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Got stuff at Lango.
Jumped to Zendaril. Rented a warehouse. Got a new ship; one team took off in the Chubby Kielbasa (to Tagata?).
Selak tried to burgle an object from a previously-unknown hidden compartment under the warehouse floor. Selak is an art dealer, who had a deal to sell a tribal artifact (the object, vasrah) to General Golzar. After some spirited discussion, Selak was allowed to take the object, with the understanding that he would assist the crew.
Selak called from intensive care. He had been mugged in his shop in Ostaria by gold-masked outfacers, shortly after telling General Golzar that he had the Object in hand for sale. Selak offered the crew 50% of sale price (50% of 4 MCredits) to recover the object within the 1-2 day timeframe that it will take for Golzar to get the money transferred. Kriton checked in shops near Selak's, and bought some booze. He also found people who had seen the gold-veiled muggers. They had asked another art dealer to contact them via Ara Mazarban if he ran across any cultural artifacts. Fairweather and Minor checked with a Professor and found some background on the Karanlik tribe (who probably were the gold-veiled people). Kriton visited Mazarban, who was very into the traditional culture on the outface. Mazarban got a message, left for a clinic, met two Karnalik. Mazarban fled with them in a groundcar; Fairweather and Rackham followed in the aircar. Fairweather shot one tribesman; the other shot down the aircar. All reconvened at the airport that the quarry had been aiming for.
At the airport, Kriton talks to the guards at the gate, sending three of them to retrieve our stolen property. They need to break in, and a firefight ensues. As the firefight winds down, Kriton and Fairweather run around back. Inside are a ground vehicle, and an aircraft, along with four tribesmen and Mazarban. Fairweather cripples the aircraft, and everyone cripples each-other. The tribesmen eventually flee in a ground vehicle, and are gunned down by the police.
In the hospital, Kriton is visited by General Golzar. He has collected his property and paid, and wants to pay his respects. Kriton asks for good press, and offers to acquire war materials. Golzar postpones the discussion to later, gives Kriton his card, and an invitation to speak later.
After some research, Kriton and Fairweather called on Golzar. He is staying at a luxury hotel, and has set up art exhibits throughout. His previous appointment is some rough-looking locals.
Golzar has been checking up on LJL. He mentions House Skua (a prior ally) has gotten into a shooting war with Sakens(?).
He has two main interests: personal and professional. Personally, he loves art. Lost treasures of Tagata? (we said “yes”) Professionally, he wants high tech gear. Portable energy weapons, etc. One company, as showy and high-tech as possible. shopping list
Tagata System.
Visited Rausiga. Found a lot of dead people from a raid, scavenged a bunch of ship parts. Went to a pre-war terraforming base(?). Sintered regolith etc. Apparently subject to an orbital strike? 1/2 dozen buildings, each with vertical hole through the roof. Buildings appear to have been secured for long term empty. Much old space hardware, TL 9-10. All centuries old. There is a computer, but it is old and busted. Back-up isotope generator is still functional; scavenged (1 ton).
Head to Tagata, uneventfully. Was a new recorded message on previously-visited beacon. No other radio transmissions, planetwide. Landing field is on a desert plateau. Port has changed since last visit. Now surrounded by defensive embankment. New structures, and now has electric lights. Several ships parked on field. Met by tribesmen with a rifle + technicians. Someone fills out a paper form, on a clipboard. The new CINC is in charge now, and rules the entire planet. previous CINC was deposed. Is someone the group recognizes: Laviia Modo. They helped her leave Bashari because she was bored. Also, members of the conclave of scientists in exile are here. She welcomes Captain Rubio. Joined pirate crew at Rausiga, got to midlevel, then a Ternekt task force showed up and blew everything up. Some ran off to Zand; she and friends went to Tagata; deposed local strongman. Also, Russ O'Fiain. Plans to expand civilization on this world.
Her father had released a bioweapon to kill the group; she wants to talk to Dr Melitus, who is aboard. Asks for help. The same coalition who controlled this base had a bioweapons research facility on a polar island. Please go there and find info on the bioweapon.
Conclave member who were not affected: Mr. Cog is environmentally sealed, Mr__ is too radioactive, Ms. Periton is infused with poison. Medicine and trading happened. Two crew were fine, one was infected and would die.
Went to the place and landed: sloped bunker in the snow. Saw stuff running into it on IR. Inside, it was a bunker, with some feral humanoids.
Killed all the feral humanoids, went down the stairs. 30 meters down. It has essentially not been touched by the humanoids. However, there are extensive booby traps.
One office had a presentation poster; three bioweapons in work. This one is PALE CROWN (economic effects). COLD PANTHER was transmissible. COLD PHANTOM lies dormant for a very very long time. Also had a countermeasures project going.
In medical area, diagnostic and treatment info for all three bioweapons. In another lab, after disarming the booby trap, found a protein synthesizer. It's about the size of a dishwasher and needs to get moved to the ship to work.
Door to water storage was barricaded. Went north. Academics' offices. Lots of lab stuff, all minor and portable. Office of the engineer working on delivery mechanisms had bullet holes and bloodstains in the chair.
Living quarters had been abandoned hastily. Found keyfob bracelets.
Broke into the power room; signs of a struggle. Ship-type fusion generator (class A, tech 10)
Broke into the water room. Dead guy still barricaded in with shell marked STEEL VIGILANT. That was the name of a program to deliver all three bioweapons above, and some others besides.
Power generator is operable. We haul some stuff up the stairs.
Above, there are four guys with primitive flamethrowers and crossbows, plus another guy with a rifle.
Weld door shut; ride in the air/raft to “the ranger”. Where the crew will be cleaned in the old ways.
Crew arrives, and is hosed down with alcohol.
After much negotiation, they want ammunition, and might be willing to guard the facility if it were powered.
Repaired facility (power, water, elevator). Returned to port, finding 4 km of cable on the way.
Cured disease.
Much minor meaningless trades.
Tribesman appeared with a message for the Captain: “call this number if you have messages for Ardian.” Called number. Disguised voice. He heard there was a mail contract for Ardian. Wants to send ale to nearest Ardian embassy. He is a spy. Crew engages him to go search for stuff.
Then we went and tried to salvage a nuclear submarine.
Laid cable to bring ranger station power.
The ship revamping contractor's son has enormous debts and has been sentenced to the gladiatorial arena.
Akula Marazoa was the loan shark who set it up. Gaspar (the sewage guy) knew of him as someone who is moving in.
Akula Marazoa is the loan shark who is trying to get control of Canela Partners. Khalim Ket (leading gladiator trainer) and Kujira Tohora (big gambler).
Rekent is known to have a lab on Darwar Island.
Visited Rekent, made friends with him. He can provide a flesh mask that a doctor can apply to the son. He needs a genetic sample to make it work.
Visited the son in the training camp. It is in the slums. The guy has a strong tracking collar with a lock.
Eventually, he won three fights and won his freedom.
A C-team is introduced, and the party sends a ship each in two directions.
Timothy Fairweather, Rubio, Jinan, Nova.
A volcanic moon. Has air traffic control, intermittently.
Spaceport is above capitol city of Cava Cavila. On approach, crew notices that a side-canyon has been roofed over and pressure-sealed. Approx. 150m x 500m, several km from the spaceport. Nova lands without trouble, a pressurized rover comes to pick us up.
Rover driver chats with us. She is clear that they are self-governing. No particular trade needs, except more frequent runs.
Met “surveyors.” Orange vests, quasi-police force. There is a town meeting, then a dance tonight.
Went to bar. Many boozes from many worlds. Wait until meeting starts; still 6ish offworlders. Pirates from Rausiga. Arkadia Fuomo ended up kind-of friends with us.
Crew recognizes Zandian royal scions from previous misadventures.
Nova kidnapped and interrogated on way back to ship.
Later, the crew finds a rad-poisoned miner. He has extraordinarily pure radioactive ore, and rapidly dies. After finding his claim, we relinquish it in favor of getting a guaranteed price from the people we gave it to.
Went to some intermediate planet and found the ancient people there. Took a snake-person with us. They are taxidermists, and agreed to let us go in exchange for other snake people to be provided.
Continued to Ternek. They are civil warring. One of the Science Lords claims that all the other Science Lords are duplicates.
There is a bounty hunter Irisha Tarasovna who is hunting Laviia Modo's father, Vitor Modo. She wants to get to the Arctic stronghold of the Renegade Science Lord
Met with Science Master Eketen. There is a Tsath, Siutek who must be brought back to him. He is prospecting on the ninth moon.
Laid a false trail suggesting we are looking for a titanium printer, then headed to the asteroid.
B-Team investigates the potential arts of Tagata.
CINC Lavia Modo authorizes out shopping list, then bans further art scavenging pending a pronouncement on how to tax it.
Some elderly trader agrees to guide us in exchange for passage. After some poor navigation, we make it to a caravanserai he vouches for.
There, we hear about a “witch-woman” who is procuring slaves. On visiting her O'Fiain trades knowledge: she uses psychic worms to hypnotize people.
At lunch, she captures several crew with a worm.
A collection of locals, including the Boss's right-hand-man's son Horus Chekof, convince The Boss (local warlord) to demand their release.
Recovered.
Flew back to Kapisi, met the Boss's accountant. Traded with him, gave him a tractor in exchange for the victory statue. Came down to threats to get the witch-woman to give it up, but she did.
Flew to city.
Found observatory, guy inside (Ronevale) who was medically frozen through war. He was desperate for civilized company. He has collected many art treasures for preservation.
Hung out overnight.
Savages attacked overnight. They drove giant albino crocodiles onto the roof; crew drove them off. Savages (cultists?) broke in below, slaughtered them there.
Their leader was Mathias(?), who died in the attack. Mathias has a big, gold disc medallion with mysterious writing on it. O'Fiain took the medallion.
Scraped up some purple bioweapon (“chimera spores”?).
Continued on to destroy all cultists, by crawling through sewer.
Found an Ardian missionary witchhunter(!), Morvan McGarrett, tied up in the sewer. He has a warrant to hunt down rogue psionicsts.
Later, found a ballroom with many ritual murders and blood-writing all over the walls. Took many pictures.
The blood-writing says:
The Devourer of Souls waits the Devourer of Souls will reach across the dark MADNESS WILL SWALLOW THE STARS no world is too far no world is too strong MADNESS WILL SWALLOW THEM ALL the silver sphere THE DEVOURER WAITS NOTHING CAN RESIST THE DEVOURER OF SOULS HOTAKA GUARDS THE SILVER SPHERE the servants will strike down all who resist mighty KATH DEVOURER WILL TAKE THEM JOY OF KATH BURN ACROSS SPACE DEVOURER WAITS SILVER SPHERE DEVOURER WAITS DEVOURER WAITS
Had enough fun, went to mansion to find blackbird.
Killed giant snake. Encountered spearmen.
Found the blackbird in a safe with some boxes and data storage.
McGarrett recovered his ship and took off.
Crew continued on to Aitele:
Shipped over to Aitele. Built above and below a falls. Below destroyed; above somewhat survived.
Surviving area has a university-like quad. Boats all about, some fortification.
After landing, some shouted negotiation. They had been raided a day earlier and the chancellor stolen, among others. Helicopter came from and went to north.
Went north, found the Rotor-Vikings. They are working at rebuilding civilization too. Evangelized for Lavia Modo as well.
Did a prisoner exchange, then traded dye for the Portrait of the Tsath.
Headed back to the spaceport, then to Zand.
Talked to Lady Opelia, Ardian ambassador. She wants to talk again if we see the Ternekt. Tried to convince her to support Zand.
Talked to Science Minister. Convinced him Russ is cool. Offered to pick up Ternekt periodicals if in that area. Offered to carry letter to Ms. Periton of the Conclave. He is learning the Ternekt language.
After the gang-war incident, left Crusher in charge of a large land concession. Deposited 500K credits with CINC Modo (like a bank) and received in return a 5-year monopoly on pura fruit exports, with first right of refusal on follow-on concessions. (Kielbasa)
(Ingenuity) Carrying the Needlebat, the Ingenuity sneaks back to Zand with 1Mcred and a pile of antiquated firearms aboard in aid for the rebels.
Ternekt have sent a task force which has seized space control. Golzar has air superiority. Zeken has stalled him with scorpion-monsters.
Talked Zeken into surrendering and exile.
Set up new world order.
Tetsuo joined. Golzar asked the Ingenuity to pick up Colonel Barro, commander of the prison colony on Tith. Barro is blackmailing him over some nasty business in the military. Perhaps associated with the still-classified Karai Incident, named for the now-extinct Karai tribe.
Kriton, Wade, O'Fiain, Major Minor