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Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ptolemy" data-source="post: 9504739" data-attributes="member: 1412">I’m getting to that! Seriously. As you can imagine, the flight to Nút space station was somber. Fox got to work cleaning up the media we had picked up and I guided us in. Things were not at all good on Nút. We ran straight into an industrial dispute. Hey yeah, you know us too well and yeah I should have put industrial dispute in inverted commas. We docked and went through security - it’s pretty high at Egypt and while I went through with my blaster and sabre the others only had a stun stick between them. I know “that’s everywhere these days” but if I left it out now then you would be asking why later, it’s relevant. We also found out why Miskom struggled to keep a crew (apart form the drinking). He was talking about dumping the 20 tons of atmospheric condensers we had contracted to deliver to Egypt if the strike meant he was delayed in getting to Mertactor. I know, right? Over 20,000 cr. What? Yeah, you’re right , over 30,000 cr. And that as well! He can be a dick at times. And he sent us to look for fresh provisions, sheesh.The station was exactly as you’d expect, given the circumstances. Everywhere was shut, apart from the bars, and groups of unhappy looking Jonkeereen mooched about. I didn’t see any, and I don’t think there were, no. But the tension was palpable.  We met Miskom and Karl at… Karl, keep up! Oh, didn’t I? Okay, Karl is a friend of Miskom’s who we met at Egypt. I know, but he does. I’m not sure why, either, but Karl seemed to genuinely like Miskom. To be fair, so do I, but the whole if-I-can’t-unload-my-haulage-I’m-dumping-it bit had annoyed me. They were drinking in some bar which seemed to be an unofficial union office, judging by the Jonkeereen there. Introductions over we saw that Karl had given Miskom another case which we assumed had to be delivered to Zol on Mertactor. That’s the one, yes. Karl had some tickets for something called the Charter Ball or… That’s it, yeah, the Charter Gala, you know it? Ok, it’s held back on Glisten after the contracts and such like. Miskom didn’t want them so I might give it a whirl if I get a chance.Anyway, they left to get some food and we decided to pay Minex Recycling and Refurbishment a visit. Didn’t I? Minex was the company which renovated the mining platform which Drasser used to conduct her experiments. We checked Nút’s data base and were in a turbo lift to their office a few minutes later. We were shown through to speak with a Mr. Swano, company manager. We had expected stalling and prevarication but Mr. Swano was polite and compliant. A doctor by the name of Popel had contracted Minex to find a platform and bring it up the required standard. Mr. Swano showed us some video footage and in this case “Dr. Popel” was Drasser posing as him. This took place maybe 6 months ago and the whole job cost 8.5 million credits, which was paid by Sylvester Finance, a company registered in Glisten. The work was completed around 12 weeks ago and the platform was towed to position. Since then Minex had nothing more to do with it.It certainly looked that way, and I was a little downhearted. Things took a turn as the turbo lift sped us back to the Helena. A broadcast came over the intercom to the effect that Davor Regly, the Imperial Liaison office (who Miskom had suggested was corrupt), had seized control of Nút using his own “security forces” with the intention of breaking the strike. In turn we had no intention of crossing a strike line, especially an obviously illegal operation which was going to bring the Imperium in to disrepute. We saw the evidence of the coup as soon as we stepped out of the lift. Gangs of dodgy looking thugs dotted the concourse. While they had some kind of uniform they looked like they were the scum of the planet. Apparently, Regly had shipped them up earlier and was trying to take over. None of them seemed particularly interested in us, but we didn’t like the situation. As we passed the bar which Miskom had met Karl one of the thugs came staggering backwards out of the door. He had obviously been forcibly ejected. We had a look inside and saw a group of security officers all wearing the same uniform that the customs officials had been wearing when we initially arrived. We went in to find out what was happening. Yeah, the same idea had occurred to Noah and me. But getting access to Nút’s record by helping put the legitimate authorities back in control didn’t look easy. As we tried to listen in to their conversation a station-wide broadcast drowned them out:“This is Ral Kanvar," the voice, sounding very strained, yelled "Chief administrator of Nút Starport. I have been illegally imprisoned by Davos Regly and I am being held in the station’s control centre. If anyone is hearing this know that Davor’s actions are not lawful. Resist him at all…”. Ral’s voice was cut of by what sounded like a gunshot. The broadcast finished and the regular adverts started playing from the telescreens in the bar. The stunned silence which filled the bar didn’t last very long before it seemed like everyone was speaking at once.Will you stop interrupting and let me finish, I’m getting to that. Yes, we approached the security officers and offered support. Their leader was Alattie, a Jonkereen, and she didn’t hesitate.“We need all the help we can get. As I see it we have two jobs, secure the weapons locker and take back control of the control centre where Ral is being held.”“If he is still alive,” interrupted on of the officers.“If he is still alive,” repeated Alattie, “and he better had be or it will go badly for Davor.”Do you want to hear or not? Stop interrupting then! Of course we agreed to fight, did you have to ask? The arms locker was shut down but Alattie was concerned that with enough determination Davor’s thugs could break in, so one group was going to prevent that from happening. Alattie, her two remaining guard and us set off to reclaim the control centre and affect a rescue. I traded my stunner with Noah for his stun-stick as he is the better shot. We found two thugs guarding the turbo lifts which provided the easiest access the centre. Fox and Tristan took the lead, walking around each guard so they could come at them without getting in the way of Noah’s stunner or my direct charge. Their role was essentially distraction. The thugs called on them to halt when they were still a few metres away and Noah did what he does best and shot them. The first took a full beam to the face and dropped without a sound. The second tried to pull their stun-stick but Noah got them, too. We dragged their unconscious forms in the lift as Alattie set us in motion. We came out in a corridor from which we could get the lift which leads to the control centre. Alattie came with us in those lifts and her two guards hurried round to secondary lifts which go directly to the centre. We kept a comm link open so we could coordinate.Our lift opened into another corridor which ran straight from the lift to the centre. The thug waiting near the doors of the lift was taken completely by surprise as Noah opened fire. Tristan leapt on the fallen and snatched up his stunner. With Fox close behind I sprinted along the corridor and fairly flew up the steps into the control centre proper. This consisted of a raised operations area with a service space, about a metre wide and 60 cm deep which ran all the way around the operations platform. Fox took off to the right, keeping her head down in the service space while I carried straight on up the stairs. Dammit, I need another drink! Thanks! Where was I? Ok, yeah, up the stairs. Hold on, will you, stop pushing. It was a nightmare. The security guards had entered at the same time as I ran up the stairs. I had my naval sabre in my hand and as I ran a voice called out something to the effect of “Shoot them” - that was Davor. The nearest thug was scrambling with a holster and I swung with all my might. Blood sprayed the room as his right arm clattered to the floor, still clutching the autopistol he had drawn. Fox vaulted up and lounged at another with a knife. Noah had been hot on my heels and had taken the left service space. A crazy combat erupted as Noah took out another with the stunner and hit yet another with a glancing blow which was shocking enough for me to land an easy blow which downed that one. No! Well, yes. No, not two. The guy who lost his arm bled out before the fight finished but the one I decked with a slash to the front made ok. It seems like it lasted about an hour but looking back it must have been over in less than a minute. One of Alattie’s guards was shot and seriously injured. Another of the thugs was stabbed by Fox. I know, who’d have thought she had it in her? But apart from the two I hacked and the sercurity guard the Davor shot no one else was seriously wounded. I put my paramedic training to good use and kept the thug I slashed across the chest alive while Tristan did a quick triage and set to work. Station medical staff arrived soon after Davor issued the command for his men to stand down and return to the planet. We won. I felt sick.Well, yeah, naturally, it was thanks all round and “Anything we can do to return the favour” and the like. Yeah, but not straight away. Ral needed some medical attention for the gunshot wound he has sustained earlier (although it was only a flesh wound) and had some things he had to take care of immediately. He asked us to come back in an hour or so so he could thank us properly. I went back to the ship and threw up. I changed my clothes, what do you think? Of course I was covered in blood. The guy I chopped had sprayed. I know I’ve seen action before, but that was ship to ship. It got gory back in [REDACTED] and I saw corpses and nasty injuries, but I had never hacked someone down in melee before. It’s gruesome!Noah, Fox and Tristan went straight to a bar. Tristan was busy explaining how he didn’t ever want to be involved in something like that again, thank you very much. Noah was rolling his eyes and, I’m not sure, but I think Fox was mentally trying to write it up - she needs material for her next publication. We sat and talked. Some time passed and Ral sent Alattie to get us. He looked pale but his arm had been freshly dressed and he didn’t appear to be flagging. After thanking us he asked if there was anything we could do for us. We asked for some repairs to the Helena, and for information. He dispatched a team to the Helena and started going through files. The Dame De Coeur had been at Nút 24 and 8 weeks ago and most recently 3 days ago. This all tallied with what we already knew. Her full name is Valdrasser Reando and she was the only registered passenger on the Dame de Coeur. So either the real Dr. Popel had been soaked or staying onboard. We asked if we could check through Davor’s accommodation but Ral wasn’t willing to give permission for this.As soon as we left Alattie turned to us and said “Jonkereen always pay their debts” and sent for someone to open Davor’s office. As I sat down infant of his computer and the guys clustered round suggesting password Alattie sent for some plastic and Fox blew the door of Davor’s safe. Alattie scooped out the 65,000 cr in there while we got the comms device. It had one number in it - Valdrasser Reando’s. Davor had sent her a message that morning let her know a ship, ours, had approached Nút from the direction of the platform and that he was going to check us out. We had to think about that a little.Karl was loading a mail canister onto the Lola when we got back to the docking bay. It was galling that the message that Davor had sent about us was in that mail and that Miskom’s friend was about to fly it to Glisten for delivery. Apparently he had planted a transmitter on the Helena somewhere, or intended to. We put our heads together and decided to send as message to Drasser of our own…Miskom was pleased with the repair crew assigned to the Helena. We must have saved him a good 100,000 credits as they pretty much fixed the turning error of the turret. However, an afternoon’s work couldn’t repair the mess which was the beam laser. We saw to the unloading of the atmospheric condensers and welcomed the three passengers which we were to take to Mertactor.</blockquote>

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