Iron Stars

Eli Zlato wakes up in his small hab in Jagrati City, the capital of the New Moon Cooperative. Things have been quiet lately which is a mix of concern and relief. The old traces of the nobles and the way things used to be have been washed away even to the point that people now walk the streets and anyone displaying too much ostentatious wealth or airs of upperclass about them are generally accosted. The societal reaction to the changing of the order, to the new hand at the crank, has been more reactionary but perhaps this is a good thing and the Cooperative can finally move forward. Many ministries formerly only the purview of nobility have now opened to the public and one such opportunity is being circulated among the job listings- in circles only you know how to view. The cooperative is looking for someone to travel to a destination south of the territory it controls for a priority assignment, and a contact name for the NMC field office in jagrati city is attached.

Zlato groans and rubs the sleep from his eyes as he goes about responding to the assignment. after taking a mental inventory of who would be most appropriate to respond to the contact Zlato decides on an identity and sends a communication that he would like either a meeting or more info.

Dear [Contact],
I'll pick this one up. If you need to meet me I'll be there, otherwise send me the info and I'll get to work.

Regards,

Jim Reddick

"That should do" he mutters to himself as he sends off the message and heads to get a cup of coffee (edited)

An appointment for the afternoon is scheduled, and you are given directions to the office. You are reminded to come unarmed and if hired will be given full details of the assignment. They do not ask for a resume, and presumably are doing their own research. Outside it is another bright Jagrati morning and people are beginning their daily routines. The open air market nearby is already sounding with the cries of vendors trying to attract morning traffic.

After eating a plain breakfast, Eli heads out the door and attempts to blend into the crowd as he makes his way to the meeting. Head tipped slightly forward to avoid eye contact and keeping an eye out for anyone that might be following. Cant be too careful.

04:18

On the way over Eli is trying to see if he has any memory/older intel that would help him identify who this job might be coming from

(we know its from NMC intel already. I generally dont name NPCs unless we see them a few times to keep the numbers managable)

1

15:18

The doors to the building open to a lobby where two NMC troopers guard a second entry door to the heart of the building. A desk clerk looks up from her terminal and smiles as you enter. "Good morning, do you have an appointment?"

"I do indeed" Zlato replies with a slight smile. "Last name Zlato". he says surveying the room and giving a smile and nod to the troopers as his gaze passes (edited)

(is this intentionally not giving them your name or did i miss part of your backstory)

(ya that was the fake name he used to reply to the job. I can just roll that back if it is gonna be too confusing, im never quite sure how to play the "alias" thing to make it work without being a bother haha)

(I don't think its going to be necessary)

1

(ok retconed

)

"Zlato, alright yes we see you've applied here." There is a ring at the entry door as another guard appears and waves for you to come back. "If you're armed , place anything you have in the amnesty box on the wall here and you will get it back when you leave. Please for your own safety and that of our officers here do not try to sneak anything in, you will be searched. If that comes back clean, you'll be permitted into the offices and we can discuss a role here for you"

Zlato nods as he placing a laser pistol in the box before bending down to draw a knife from his boot and toss that in as well. "after you" he says with the same placid smile as he prepares to be patted down

You're patted down after a few moments and are brought back to a briefing room where a man in a modern looking business suit not at all in keeping with the victorian fashion of the Cooperative is sitting. He has several data pads in front of him stacked on top of one another like books. "Have a seat. I've just been looking over your file from the name you gave at the door. We're going to keep this pretty informal to start, just for my own sake, do you mind running me through your background"

Eli takes a seat and nodding casually, but lets a pause sit in the air before answering "I'm just a person that the folks in charge go to when they need to know something or find someone. I've spent time working throughout Cooperative territory, but I've found myself out of a job recently. That's where I'm hoping you can come in." He spreads his hands in a sheepish shrug as he says the last (edited)

"Some of the private spy rings formed by the nobility were quite staggering. I want to ask which house but it hardly matters now. You understand there is no chance of things going back to how they were- and I am hoping you are here in this office in order to help push the Cooperative forward rather than block our plans from a place of trust. You have the potential to live just as well, if not better. If we decide to bring you on board we need to be able to trust that we're both working for the good of ourselves, and the Cooperative. That said, I'd like to know some of these skills you're talking about"

“Spy… rather ugly word isn’t it? But no, only an idiot tries to fight the tide. Nobility is no more, huzzah and hurray and all that.” Zlato says with a casual wave. “As for what I can bring to the table… I’ve always been able to find friendly minds wherever I go, and I’ve never met a language I couldn’t speak.” He pauses for a moment before saying “I’m also extraordinarily convincing” with a smirk

"If your investigations asked you to act against any vestigial remains of the Noble houses, would you be able to make yourself do it? Cooperative territory itself is not under this umbrella, but you remember how wide our borders used to be. Not all of these frontier planets have been brought back into the fold- those few that were not destroyed or devoured by the shapers that is"

Zlato chuckles "It never much bothered me what type of person I was acting against before. I certainly dont plan on letting it bother me now"

"And last question, I don't know how you operated before but aside from covert transport to the planet you'll be working alone on the assignment we have in mind for you. Is that a problem?"

"that wont be an issue"

22:27

then after a slight pause "just do warn me if you end up landing any other assets on planet. I would hate for there to be any sort of accident.

He passes a small file across the table to you with a label on it. Supriya. It’s a planet on the southern border of the cooperative.

22:44

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

Supriya

22:44

“That’s the basic information. There’s a reason we are sending you there. They’ve got a lot to answer for”

Zlato nods as he takes the file "I'm sure they do. Will I be expected to make travel and other arrangements on my own or is that something you all take care of?"

“We have that in hand but let me give you some background. The world here is controlled by a governor. He used to be a noble. When an outreach ship visited his world he boarded it with his system force and Imprisoned the crews. They had been preparing to disassemble the ship for its spike drive technology before we could land saboteurs there to destroy it. He is a dangerous rogue asset and believes himself a legitimate breakaway state. This belief cannot be allowed to continue

"Understood. Undermine the local governance and pave the way for you and yours to come run things? seems fairly straight forward... Would you like me to try and do something about the prisoners he took as well?"

"If any of them can be rescued that would be the best outcome. Consider that a secondary objective to destabilizing the current government, with the ultimate aim being removing the noble from power and setting up some kind of transitional authority that is more sympathetic to returning to Cooperative control. He is a cruel man, you should not have trouble finding enough people he has kicked over the years willing to work against him- as long as you are careful"

"Very well. This will take a bit of time, surely, but I can get it done" Eli says with a pleasant smile (edited)

(If you didn't have any other questions or need anything I'll get you set up to get started, but I didn't want to cut you off)

(yep the only thing i can think of needing is a breathing mask but it sounds like they could supply that with the transpo so im all good!)

Transport to the planet is arranged for this evening. A ship will be waiting in the air/space port here on the ground in Jagrati City. A locker and armory is aboard for any last minute mission needs. The crew will know to expect you and you will be advised on possible infiltration routes once underway. this seems to conclude the interview.

Zlato says a polite goodbye before heading out the office to tie up any loose ends in Jagrati City before he heads off. A few days later at the appointed time he heads to the spaceport to begin the job.

(The ship has a locker where you can borrow any equipment you might need. Let’s sort that and then I’ll drop you into the action)

1

(ok i will check the book real quick and see what im gonna pick up beyond the mask and drop that here one moment)

(No rush!)

(atmo filter, Binoculars, a couple laz patches, data slab. If all that is ok!)

(Lazarus patches and other TL4/5 meds aren’t available in the game. We use the frontier medicine from the rules doc in #rules-and-books instead)

(oh oops my bad! in that case ill do a medpak)

9alrighty, anything else?)

(Nope that’ll be it)

(4 days in downtime while we fly there, if you wanted to work on anything in that time. The world information was posted earlier) Entering the system the comms officer gets to work- the fastest you've seen him do anything over the last four days. The engines power down to almost nothing and lights across the ship dim to emergency levels. Quiet settles across the bridge as an electronic picture of local space begins generating.

Zlato would spends the 4 days mostly in his bunk doing any research he can. Main focus would be on trying to identify any existing tension between the governor’s forces and local organizations. Also looking into important figures on planet either in the nobles forces or within the citizenry. (Idk how much of this kind of info I can actually get with the scream being so recent but he’ll just do his best) As the ship enters the system Zlato makes his way to the bridge to observe the approach. A duffle in hand and backpack on his shoulder he enters careful not to disturb the quiet concentration on the bridge

(wouldnt be able to really get any of that, theres rules in the unified iron stars doc for downtime if you want to work on anything)

(gotcha my bad, in that case i think ill put the 4 days into "notice". narratively explained by him spending time trying to pick up easily missable details in the dossier/on the ship)

"Alright, six hours into the system- we're running quiet so if there's any eyes on the ground they should only see empty space. We need to show you how to use the comet chute if we're going to get you down there undetected, and go over some extraction procedures"

I hate this part Zlato thinks to himself dreading the long drop to the ground before saying. "sure. go ahead"

"The comet suit and its attached dandelion system will let you drop to the planet's surface safely from orbit. We believe insertion through one of the woodlands surrounding the capital city here is the right way to go. You'll be virtually anonymous on the surface."

“… understood. Just uhh, make sure you give me one of the good ones. I’d prefer not to be rendered into paste on impact”

"The margin of error is ten kilometers. If it looks like you're going to miss the woods , aim for the water. The dandelion system with it will slow you down enough to land softly and land wihtout being detected by radar. Your cross section will look like some birds or a swarm of bugs.

Zlato gives a bit of a blank stare before saying “great I’ll do that” I swear to god if I die like this I’m gonna fucking haunt you he adds silently to himself

Heading to the cargo hold, the space suit and its attachments are laid out on the deck and the crew chief helps you get them on. "when you hit the ground, ditch the suit as soon as you can. Its bulky. It's going to make movmenet on the ground quite difficult"

20:06

A countdown on the wall has been steadily ticking down, and the drop will be ready in thirty minutes. (edited)

Zlato begins putting on the suit with a sloppy urgency as though he has more like 30 second instead of 30 minutes. Swearing under his breadth. “Got it got it, don’t try to carry the suit” he manages

The final piece of the puzzle is a small survival kit. Inside there is a small positional beacon. Once activated if you are in a safe place away from the urban centers, the ship will do its best to try to extract you. The battery life is only a few hours.

21:18

The countdown ticks to less than five minutes. The helmet is fixed into place and you can feel the air pumps beginning to circulate air into the suit. The fire resistant gel layer also begins to inflate to burn off in atmosphere and leave you safe underneath.

Zlato quietly loses his shit as the count down ticks and he gets ready to jump

(Pilot/dex for our landing so we know what happens as you jump. A fail isn’t death but it’s going off course)

(10)

01:55

(first roll for this character off to a good start!)

The bay doors open and the light turns green. You jump clear of the Free Merchant and into open atmosphere. A comet of fire begins to form around you as the suit's ablative layer keeps you safe and gradually burns away on its own. You are managing to stay on course and seem to be heading for a woodland south of the capital by a few kilometres.

Zlato grits his teeth as he attempts to stay the course and avoid breaking anything on impact. you got this. you got this. you arent gonna die.. his internal monologue runs as he goes to make his landing

Branches from the purple barked trees crack and crash around you as the dandelion chute deploys to slow your descent to a safe level at the last possible minute. Your compass confirms you are three kilometers south of the countryside around the capital city where most of the security on planet is located. It does not seem that anyone saw you come down from your unorthodox deployment to the surface. On the way down you noticed a road on the north end of the glade, marking the transition from forest to long grassed plains- in the shadows of the distant city wall.

Zlato picks himself up and begins to strip off the suit and look for a place to hide it away. Thinking to himself that he probably needs to come back to dispose of it properly at some point, Zlato begins making the trek into civilization. As he begins to near other humans an odd tickling sensation begins in his brain as he feels knowledge of local dialects, customs, and norms begin to sprout in his brain, seemingly from nowhere at first, but moments later feeling as comfortable as old memories.

)making for the road , or trying to stay concealed in the woods?)

(He’ll head for the road)

Looking like a local you walk down the side of the road as a few trucks pass by. Each of them is loaded down with building supplies

He continues his walk into town holding out a thumb as the trucks pass on the off chance someone will let him hitch a ride

Air brakes hiss as one of the trucks at the rear of the column stops. It’s momentum slows and the engine idled as the driver opens the door and climbs down the ladder “You’re a long way from home son. You okay?”

“Oh been better, broke down few miles back.” Zlato responds, perfectly mimicking the local accent and giving a vague gesture behind him. “Been telling the boss the damn thing was gonna go for weeks… sure enough” he gives a resigned shake of his head. “Got room to take me into town?”

“I do. Have you called them to let them know? Signals been terrible out here. “

16:30

He gestured for you to hop into the cab and you can smell the savory tang of whatever he has been cooking

Zlato pulls himself up into the truck with a grunt before getting out “couldn’t get through, hopefully they’ll see my message before i get back in to the warehouse… otherwise you can bet whose gonna have to trudge back out here for her” he says with a sigh

“Hope that doesn’t happen. Hungry?” He asks as you settle into the cab. “Hope you weren’t out there long. “

02:41

The heavy vehicle slides into gear and the large engine begins moving the truck back onto the road to follow its now distant fellows

“Eh, could have been longer. I could eat though” he says with a grin “Name’s Eli by the way” he holds his hand out for a quick shake

“Hello eli. I’m Corda. Nice to meet you. Wish it could have been under better circumstances “

"you as well, you as well" Eli responds cheerily. He pauses a moment before continuing with various small talk as he feels out his host

(anything specific you'd be trying to get out of him? i dont want to bog you down if you just want to get into the capital)

(He’s looking for a general pulse more than anything specific. Kinda just getting a feel for what is on the mind of random folks. We can jump to the capital unless something catches his ear)

There is some nervousness and tension in the city. Conditions are getting a bit worse due to materials shortages, due to what many think are vanity projects the world governor is taking on- rather than spending them on long term improvements that benefit all.

Eli nods along as the driver expresses his opinions, occasionally adding a word or two to egg him on as the city looms up in front of them. "Wherever you want to let me out works for me. Was a great help getting me back to civilization Corda, thank you"

He writes out a slip of paper and after a moment you can see that it is his address. "Hope the boss doesn't give you too much trouble. You ever need a hot meal or a friendly ear come on over. Would love to have some company"

Eli takes the note with a smile "will do, and thanks again." he says as he hops out of the cab and heads off into the city streets. First things first, he thinks to himself. Need to find a place to stay and where i can set up a base of operations to start building contacts. He evaluates his surroundings as he begins to learn his way around the unfamiliar city

(connect/cha, and some kind of an idea of what you'd be looking for so ive got a way to evaluate the success/results of this)

(he basically just wants to have a safeish space to sleep and run the operation out of)

14:41

(12)

(right, but what kind of neighborhood, we looking for something like an apartment under an alias, an abandoned warehouse, a hotel??)

15:32

(there are A LOT of setting dressings that might help or hinder your mission depending on where we go, and I'm trying to get an idea of what we have ready)

(oh gotcha gotcha, im thinking apartment. probably somewhere in a lower income area where it wouldnt be terribly uncommon for people to come and go so he can start to blend in to the community. If possible having it be in some kind of decently central location in the city would be helpful)

The lower income area is toward the east end of the city, away from the city heart but with enough access to public transit to get around quickly if needed. You're able to get a small two room apartment from a landlord who insists on paying in hard credits only. 250 are due at the end of the week , for the month.

Eli agrees and moves in what little he has into the crappy little apartment and begins to get to work. Based on the info from Corda there is already likely a few different organizations working behind the scenes to resist the government in various capacities Eli thinks to himself. First it I’ll need to figure out to what extent and who is in charge of what… Over the next few days Eli begins to spread feelers on the local internet he also decides to pay Corda a visit… no need to neglect a potential contact

Corda happens to live just a few blocks away in a slightly nicer house than the apartment building you are working out of now. It has a small fenced in yard with a dying tree in the front of the house. Your new friend sits outside in an old rocking chair, looking out at the street and enjoying a rare day off.

Eli gives a wave as he walks up the path to join Corda. He takes in the view of the street for a minute with a contented sigh before saying. "Great little place you've got here Corda"

"Used to be" he agrees before standing up and stretching. "Not so much now. Why i went back to driving my truck. Anyway, cmon in, something cold to drink maybe?"

"please and thank you" Eli replies following him into the house

He throws a frosty beer toward you and invites you to sit in his garage. The door is up but a screen has turned it into something of a porch. He sighs as he sits down on one of the chairs. Inside you can hear children playing and the sounds of something being cooked in the kitchen.

Eli takes the beer sipping on it as he sits beside Corda "How old are your kids?" he asks after a moment

"Eight, and five, and my wife is about to have our third. I picked up some extra shifts to try to pad the wallet a bit before she comes. Feels like its almost not worth it though" he sighs "Saving money that's almost worthless, and there's nothing to buy with it anyway"

Eli gives a humorless chuckle "Now that, I can understand... credit doesnt go as far as it used to" he grimaces

"You're better off welding with them, or burning them if you've got the paper ones. You're not here to hear me complain though. How'd your boss take the breakdown?"

“Well… could have been better” Eli says bitterly “Fired. Said I should have ‘waited with the van’ and figured out a way to contact them… as though that was a damn option”

“Governor seems to be the only one hiring now too. All sorts. Not sure what he’s working on but we know why your unemployment credit chits won’t be coming now”

Zlato grimaces and take a long drink of his beer

23:19

"So it comes to that" he says bitterly after a long pause

"Yeah, you gonna apply then? Seems like your only choice"

He pauses again taking another slow drink "there just... well there has gotta be another way besides fallin in line and just letting the governor get what he wants... There's gotta be another way"

"Maybe. He does a good job of hauling off anyone too outspoken, and they're usually speaking out by themselves"

"mmm. your right your right... just forget I said anything" Zlato puts on a forced smile "Im sure I'll figure it out eventually" says before tipping his beer up and draining the last of it

"Those guys down at the fire hall need to be careful. They;re doing important jobs around here but the governor isn't going to like them speaking out so much. "

17:39

"end of the week, mark my words. Gonna be a crackdown"

He gives a nod in response “you’re probably right. Good thing folks like us know who’s to keep our heads down eh?” Zlato says with a dark chuckle

(i dont want to drag you through this if you're set, basically you've gor some leads now)

(yep we can end scene there, next move will prolly be to head to the fire hall to pursue that lead before the crackdown)

The evening passes and you make your way out into the street again with a stomach full of warm dinner. The cool air helps ground you from the cans of beer that were pretty much thrust upon you, and you remember from the discussion that the fire-hall basement in question is just a few streets away

Zlato meanders towards the basement, leaning into his role as a recently unemployed local strolling through town as he makes his approach

Two muscular looking men are standing outside the stairwell down, and block the path of anyone trying to force their way through. Each of them has a hatchet on their belt. "Evening there friend, you lost?" one of them asks.

"Oh no, not lost at all" Zlato says putting on a smile "quite sure this is the right place"

"You're sure about that? What;'s your grievance? " You sense he's wanting to hear why yo'd be interested in joining a movement like this\

Zlato grimaces a bit responding "I'm sure you've heard everything I've got before, but if you insist on a sob story" ... he pauses before launching in to the fabrication "Was just a hick working out on the family farm out in the Supriya heartland. One day the old man had an accident... and medicine... well it isnt what it used to be especially out there. Anyway, turns out Da had some "debts" to the government outstanding, and when he was gone they came round to me to deal with it" . . . "Turns out debt collectors, not the most patient folks" He gives a forced smile. (edited)

16:01

"I could go on if you need I suppose, things havent exactly looked up since I made it here to the capital"

(i think yama king helps you sell this, interjecting the appropriate cultural points wherever appropriate to convince them you're a local)

1

19:25

"Alright, another one the governor has harmed, directly. Head inside, grab something to drink and something to eat if you want it or need it. The meeting will start in ten minutes, we're just waiting for a few other late showers"

Zlato nods and smiles heading down into the basement to get a lay of the land before the meeting. He grabs a drink and sips on it as he listens in to various convos as he waits

THere are about 30 people down here coming from all walks of life. Almost everyone has been aggrieved personally by the government here, and those who have not suffered personal offense represent other family members who have. A large cork board on the wall has dozens of missing persons posters all over it, and a few candles have been lit around it to commemorate a truth no one wants to put to voice. Tables have been laid out in a square with what looks to be some kind of board loosely getting together to speak.

Zlato gathers around with the others trying to pay careful attention to see if he can pick out a the true leader or leaders among the speakers as he listens

The head table fills in and you can see three people There. They’re all human, and are two females and one male. The meeting is called to order and you hear over the next hour the long list of tin pot dictator behavior. There is a movement planned, ambush and sabotage of the resource convoys heading into the capital , along the trucking route you yourself used to get into the city. Stopping the flow of goods from the countryside chokes the governors plans

Zlato listens to the plan listening along in the back of the crowd. As the speakers finish and the crowd begins to clear Zlato waits until one of the three leaders is unoccupied and approaches the three. "Not a bad plan, but fatally flawed... it wont work. At least not like this" (edited)

The group shows a surprising amount of openness and you sense no scorn as the conversation stops at your approach. "You have a suggestion? I'm willing to hear it then, since you were brave enough to come out"

"Your core problem is the timeline. If you really want to bring this government to its knees via limiting supply you are going to need time, probably years. I certainly hope you can call on more support than the 33 people i counted during your speech. You'll need to go to ground once this fight begins, disappear among the populous.... or in the wilds I suppose. If I was able to find you, you can bet the Governor knows about these little meetings, so this base is already as good as toast. If we are just a few dozen malcontents in a basement he'll crush us like bugs. But, if you can ensure a groundswell of popular support when you begin your raids, a way to hide, blend in... Well then your few dozen malcontents become something deadly."

17:14

Eli delivers his spiel calmly and clearly, making eye contact with each of the listeners in turn as he speaks (edited)

“Yes. This is the first step among many. There are no doubt other groups who feel how we do, but no contact is safer for everyone. Can we count on your support?”

"of course, I'm here to make sure this little revolution doesnt get put down before it begins. If you want my assistance you'll have it"

"Our little ambush is going to need some extra hands. Can you shoot?"

“Frankly I’m a mediocre shot at best but I can be another gun.” Zlato rubs his chin a bit “Depending on how many hands you need I might have an idea… it might be better left as a last resort though”

"Whats your idea? I can't really make a decision if I don't know it"

“City this large must have extensive syndicate activity(insert the culturally appropriate name for the organized crime on planet whether that be syndicate, mafia, triad etc). Convincing them that they have more to gain from different governance would be a massive boost of man power. A double edged sword to be sure though, which is why I mentioned it might be better to keep as a last resort”

“You’d be surprised. Most of those guys were rounded up and shot with just suspicion not even conviction when it became clear the Cooperative had left us behind and we didn’t have laws to adhere to . It’s up to us regular citizens now “ (edited)

“Mmm, fair enough, noble’s never did like following their own laws when no one is watching.” Zlato sighs “ah well, was a long shot anyway. I appreciate you hearing me out, if there is anything you need assistance with before this op so let me know”

(assisting with the ambush was a big hook here, if we want to look for other avenues we can. I think i am just lost as to if we're doing this or not)

(sorry wasnt trying to confuse you haha. my goal here was to do the ambush with them, but in process of joining/doing so plant the idea that he might be more than just an extra gun down the road)

(oh sure, i think depending on how this goes you'll more than likely get some acclaim with them as well)

02:17

"We're going to be meeting here tomorrow night to begin trekking out to the wilderness, get some vantage points worked out and if there's any opportunities to strike sooner, we will. Can you make that deadline? "

“I’ll be there” Zlato confirms

"Alright, We'll see you then. Bring whatever you think is going to help you get by in the wilds for a few days"

Zlato gives a nod as he makes his way out to get ready (If possible he would grab 3 days of rations before going but other than that he is ready to go)

(yep! all good, lets get a survive/wis as we had out into the wilderness)

(6)

Moving out into the wilds you find signs of other people traveling this way. The resistance fighters are not being discrete about their movements, but most of the recruits are people who haven't picked up a gun before recent events, An untrained man can still kill, given the time and opportunity. Another man looks to have come this way recently, his boot prints are still fresh in the dirt, and a discarded ration wrapper is closeby in the weeds, left behind

Zlato does his best to follow the trail without leaving one of his own. Occasionally cursing silently to himself when he makes a mistake

your meanderings take you to a clearing, 3km from the city by time you finally stop to check the compad you've got, and you see a gaggle of men assembling ahead under a large tree. You recognize several faces from the gathering, and they you.

He smiles when he realizes his bushwhack through the woods is over and picks up his pace to a light jog as he joins the group. "Apologies for the lateness folks"

"None needed. Glad to see another soldier in the fight against the governor. He will never suspect. You had an easy time finding us, i suppose you pass the first test"

"I'll take it" Zlato responds with a nod "so, we got anything special planned for this? or more of your standard come out of the tress with guns blazing type deal?"

'The second, but I'd like to move us toward the first over the next days if we can. I wanted to survey the area, see what we can mock up to slow or delay the convoy , and maximize our chances at wiping them out entirely. As few loose ends as possible"

"Understood, well I'm here to help if I can so let me know what you need" (edited)

"I've got three tasks, pick the one you think you'd be the best at 1) I need a team to sniff around near the road, follow it from concealment for a few kilometers in each direction and check to see if there's an opportune place to ambush the convoy. Something where the woods get close to the road, or we'd have an overlook, anything to give us a terrain advantage. 2) We need some people to ask around the farmers and others in the area, try to marshal some support or see if we can get some materials from them. I want to see what we can use to make homemade explosives or traps, anything we can do to maximize the lethality of the killzone we set up. 3) We need someone to make the long march across the region, about 20km west of here to the materials assembly site. We need to know when the convoy leaves, and the kind of escort we're dealing with. That's going to be our last chance to abort the mission if they depart with more than we can handle. Along the way, taking note of the terrain or any idea places to stash a cell of fighters when this is over is a good thing to sniff out"

21:48

(NPcs will handle whatever two things you don't pick)

"I'll take the farmers. I might just be able to convince a few folks to help us out" Zlato says with a smile

"Alright, You'll be less likely to be looked at too close traveling alone. Small group of fighting age males in the countryside who dont live there is a lot more suspicious than a lone traveler. "

"Sounds like a plan. How long to I have"

"three days, enough to contact some of them. Don't commit to more than you think you can handle out there"

"Understood, sounds like I best get to it then" (If it is still early enough in the day he'll probs get started with this. if it is a bit later he'd take the time to help set up whatever camp is going on and try to build a relationship with the people here while he waits)

(I think we'd be like early afternoon right now, if that helps the decision)

(gotcha he'll probs try and get to it then that is plenty of day left)

15:27

Zlato takes his leave and begins making his way towards the first farm

It is late afternoon by the time you come to the first of the farms. The twilight hours of the day will be there soon and you can already see lights inside the main farmhouse coming on as the day's light wanes. A male farmer and his two sons are reaping a cabbage field, getting weeds and the outer leaves shorn off to prevent retented water and rot.

Zlato approaches from an angle where he attempts to be seen and not startle the group. Giving a wave if anyone sees him

(Probably from the south then since there are no screening buildings if you agree with that)

(sounds good!)

The farmer is the first to see you and gives a slow wave as you approach. He keeps his scythe in his hand, but holds it in a position where he won't suddenly be able to swing it without broadcasting his intent. "Welcome traveler. We don't see many of you around!" he calls out.

“Much appreciated, I apologize for dropping in on busy folk without warning. But I could use a word if you have a moment” Zlato says with a kind smile

He gestures for his sons to keep working and sets his tool down near the field gate before opening it and signaling for you to follow him down the road a bit just out of earshot of anyone on the property

“You run a tight ship” Zlato starts giving a nod out to the carefully lined crop rows “me and mine are just hoping to make sure you and your boys can keep working out here in peace” he gives a slight sigh. “I’m afraid to that end I’m here to ask for help”

"Working in peace eh? You think there's something I need to hear?"

"I'm sure it isnt anything you arent aware of frankly... Everyone knows things have been heating up over the last few years since the scream. Some of us figure it is time to start making it a bit harder for the Governor to push us all around. We are looking to see if anyone is willing to help where they can... or at least point us towards folks who would be willing"

"Depends on the kind of help. Got a family here, and two boys. Not ready to leave the farm or the safety of their Ma and Sis to them just yet. "

Zlato nods with understanding “we’ll take whatever we can get. Whether that be information, supplies or something more. Hell even just pointing me in the direction of folks in the area that might be able to do more would be a great help”

21:40

“We’re all in this together, even if not everyone sees it that way just yet”

"Next farm down the road was a camp for troubled men and boys, lots of them put there against their will by the Governor. Some guards there, the guards come up to trade once in a while , but they've always been respectful"

Zlato nods "understood, I appreciate the info. You sure you don't have any supplies you can spare before I head off? I hate to pressure, but Supriya needs our help." Zlato tries once more

"Be happy to give you a warm meal and some cool water for your walk, but we're a simple farmstead. We don't have much and what we do have is supposed to get us through the dry season. I'm sorry, I wish I could do more"

Zlato smiles "No apology needed, a sip of water would be excellent. And regardless of how things shake out with who is in charge, we need folk like you to keep the crops growing. I'll give you my contact info in case i can repay the favor down the road.

"Let us know what's coming, if you can. If I was younger, without a family, I would join you, but you'll have to settle for me passing you information"

"I'll do my best to keep you in the loop" Zlato promises. After getting a drink of water he makes his goodbyes as he prepares to head for the Farm mentioned

(We didn't expressly say it, but he's promised to pass info, so we can say we have each other's comms)

19:40

(If that works for you)

(perfect)

(eli will head to the farm the guy gave him info about after exchanging contacts btw)

(this never lit up for me , sorry about thaT)

1

20:34

Down the road five kilometers, you get into the early part of the evening when the treeline is replaced with an open pasture, kept enclosed by a wooden fence. You can see wires run along it from both the front and back, and the air here crackles gently with some kind of energy. You can feel it in the hair on your arm and as a gentle vibration in your teeth. Two guards stand at the main gates of the farm, black wrought iron with a horse shoe or omega symbol in the crested top.

Zlato decides to loop back around and see if he can find a more reasonable option for entry. If he cant find it, the next best option he can think of is trying to lay in wait for a guard shift

The property on its western side is bordered by dense woodland. You can see the fence turns and runs into the woods but not how it’s oriented once inside.

He will take a stab at using the forest as his way in if he has to climb a tree to avoid the electric fence… we’ll he’s done worse

Entering the woods, the guards at the gate have not seen you. The forest is thick and the trees are tall. You can see the fence continues here , and indeed there is a tree with branches overhanging the electrified area. The limbs overhang the fence as well, so it does not seem that there is any kind of energy field keeping people out either

(how far of a drop would it be to climb the tree and drop over the fence using the branches?)

(not enough where you'd be taking damage, just a couple meters)

Zlato sighs and makes his way to climb the tree.

Making your way down on the other side of the fence you can see from the underside the limb has a red X sprayed on it. Meant to be pruned at one time to stop this exact thing from happening but never was.

04:27

The woods remain quiet but you can hear the sounds of farm life ahead

Zlato heads towards the sounds doing his best to look like he belongs and knows where he is headed

You see a large farmhouse in the distance on the other side of a massive field of corn. Two pastures house cattle and horses , and you can see the labor gang rousing in front of the barn to begin the long process of filling a new field nearby

03:33

They’re protected by four guards , each of them armed with a combat rifle

Zlato curses silently to himself when he sees the guns. He will do his best to sneak around closer to the farmhouse while using the labor gang as a distractions so he can get a better lay of the land (edited)

18:42

(do the guards have a particular governor's uniform or anything like that or are they kinda generically dressed thug types)

(Generically dressed thug types)

1

(got it thanks! doesnt change anything right this second but gives more options later)

(So are you just using the labor gang to screen you or are you trying to get them to do something

(Just to screen cus presumably the guards attention will be there)

The guards don’t seem to notice as you are deliberate with your movements and keep both the laborers and the woods to your advantage. They begin breaking out tools and are being directed to where to till, those who are slowest are encouraged with shoves or a kick from a booted foot

04:00

You can see the guards have coiled whips on their belts but so far have not used them

Zlato heads to try and enter the farmhouse careful to be aware of any remaining guards

Sneaking up to the house you can see the back door does not have a guard by it but is locked when you give the knob a small exploratory twist

Zlato will take a look around to see if he can find an open window or side door before trying to resort to breaking in via the locked door

There is a window on the side of the house opposite the yard that has been left open. There is a screen over it that is loosely bolted in place with two small pins

Zlato will attempt to use his metatool to pop off the screen and get in

(no check needed) You enter the stairwell and can go downstairs towards what sounds and smells like a kitchen and larder, or go upstairs to the lodging area. You hear footsteps on the floor above, but just one set.

Zlato will head upstairs walking with confidence through the house as though he belongs there

Upstairs, you see a cleaning attendant moving out of one of the bunk rooms. His cart is loaded with clean sheets, cleaning products, and a large bag where trash and anything that needs to be removed from the household is thrown. He looks to be listening to music or something else on a battered looking compad and is not paying attention to his surroundings.

Zlato continues his confident posture simply ignoring the attendant as he sweeps the rooms. if he doesnt find anything inter4esting/useful he will try downstairs

(how in depth of a sweep are we talking here, and what would you consider interesting or useful? this is a lot of detail to gloss over)

(he is largely looking for the quarters/stuff of the people in charge. He is not particularly interested in going through the stuff of the people consigned to the labor camp. does that help? i can try to be more specific)

(it helps a lot) There is a room at the end of the hall that is behind a heavier duty looking lock. You see the cleaner disappear into one of the side rooms where the workers are forced to sleep in conditions just above squalor.

Zlato will do a sweep around the doorframe in the hopes of finding an extra key before sucking it up and trying to get the lock open with his metatool

(fix/int to break it, or sneak/dex to pick it, your choice just let me know what we pick)

(I'll take dex cus im better at that one)

21:39

(8)

There is a small , almost imperceptible click as you retract your metatool. The lock has been picked and the door handle is more pliant now. You think you'll be able to open it without trouble.

He’ll head into the room (edited)

A large master bedroom, bathroom, and study are located here as you slowly close the door and engage the lock from this side. The study has a large desk, two bookshelves and a computer set out on the desktop here. A small leather book is also in front of it, bound up by a ribbon that has been knotted.

Zlato will go to the computer first, if he can get into it he will attempt to just dump everything he can on it onto his com to investigate later

(program/int)

21:27

(It'll happen but a good check makes it happen fasteR)

(4)

The download looks like it will take five minutes to dump the raw data into your device.

03:35

You will have to leave it for the moment while it does it’s job

Zlato will take the time to search the place for any weapons then go for the leather book

You find a small pen knife in the top drawer of the desk. It looks equally at home opening letters as opening throats, though you suspect it's done a lot more of the former based on how new the blade looks.

04:18

The leather book is unclasped and flipping through the pages you see names of prisoners, their citizen Id numbers, reason for incarceration, and number of years incarcerated. Most of the entries have been edited at least once and this in no way resembles the book keeping of any kind of organized or formal justice system.

Zlato will do a flip through to see if he notices any patterns or peculiarities in the list of names. He will go relatively quickly though cause he is ever aware of just how long he has been in this room

Most of the names here are the names of high level government functionaries or their families when this world was cooperative territory. This appears to be a camp for political prisoners

(to clarify, would these political prisoners be a part of our current NMC government, or are part of the noble government the current NMC overthrew?) (edited)

(This planet isn’t an NMC world. The Governor here declared independence , so they’re the pre shaper war officials who were basically just doing their jobs and got swept aside by whatever happened here when he came to power ) (edited)

1

Zlato will retie the clasp and if there is time left on the download he will take a last look around for anything interesting before exiting

(if you want the pen knife you can take that)

21:09

(we can check the book shelves if you want to get me a quick d100 and we can see if there;s anything interestig there)

(58, i dont think he'll take the pen knife)

"All About Breads and How to Bake Them" seems to be the most interesting book on the shelf. This is a private collection of mostly smut, along with letters written by the inmates that he never sent out. Most of them don't mean much without the context of the times

Zlato will take a quick flip through the breadbook to make sure that is what it actually is before setting everything back the way it was and getting ready to exit

You see in the margins that there are number sequences next to certain lines. Some sort of cypher is built into the pages, but the key or translation of it is absent. In time someone could figure this out, but it is more than you have now. THe small thumb drive pings that the download has completed. The raw data has all been copied over.

(is this code just over a few pages. ie something i could copy or is it enough notes that I would need to take time to make physical copies)

(we could take pictures and try to re-create it when we have time in a safe place)

Zlato will collect the drive before taking the time to take pictures of the book

Downstairs you hear the heavy door opening on the main floor of the house and the thud of workboots across the dull wooden floor. You sense the time here is coming close to an end.

Zlato is gonna try to find a hiding place in this room to wait for its owner

Behind the door seems to be the only real place you can hide. There, or under the desk.

(this is prolly a terrible idea, but why not ill hide behind the door)

(sneak/dex, so we have something to oppose the notice of who will come in)

(oof 4)

(also 4, tie goes to the player)

15:50

The heavy boots of the warden wind up the stairs thumping with rhythm on the wooden planks. The door opens and without even thinking anything of it he hangs his wide brimmed hat on its peg, and takes off his muddy hemmed field coat before sighing heavily. Outside you can hear the crack of a whip and the pained cries of the victim on the other side.

Zlato will quietly draw his pistol and wait for him to get a bit into the room before swinging the door closed and pointing the pistol towards the back of his head flipping the safety. "halt where you are and dont say a word. youre going to want to be very careful of what you do next. Man like you can survive the storm coming, but only if you are smart and don't do anything drastic. So, I'd advise you to place your hands on your head, so we can have a conversation"

He complies, saying nothing, and placing his hands on his head. He does not dare add anything outside of what you instructed him to do.

"Smart man, take a seat" Eli says allowing the man to sit at the desk and face him "Nice and slowly now, wouldnt want any accidents"

20:45

(sorry for the delay been a busy couple of days)

He does so, waiting to see what is happening or what you want.

"So... I'm going to be taking the folks you have locked up here, at this point the larger question is whether you survive the ordeal." Zlato sighs "I'm sure together we can find a way to make sure I get what I want and you are able to keep your life, no?"

"Someone will notice they're gone. Worse than me, and the guards. What you're planning is suicide"

Zlato shrugs "I'm rather counting on someone noticing. Suicide? maybe, but at this point your best chance is hoping that I can making it out of this one with my skin, so I'd say it is in your best interest to help make sure that I succeed"

21:00

"Mutual interest, that's how the world runs Warden. And right now our interests are aligned. Albeit... not for reasons you'd likely have chosen given the option" he admits (edited)

"I'm as good as dead if these people escape, and even if I order it the guards would never let it happen, they'd be on the hook too," He says, sitting behind the desk. Resigned to die here either way from how the conversation is going, he speaks with authority now.

"Unless you come with me of course" Zlato says with a smile "I'm always looking for folks that have information and a strong survival instinct. I'm an excellent employer I assure you, far more understanding than your current boss. Plus who knows... maybe one of these days I'll let my guard down and you'll have your shot to double cross me." Eli shrugs "Or if you insist I can put you down now. as you say im likely going to need to kill your guard friends as well what is one more body" He says nonchalantly shifting the his finger to the pistols trigger casually

He holds up a finger, asking for time so he can take in everything you said. He swallows hard, thinking about reaching for the water bottle on his desk but deciding better of it. "Alright. You're right. I'm in. What do you need from me?"

Zlato gives a wide grin "I knew you were smart. First things first, I'll need a run down of the defenses here, guard numbers, shift changes, defenses on the entrances and exits you get the gist." Zlato will pause a minute to let him start but cuts him off immediately. "Ah, and... I'd advise you don't lie... one never knows what info I've already verified myself" he gestures for him to continue

There are twelve guards here. Eight are on duty at a given time while four rest, making for three shifts. Getting the proximity detection field down can be done from this office but they’ll get notifications it’s been lowered

02:16

The guards and alarms were the main defenses here, as well as the hostile woods. People did not run because they had no place to go once they escape

Zlato nods slowly "And you dont think any of the 12 could be convinced that a deal with me is better than being killed, whether in the escape or when your boss finds out?"

“I think some of the twelve. Finding out who, and making sure they’re earnest is a challenge. Same with handing anyone who doesn’t conform”