so he sticks to what he’s better at.

(I think this is probably adventure worthy in itself, finding someone willing to do it and whatnot)

7:35 AM

(how would you go about doing all this on a world where you have no background and dont know anyone? )

(I see what you mean with the contacts. What I’m hoping to do is to fabricate a “paper trail” to be more convincing, since I can’t rely on the locals yet. All sorts of miscellaneous documents and maybe written references.)

(So you'd be forging those references ? )

(Yes, along with everything else)

(perform/int)

(Perform/Int 9)

You think you've amended the holes and flaws with your previous approach after a few days of work. It is not perfect, but it might hold up for long enough for you to finish examining what you came here to see.

With his finished work, he returns to the mayor to submit his request for more advanced security clearance.

It looks as though for now your extra measures have passed scrutiny. You're able to get access to the comms building, but you're not sure how long this cover will hold.

He moves quickly to make use of the time he has, and searches for records of addresses, locations, contacts, and any private information he can get access to. He looks specifically for digital records, nothing physical to smuggle.

(Admin/tin )

10:35 AM

(*int)

(Admin/Int 2)

1

You are able to scrape raw data. Its contents, or what might be included is something that is going to need to be reviewed later when you have the luxury of time.

He then heads around to search for any employees that work within the building, both to support his guise and to get a better lay of the land.

Outside, it looks as though a Protectorate patrol car is passing by, going slow, but continuing to drive. Accessing employee records also look to be in a secured section of the digital archives, and you'll need to delve into the system to try to locate and extract them.

He takes the slightly ominous vehicle as a sign, and begins his incursion into the system. As he does, he makes sure to keep checking over his shoulder, knowing his time is likely limited.

You are able to bulk download copies of the traffic moving in and out of the hub, and after about ten minutes of waiting for the progress bar to finish loading it looks as though you have all the raw data your current communication device is going to be able to hold. Sifting through it will be the work of an army of analysts and you have no doubt that the NFSS is going to be able to accomplish this in record time.

He turns back to the exit, and moves without urgency to preserve his cover, and keeps notes of any alternative exits or windows in case things turn sideways. He also keeps an eye out for that sneaky car he noticed earlier.

This looks to be a secure building, and the only door you have seen is the one that brought you into the data stacks in the first place. There is a single window very high up in the ceiling to provide natural light but it looks as though there are bars over it to keep anyone from the outside breaking in using it.