"Agent Mara. Priority dispatch just came in" A runner arrives at your door breathlessly. Out in the hallway you can hear others pounding down the long metal hallways of the Greystar space hab, in orbit over Acastus. Something is happening, something big from the sounds of things. "Dispatch wants you on the bridge within the hour. Sounds like a few matters have come up, they're activating everyone"

Sat in a half-lotus upon her bed, Mara slowly opens one eye and then the next. From the way her brow furrows, deepening the shadows around her angular features, it is blatantly evident she doesn’t appreciate having her meditation disturbed. “Very well.” Rolling her neck, she slowly, deliberately unfolds her legs, and casts her eyes across to the corner of her room where her gear rests. “I will be there.”

The bridge is a riot of activity when you make your way there. Other junior agents in various states of awake and alertness are also filing in, talking with other junior officers or station chiefs. The captain himself sees you and gestures for you to join him over at some kind of planning table

Nodding curtly, she drifts across to join him, deftly weaving her way through the crowd. Every movement makes the brace of tattoos around her neck and shoulders appear to squirm under the light, like some sort of optical illusion. “Captain. Agent Mara reporting. What are we looking at?”

“Two choices. You decide on the mission you want to take and I’ll give you a more in depth rundown. “First, we have some pirates in a nearby system. This will be a longer mission but if you’re successful we might be taking some new ships for our defense fleet- all without a shot being fired . We could use them with all the planets we have brought in these last few months. Alternatively, we have an operation taking place on shaila right now. We have made fast friends with one of the hovercraft clans there, but there are three others we know almost nothing about. We were hoping to learn some@more about our neighbors and maybe give them a hand

“Your choice on what you think is worth your attention”

Crossing her arms, Mara considers each of the options before her, utterly austere, before decisively coming to a decision. “I will take the Shaila mission, Captain. Interacting with foreign cultures is a strong suit of mine.”

"Excellent. You'll find a scouting report and a map of the surface have been added to your compad" (if you need help finding it on roll20 let me know, I know its organized a little goofy) "Aside from that, I believe you'll find everything you need to make an introduction by meeting up with the Flock of New Israel. They're friendly to us , and they know the planet better than we do. From there, I think you'll be able to blend very well, and we can see who else we might be dealing with there"

Flicking her wrist, a compad appears in one of Mara’s hands, having been hidden up her sleeve somehow. With a few scant gestures she brings up the information, checking it with a downwards glance. “Affirmative. The scout report and surface map have been successfully received, Captain. Unless there is further mission information, I will collect my equipment and begin coordinating my departure for the Flock of New Israel effective immediately.”

(found the info on roll20 fine ❤️ )

"A shuttle has been assigned to bring you there, It's a short trip, it won't be long cramped in there. Gather what you need, and we will see you soon"

Inclining her head in something approaching a formal bow towards the man, she turns and heads back to her dorm without another word. There, she collects up her belongings, few and wholly impersonal as they are. Mara is used to discarding herself, subsuming entirely into foreign cultures, and acting with the dispassionate clarity her former position with the Exchange had required. Though the world may insist on changing around her, she has no intention of letting herself change with it. And so, with all too little to her name, she stands waiting for her shuttle. Waiting for her mission to get underway. Waiting for purpose. (edited)

The shuttle door drops and you’re helped aboard. The pilot is already making the necessary preparations for the flight out, and the crew chief helps ensure your gear - what little of it remains- is safely stowed. He smiles , and shows you to the squat cabin that will be your home for the next day

(We have a handout with activities you can do while traveling if any sound appealing)

(is this the downtime activities handout or something else I should be looking for?)

(That it is. The one in Roll20)

Within her cabin, Mara looks around, nodding to herself. Small was fine. Small was familiar. Turning on her heel, she goes to find the rest of the crew. Socialising isn’t exactly a hobby of hers, but she has no difficulty admitting it’s a skill. And just like with a blade, it’s a skill that will grow rusty with time. Whether she liked it or not didn’t matter. “And besides. They may have information about the surface not covered in the reports.” (As I understand it correctly, I can start making progress towards training Talk to 0? Would like to start that process if possible.)

(yes you can, so you'll be at 1/90 toward talk)

The sliding door of the crew bay shuts, and you feel a gentle hiss on your skin as the pressure climbs to a safe level for travel. There is a gentle lurch as the shuttle lifts up, and heads out of the starhab, past the second moon of Acastus, and out of the system toward your destination. the pilot and co pilot are both in their chairs for the initial jump, but they'll be taking shifts after that to always keep someone at the helm.

(if you want to socialize we can, up to you, or we can get there)

Mara waits until the crew have some downtime. Herself detesting when people try to talk at her whilst she’s concentrating, she has no intention of subjecting another to the same. Once they look free, though, she will approach them. With one arm crossed across her chest, and that trademark sunken look to her cheeks and eyes, she doesn’t exactly come across as a Fun Party Girl. “I hope I am not interrupting,” she begins, “but I felt we may as well get to know one another. Do you object?”

"Not at all, please, have a seat, we don't have a navigator on this flight since the routes been traveled so much" The co-pilot points to an empty seat near their two paired captains chairs, in front of a large computer terminal, but the chair can swivel to face them (edited)

Settling into the indicated seat, Mara swivels around so that her chair is facing the pair at a slight angle. “You may or may not have already been briefed, but - to be safe - allow me to properly introduce myself. Agent Mara, formerly with the Exchange of Light.”

"Agent Mara, we're your flight crew for the trip there, and back. You are much more pleasant than our last couple passengers"

"The Exchange of Light, not much of that out there anymore. You're in good hands working with us now"

“I hate to imagine what your last couple passengers were like. The sentiment is appreciated, though. The Exchange’s fall was an unmitigated tragedy, and - like so many others - one that will not be forgotten.” Mara’s voice takes on a darker edge towards the end there, and she has to consciously reset herself, lest she get dragged into the past. “May I ask your names?”

"I'm Dopper" the pilot says. The copilot is conversing with the control tower for a brief moment. "The fellow in the other seat there is Aines, and the Crew Chief who helped you aboard is Rogar. The crews change through shuttles and available craft pretty often, but we seem to keep getting assigned together"

“A pleasure to meet you all,” Mara replies, inclining her head. “You all travel this route often, then?”

“Most of the planets close by are within a day or two of jump time. We have traveled the local star system a fair amount. It’s nice having some reliable course Rutters again. Almost feels like commercial flying. Almost”

Mara nods solemnly, understanding. “It will take time, but I still hold out hope that eventually things will return to the way they were. The healing will be slow, but inevitable.” A pause. “Do you happen to know anything about our destination that may not have been included in the scout reports?”

"it seems like the fire storms have stopped for now, due to the second scream happening. The locals are nervous, Everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop, like they're waiting for a big one or something. Aside from that, there's 3 other clans we don't really know much about, which is I suspect why you're on your way there now"

'So I think maybe we should be asking you that on the way home" Dopper smiles

“It is good to have confirmation that the firestorms have stopped. Assuming this state of affairs lasts, I wonder how their society will change. It is a novel situation.” “Provided my findings regarding the other three clans are not deemed confidential, I will be sure to relay any information you may find interesting or relevant during my return trip. I am hopeful that this mission will result in closer ties between the relevant parties.”

"Always good to know who's in the neighborhood" he laughs, and then the instrument panel lights up "We'll be making the jump in just a moment. All told, this should be a pretty routine flight." Outside, space begins to elongate, before entering the stretched blue tunnel that is spike space

Mara gives him a single nod, eyes only lingering for a moment on the alien beauty of the spike tunnel. “I will be in my cabin for a bit,” she says. “Being fully rested will be important, soon enough.”

(day of downtime if you're working on anything) As the day passes, close to the following morning cycle, a gentle chime announces you are fifteen minutes out from successful spike translation.

(Mara will continue chatting with the crew every now and then during downtime, slowly working on raising her Talk to 0) As soon as the chime comes, Mara’s eyes flash open, signaling an end to the meditative trance she had been in for the past hour. Pushing away from the bed, she starts doing stretches to warm up her muscles. “Shaila… I wonder what it will be like.”

"We're going to set down at the academy. We have a team inside, and their work is going on without us, we can join up there, or we can push right on and try to get a guide from the Flock to take you to the other groups out there. What do you think?"

(if you want to stop in and help kelvin pick through the academy ruins there we can, otherwise soldier on to your mission)

Mara considers her options. “Let us push on. Unless the other team has sent out an active request for aid, interfering with their mission when I have my own may be taken poorly.”

Reasonable" Dopper says, angling the craft down. "The rabbi is waiting for you, we took the liberty of calling ahead. THey'll set you up with a guide"

“That is appreciated. My hope is that such a guide will speed matters along considerably.” (Are there any important cultural taboos or odd behaviours that Mara would become aware of via her Passport of Hell ability as their destination grows closer?)

(the Flock are traditionally Jewish, nothing explicitly of note beyond that. As far as the rest of the groups, no contact has been made yet, so you wouldnt know at the moment)

Whilst the craft descends, Mara remains silent. It was difficult to say how the rest of her mission would fair, but it is a very real possibility that this would be her last moments of safety, security, and relative comfort until her work was done. She wants to enjoy it whilst she can.

The ramp lowers as the rabbi and two of his handlers begin making their way over to your craft. He has a hand raised in greeting. He shouts something but it is lost in the sound of the ship engines cycling down for some much needed rest.

Mara mirrors the greeting, raising her hand. After a final farewell and thanks to the crew, she descends down the ramp towards the rabbi and his handlers. “Peace be upon you,” she calls out, hoping to be heard over the engines. “I am Agent Mara. This meeting is a pleasure.”

“It is for us too. I understand you’re here to see our neighbors and see what else is in the neighborhood. We’re all on Jewish time here still “ he jokes. “We’ve waited this long for the messiah , so a few of my flock will be happy to escort you for as long as you plan to remain here”

“You’ll of course be free to make contact and arrange things as you see fit”

“You are indeed correct, and I am indebted to your kindness. Might I ask your name?” Looking side to side, briefly, she takes in her surroundings. Her first look at Shaila from the ground.

“Rabbi Goldberg, of the Flock of New Israel. At your service my dear. “

The ground below your feet is a burnt orange sand similar in color to the dehydrated cheese that accompanies most Greystar military survival rations , though you suspect this soil would be somewhat more difficult to eat (edited)

“A pleasure, Rabbi Goldberg.” Mara softly nods to herself. “Very well, then. Shall we move on to the business at hand? Which of your neighbours would you deem it best for us to visit first?”

"I tihnk the Golden Sparks will be the least dangerous of the bunch. They're well respected engineers, even the raiding clans pay homage to them- since they're the only ones that can really fix the hovercraft we all use. They roam, but we can get you some location data once you set out, it never takes long to find them:

“I understand. Is there anything you would like to cover with me whilst I am here? If not, I would like to establish contact with the Golden Sparks without delay.”

"Nothing comes to mind directly. I am sure your travels are going to have you in contact with at least one of the raiding clans, either through them trying to roll you, or them trying to use Greystar or an outsider for some other purpose. Diplomacy on this planet is constantly in flux, I just want you to know that as long as any deals you make with them don't have you shooting at the Flock, or leading them to do it for you, we'll understand if you have to get your hands dirty in dealing with some of the others"

"We have wandered the desert for a large segment of our history, we understand how cruel necessity can be sometimes:

Clasping her hands together, Mara’s voice is perfectly level as she replies, “Greystar has no intention of damaging our relationship with the Flock, Rabbi Goldberg. I appreciate your warning, and your perspicacity. Whilst I have no great desire to, as you say, get my hands dirty whilst dealing with the raiding clans, I am most certainly prepared to do so if an equitable solution cannot be reached. Might I ask if there are any particular socioeconomic reasons the raiding clans have taken to such a hostile lifestyle, and to what extent there is history and bad blood between them and the Flock?”

"Everyone's just trying to store enough parts and fuel to keep their craft going, so the firestorms dont catch up. THere's only so many scavenging opportunities out there. When you can't find, or make...you take"

“It is a regretful state of affairs, but such is the way with things sometimes. I understand the firestorms have stopped of late, though. How do you see things progressing, provided they do not resume?”

"We would need to see some time pass without any new ones. If supplies come in from off world, and we can either burrow, or make something fireproof on the surface that won't cook us alive while inside, we might look to set up something permanent. More powerful engines, or better vehicles, and we could do something on a semi permanent basis. I've heard of the flying cities of Creusa. Maybe something like that, on a far smaller scale"

Mara nods sagely. “I understand.” A pause. “If Greystar could reach an agreement with each clan, providing aid in the ways you describe and thereby limiting the need for unsavoury raiding practices, would you expect to be able to coexist peacefully with the raiding clans from that point onwards? It would be regrettable if old grudges and tensions made such a solution harder than need be, and I hope to grasp the situation as fully as is possible at this stage.”

“There would not be much need for them to continue raiding if there were easier or better ways for them to get what they needed. Banditry would stop being a profitable enterprise for them”

“Excellent. Very well, I believe I am ready to leave with all due haste, then.” (edited)

He nods, and waves two of his men over. A small hovercraft with a driver is pulled around for you, with three bench seats, and equipment locker, and a covered drivers cabin.

A post has been set on each corner of the hovercraft, where at night a covering can be set up to keep in some of the heat

After storing several meager possessions away in the locker, Mara takes a seat, sitting with all the poise one would expect from a member of the Exchange before it was dissolved. Other than a courteous nod to the driver and each of the Rabbi’s men, she doesn’t have particular intentions of starting small talk with them.

The engines throttle open and the large fans begin to turn, humming loudly as things begin moving. The Golden sparks have dozens of large hovercraft and you come upon the first of them after a half day of searching the dust wastes. The driver assures you this is fortunate , usually a hunt can take weeks. A large yellow chalk canister is fired into the air as some sort of pre arranged signal and the large craft begins coming to a halt. Several cranes begin to clank out of secured spaces , lowering other hovercraft

“Now then… let us see if today, progress might be made…” Mara waits with all the patience of a monk, observing the process with faint interest. Seeing how different cultures worked, and the tools they had developed to solve the specific problems that plagued them, had always fascinated her. “Does the colour of the chalk,” she asks the driver, “have a particular meaning?”

"Yellow for parley, red for danger, as if we were being chased, or a firestorm was in the area. Generally, not signaling your approach is a sign of hostility here. "

Nodding, Mara thanks him, gives the planet’s details on her compad another quick look to refresh her memory, and waits for a chance to make contact.

The engines shut down, and two hoverbikes launched from the large skimmer likewise park, 20m from you. Two women with dust goggles and heavy face coverings for the dust take a moment to remove their protective gear, optin instead for sunglasses, and walk over. "Hope you weren't trying to get ahold of us for long. Radio's out inside the skimmer, tech's cant figure it out. You guys alright? need repairs?"

Mara inclines her head to each of them in turn. “I appreciate you taking the time to come out and meet us. If I might introduce myself, I am Agent Mara, from Greystar. My mission here is to learn more about the various clans of this planet, that positive relations may be established and furthered, and that we might lend a hand if possible. This, of course, includes your own clan. Is this acceptable to you?”

"Greystar eh, you're not with the Flock then. Interesting. Well, this is one of the salvage haulers used by the Golden Sparks. We're happy to talk business with you, but you'll need to come aboard and speak with the Chief, if you're willing"

"No weird stuff, and your friends can come too"

“You have my gratitude. I shall leave my arms here, and come aboard to speak with your Chief immediately, if I may.”

The craft begins heading back toward the large hover hangar and is quickly recovered. As it is winched back into its service bay, the two escorts begin leading you down an iron staircase into the bowels of the large skimmer. The room that serves as the bridge is functional and thankfully climate controlled despite the heat of the engines and desert sun outside. A steersman, comms officer, sergeant at arms and some sort of navigator all occupy cramped but somewhat functional spaces on the large skimmer craft

Following the pair of escorts, Mara silently notes the conditions the clan is working in. It seems that whilst luxuries may be beyond the scope of what is possible here, the clan of engineers have been able to enjoy a somewhat reasonable lifestyle. As she passes through to wherever the Chief is, she takes the time to check if the sergeant is carrying a weapon. And if so, how advanced it looks.

The sergeant at arms has a pistol that fires hard rounds in his hip holster. Most of the weapons here are projectile, as the desert sands and the particles in the air have been known to dilute the effect of laser weapons by scattering the beam too much

Makes sense, Mara thinks to herself. She nods to the sergeant, and others she passes on the way to the Chief. Though she has questions, they could wait for the proper authority to answer.

The Chief engineer hands off the controls, and motions to a small and somewhat quiet engineering space off to the side of the room, and as you both enter the door shuts behind you "Thank you for meeting with us. Sorry about all the noise, space is at a premium in the hovercraft. We had a towed cabin car once but the linkage kept getting shot out by raiders, so we stopped bringing it with us"

Clasping her hands behind her back in a stately manner, Mara smiles at the Chief. “All is well. I am here for progress and peace, not idle comforts. Might I ask your name?” Looking side to side, she finds somewhere to sit. “I am surprised to hear you have been having trouble with raiders, though. My understanding was that your clan had the respect even of the brigands.”

"

We used to have good will with them, but I think things are getting desperate now. Theyve been looting parts from us whenever they manage to bring something down. Nothing sacred anymore" he scoffs, looking out the viewport over the desert

“I am sorry to hear that. Do you know if there are particular reasons that matters have been growing desperate?”

“How it always goes. Parts run out. There isn’t always the time to mine more , or the skill to refine and craft spare parts Especially for desperate clans. If you can’t pay or offer something needed in return, it’s hard to get the work you need completed. “ He sighs. “Really, it comes down to resource scarcity “

Mara nods sagely. “Greystar would like to assist. What form of aid would your clan find most valuable? If there are any particular resources you find yourself in need of, we can draft up a list of requests that I might forward onto those within Greystar with the correct authorisation to accept agreements. Naturally, a similar offer will be extended to all clans, which I hope will go some ways to reducing your issues with raiders.”

“Tools and parts for the hovercraft especially. Or at least the metals to make them ourselves if the tools are too much. It feels like waiting for the other shoe to drop, not knowing if the firestorms will start again or not

We haven’t been very successful in trying to keep settled in any particular areas. everyone’s scared and no one wants to volunteer to leave the safety of their high speed craft”

Mara pulls out her compad and makes notes on the Chief’s requests as he speaks, nodding along. “Very well. I shall see what can be done regarding, tools, parts, and metal. As for the firestorms, I can only hope that it is a matter that will grow clear in time.” Bringing the display of the surface map up on her pad, she hands it across to him. “Greystar has received this map of the area. Do you know if you would be able to describe what each of these structures are?”

"Sure, let me see what you have there" He takes a light pen, and labels what he remembers their names as

"We tend to stay away from the Graveyard and the Mortuary Spire. There was a bar working out of Salthouse Tower once, somehow they were surviving the fire storms in there, but I don't know if he's still in business"

“You have my thanks. I shall see if I can give this bar a visit during my travels, and relay my findings to you. May I ask why you stay away from the Graveyard and Mortuary Spire?”

"They're both haunted places. The graveyard is a bunch of blackened bones, from the megacreatures that used to live here before everyihng burned to ash. There's nothing valuable there, and between us, its an unsettling place to be. Someone said bandits hang out there now, but we havent wanted to invite trouble, so we stay away. The mortuary spire seems to likewise survive the firestorms. We bring our own dead there when we can, or when there is enough to bury. Same thing there, just not a happy place to be. Many of us have personally laid family or dear friends to rest there"

Nodding, Mara replies, “Very well. Places to investigate later, perhaps… Is there anything else you can tell me about your clan, whilst I am here? I have as much time for such things as you are willing to spare. Current affairs, history, anything you are comfortable with.”

"Well, our clan has been here since the second wave of expansion. This world was pretty green once, and we worked very hard to keep the climate perfectly comfortable for human beings. Generations of families taking care of the climate control towers, gives you an almost inherent to bloodline understanding of technical issues. So, the firestorms happened. We were fortunate that we already used hovercraft in the woods, and across all the rivers and lakes that used to fill the world. THey just happened to be faster than the fires. It took months, but we began getting organized. More of us were able to link up with one another, and eventually we banded together in a clan. The hovercraft got more elaborate, and we naturally fell into our niche"

"I know its general, but we really dont keep too many records now. It's taken he last few years just to get this far

“You sound as if you have done remarkably well, all things considered. Whilst it is a shame records have not been kept, I can most certainly understand that certain things must fall to the wayside when survival itself is at stake. Might I ask how many your clan number, at this time? I do not imagine feeding a large number, in the planet’s current state, would be particularly easy.”

“There close to 500 of us now but we don’t all travel together. Some of us are out on jobs, and we made the decision to split the fleet so we wouldn’t eat an area empty or drink an oasis dry whenever we camped somewhere”

“I understand.” A pause. “Very well. Unless there is anything else you believe may be important for Greystar to be aware of, I believe this should be sufficient to fulfill my mission requirements regarding your clan, at least for now. Someone, perhaps myself again, will be in contact regarding the resources you have requested. I intend now to visit each of the other clans, and have similar conversations with them. Do you have any advice for me on that front?”

“You May be able to speak with the raider groups since you’re from off world. You don’t have any territory here they could take from. As far as the Jewish Military Union, they’re lucky. They’ve got a few actual hover tanks in their group. Very stoic. Rank and file. The like. Disciplined. They’re honorable people but a bit fanatical when it comes to protecting their holdings. I wouldn’t demand too much from them especially at first meeting”

“Noted, on all accounts. Do you have any idea where the Jewish Military Union acquired these hover tanks from?” Mara rises from her seated position, once again clasping her hands behind her back.

"There were some stockpiles , underground bunkers, sheltered bases, before all the insanity happened at the academy and beyond. Most of their leadership is former senior military,probably knew where to dig"

Mara is, on some level, relieved to hear that. Much better than some outside force arming them. “Very good. Thank you for your time. May your days between now and our next meeting be prosperous.”

(3xp, 5000 credits)

“Of course. Thank you for visiting and you will of course have our cooperation for any future works. here Greystar has been a good friend so far”

Respectfully dipping her head, Mara leaves, returning to the hovercar. “Now,” she mutters to herself, “the hard part begins.” Settling into her seat, she asks the driver if they will be able to locate the Jewish Military Union.

(Level 2 changes: Waymaker 2 Focus. 3 skillpoints spent raising Shoot from -1 to +1. 10 rolled for HP.)

The Union had announced a plan to begin pacifying the bandit clans, and keeping the scanners open, your driver has a plan to go hear a handful of nearby sites of interest. The thought is that concentrations of bandits or union forces might be gathering around them, or evidence of battle might be found near them, and it presents a better chance than hoping to get lucky finding them in the middle of the wastes. It's also thought they might have some holdings near the mountains. The driver can conduct either plan right now

Mara instructs the driver to go with the first plan. Worst case scenario, they run into bandits before the Union. Given she intends to visit them sooner or later anyway, that’s not all that bad.

Pinned a message.

Two days pass of scouting through the wastes, and upon reaching the Shaila City ruins, the vehicle comes to a halt on one of the tall stone cliffs overlooking the city. Your guides seem excitable and animated, passing around a pair of binoculars, and comparing what they are seeing

“May I ask what you have spotted,” she says to them. Having spent the past few hours typing up reports on her discussions with the engineers, she seems keen (in her own, somewhat severe way) for a bit of a break.

One of them hands a set of the binoculars over to you. "Looks like there's some activity down there, a skirmish at least, A vicious one too, neither side is backing down"

“What do you imagine they’re fighting over,” she asks, taking the binoculars and having a look through them.

“Must be important if they’re throwing themselves at each other. Here” They toss the binoculars over to you. In the city outskirts below, a burning overtank sits half buried in the sand. Another next to it floats but has a dozen raiders trying to force open the hatches with pry bars. One has a readied firebomb in hand

Burning hover technicals and dismounted small Squads from each side skirmish amid the crumbling low walls of the city and wrecks

“Indeed,” Mara mutters, vaguely wishing she had a rifle with her. Passing the binoculars back, for now, she opens up her compad and looks for open channels in the area. Meanwhile, she asks, “What do you suggest we do? I do not feel comfortable weighing in on any one side of the conflict, not whilst I am here as a neutral diplomat, and especially not before the lawfulness of any one side is clear.”

“Maybe get them to agree to a cease fire and talk to them both? Broadcast who you are and what you’re doing here. See what happens”

With a slow nod, Mara agrees, broadcasting the following message on an open channel. “This is Agent Mara. I am in the area at Greystar’s behest, seeking to gather information on the clans, and extend an offer of aid where needed. I request that all parties in the current conflict cease fire, that I may speak with each on the aforementioned matters.”

There are a few more rattling strings of gunshots as a few heavy weapons bark their last and a loud explosion as one of the damaged war wagons cooks off, but fighting comes to an end around the settlement , both sides moving to stand off positions

Allowing herself a faint smile, Mara asks the driver to bring them closer now that the fighting has stopped.

The fighting stopped, a small group of bandit and JMU soldiers make cautious advances toward your hovercraft as you approach. The ceasefire so far seems to be holding as word quickly spreads through the communication networks of both sides that they have an off world guest

Once they’re close enough, Mara steps out and walks over to the groups, trying to get a read on their current moods as she does so.

Both sides are angry at one another and at this moment untrusting of the ceasefire, but they’re honoring it because both groups agree you might be the key to offering them something more.

“As stated,” Mara says to both groups, “I am Agent Mara, with Greystar. Hopefully today can be the start of a solution for both of you. May I ask what the cause for the present conflict was?”

“G10. Government resource bunker in the ruins. It’s a property dispute” the military union field commander here says, almost politely but you can see his needle sharp glances at the raiding clans

“I understand.” She turns to the other party, the raiding clans. “Does this agree with your understanding of the matter?”

“It does. It’s what we are fighting over”

“Very well. I have been sent to inform you that Greystar would like to offer it’s aid. I see that resources, currently, are inflaming tensions between the clans. Would you both agree that resources, provided by Greystar, would go some ways to alleviating the current situation?”

"Greystar cannot offer relics from the Mandate Era inside the bunker, I would presume" the JMU commander says, and the raiders seem to agree

“I doubt it,” Mara agrees. “What is this relic, to spark such conflict and loss of life?”

"G10 contains a wealth of supplies from before the disaster. Medicine, food, weapons, anything you could ever need, and its all pristine and down there"

“If it is medicine, food, and even possibly weapons you seek, Greystar can in all likelihood be of assistance. The bunker aside, would you accept our aid in this regard?”

"Even without G10, the supplies you can offer would go some way in reducing the conflict here, yes. This sounds like the answer you're probing for"

“Quite,” she replies, with a little nod of her head. “Aside from supplies, is there any other aid each party wishes to request of Greystar?”

"The JMU wishes to get off this world. Surely our vehicles and skilled soldiery would be of use to a group that commands the stars" The raiders for their part, have nothing further to ask for

“That may be possible,” she tells the JMU. “As with everything else, it would need to be coordinated with the rest of Greystar, but I will facilitate this. With all that said, I would now like to ask about each of your clans in more detail, if that would be acceptable.”

There is the deep base thump of a mortar deeper within the city , followed by a responding rattle of a heavy machine gun firing on a distant target. Both sides begin eyeing one another warily

Frowning, Mara says, “Could both sides please remind their men to stand down. Whilst I understand that tensions are high, I will not be conducting these discussions in an active warzone.”

A few men from each side break away, presumably to go for more powerful radio equipment. There is another cough of the mortar tube firing and this time the shell must have hit something big, because a large plume of smoke heads skyward, along with a rippling series of secondary detonations. It must have been either a supply skiff or a direct hit on a vehicle as ammunition now cooks off

Mara crosses her arms and waits, annoyed that things are being complicated by this apparent lack of discipline.

Both groups seem to begin backing off, as signs of fighting deeper within the city do not show signs of abating.

Communications are sent back and forth, but the junior officers here seem unable to stop whatever is going on closer in the ruins

Mara frowns, suspecting at this point that G10 is close to being breached. “Rather than continuing this loss of life, but a short time before aid from Greystar will likely arrive, will both sides agree to settle and divide the contents of the bunker equally?”

Neither side can promise that, and its plain at this point to see the negotiations are breaking down. Your pilots start the engines of your own craft, unwilling to linger in a possibly hot warzone

(you didnt do anything wrong, just the way the scene rolled out)

Disappointed, Mara lets both sides know she would like to continue these discussions at a later date, and then retreats with her pilots.

(3xp 5000 credits)

Now that each group has been met, you have enough to at least begin your report. The agent meeting has you about to head to freeguild territory , and into dangerous new space

(Do we leave things there for now?)

(Yeah since we have the other mission going. Nothing Mara could have prevented will happen while you’re gone)

(If that last 3xp levels you, you can apply any benefits before the freeguild mission really gets going, not sure how far away you are from it)

(Currently at 3/6 to my next level.)

The greystar corvette is escorted into the dock and is welcomed in by a group of soldiers, administrators, and medical personnel. They begin getting everyones names and skills, though it sounds like they largely plan to keep the ship crew together (depending on what aspect of their operations here you're planning on looking into, we can get into a mission here)

Mara has three initial objectives. Explore the lower reaches and the under-construction ship, and determine details regarding the council. If there are any informal power dynamics at play, with some captains holding more influence than others, then she may find herself a list of targets for assassination if need be. First, though, she needs to secure herself within the Freeguild. Any new arrivals were sure to suffer increased scrutiny, and playing the long game may be a distinct necessity. So when it comes to inspections and whatnot, she complies as best she can. When asked for her skillset, she provides her expertise in combat and little else however. Let them think she was once a mercenary. No need for them to know she is a trained infiltration and assassination expert.

Expertise in combat has an optional posting, as either a stationside in the security force or remaining as an armsman aboard your own ship (which I'd tihnk probably was your cover story) The station's security detail is somewhat green, and someone who has seen combat such as yourself would be valuable to them for a number of roles. Your combat experience here is seen as a massive boon

If it looks like being stationside in the security force will give her both potential insight into the inner workings of the Freeguild military, and enough free time to conduct her own explorations, she will agree to doing so. (edited)

You’re shown to your quarters and a short while later a navy blue combat field uniform with silver accents is brought to your quarters, along with a void carbine and two magazines of ammunition. It seems that a set of Lieutenant bars have been painted onto the collar and chest plate. A datapad is also provided showing you the location of the mid level security station and the ten men under your command for now

It seems like the first four hours of every day is a combined combat training with your squad and several others with you serving as assistant drill instructor

(the security room is the very center room)

In her new position, Mara starts trying to work out roughly what the Freeguild’s military strength is. How many men, how well equipped they are, et cetera. She also starts trying to work out how easy it would be for someone without an ID, but who otherwise looked like a Freeguilder, to navigate the station.

As a new officer, network access is limited and its difficult to get a whole picture just from your hobbled security terminal alone. Anyone on the station is a freeguild member, being somewhere without an ID is a questioning by security , or a trip to the brig in more serious areas of the ship, but rarely is capital punishment handed out

After going through her options, Mara decides that her first port of call is the lower section of the station mentioned earlier. Slowly, she starts plotting out a route down in her head. Then, at a point where she has some free time and won’t be missed, she slips away, changes her appearance to that of an average Freeguild member using the gifts of the Exchange of Light, and goes exploring.

(lets get a sneak/dex, at +2 since you look the part)

(I rolled in roll20 and somehow got a 0, which shouldn't have been possible. Unsure what went wrong.)

(ended up being a 7, i think just a site error, the math/sheet are correct)

It is as she is about to enter the first sublevel that two of the guards are on duty outside the hatch. It sounds dully like something is scraping behind the door

but the guards do not react, almost as if they are used to it. You do not recognize either of them from your rotations through security, nor from training