Iron Stars - crows

Iron Stars

post archive character threads / crows

Rawhani. A world of dust and the Remains of mega corporations that turned the once verdant world into a place of red ash and exposed rock. The desert is a dangerous and thirsty place where those who did not meet quota, those who stole from the corporate accounts, and Sometimes those who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time were sent out in exile. Everyone knew it was just a longer form of execution , but the desert was a cheaper headsman than a corpsec soldier, and had no conscience about the deed. Dozens of communities of said refugees have sprung up in the wastes around ad-hoc water collectors

04:27

And it’s there anyone wishing to hide from a crime could also be found. A job came in a few days ago. The usual way with a dummy frequency and one use account for release of payment upon mission completion

04:27

Here in Fortune Sports you review the contract one last time.

(Mount and Blade vibes intensify)

Your target is a woman named Sanjit, who is believed to have fled back here after being captured in an attempt to defect to SCAF. She evaded custody and fled into the desert , likely going to ground among her people out in the wastes.

A disposable E-cig drops to the sandy ground nearby a pair of old, but venerable pair of synth-leather boots, which prompty crush the cig underfoot. Another dead thing buried in the sand. Krovaks mutters to himself while standing near the outskirts of another shithole village outside the city. "Badges! (a swear word from the old days) I hate the open spaces." Wrapping his matching snyth-leather coat closer around him, Crows the gunman trudges into Fortune Sports, leaving Krovaks the lawman behind.

Fortune sports is the last bastion of civilization and last source of supply before your desert trek. Former factory workers , now UNW citizens, are going to and from work for those lucky enough to have some. Most are not lucky. Town hall is the former Fortune Sports headquarters tower, though now a UNW flag drapes over the top couple floors, and reconstruction efforts are underway to restore the building and surrounding neighborhoods. There are occasional pops of gunfire in distant neighborhoods as the endless cycle of gang violence endemic to urban areas everywhere continues .

(Just so I know how to carry things, does Krovaks have a badge, or registered as an official law enforcement officer with the UNW? Or is it more of a bounty hunter scenario?) (edited)

(My impression was that you were not quite in state service yet and this was jsut a private job for our intro mission, but we can amend if you've got a different idea or my impression was wrong)

(I'm fine with joining official state service after this intro mission)

20:12

Crows makes his way into Town Hall, looking for any kind of office related to law enforcement, or even better, some kind of public information terminal to see if he can get a bead on his target.

(admin/wis, or int. Your choice)

(admin (-1) + Int)

04:19

(Total: 5)

All you are able to find is she sold her lodging here in the city along with most of her possessions. Her pass was scanned at the gate as she left town, and she was tracked going east toward an isolated community in the desert that was never affiliated with the corps More accurately if anyone’s living around the scrap heap water collector , theyre people the corps put out

Crows scratches the ever expanding bald patch on the top of his head while the computer gives him the bad news. "Of course you sold everything," he says to himself. Crows makes a copy of the data he is able to find onto his compad and checks the address of her former lodging, as well as map of the area east of the Fortune Sports (if one is available). Perhaps she said something to the current owner.

(nothing more specific than whatg's already on the world anvil for the planet map_)

14:31

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

(Got it thanks. Since it looks like Crows is headed outside of civilization for this job, Crows is going to do some gear shopping. After that he will head to Sanjit's previous residence to see if he can narrow down where she was headed).

15:58

(Would you like me to list what I buy here? Any differences from the Equipment Availability sheet when looking for survival gear in Fortune Sports?)

(No differences, and yeah just a list)

(Binoculars, Medikit, Survival Kit, Rope, Rations (5 days), down to 295 credits) (edited)

(Alrighty. All available. You can also rent a hover bike for 150 if you want)

03:22

(Otherwise it’s going to be a long walk)

(Bike rental it is)

You're given a bike, for the week which shoul be more than enough time and will greatly speed up your trip. Your bags and gear is stowed aboard, and you have everything you need to head into the wastes, to begin tracking

19:17

The gate guards scan your pass and wish you luck as you emerge into the bright desert

Crows guns the motor of the bike and rides out into the desert, heading in the direction of Sanjit's flight path.

(survive/wis, trail or no trail we'll move into a scene)

(ouch, a 3. Crows is a city boy through and through)

You’re unable to find an immediate trail in the desert and the bikes navigation systems probably never worked. You’ll have to wait for night time to orient yourself by the stars , which is an easy thing to do having been here for a long time. After several hours of driving before coming to this realization , you see the wreck of a large super heavy mech, fallen on its side ahead. It might make a safe place to wait things out and re orient yourself

Crows manuevers the bike underneath the section of the mech with the most shade. Once there, he'll take out his binoculars and scan the perimeter.

Things seem calm around the walker. In the distance another half days ride from here you can see the settlement in question. You were off course and driving through the night is not recommended. Bandits and worse stalk the sands once the Suns go down

Crows eats one of his rations and settles down for the night, resting for tomorrow's journey. (edited)

No encounters during the night disturb your sleep but you did hear the distant sounds of desert animals and a pack of human scavengers

The sunshine wakes up Crows from his restless sleep. He never liked sleeping outdoors. He takes a moment to pour the sand out of his shoes before remounting the bike and heading towards the settlement.

(How close did you want to get. Its a generally flat area and whatnot so I don’t want you just thrown into something. )

(Crows will get close enough to take advantage of the binoculars to observe the settlement before going in)

You can see from 5km out that there are scrap walls around the settlement. The water collector is its central fixture , and something like a crows nest built on top of it looks out over the surrounding desert. You can see three figures up there with binoculars and rifles.

Crows collects his things from resting over night, mounts the bike and rides off towards the settlement, checking behind his shoulder occasionally to see if he's attracted any attention.

Approaching to within 2km of the settlement one of the lookouts fires a chalk round into the air, bursting in the sky with a yellow pop. The ochre dust hangs in the air for a few long moments

Crows adjusts the bike to a slower speed, but continues to make his way towards the settlement. (edited)

At the settlement gates, whjat serves as the local militia has already taken their posts. You cannot see their eyes behind mirrored dust goggles and cloths. You do get the sense that they do not get many travelers or visitors. They signal for you to halt and turn off the bike, weapons lowered.

18:03

"Business in the settlement?" one asks, voice muffled behind his dust cloth

Crows turns off the bike as instructed, casually unzipping his coat partway and wiping the sand and grit off of his face with the cuff of his coat. "Looking for an old friend, lookin' to pay a debt and heard she may have been headed this way."

“Got a name? Might be able to save you some time”

"Sanjit." (edited)

He laughs. “Good luck getting that crazy fuck out of town”

04:57

He waves you through the gate. “She lives two shanties down from the collector. Keep your gun close”

"Ah, so you and your fellows have no issue with me collecting a dead bounty on her? That's the more....specific nature of this debt collection."

“We will have a problem if you kill someone who’s not your target. Most people here just want a quiet life away from corporate and the UNW. “

Crows nods. "Understandably, this person is my only target and I take this sort of thing seriously." Crows begins to walk the bike into the settlement, but then stops and turns back to the militia man. "Interested in earning a few extra easy credits? Any info you got on her would be helpful and a pair of eyes to watch over my bike would be appreciated. It's a rental you see."

“Ten for the day? Pick it up tonight?”

15:53

“Don’t really know anything more about who’s you’re after”

"Deal."

17:33

Crows takes his backpack off of the bike and shoulders it, handing the ten credits over to militiamen. "Any place to get a drink around here?"

17:36

(Down to 135 credits FYI)

"Can probably fill up from the collector, no alcohol in town though, can't waste the water for it. Just not possible"

"Thanks, maybe some day you guys can get a proper brew out here." Crows gathers his things and leaves the bike with them before proceeding into the village.

(I have the sudden urge to become an alcoholic beverages-based merchant haha)

The village is dusty and quiet. The streets are narrow and only a few people are out right now either carrying water home, fixing things around the settlement, or serving as walking security for the inhabitants. You get the sense that this is a place of laws only because men with guns walk through the streets to maintain the fragile order and not because the people here have agreed to a system of laws. Such is the way of the wasteland.

Crows discreetly checks his compad, doublechecking the physical description and/or picture of Sanjit, looking to see if he spots her.

She doens't seem to be out on the street anywhere nearby, but the gate guard told you where to find her house

Not seeing her in the public area, Crows heads to her house.

She seems to have a large building almost all to herself, if appearances outside are to be believed. Sandbags have been stacked on the roof, along with countless assorted barrels and pans for rain collection. A clothesline with drying clothes is also present running across the roof, and you can see a UNW field uniform among them.

Image attachment

(Just for a bit of background, do I know who has issued the contract? What kind of proof they might expect, etc.) (edited)

(The Rawhani Provisional Government. Presumably the real thing, or photos, they'd presumably have a way to tell they're doctored unless youre really really good at altering them)

(Sounds good) "Better get this over with." Crows mutters to himself before casually walking by the building to see if there is any sort of secondary entrances.

There is an alleyway door, that is chained shut. A pile of trash just barely reaches the sill of a first level window. You might be able to get in if you limber up and find yourself gymnastically inclined

Crows walks up to the pile of trash and sighs. "The things I do for a cred." He removes his backpack and looking behind his shoulder, quickly stashes it in the trashpile. If there's going to be a fight, he needs to be fast. He heads back around to the front door, knocks, draws his pistol and steps off to the side out of sight to anyone looking out the front door.

You hear heavy boots inside, and a female sigh, as the door opens. They don't step outside , whoever they are, and off to the side of it as you are, you can't see who might be standing there.

Crows whips around from his hiding space, revolver aimed into the doorway. "Freeze!"

A clatter of a clay drinking pot hits the ground as a terrified civilian child runs back into the structure's lower floor, yelling for his mother

19:05

A stairway leads to the upper floor, and a door perched at the top of a landing

Feeling bad about scaring the kid, Crows picks up the clay pot and turns it upright before climbing the stairs and cautiously opening the door.

The door to Sanjit's apartment is locked, you can hear someone furiously opening cabinets on the other side

Crows attempts to breach the door using a kick to the locking mechanism.

The door cracks around the lock. One more should do it. Inside something falls and clatters against the ground

Crows gives another aimed kick to the door near the lock. Revolver at the ready.

(Initiative )

18:30

(As we bust through the door)

(1d8 with no modifiers correct?)

(+ dex mod. There’s a quick link near the top right of your character sheet too (edited)

(Thank you, I got a 3 a four [typed the wrong number]) (edited)

The door blows inward with a shower of wood as Sanjit's poorly aimed shot strikes the door frame just above your head, narrowly missing you. She has a bag half packed, not enough for a day out in the desert, with how quickly the door came in.

23:53

Image attachment

Crows jerks out of the way at the shot, trying to grab some cover from the remains of the door and returning fire.

(8 to hit, 3 dmg, probably a miss though)

The shot hits a pot on a shelf behind her sending sugar running down the shelves and all over the floor Her return shot hits a large piece of the door still remaining in its hinges , and she moves to the window, assessing her chances , before leaping out of it and hitting the trash pile below

03:49

You hear her groan, having hurt herself in some way

Crows runs out of the building around to the trash pile, weapon still ready.

She is limping down the street, about 50m from the building by time you make it all the way back down, and around. Her gun is drawn still and she keeps looking behind her, to ward you away if followed. (Crit/5- final result) The gun barks again as she was prepared for you, though she looks to be in bad shape herself

Crows' hearing seems cut out for a second as the report from Sanjit's gun echoes down the street in his direction as he continues to jog after her, before the pain hits him. With his free hand, Crows feels around his torso before finding a rapidly growing wet spot on his right side. Breathing suddenly feels a lot more painful. "Shit, sh-i-i--." He mutters, determined at least complete the job before he goes down, instead tripping over himself and collapsing into the dirt.

You hear more gunshots, though not directed at you, and the prick of something going into your chest. A slow, spreading warmth begins bubbling away, and you can feel air once again filling your lungs without very much pain. (d6 for amount healed) One of the guards from the gate is standing over you, removing a pair of disposable gloves and wrapping up the remains of a vial of healing powder as to not litter with medical waste.

20:11

"Easy there, easy. We caught her. Starting a gunfight with you in the street was a bad idea. "

(6) Crows attempts to speak, coughing instead and rasping due to the dryness of his throat. "Mm-Mm, sorry about that--tried to take her in--inside the building..."

"You couldn't have imagined she'd shoot. Or shoot and then jump, and shoot some more. We're treating her as well. Once you're fixed up, you can do whatever needs to be done with her"

20:17

(3xp, 5000 credits)

(I'm not sure how you want to handle this in terms of role-play or scenes, but if taking her back alive is an option, Crows would do that. In his mind, killing someone in a gunfight is one thing, executing her after she shot him fair and square, and received medical treatment is another.)

(She didn't need to be brought in dead unless she didn;'t give you any other option, but in this case we dont have to do anything that greasy) (edited)

20:33

(this also levels you up!)

(Sweet! I'll look into what I want to pick once I get home, at work atm)

**Level Up**
Level: 2
Focus: Authority
Old HP: 5
HP Roll: 1 (2d6-2)
New HP: 6
New Skills: Lead 1 (Foci), Administer 0, Heal 0, Pilot 0, 1 unspent
Current AB: +1

01:32

(Apologies for the delay, here is my level up)

(You rolled a 6 for healing when you got a blast of that healing powder earlier so you’re at full health

(Thank you)

(I've been working on some long term goals for Crows, and I think seeing him form some sort of bounty hunting guild would be cool.)

With your target bound, the guards finish strapping a hydration pack to her from her own kit so you do not need to untangle her during the journey. It will be a long ride back to Fortune Sports for her

"Thanks again for your help, next time I'm in the area I'll be sure to bring everyone some proper brew. Say what's the name of this place?"

"Doesn't really have a lasting one, but you know where to find us"

"I sure do." Crows makes a point of making a note about the location of the settlement in his compad before checking that Sanjit is secure and restrained. He mounts the bike and fires up the engine, feeling more confident about its operation before riding out and heading for Fortune Sports. (edited)

She is quiet and unconscious for most of the trip which now takes only a day since you’re able to navigate properly. They must have put something into her IV bag to keep her quiet for you.

05:37

You make it to fortune sports where the local UNW guards take her into custody for trial on Gudrun. The bounty of 10,000 credits is paid out to you

After concluding business with the guards he decides a drink is in order, and heads off to nearest dive, wincing slightly from his slightly bruised right side where the bullet smashed into his lower ribs.

Heading into the bar you notice a new set of holoscreens have been installed, scrolling through news, minor special interest stories, a few videos of cats, and a bounty section that seems to be newly added. Several wanted members are on it, enough to keep business coming in for a legion of people like you

Crows grabs a whiskey from the bar before heading over to check out the new holoscreens. Sipping his drink and clearing his throat he says "see anything interesting?" To one of the other individuals looking at the bounties.

(who did you want to go after, if anyone)

(Anyone who seems like they do the work I do).

“Maybe going after oil heart. Big bounty on him and is a wanted UNW criminal. Killed and ate folks”

Crows hears the last part of the speaker's sentence and stops himself before spitting out his drink. "Wait. He ate people?"

“The hearts and livers. Put the rest in oil drums and buried them”

"Jeeze."

15:23

While chatting, Crows keys into his compad information about Saul Harcrow, deciding to pursue that lead.

Saul was once the chief marshal of the UNW and had been missing for some time. People@thought he simply retired and changed his name due to the sensitive work he used to do and were content to leave it there Until a few months ago when it emerged that he had defected to SCAF, and was an active member of the court of Silvano Mazzio, as his sergeant at arms. Saul had not done anything considered an atrocity or war crime, but sensitive UNW information left with him,

Stan takes note of this information and leaves the bar. First he has some errands to run. ( I have a few things I would like to do before my character starts the contract, will post more tomorrow. Busy day today).

(Sounds good dude)

(So a few things Crows would like to do is get some better gear, particularly weapons and after a close shave with death, armor. After that, he's going to do more research on Saul, more about his background, former associates, service history, etc. Basically, learn as much as possible about the target and his new allies before heading out.)

(Alrighty. Let’s get a shopping list together first)

02:55

(And then we can run down the rest)

(Shopping list: -pair of customized revolvers (dull black metal finish to prevent glinting off of sunlight, and in a heavier caliber. -customized lever-action style rifle with scope, similar finish, meant for long distance engagements. -fitted combat field uniform, with a less militarized look. Essentially I'm going for the classic gunfighter look)

(Customized and whatnot are actual mods in this. )

02:24

(Is that what you wanted?)

(Correct, the customized mod)

(We are looking at about two weeks of mods right here, taking 3.5 days each since there’s a workshop and assistant available )

(So I'm assuming that would be two weeks worth of living expenses, etc.?) (edited)

(no we dont really track that, but the modifications would need to be paid for, along with the items they're being fitted to)

(Costs for equipment: 2 customized revolvers 2100 (dull metal finish, prevents light glint) 1 customized rifle (scope) 1075 Customized Combat Field Uniform (Demilitarized look) 2000 Ammo, 40 rounds 20 Total: 5195)

You spend nothing but two weeks time in the workshop, with an assistant using your new bonus to finally get yourself the gear you've always had your eye on. You emerge from the sands of Fortune Sports ready to begin following up the bounty on Saul Harcrow. THe best place to start is widely regarded as the capital space station anchored at Gudrun. Saul was an instrumental member of early UNW security operations, before the UNW had that name, and his files are no doubt still around somewhere

Crows packs up his things and looks for a chartered flight to the space station, also purchasing a case to carry his rifle in when not using it.

(its 5 days of downtime upon leaving Rawhani to Gudrun, there's a handout near the top of the roll20 for what you can do in that time. The UNW has a lot of civilian shuttles that go between planets so traveling isnt something you'd have to work for)

The shuttle emerges at Gudrun five days later and makes a course for the moon rather than the planet itself. The capital station is in anchor there , handling the endless flights of visiting dignitaries and dispatching officials all across the burgeoning territory the polity claims

Crows stares out the viewport for the majority of the trip, having never been to space before this. (edited)

There is a hangar bay door that opens on the station, and your craft is welcomed inside before the doors close again behind you and air is pumped into the bay so you do not need a helmet or vac suit to exit. A hangar coordinator sits in a small security station next to the blast doors leading into the station.

Crows walks up to the security station, assuming he needs to check in before going further in.

The news is on, announcing the soccer leagues revival and some possible new backers as the security officer rolls up his magazine and opens the small shutter. “Welcome to capital station. I need to ask your business aboard and for you to turn over any weapons you might be carrying until it’s time to leave

(Lore question before I proceed, how regarded are Bounty Hunters in the UNW? If I show my contract to this security guard does it carry any weight?)

(The UNW is paying the bounty so it carries weight )

02:30

(What you’re doing is being done in polity service. You’re a government agent. It still doesn’t mean carte blanche though. Like in this case bringing weapons into a place that’s going to also house the President )

(Makes sense, thank you for the clarification).

02:32

Crows hands over his weaponry, but keeps his armor on. "Who would I speak to in an official capacity regarding this?" Crows pulls up the contract of the bounty, specifically the name and picture of Saul. (edited)

“There’s not a coordination of effort trying to work the investigation right now, but you’re welcome to look in the former first marshals office. If there’s a lead it’s probably there. You’re the first one who’s come by to follow up on it”

"That's the idea. Also, where can I find a place to stay while I'm here? I don't know how long I will be here."

“There’s residences on the top station where you can live free for a few weeks while working up your investigation. Your weapons will be returned to you when you leave. We can’t risk the presidents life

"Of course I understand. Trust me, this is the boring part of the case."

He nods and a large bin door opens that will accommodate your weapons. The armor Youre permitted to keep

Crows deposits his revolvers, knife and rifle into the bin.

He hands you a stamped metal pass allowing you access to most places in the capital station. "Terezinan Flounder for dinner tonight in the top-station cafeteria. Make sure you don't work so late you're missing it. "

20:49

You're permitted inside the station, to an immediate observation deck, and as you take a brief glimpse outside you can see the Trailblazer under @Dax Withers also coming in to dock.

Dax, a diminutive dark-haired 20-something-year-old man, leaves his ship as soon as he is cleared to, and exits with a young woman at his side, quite obviously his better half in more ways than one. He makes a few inquiries within the station to guide his way towards more information about the whereabouts of Saul and to find out why he was put on the bounty board to begin with.

A tall, scrawny, angular looking man in his mid-thirties with long black hair bound up and out of the way is speaking with the security desk while handing over his weaponry. At first appears to be wearing a simple grey pants and long sleeve shirt, with a long coat over it, before you notices the series of interwoven plates and reinforcement to vital areas that you notice the armor. "...I'll certainly try not to, but these cases rarely write themselves."

Dax continues on up to the security station and cuts in. "Excuse me, sorry for interrupting. This should only be a second... Do you know where I would need to go to look into the situation with Saul Harcrow? We have a history, him and I. He and me? No that's not right. Never mind... Sorry. Can you help?"

Crows sucks air through his teeth. "Forget what I said about this being the boring part. What do you know about Saul Harcrow?"

"History might have been overstating it a bit... I, uh, did a job with him once, back on Chloe. Well, 'with' him is more like 'he hired me' and it was, you know, just a job. Defended his team while they loaded some cargo into a ship and I just stopped the swarms of baddies from coming in to crash our party. After that.... well, he took off. I didn't ask what ever it was that he was moving off-world... that's been quite a while now. Over a year at least... I have no idea what he's gotten into since then. That's kind of why I'm here. What are his charges, even?"

Crows pulls up the bounty on Saul and shows it the the man.

Saul Harcrow disappeared from the UNW shortly after Dax had seen him last, and a few months later was tracked down to now being in service of the Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces. Since then, he has been the right hand of Silvano Mazzio's military wing, keeping the military and Silvano himself in good shape while smaller specialist teams handle flashpoints around the polity.

15:13

Its unknown what UNW secrets he's turned over, or what information Mazzio now has.

"Afraid I'm here for this one. Just arrived myself to start the investigation."

"Oh... joining the SCAF folks. That's... well, yeah. Defection to a well-known isolationist faction with who-knows-what kind of UNW info... He at least needs to be brought in. Hope he doesn't do something stupid that's going to require me hurting him." Dax sighs. "Oh well." He perks up as he remembers his manners. "Sorry, I completely forgot introduce myself. I'm Dax. Dax Withers." He offers a handshake. "It seems fortunate to have run into you here. I'm not great at the whole 'paper trail' thing, so I bring her with me," he says as he gestures at Vorianu.

Crows nods and accepts the offered hand and shakes it, then offers his hand to shake to the woman. "For this sort of job it usually starts with one. My last job was a bit more straight forward, though I certainly don't mind having help on this one, the same job left me on the ground and clutching my guts in the street."

"Oh... well I'll make sure that doesn't happen this time. That is, if you're okay doing this together. I'm not great at the... whatever it is you do with paperwork. But, I am quite good at not getting stabbed and shot... and making sure my friends don't get holes poked in them either. Power armor or not, that guy doesn't stand a chance."

"I'd be happy to have some extra help. It might take me some getting used to, since I've only worked alone up to this point."

"Well if it helps, I'll definitely be staying out of your hair for a bit. I'm allergic to stuffy offices of documents."

"Sounds good, though I certainly wouldn't mind an extra pair of hands. I'm going to go find a place to put my things, then head over to the offices. Here's my contact information in case you need to get ahold of me." Crows is about to turn and walk away before stopping again. "My turn to apologize. I haven't given you my name. Name's Krovacs, though I usually go by Crows."

"Crows. I like that. Short and simple makes it so even I can understand it." He shares a glance with Vorianu. "Hey, maybe she can help out a bit. She'd be a better aid than I could ever be, at least. I'm going to go find something to eat first, though. That's the last time I let Kells do the shopping... Anything on this station would be better than the garbage he filled our galley with. Longest eight days of my life." Dax shakes his head and shudders. "Alright. I'll catch up later. Nice to meet you, again."

"And both of you as well. After I settle in I'll give you a call and we can go over there as a united front." Crows makes his way into the station.

You're able to find the apartments the gate guard told you about, and after a few taps on random doors you find one that accepts the card, and you're led into a clean area with a bedroom, a small sitting room, a miniature kitchen, and a little work area for reviewing documents.

21:16

A holoscreen is set into the wall, currently just displaying a flat image of the UNW logo, but a channel guide shows you get several stations here. (edited)

Crows flips the channel to local station news.

The Galnet newscast is repeating right now, mostly the same stories you've heard at least once already

Unable to hear anything more specific about local goings on, Crows will rest for a bit, then head down to find a place to eat, then head over to the former offices of Saul.

Saul's office has many pictures of different before and after The Scream hoverbikes on the wall. He was an avid collector and had a unique model made for just himself with the payment from the first big bounty he ever turned in. A computer terminal, and large stacks of papers both on the desk, and on a side table adorn the space. His bookshelf is empty aside from a few models of yet more hoverbikes, and a framed knife sits above the door, taken from an early bounty and given back to him once it was released from evidence.

Crows sits down at the terminal and begins to look through the files if he can gain access, making copies on anything related to past places he's visited, names of people, etc. Once he is through with that he will carefully go through each of the papers.

(program/int)

(1 - oof)

You’re not able to find any sensitive information on the computer. It does confirm Dax’s story that Saul was last seen in UNW space at chloe though its rumored by then Saul had already begun working for SCAF - as he had left UNW service by then and somehow still had a ship

(Nothing in the stack of papers?)

(I was holding off on that until youd processed what I gave you already. I don’t like to do scenes in broad strokes since they tend not to get read )

22:42

The papers for the most part seem fairly standard. You do see that he was having some financial trouble though. His sister was a troubled person and had ruled her own breakaway colony on Gudrun for a while. Her group came down with a chunk of Hull, cold storage failing and ejecting them onto the planet.

(Ah okay, makes sense)

He was looking for her whereabouts since she had relocated to Gudrun moon and then since vanished elsewhere when it became clear her welcoming of UNW outcasts and former enemies was not a policy the political establishment of the day was happy about

22:43

You can begin to connect where the welcoming ethos of SCAF and Abigail Harcrow might have caused Saul to go looking for her there

(Love the Rimworld nod)

22:44

Crows will collect the relevant information and make notes on the connection, before heading off to go find Dax.

Dax is found onboard his ship Trailblazer, still docked in the station. The entry door into the hold is left open for the comings and goings of his crew and any other station members that need access. In the combined commons area/galley, Dax is sitting with Vorianu and a Taros man looking at a planetary map of somewhere-not-Gudrun. "...Listen, I don't care how much they're offering. It's just not happening. We've got..." he notices Crows arrival. "Oh, hey there. Come on in, welcome, welcome. Please make yourself comfortable. Need anything to drink, or...?"

Crows removes his hat upon stepping aboard. "A drink would be wonderful to wash down the dusty paper work."

00:39

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything"

"Oh, no no. Just... there's no end to this business stuff. Yeah, I've got the basics here. Water, coffee, tea... could probably find some sort of health drink in there. Kells is nuts about that kind of stuff. Help yourself." He points to the refreshments and pulls up another chair. "Find anything about our guy?"

Crows grabs some tea and joins them at the table. "Couldn't find much of anything on the computer, but that be due to a lack of skills on my part. Papers revealed some more information, it seems Saul was having financial difficulties, and seems to have followed after his sister in her break away colony. Perhaps the trees grew taller on that side of the planet, if you catch my meaning."

Dax nods knowingly, "Oh yeah. Of course." I have no idea what he's talking about. "So they liked trees... How did he end up with the Sovereign Colonies then?"

"I haven't nailed down anything definitely yet, but it might have something to do with his sister having a knack for getting people to change signs." Crows takes a sip of tea before continuing. "I think our next move is locate someone who is better at computers than I am, and then give his office a good turning over for anything that's hidden or not obvious from a routine dig through papers."

"Well don't look at me; I don't even know a computer from a hole in the ground. I don't have any master hackers on my crew either. Are there any other threads maybe I could follow? Is there anything left of his sister around Gudrun?"

"The last bit of information indicates she seems to managing a colony, made up of other defectors from the UNW."

"Do we know where that is? Could be a good place to start. I'm more of a people person, anyways." Vorianu and Kells barely stifle a laugh. Dax shoots them a glance. "What?" He asks. "Nothing!" They say in unison.

Crows checks his notes. "It says here Gundren's moon, but no idea if they are still there."

"Oh, the moon... huh. I've been there... but it's been years now. Surely we can find some decent scans that could show where a runaway colony might have been. Otherwise it's just a bunch of ruins up there."

"It's the only lead so far, unless a data specialist can turn up anything else on his terminal."

"Nah... probably just a bunch of lame documents on there. We can go. I'll have the ship ready to go within the hour. Sound good?"

"Sounds good, I need to retrieve my things and firearms and I'll be ready to go, assuming you don't mind I go with you."

"Of course. All aboard!" Dax hops to his feet and makes the departure announcement on the intercom. "We'll see you in a bit," he says with a nod. After the requisite preparations have been made, he launches off for the intra-system travel towards the moon.

Crows grabs his things before departure

The moon is green now where it once was pale sand and dust. There are several piggen sites on the moon that are either cleared ruins or areas in the prospect of rebuilding. Abigail former colony is not marked but you remember from the mysterious case of Fats and his crew that a pair of tangled wrecks existed on its southern side. They’re easy to find once you know what you’re looking for.

(Can we make a preliminary scan with the ship's survey scanner?)

(That’s what I did basically. You know where the colony site is)

(Gotcha. Thanks.)

"Well, there it is... I think." Dax stands on the bridge with assembled crew. "Won't know better until we get in close. I figure we get in, poke around a bit, and see if we can find something to point us to their current location. Hopefully we can find something in there that actually proves they've done something naughty and can be brought in for trial. I'd feel better about bringing in people I actually know did something they ought to be locked up for. You know what I mean?"

05:42

"...Anyways. I've got a locker and armory pretty much stuffed full of gear if you need anything for the trek. I don't expect we'll run into trouble here... but it's best to be ready. I'm going to prep our ride down. Got a VTOL that's a bit more maneuverable than flying the whole ship in."

(For your information, the Armory and Ship's Locker fittings on a ship give you access to any common adventuring gear from the book and any of the TL4 weapons that are unlocked for the UNW. You are free to take whatever you like from there.)

"Makes sense. If possible I prefer to bring people in alive as well."

Dax heads down to the vehicle holding area and fires up the VTOL for flight down to the wrecks. Joined by his pilot, a gunner, and the ever-present Vorianu, he waits for Crows to board with his gear before setting off for the surface.

21:46

(The VTOL, for reference)

Image attachment

The colony is empty now, not just empty, but entirely looted. Large chunks of the exterior have been cut and hauled away as creeping vines and weeds native to the planet's surface just a few years have begun growing up the super structure. Local workshops are entirely empty, stripped of every tool, every work table, and every scrap of metal that would have been possible to make something from. The same scene is repeated in the hydroponics bay, in medical, and even in fthe former housing units with only moth eaten blankets left behind

22:35

square burns the size of other ships in the courtyard signal something had set down here once. The weeds and grasses have not re-grown as tall as the surrounding foliage

(Feel free to speak up whenever. Neither of us are in charge of this mission more than the other person and I don't want to run off and make a bunch of decisions without you being part.) "Well... this may have been a bust. I don't see anything down here. Maybe we're back to looking for leads your way."

"That might be the case, though my first instinct isn't to sit in front of a desk for a week or two looking at leads. What about contacting some of the other people he knew? You're one them, did he ever mention anyone else he worked with? Or perhaps another mutual friend between the two of you?"

Dax literally smacks his forehead. "Oh! I just remembered." He shakes his head in a 'shake it off' gesture. "Hey, this is probably important and I've completely forgotten about it until now. His name, Saul. It's short for Solomon. Does that narrow down things in the investigation?"

(I don't think it does?)

(it confirm's dax's story)

20:03

(and that Saul was on Chloe. Saul didn't really have any other friends who are still alive)

"Well at least it confirms your story, and it looks like he was on Chloe, so maybe the best course of action is to look into where he was last seen and see about getting someone to look at the terminal, though I don't we'll find anything new from it."

"Anything is better than my idea of dragging us out to a dusty old moon. Sorry for wasting our time out here...." He sighs heavily. "Well let me think... I might have... something. While I was on Chloe the first time, the time I worked for 'Solomon,' there was another group on the planet. They were called the Corngull Brotherhood. They were like these... high-class gangsters. They pulled a bunch of the strings in the government there during the Remnant days. I have mixed feelings about them and what happened, but they aren't exactly evil. They gave me good info, were fair in our dealings, held up their end of the bargain, and the planet is a better place now with their help. But they didn't want to stay, though. They're more interested in political intrigue and having strings to pull. With the collapse of the government after the Remnant War, they didn't have any puppets anymore. So, as a part of our deal, I got them passage off-world. Shipped them off to Greystar because if any shady 'Confederacy' could use some expert politicians, who better than Greystar?" Dax buckles in to his seat in the VTOL to prepare for their return to the ship. "So... maybe, just maybe, there's a chance that the Corngull Brotherhood knows more about Saul than we do. He operated on Chloe for a time at least, and I got the impression that the Brotherhood didn't have anything happen on that planet that they weren't aware of. Could be that we talk to them, see what they know... It does mean going through Greystar to reach them, however. They're fine. Friendly enough folks, just... I don't know. Too many capes around there for my liking."

21:01

"The other option is to just show up in the Sovereign Colonies' systems and demand they hand over Saul to us... but I don't see that going over too well."

"Yeah I don't see that being a good move....so to the high class gangsters it is."

(8 days of downtime as we travel east to Acastus, to meet with Greystar, then)

(Crows would spend that time getting to know the crew and being helpful where needed)

(Dax 'do-nothing downtime' Withers will do nothing of consequence. Ready for Acastus.)

Acastus is a night world, home of Marshal Provost Desmond O'Shea. It's nights are lit by neon lighting, volcanoes, and lightning. Acastus has three moons orbiting it, the time of day on the surface determined by which one is in its cycle. They are each marked with an alien rune large enough to be seen from far away. The planet had fallen under the sway of an all pervading shadow cult, worshiping a being called The Still Lady. Her massive obelisk has been constructed in the middle of the largest city on planet, from where she commands her legion of cult followers and rules over the dominated population. Near the end of 2666, a team from the UNW defeated The Still Lady, and left the planet. The Greystar Combine has since moved to install itself as planetary government in the resulting power vacuum. They've since blossomed into a fully fledged stellar polity and have become a cooperative force working with their neighbors. Their large space orbital above Acastus passes between you and the weak sun the system is known for. There is a large metaspace rift that has formed over it due to the events of the recent Conjunction, and the mysterious lands on the other side of it are the focus of much of everyone’s attention lately. (edited)

(End game crisis vibes)

The local defense fleet hails your vessel, requesting identities and why you're in the system- as Acastus is no stranger to invasion and incursion.

"They really don't recognize the ship?... Been here plenty of times...." Dax grumbles to himself. "Alright, let's say hello then." He opens a line to introduce himself. "Hello. This is Dax Withers of the United Nation of Worlds and the ship Trailblazer. We're here for some of your galaxy-famous chocolate and to request a meeting within the Greystar capital."

"Welcome back Trailblazer. Security protocols, you understand. Even for the hero of Acastus, they'd have my rear back at command. Head to the station, we will report you are coming. Should we request the attentions of anyone specific for you?" (edited)

"Might be kind of hard since I don't know their exact names or stations any longer. They came to Greystar under the name 'Corngull Brotherhood' and I have no clue what's happened to them since. We're old buddies and I was hoping to catch up with a few of them."

"I'll ensure word gets passed to them. Continue on, they'll be waiting once you're docked. They'll know where- they always do"

Off-comms, he says, "Well that's kinda spooky. I guess that saves us a few steps though. We're goin' in!" Dax prepares for departure by taking leave to go fix his hair and put on a less casual shirt. He waits in the hold with Vorianu to leave as soon as the ship has docked.

Crows tries to brush up his appearance a bit as well before departure.

The cavernous docking bay allows the Trailblazer to fit inside easily, and the large doors close behind you- as air pressure stabilizes. The access doors from inside the hab should be opening in a moment- as the rest of your crew prepares to lock down the ship.

"Any advice when dealing with these people? Never been here, let alone traveled this far."

"Uh... I just, uh, talk to them. I am kind of a people person, though, so it seems to come naturally." Vorianu makes an un-ladylike snort laugh at that. "What? Why does everyone keep laughing when I say that?"

Crows chuckles. "Clearly there's a story I haven't been told about yet."

"I sure hope not... If there is, I haven't been told about it yet." He makes a significant look at Vorianu to emphasize his point. After letting the gaze linger for a moment, he returns his attention to Crows. "You'll be fine. They're just people like we are, after all. Ah, here we go." He hears the telltale chime of the all-clear signal allowing his ship to open its hatch.

There is a blast of air that floods the chamber, shaking the ship as sprinklers clean off any lingering radiation or traces of other worlds before drying it.

21:05

The access door begins opening, allowing three members of the Brotherhood inside, that you've seen before from your dealings on Chloe

"Hello! Good to --" He begins stepping down the ramp before realizing they're just letting themselves in. "Oh, well, okay then! We'll just do it here. Here is fine. Here's good." He outstretches his arm in a welcoming gesture. "Welcome back aboard the Trailblazer. I'm sure you remember your way around." (This was the ship that carried them from Chloe to Acastus months and months ago) "We can meet in the common area if that suits you." (edited)

(For this encounter Crows is going to act like one of Dax's grunts if that's okay)

(Feel free to speak up if you have something to say though, I won't cut you out. Dax's grunts are 5 trusted crew members that have been with him for close to like 2 game years now, so they can speak up as they want. I'm not very big on being a stern and formal ship's captain, as you can probably tell.)

(No worries, generally Crows tries not to announce "I'm a bounty hunter" unless he has too, so far now he'll just blend in.)

“They are watching the hangar. They are watching everything. It’s what they do. This is the one place without cameras. How can we help you, munificent patron Dax Withers”

"I don't even know what that means but I'm pretty sure I've never been called that before," he says while scratching his head. "And I'm not surprised they're watching. They really nailed the 'creepy spy place' vibe. It's fine either way. I don't think this is any particular kind of sensitive info I'm after. Anyways... What do you know about Saul Harcrove? He went by Solomon when he was operating back on Chloe. I figured if anybody was going to know anything about a strange person on that planet, it would be you guys. You knew everything. He hired me and we did a job once and he was just fine, but I haven't seen him since and all of a sudden he's suspected to be in Sovereign Colonies space with all sorts of UNW secrets tumbling around in his head."

“His sister Abigail. He went after her there. She fell in with Mr. Mazzio during the shaper crisis. I’m sure you don’t need to be reminded how fragmented and ineffective the early UNW response was - As the factions within continually overruled the central government and acted on their own authority “

02:50

“Saul didn’t like that. He remembered the UNW from the beginning days before it carried that name. When the United front dissolved , so did his association with what the UNW became”

"I get that. I do... So, is he just stationed on Bergasa?... Or... I mean, how do I find him? Anything you know could help."

“We had rumor that he’s been acting as Mazzio’s personal trainer of a kind. Not sure what’s going on with the wannabe demigod but some kind of physical wasting problem that exercise is helping with. Bergasa or Actaia 1, neither system is going to be easy to get into, and with him being placed so high up the chain of command there if the removal isn’t deniable , you’re going to have a war on your hands”

"Oh, shoot... I didn't know he lifts. I'm not feeling so good about my chances against this guy if that's the case..." "Ah, well. What to do..." He sighs with hands on hips. "So... We have to get on the inside of an isolated empire and remove one of the top brass without connecting any of the dots back to myself or the United Nation of Worlds or we'll have a galactic incident." He narrows his eyes as he comes to a realization. "Wait... Say that somehow, somebody managed to pull off this suicide mission. Would you and yours keep quiet about this little conversation we had here? It does me no good to secretly pull out a Sovereign Colonies operative if I'm going to get home and be ratted out by Greystar officials." (edited)

"We would not have told you about the complications if we had planned to use them against you- and you've proven a valuable partner in the past. Betrayal and duplicity benefits no one"

"I guess that makes sense... Can't be a master of secrets and stuff if you're always spilling them. Or maybe you can be? I don't know. I'm not very masterful, myself. Either way. You've been fair to me before. That will have to be enough." Dax turns back to the present crew members, lingering on Crows for a moment with a significant look. "You guys have any ideas for how to pull this thing off? We all know I'm not the brains behind this operation."

After an extended and increasingly awkward silence, Dax speaks up. "... No?... Alright... Umm... I guess the most important part is disguising ourselves so we don't point back at the UNW if we get caught. My ships are all branded and well-known on the registry so we can't use them to get close. Borrowing anyone else's ship would just point back to the wrong group and get them in trouble with SCAF too..." He looks visibly stumped. "Well... If we can't fly anyone's flag to get in there, why not fly NO flag? We could pretend to be pirates! Everyone hates pirates. Yeah, yeah, yeah..." The wheels begin turning as the idea takes him. He turns back to the Corngull members. "Where could I get my hands on a one-off ship to fly us in with? Something off the record, preferably..."

"What about Maintena, or Musheera? if you;'re handy with a wrench I bet you could get one of those scrap piles flying, maybe even two. Those planets are littered with them, and The Scream would have wiped out any previous records" (edited)

"Not sure how I forgot about Musheera. It's literally Chloe's neighbor. Yeah. That sounds great. We pop in for a bit, find a bit of junk and glue it together. Then we're on our way. I think.... I think I got everything I need. Thank you again. Is there anything I can do for you? I feel like I owe you now."

"his grav bike. It's a one of a kind model, and it belongs in a museum. Being able to admire it will consider us even.

"I'll give it my best shot. He's the primary target so if things get too hot... well, you know. Not much I can do. Until then, I believe this is where we say goodbye. We've got a junk heap to find. Thank you, whatever-your-name-is-person. Until next time." Dax retreats to the bridge and settles in to his seat. "Alrighty... I know we just got here. Do you want to leave right away? We could stick around and head down to the surface for some local cuisine, see the sights, you know, the whole bit. Best coffee in the whole galaxy here. Mushroomy, but good."

( @Average_Machine

(Apologies for the lack of response, work has been keeping me swamped). "Shroom coffee sounds like an interesting introduction into the diet. We can grab some of that and continue on afterwards."

"It's been a while since I've been here. I wouldn't mind seeing how it's changed. There's even a psychic academy branch here now that wasn't there before." He sits up straight and begins the launch sequence. "Sounds like we have a plan, let's get ready for atmo." Dax relays orders and gets the Trailblazer on its way to the surface.

You're permitted to set down in the Ash City air/star port, amid a busy city that is slowly covering over the scars of occupation, war, and three previous failed regimes with the trappings of a new future under the Greystar Confderation. The second moon is rising from here on the ground and the first of the nightclubs will be opening to do business soon. The volcanoes to the north make the horizon glow dimly orange, and the city is otherwise bathed in neon. Another rainstorm is on the horizon but you have somet ime before it is expected to break

"I could get used to these higher-class bounties taking me this far out. Some many different planets out there." (edited)

Dax steps off of the ship and makes for a local cafe to get some authentic Acastan cuisine. "You know. I'm not much of a dancer, but the night life here is crazy. Although... That's probably because that's all they have. Anyways. Let's see what this place has. Anything is better than space ship food."

The Mushdog is a small cafe nearby that like all the other cafes on Acastus claims to have the best chocolate and coffee on the entire planet. A neon sign of a suited man drinking the cup looks a bit like the late Desmond O’Shea but made with neon tubes it’s impossible to tell for sure.

03:49

A covered and heated umbrella rack outside has several of them in it , and thunder overhead means another storm is on the way

"Here looks a good a place as any. Don't be put off by the name. It's probably not actually a mushy dog." Dax leads the way in to order the daily special with a hot coffee.

Crows follows suit with the order, but tea instead of coffee.

The storm finally breaks outside. Umbrellas snap open in the street and people about to go out sigh at the never ending weather. Things have changed considerably since the fall of the Still Lady’s regime on Acastus

(Guess we can continue in your thread dax

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