(005) Ready for Ruie!

[Keven]

Carlos tries logging into the local net, sets up a history search for the same, Imperial POWs.

Zaki comes up empty, she isn't sure there is nothing, but there was nothing she could find.

Carlos, OTOH, does come up with a three short articles. The first merely mentions that Imperial POW's are to be interned in a camp just east of Tabor City, but that they will be closely guarded so won't pose a danger to the local population. The second is right at the war's end and mentions the POW camp closing in a few days and the prisoners are to be returned to Imperial forces in orbit as part of the peace agreement. The second is a day after the first and is an opinion piece from some politician with ties to the Luzan decrying returning the POW's without extracting more concessions from the Imperials.

Carlos brings it to her attention. "Look, dear. Some local color." He 'flicks' them to her comp and tries digging deeper into the first story, trying to find a map of the camp area. And after he gets that search up, he tries to dig into the background of that Luzan politician.

[joertexas]

Carlos brings it to her attention. "Look, dear. Some local color." He 'flicks' them to her comp and tries digging deeper into the first story, trying to find a map of the camp area. And after he gets that search up, he tries to dig into the background of that Luzan politician.

"Thank you, dear," Zaki returns the endearment with a smile. She cross references the online articles' dates with the appropriate news publications' dates to see if anything was printed regarding the Imperial POWs. She also looks for references to Luzan and their relationship to both the Imperium and Tabor.

JR

[Eclipse]

Despite the safety warnings Sigrun appears cheerfully relaxed and muses “I know nothing of airships. Do you think they fly so high to avoid ground fire?”

Once checked into the preserve she readies her weapons and loads all the available magazines taping some together to aid sustained fire with the hunting rifles.

She states “We need to turn up some actionable Intel for the team” and then calmly suggests “How about a “survey run”? South - down the coast?” She continues “There should be plenty of sensor clutter from the tree line and that’s where the Luzon are supposed to be established. We could perform the odd “pop up” to get a steer from the sensors but when we’re close we go in low and slow. Maybe the last on foot - but recon only”. She glances sideways at John Lee and with a slow smile asks “Are you scouts rated for pedestrian activity?”

John Lee shrugs, "They could be flying high because it's easier and safer. Less things to run into, including birds. Flying low takes more skill. "
"For the 'survey run', no need for the popups along the way. We can skim the tree line and even drop below it when possible. No need for a speed run, so it will be safe enough. You call out when you think we should ground. I'm up for a walk."

Apologies for dropping off for a couple of weeks. Got tied up between work and teaching. Should be back on track now.

[Tiglath]

Sigrun replies “Then we go in down the coast - North to South starting in the safe zone and pushing into believed Luzon territory. We have a safe route out to our rear if things get hot and one flank secured by the ocean. At tree top height I’ll use the G carrier’s foliage penetrating IR sensors to give us warning of any man sized heat signatures – hopefully well before a clear line of sight develops. With a little luck we can work around any contacts and press on until we can find some sign of a Luzon base or, better still, evidence of Imperial POWs”.

(OOC: Outline plan as per the above.

And great to know your're still on board! )

[Eris]

Carlos tries logging into the local net, sets up a history search for the same, Imperial POWs.

And after he gets that search up, he tries to dig into the background of that Luzan politician.

He has what appears to be a "checkered" past. He's been in prison for sedition and charged with inciting riots in the past. He seems to have rehabilitated himself during the recent war, but his "trust level" is still in the lower 20 percent range.

[Eris]

Sigrun replies “Then we go in down the coast - North to South starting in the safe zone and pushing into believed Luzon territory. We have a safe route out to our rear if things get hot and one flank secured by the ocean. At tree top height I’ll use the G carrier’s foliage penetrating IR sensors to give us warning of any man sized heat signatures – hopefully well before a clear line of sight develops. With a little luck we can work around any contacts and press on until we can find some sign of a Luzon base or, better still, evidence of Imperial POWs”.

(OOC: Outline plan as per the above.

And great to know your're still on board! )

Same! I've been dealing with "stuff", too, so I hope everyone is okay with our slow speed.

The grav craft skims the tree tops. You pick up large animals occasionally, down in the undergrowth, but nothing else as you pass through the preserve. There is a line of radio beacons showing the border of the preserve, but you pass through them without any evidence that anyone knows you just did...

As you near the coast, you see it is a maze of mangrove swamps with occasional swampy grassy areas. Flying low over the coast, you start to pick up an occasional radar signature coming from a ground station a few klicks ahead. The signal appears crude and you'd guess it couldn't pick anything up at tree top level.

The swampy land appears to firm up into what must be a tree covered peninsula extending from inland out to the coast. You pass over a road running from the north down the peninsula to the coast. From the radar signal you'd say the road goes to where the signal is originating.

[Keven]

Carlos tries logging into the local net, sets up a history search for the same, Imperial POWs.

And after he gets that search up, he tries to dig into the background of that Luzan politician.

He has what appears to be a "checkered" past. He's been in prison for sedition and charged with inciting riots in the past. He seems to have rehabilitated himself during the recent war, but his "trust level" is still in the lower 20 percent range.

Carlos frowns, then digs deeper into that checkered past, especially the 'rehabilitation' bit, then checks the map search again. He flicks the info over to Zaki. "Dear, here's somebody Lady Jane might want to talk to..."

[joertexas]

Carlos frowns, then digs deeper into that checkered past, especially the 'rehabilitation' bit, then checks the map search again. He flicks the info over to Zaki. "Dear, here's somebody Lady Jane might want to talk to..."

Zaki looks up from the magazine she is scanning. "Thanks, I'll give it to her." She sends a short text message to Lady Jane to see if she responds. In the meantime, she adds that politician's name to her search, flipping through the news magazines' issues from the time of the war.

[Tiglath]

Sigrun announces “Passive contact – radar, low tech”. With her eyes on the sensor array her hands move with practised ease to seal her form fitting vac suit. She then sends a "sitrep" to the yacht via the G carrier's secure laser comms.

She adds “Let’s avoid the road and push on a little way until the cover we can use for the carrier thins out or we’re about a klik or so away - then we go in on foot. I have IR and light intensification gear so we will maintain our recon advantage. I would go at night but I think we need to see the site active to detect POWs if they are there”.

Still focussed on the carrier's sensors she quietly continues “Mr. Petamore let me be clear regarding those who would claim a shared ideology with the Sword Worlds. When my crew fought the Imperium we fought hard and used every low trick, lie and deceit that would serve our military ends. When we raided your scout base on Silver, that you call Wardn, we ran in from jump with our power plants “cold”. We had barely enough ship’s energy for steerage and relied on missiles” lost in memory her lips curl back from her teeth in a feral grin “ … and our axes!”

She recovers her composure to sincerely add “I hope you didn’t loose any comrades there. I did – I fought a duel to prevent an act of terror. I have little love for “terrorists” and less for those who use them”.

(OOC: Happy to play faster but content as we are! )

[Eris]

Carlos frowns, then digs deeper into that checkered past, especially the 'rehabilitation' bit, then checks the map search again. He flicks the info over to Zaki. "Dear, here's somebody Lady Jane might want to talk to..."

Zaki looks up from the magazine she is scanning. "Thanks, I'll give it to her." She sends a short text message to Lady Jane to see if she responds. In the meantime, she adds that politician's name to her search, flipping through the news magazines' issues from the time of the war.

ooc: Look up Éamon de Valera and Yasser Arafat. Much like them, Some militant or terrorist activities, but mostly political.

[Eris]

Sigrun announces “Passive contact – radar, low tech”. With her eyes on the sensor array her hands move with practised ease to seal her form fitting vac suit. She then sends a "sitrep" to the yacht via the G carrier's secure laser comms.

She adds “Let’s avoid the road and push on a little way until the cover we can use for the carrier thins out or we’re about a klik or so away - then we go in on foot. I have IR and light intensification gear so we will maintain our recon advantage. I would go at night but I think we need to see the site active to detect POWs if they are there”.

John Lee should be able to drop the grav craft down among the tree foliage. It will be slower going as he will have to weave the craft around the thicker branches and trunks, but it would make you almost completely invisible from the air. It would be somewhat noisy, though, so anyone on the ground might hear you up on the tree tops. An alternative would be to drop down to ground level and fly under the canopy. In many topical forests, the space below the canopy is pretty much open with only a tall tree trunk here and there rising up to merge with its fellows. At ground level, it is twilight...at best...with thick layers of leaves, dead and rotted trunks and a rare open area where an old tree fell and new growth is fighting to rise up high enough to choke off almost all life around itself. Down at ground level the flight would be even slower but you'd be pretty much invisible.

[joertexas]

ooc: Look up Éamon de Valera and Yasser Arafat. Much like them, Some militant or terrorist activities, but mostly political.

Zaki cross references the online articles' dates with the appropriate news publications' dates to see if anything was printed regarding the Imperial POWs. She also looks for references to Luzan and their relationship to both the Imperium and Tabor, adding the politician's name to her search.

[Tiglath]

As soon as she comprehends the change in the terrain Sigrun bids John Lee drop through the tree canopy. “Below the canopy the low light conditions play to our sensor’s strengths. We can hide the carrier’s bulk among some of these dead trunks up to half a kilometre out and then use the trees themselves for concealment as we close in on foot using our vision aids”.

(OOC: Assuming the forest floor appears open to movement.

And a Happy 4th of July to all across the pond!).

[Eclipse]

[quote="Tiglath"]Sigrun announces “Passive contact – radar, low tech”. With her eyes on the sensor array her hands move with practised ease to seal her form fitting vac suit. She then sends a "sitrep" to the yacht via the G carrier's secure laser comms.

She adds “Let’s avoid the road and push on a little way until the cover we can use for the carrier thins out or we’re about a klik or so away - then we go in on foot. I have IR and light intensification gear so we will maintain our recon advantage. I would go at night but I think we need to see the site active to detect POWs if they are there”.

Still focussed on the carrier's sensors she quietly continues “Mr. Petamore let me be clear regarding those who would claim a shared ideology with the Sword Worlds. When my crew fought the Imperium we fought hard and used every low trick, lie and deceit that would serve our military ends. When we raided your scout base on Silver, that you call Wardn, we ran in from jump with our power plants “cold”. We had barely enough ship’s energy for steerage and relied on missiles” lost in memory her lips curl back from her teeth in a feral grin “ … and our axes!”

She recovers her composure to sincerely add “I hope you didn’t loose any comrades there. I did – I fought a duel to prevent an act of terror. I have little love for “terrorists” and less for those who use them”.

John Lee nods, "Hear that. War is Hell and all that. It's over now, and your my shipmate. In the war, most of my time was spent doing system scouting. Jump in and coast with power minimized and passive sensors wide open." He grins, "A lot like your attack on Wardn." The grin drops, "I didn't know anybody personally. My pet hate is the vargr raiders that were active before the war. I found more than one small outpost at the fringes that had been burned out, no survivors."

[Eclipse]

As soon as she comprehends the change in the terrain Sigrun bids John Lee drop through the tree canopy. “Below the canopy the low light conditions play to our sensor’s strengths. We can hide the carrier’s bulk among some of these dead trunks up to half a kilometre out and then use the trees themselves for concealment as we close in on foot using our vision aids”.

(OOC: Assuming the forest floor appears open to movement.

John Lee nods, and eases into the lower altitude. He's not rushing. Despite being almost as good a pilot as he thinks he is, John Lee knows it would be really embarrassing to crash the teams ride this early in the game.

[Tiglath]

Once more a relieved Sigrun is grateful for John Lee’s tolerance “Thakka – thanks”.

She smiles ruefully “Those responsible for your slack defences on Silver branded me a “murdering pirate” but the gods know that any who were in your medical facility there owe me ale!”

“Ha! You speak the old tongue!" * a suddenly delighted Sigrun beams a bright smile at John Lee. “The Kforuzeng wolves are growing themselves a reputation for ruthlessness but generally act under a military agenda or at least strictly for profit. Everyone knows there is no great wealth to be looted from colonists. It is usually the petty warbands, sometimes just single crews, that do the bidding of those intent on stirring up the Imperium with atrocities. The man I fought on Silver had fallen to such persuasion”.

( * "Vargr" is "wolf" in Old Norse).

[Eris]

As soon as she comprehends the change in the terrain Sigrun bids John Lee drop through the tree canopy. “Below the canopy the low light conditions play to our sensor’s strengths. We can hide the carrier’s bulk among some of these dead trunks up to half a kilometre out and then use the trees themselves for concealment as we close in on foot using our vision aids”.

(OOC: Assuming the forest floor appears open to movement.

John Lee nods, and eases into the lower altitude. He's not rushing. Despite being almost as good a pilot as he thinks he is, John Lee knows it would be really embarrassing to crash the teams ride this early in the game.

John Lee finds a hole in the canopy and lowers the grav craft straight down then to the left into open space between the large trees that rise up from the forest floor. He has to maneuver through 3 successively thin canopies before he reaches the dark forest floor. It is twilight, you don't quite need to turn on your lights.

The trunks rise like columns supporting the dark green roof over your heads. They are spaced a good 6 to 10 meters apart. There are mounds and pits on the forest floor as well as a few splintered stumps rising as much as 20 meters high. At first there seems to be almost no undergrowth down here, but as you eyes adjust you see faintly glowing patches of light: green, dark orange and a rusty red where various fungi and molds are decaying the plentiful organic matter.

The wind screen of the grav craft is getting wet from the constant drips coming from the thick leaves overhead that have trapped much of the torrential rains that must sweep over this forest.

There are no radar signatures or visible sightings of large animals. However, you can see insects as large as a big bird fluttering among the trees. Occasionally, you see an actual bird like creature swoop from the canopy and snap up one of the insects.

You can move ahead, but only at what would be a walking pace as you weave around and up and down through this strange world. You note that the tree trunks spread at ground level so you couldn't put down to the surface if you wanted to.

John Lee sees movement along one of the trunks near the surface. It comes into focus as he passes near that trunk. It's a serpent of some type, 30 cm in diameter and probably 6 meters long as it wraps around the huge tree trunk. It seems unaware of you as it is intent what looks like a meter diameter ball down on the surface. The ball unfolds and six legs emerge as the creature scuttles off and around a nearby tree trunk.

John Lee is concentrating on flying and only vaguely hears Sigrun talking beside him. Sigrun is keeping an eye out for that radar signal, but down here it is completely blocked. Of course, that means there is no way it could pick up you down here. There is no radio reception down here either, but comparing the craft's inertial location against the map on her screen Sigrun thinks they are about 4 klicks from where that radar was located. There should be a swampy area just ahead and to the left, and then the map shows the forest ends in a sandy beach fronting the bay to the south.

The light is getting better as the forest thins and John Lee moves the craft out and under an overhanging canopy of trees. There are wet lands of grasses ahead of him and what looks like solid land to his left, beyond the swamp. The radar signal is further to the left...south west...about 1 klick away.

[joertexas]

ooc: Look up Éamon de Valera and Yasser Arafat. Much like them, Some militant or terrorist activities, but mostly political.

Zaki cross references the online articles' dates with the appropriate news publications' dates to see if anything was printed regarding the Imperial POWs. She also looks for references to Luzan and their relationship to both the Imperium and Tabor, adding the politician's name to her search.

A few minutes later, Zaki puffs as she deposits another set of periodical binders on the table. "This makes me appreciate electronic media," she says to Carlos.

[Nuke66]

Edwardo busies himself with perusing the local scandal sheet, looking at the latest crazy stories.

sorry for the AFK lately, with the Independence Day holiday, summer farm work and a death in the family. Hope to return to daily activity soonish.

[Keven]

ooc: Look up Éamon de Valera and Yasser Arafat. Much like them, Some militant or terrorist activities, but mostly political.

Zaki cross references the online articles' dates with the appropriate news publications' dates to see if anything was printed regarding the Imperial POWs. She also looks for references to Luzan and their relationship to both the Imperium and Tabor, adding the politician's name to her search.

A few minutes later, Zaki puffs as she deposits another set of periodical binders on the table. "This makes me appreciate electronic media," she says to Carlos.

Carlos nods. "The ancient Terrans must have had it rough, in the pre-tech days. No expert systems, no grav technology, short lifespans, not even weather control." He smiles, gently patting her arm. "No rest for us wickeds, dear." He gets back into the network, ferretting out more info as he can.