Note: I also posted Epletsatl to the Rogue's Gallery!
from The Traveller Adventure: Memoirs of a Merchant Captain...and His Crew
---Traveller's Aide Society Press, 1116
Patinir System: 039-048:1114
Medical Officer's Log:
I am ashamed if I ever had a doubt about the nobility of Baron Tito von Moonwalker. I have seen too many so-called 'nobles' in my day abuse their position and lord over the weak. On 045:1114, the Baron showed what noblesse oblige truly means....
Baseru cheated us. I have no doubt about that, but while he was a crook and the Answerin has declared vengeance, his contact on Trojan Alpha, Ghan Siverens, is a man of integrity. As a shareholder aboard the Harrier even I could feel the pinch and the tension from our heavy loss taking the cargo from Natoko to Patinir. I have talked to Luu about consulting the board next time before he makes such deals. In any case, Siverens bailed us out by brokering for us, free of charge, while we ran some of the mining supplies for him to the belters further in the asteroid belt. His supply shuttle was overdue.
It took us four days to haul it in real space to its destination. The asteroid miners were very greatful and, Rani, Eps and I even ran physicals for the forty or so inhabitants and their families. The belters were very grateful and did not even mind the Zhodani helping out. On the return, we found the shuttle.
From the outside, we could see that it had run across some trouble. Al', Gvoudzon, and at first to my surprise, Baron Tito, volunteered to board the wreck. We detected severe levels of radiation and as they explored the ship, their uplinks showed us severe battle damage. The drives had been compromised and were showering the ship with uncontrollable dirty emissions. At first we thought that the shuttle maybe had been powered by a primitive fission reactor, however, Luu and Kigu' determined after a quick analysis of the electromagnetic spectra, that whatever pirate had attacked the unarmed shuttle, had used particle accelerators, fusion guns, or illegally, a nuclear missle at very close range.
With their vacc suits, our crewmembers would not last long at those levels. We told them to tread carefully and hurriedly. Al and Gvouzdon soon returned, afraid of the lack of structual integrity as well as the radioactivity. Gvouzdon had already taken more rads than was healthy. It was here where the Baron shined. He refused to leave until the ship had been thoroughly searched.
For a short moment we lost contact as stray EM interfered with his commlink. Al was about to jump back across when Tito chimed in, his breath ragged as he staggered out from the air lock of the damaged craft.
"Found a live one," he declared, and we all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The Baron soon passed out as we rushed him and the survivor to sick bay.
Unfortunately, the survivor passed away on the return trip. He already had extensive tissue and cellular damage. It was beyond repair. How he had hung on for so long, on mimimal life support is a miracle. Perhaps he held on with just enough will so that he could communicate to us, who had attacked him and his ship.
Before he died he muttered one word: Wolblutn.
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First Officer's Log:
Add another enemy to our ever growing list.
Roget Bannerji is now being hunted by the crew of the March Harrier even if there is no bounty.
Declare it througout the Marches!
The Maker help him if we catch up to him in the near future.
Siverns vouched for us as we were debriefed by Port Authority over our find of the derelict shuttle and the good broker had found us a hefty cargo to make up for Luudakirurikek's bad decision. We soon jumped to our next destination: Pysadi, ladden with cargo. Hopefully it will offset our need to purchase a double fuel load for our "Jump-2". We need to upgrade our drives as soon as possible...
At Patinir, I gained a deep respect and admiration for Baron Tito. The Imperium is in good hands if all Scouts feel the same way as the Baron. He did not show fear in a situation where death was possible. As he recovered I asked him why he had done what he had.
He replied: "There is an old Antarean saying: The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few...or the one."
Then he smiled as Dr. Chevalier administered another cocktail of healing serum and nanites to his dosage-damaged body.