[NEW] Star Frontier Adventure [IC]

[GreenKarl]

The Arden-Yesser Meteor Belt, Gamdee System
United Frontier Authority Station Alpha
Level 38, Subsection 13, Office of Daniel Schneider, Deputy Director of Bounty-Assignments
10:32am, November 16^th, 2321, Union Standard Time

Rogue’s Gallery
OOC Thread

[sblock=UFA Headquarters]
But within a meteor belt not over a planet[/sblock]
The security guard at the door remotely buzzed the locking monitor to the office and signaled for you to enter. The office was spacious but spartan with the stale scent of burnt electronics in the recycled air. The lone human in the room was dressed in a UFA officer’s uniform that had seen better days and appeared to have not be properly laundered in many weeks.

“Take a seat and we will get started” the man said, indicating a large plastic briefing table off to one side of the room. You had all meet Deputy Director Daniel Schneider when you first joined the Regulators. He was the main UFA official in charge of issuing and paying out bounties for those worlds in Sub-Sector III Delta, nicked named the Demetri Cluster, a number of worlds near the edge of Reach space. Some folks thought these worlds were haunted or at the very least cursed by the fates due to many colonies that have suffered from bad luck over the years.

Once everyone had taking a seat, Director Schneider punched a few keys on his dataslate and five holographic portraits appeared in the air before the team; four Human men and one woman.

[sblock=Holographic images]
Alexandre


Nicolette


John


Ike


William[/sblock]
“This is the Bernard family, the patriarch Alexandre Bernard and his wife, Nicolette. The father and mother of John, Ike and William. They all have bounty on their head issued by the Chenzua Corporation on Corvus, in charge of mining operators and terraforming on the planet. Recently the bounds have been increased to activate UFA bounty directives to be issued. Your team happens to be the only available one open at this time and their warrants have been issued to you. This is going to be your first mission and as such is also considered your final test to see if you have what it takes to be full time Regulators. Your continuance with this group is dependent on the success of the collection of these warrants.”

Clearing his throat he continues “Alexandre Bernard is 65 standard Terran years old and is wanted on eight counts of first degree murder, ten counts of manslaughter and eight counts of first degree grand larceny. Nicolette Bernard is 52 standard Terran years old and is wanted on seven counts of manslaughter, six counts of grand larceny and eight counts of extortion. John Bernard is 36 standard Terran years old and wanted for ten counts of first degree murder and twelve counts of manslaughter in the first degree. He is also wanted for ten counts of grand larceny and six of bribery of a corporate official. Ike Bernard is 32 standard Terran years old and is wanted for six counts of first degree murder and eight counts of manslaughter. William Bernard is 28 standard Terran years old and is wanted for four counts of first degree murder and one act of terrorism. All of them are wanted a numerous lesser charges including assault, drug trafficking and property damage of Chenzua Corporation holdings.

“Alexandre, John and William each have warrants of 15,000 credits each, dead or alive. The remainder each have a warrant of 10,000 credits if brought in alive, 7,500 credits if dead. Chenzua is also offering a reward of up to 20% of the value of any and all corporate property recovered, depending on damage to such items. The Bernards had recently raided an Chenzua Zhua-class Mobile Mining Platform™ worth several million credits which caused the warrant levels to raise to UFA classifications.”

Director Schneider punches up a holographic image of the planet Corvus replaces that of the Bernard family. “You have been assigned XII-113 Junk-Scout Maranda as a transport. Corvus is 13 parsecs from here in the Corvus Nova system. You should make it in 30 days, requiring four total jump plots.

[sblock=The Planet Corvus][/sblock]

“Corvus itself is a cold world just coming out of an ice age. Chenzua Corporation has a number of terraforming processing plants that it is using to increase the planet’s temperature and increase its’ atmosphere. At present you can breathe normally without assistant only in the low-lands. At higher altitude it is recommended that you use Respirator for extended periods or heavy labors. Chenzua has invested and developing heavy mining in numerous locations, meaning the population is fairly spread out, with a planet wide population of just over one hundred thousand souls.”

It is at this point that Director Schneider pauses to look each of you in the eyes. He then says “Are their any questions? You will want to contact the general manager of Chenzua on Corvus, one Damian Atos at Alpha City. They should be able to provide additional information and possible leads to the Bernards whereabouts.”

GM: First if you could each describe your characters, what you are wearing. If you want also use your descriptor for your character as you each have meet and know some of the more basic info about each other. Then any questions and/or requests

 

[tglassy]

Marx leans back in his chair, arms crossed. He wears a standard fronteirsman's outfit, mostly travel quality leather and the like, with a long duster that drapes past his knees when he stands. He has a wide brimmed hat and often a cigar in his mouth. The duster concealed his Laser Sword, the trademark of his occupation. Most know a bit about him. He's an Intuitive Human Star Knight who needs to bring criminals to justice. They know that despite the fact that he is only 26 years old, he's spent the last 10 years as a Star Knight, and is very competent with his laser sword. Before that, he was a detective, which is what he really considers himself. Before that, he's only hinted at, but his skills with his telekinetic shield, something the Star Knights don't typically deploy, suggest some training as a Battlepsyche.

At the moment, Marx is looking into the Deputy Director's eyes, gauging his emotions.

OOC: As someone with the Talented Origin, I can read the emotions of people I am talking to, so I would like to do that pretty constantly from here on out. Always good to know what people are feeling.

 

[GreenKarl]

GM: Everyone but the Android I will let the others describe their emotional state as they wish

Using his inborn talent, Marx gets a strong vibe of cool indifference from Director Schneider. It probably partly due to professionalism but the psyker can also tell the man seems a burnt out with regards to his job...

 

[mfloyd3]

Angel leans back in her chair as the deputy director speaks, taking in the information and carefully looking at each hologram in turn to memorize each face. There is an air of well-worn habit to this, as if she has already decided what the important pieces of the briefing are and is filing them away as they arrive.

Angel's lined, weatherbeaten features make her look older than her 28 years, and the utiliweave shirts and jeans she has favored in training are sun-bleached and dust-stained. She carries her wiry frame with no special grace, but when training exercises have demanded she has moved with an electrifying speed.

She has been trying for days to think why the deputy director looks so familiar, and watching him now it finally comes to her. She'd never met the man before joining the Regulators, but she'd received bounties from equally burned-out bureaucrats. Angel had always preferred to get briefings from people who had at least bothered to hate the targets. They had incentive to get their facts straight.

When the call for questions arrives, Angel asks, "What do you have on their weapons and MO? And can we get a manifest of the goods Chenua is looking for?"


OOC: In terms of sharing her background with the team during training, Angel would have spoken freely (though not eagerly) about her time as a bounty hunter, and would have mentioned that she retired to Grit as a sheriff. She would have avoided mentioning the settlement of Greenrock by name, and she categorically has said nothing about her family or having a child.


[sblock=Max]
At the start of the presentation, Angel is somewhat tense, the uncertainty about their assignment bothering her even if it does not show on her face. As the presentation proceeds, the tension fades. She does not take pleasure in the assignment, but she clearly finds a certain comfortable familiarity in it.
[/sblock]

 

[GreenKarl]

When the call for questions arrives, Angel asks, "What do you have on their weapons and MO? And can we get a manifest of the goods Chenua is looking for?"

"You get standard the Regulator outfit* for gear. You can request more from the Quartermaster but as you all have not proven yourselves yet it will be limited. As for Chenua products missing, other then the mobile mine processor you will have to inquire with General Manager Atos. In fact when you get there make sure you register any reward levels with the UFA A.I. onsite. It will send a subspace message with all details such that the UFA gets its... cut.**"

GM: *The standard outfit is the simply the Disruptor Pistol, Mesh Lined Longcoat and Survival Pack/Tool Kit. **The UFA is partly funded by taking an "administrative cut" for all issued Bounties and rewards that the Regulators collect. For rewards for the return of stolen items its 10-20% and you can assume that the rewards for collecting any bounties the UFA has been paid a "finders fee" up front. They don't take any more from what has been offered.

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Alex sat in a chair at the table looking bored. His greasy black hair was pulled back and tied loosely in the back. Several strands had come loose and now fell in front of his face obscuring his features and causing him to almost blend into the background. He wore a stained jumpsuit with a ships name 'Redemption' barely visible on the back. He was young, barely out of his teens.

Alex had positioned himself so he could see the door and kept an eye on the exit as the briefing started. As the deputy director spoke Alex attention shifted from the door to the holo-display. Alex looked over the marks memorizing key details that would help to identify them. As the briefing finished Alex had some questions of his own.

"Are we going to receive a copy of the briefing file? I also think Angel here wanted to know if the Bernard's have a preferred MO and tactics? Do you also know if they have any further allies?"

 

[GreenKarl]

The Director nods, adding "Its on the Maranda has all of this on its computer already and I can transfer it to anyone's comlink if they want. Other information about on Bernard will probably have to come from Corvus as we have had no dealings with them and they have no bounties on them off-world"

GM: I am going to assume that all of the basic communicators are basically really advanced smartphone so they can act as a simply personal computer, store information, display at least photos, etc.

 

[KahlessNestor]

United Frontier Authority Station Alpha/Deputy Director’s office
November 16, 2321/1032

Summer Knight, the suave Human smuggler who can’t resist a pretty face, sauntered past the guard at the door, flashing him a beguiling smile as she flipped her long black hair. The crimson colored mesh lined long coat she wore was open, revealing the fact that she was enjoying not having to wear the uniform of her Navy days. She wore a navy blue tank top that was probably a size too small for her generous bust, giving a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage and navel and a six pack that might put many men to shame. The top did have a Navy emblem, indicating she hadn’t quite given up all of her past. Black combat boots and black combat pants with plenty of pockets completed the ensemble. A standard issue disruptor pistol hung on a low-slung belt at her hip, a stun baton on the other hip. A pair of handcuffs, a long-range communicator, credcard, ID, and her Regulator credentials were in the various pockets in her pants. The rest of her gear she’d left in the small quarters she’d been assigned when she’d arrived. Well, they weren’t exactly small to Summer. After the Navy and working on junk freighters, they were positively palatial in comparison.

Marx got a strong vibe of confidence from the woman, even cockiness, not unusual for a throttle jockey and former starfighter pilot. Summer’s blue eyes moved over the team she had been assigned to and worked with for the last few weeks of training. Not really a looker among them. Alex was even a bit...disgusting That was probably for the best. Less...distractions.

Summer took a seat and leaned back, putting her boots up on the desk. She considered reaching over and digging out one of Marx’s cigars, but decided not to tempt fate and piss of the boss by filling his office with smoke. Instead she dug around in the pockets of her duster before coming up with her nicstic. Fighter pilots knew it was never a good idea to have an open flame when you were sitting on compressed oxygen. But they needed something for long patrols, so it was either stimgum or nicstics, all the buzz and alertness of nicotine without the lung cancer. This one was Summer’s favorite flavor licorice, and she inhaled the vapor with a satisfied sigh. She needed that jolt. Last night had been a late night at the station bar. What was the name of that girl she picked up? Candace? Cadence? Whatever. It didn’t matter. She likely wouldn’t see the beautiful blonde again. But she had made for a late and tiring night, and this morning came all too soon.

Summer exhaled the licorice-scented vapor as Director Schneider began to talk about their acquisition, the Bernard family.

That William is kind of cute, Summer thought. Out loud, she commented, “Sounds like some family. What’s their beef with Chenzua?”

When Schneider mentions the ship they will be receiving, Summer’s chair hits the floor as she drops her feet. “What? A piece of junk? You do know that’s, like, a hundred years old, right? We’d get there faster in on a tortoise.” She sighed. Sometimes she did miss flying state of the art tech in the Navy. “And you want us to go to a frozen planet? Why are these things never on a tropical beach?”

Summer stretched a bit. It showed off her lithe, beautiful figure before she relaxed back in the chair again. She puffed on her nicstic for a moment as she went over in her head what to try and ask for from the quartermaster. She hoped he or shee was amenable to a little flirtatious persuasion. She wanted to make sure they got good gear to do the job well and prove themselves.

“When are we leaving?” Summer asked. She was going to have to find something to occupy her time while in FTL for thirty days with no mixing business and pleasure.

[sblock=Character Tracker]
Summer Knight Character Sheet
Descriptor: A suave Human smuggler who can’t resist a pretty face.
Melee Defense: 18
Range Defense: 14
Mental Defense: 14
Vital Defense: 10
Health: 12/12
Suave (1/day)
Seat of Your Pants
[/sblock]

[sblock=Requisitions]
Cold weather gear
Respirator
Extra handcuffs
Stun grenades
Rifle[/sblock]

[sblock=Mission]

• Bring in Bernard family for the Chenzua Corporation on Corvus: Alexandre (father, dead or alive), Nicolette (alive), John (dead or alive), Ike (alive), William (dead or alive).
• Retrieve Chenzua Corp stolen property.
  • Mobile Mine Processor
• Register reward levels with UFA A.I. onsite.
• Contact: Damian Atos (Chenzua general manager), Alpha City, Corvus[/sblock]

[sblock=Ship]
Xern Junk-Scout Type II Maranda
This is a longer range, updated junk-scout vessel used by the United Frontier Authority (UFA) for standard Regulator transports. It based on an older model Union Scout (at least a hundred years out of date) with various upgrades. It carries no weapons, but its range allow for Regulators to move about within the Reach with little difficulty. This ship is not suitable for patrol or anti-pirate work.
Weight: 429 tons; Cargo Units: 15 (0 available; capacity 0.2 tons)
Hull Class: 0-II (INIT +1d6)
Traits: none
Crew: 2 (cost 400cr/m); Passengers: 4 (standard)

Command & Control Systems
Computers: 1x Highwatch SM-1 Computer (CPU cycles 8; max FTL 8; checks +0d6)
Sensors: Chen-Collins SS-2 (range 4; checks +0d6)

Engine & Power Data
Subluminal: 1x Star Corporation SF-2 Fusion Reactor (power 12; Speed 11; fuel efficiency 1.2)
FTL: 2x Cui-Green Alliance SH-1 Hyperdrive (power 4ea; FLT-X 8.0; fuel efficiency 0.8)
Operational Range: 30 parsecs; Travel Increments: ​8 parsecs

Defensive Data
Superstructure: 6; DEFENSE 28; E-DEFENSE 10
Shields: 1x DayCorp Systems SSN-2 Navigational Shield Generator (power 1; SOAK n/a)

Facilities
Luxury: 100% (adequate; +0d6)
Facilities: Brig (2), Double Cabins (3), Messhall (6)

General Systems
Fueling 2x Fuel Bay Alteration
Market Value: 48.2 MCr (used 24.1 MCr)[/sblock]

 

[mfloyd3]

"Hang on," offers Angel, seeing their pilot pushing for an imminent departure. "Does Chenua get the Walking Credits, or do they go to you? And does Chenua need wet proof on the slabs?"

OOC: Bounty hunter slang: "Walking Credits" are live captures. "Slabs" are dead targets, and "Wet Proof" is tissue samples or actual body parts provided as proof the job is done. Just adding some color. I'll leave it up to you which characters know what Angel is talking about.

 

[GreenKarl]

Too Knight, Director Schneider shrugs again saying "Corvus is a corporate run planet, Chenua is the only game in town unless you are just ripping off the workers themselves. And all they have is corporate scrip, not credits."

Looking at Angel is says "The UFA has already got their cut on the Bounties offered for the Bernard. Chenua will be the one's paying out the bounties there on-planet. They will probably want any 'walking' or 'slab' credits delivered to them in person at their Alpha City headquarters."

 

[GreenKarl]

GM: Any more questions or we can move forward.

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

"Is there any chance you can expedite a requisition for me? There is a chance the Bernard's might be hiding in the higher altitudes. We'll need respirators if that is the case." Alex thinks for a second. "A military scanner would also be nice."

 

[GreenKarl]

"I'll forward your request to the Quartermasters. Stop by there and speak with them directly. That's their job, too distribute an additional goods that a Regulator might need and not part of my authority. Sorry, best I can do." Schneider said with a bit of a frown.

GM: So for making requests of the Quartermasters is a Reputation ability check. The maximum amount that the organization will grant to the group is based on the organization (1,800cr in this case). I would let you add bureaucracy or something similar as a skill. With Schneider forwarding his name I am going to make it an Easy check (TN 7). If you want Respirators for everyone but the droid and basic scanners for everyone I will increase it to a Routine (TN 10). Or others can make their own requests but again the maximum for the mission is 1,800 cr

 

[Shayuri]

Standing just inside the door to the office was an android. It looked like a model designed for human interaction, as it had the distinct size and shape of a human female though was clearly mechanical in nature. More distinctive was the incredibly detailed humanoid face, articulated with memory-polymer 'muscles' and covered by some kind of synthetic composite the looked, moved and felt almost exactly like human skin...only the fact that the rest of its head was obviously robotic, and the sleek light grey color, would set the android's face apart from a live person's. Although there was no need for modesty from a robot, it was wearing a uniform jumpsuit.

It stood so still and quiet during the briefing that one could be forgiven for forgetting it was there, or perhaps assuming it was just a personal assistant to the Deputy Director.

Then it asked in a feminine-sounding voice, "Is there competition? Have precautions been taken to ensure they do not flee the planet?"

 

[GreenKarl]

SThen it asked in a feminine-sounding voice, "Is there competition? Have precautions been taken to ensure they do not flee the planet?"

"Competition?" The Director say somewhat sarcastically "No, the Regulators are the only people allowed to collect bounties within the Reach. Chenzua Corporation might not be the most enlightened corp when it comes to worker conditions or rights, but they stick with the regulatory requirements of the UFA to trade freely with nearby colonies. Besides they don't want to allow any more armed "non-corporate personnel" on-planet then they have to."

"As for fleeing the planet" he continues "I doubt it as Chenzua has not reported any missing space capably vessels, even non-FTL ones. That may change in the next few weeks and we have no ideas who the family might be planning on selling any of their stuff too. Again Chenzua is the only game on planet."

 

[Shayuri]

"Very well," the android said. "I'm ready to begin."

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Alex surpressed a groan. He had this feeling the quartermaster didn't like him. He did know the man liked a couple of the others. He'd need to ask one of them to put in the request.

"Yes sir, I'll make sure to see them."

OOC: So I have no REP or anything other skills that I can use for the check. Not sure if someone else wants to make the check for the group. The only other option I have is to roll my luck.

 

[tglassy]

Marx checked out his teammates. Two women, two men, and a robot who thought it was a woman. He felt slightly outnumbered.

He’d grown to respect their talents over the last few weeks, but some he liked more than others. This Axel smelled like the people from The Spire, who’d taken him from his family as a child. Secret and psychic. Young enough that Marx felt comfortable calling him “Kid”, he could be another breakaway, like Marx. Or he could be a spy trying to pull him back. Either way, he’d be watched.

Angel seemed competent, if stern. Pretty enough, and she’d been a sheriff. He appreciated lawmen...er...law women. He’d worked with them quite a bit as a detective, and later as a Star Knight.

Summer was more akin to the type he’d hunted over the last twelve years. Brash. Liked bucking the system. She was hot, though. That, at least, was in her favor.

And the robot. Android. Whatever they were calling themselves, now. He didn’t have much of an opinion about cybernetic people. As long as she didn’t leak oil on the floor, he didn’t care much.

He went back to looking at the portraits, memorizing them.

“Do any of them have any psionic ability? Cybernetics? Just want to know who we’re dealing with.”

 

[mfloyd3]

As Marx asked about cybernetics, Angel caught Axel's eye and tilted the screen of her phone to him. She had already pulled up the requisition forms. "Talk later," she mouthed, not wanting to interrupt the meeting.

OOC: Angel does seem to have the best roll for this. Unless anyone objects, I'll have her go for regulators and/or scanners.

 

[GreenKarl]

After the group left the Director's office they headed down two floors to the Quartermaster's Floor. This level of the space station was twice as high as most of the upper floors were and was dedicated almost entirely to supplies for the Regulator teams. Having called ahead the crewman on duty - a board blue skinned Borian by the name of Dolo according to his name badge - handed over four rebreathers. Dolo explained that these were just cheap respirators that would provide a normal atmospherics oxygen levels in a low-level atmosphere like Corvus. "So you a whatin' a scanner also? Well fills out this here a form and we will see what we got..." he said handing over a clear ridged plastisheet form towards the team.