Chapter 12: Year 300, Day 010

[ateno]

I again suggest you Navy talk Navy to the Navy. Call a friend. I will go pilot the Queen. But I give you warning, when the Marines reach the bridge I will surrender and offer to implicate you. Nālani smiles to suggest this may be a joke, then heads to the bridge.

"Sparks Navy cutter, this is Captain Indrani Carter, Queen of the Belt. Be advised, we've suffered two boardings and an attempted third one. Until you can establish your identity and intentions to my complete satisfaction, you shall remain at least fifty kilometers away from this ship. If you cross that line, we will respond with deadly force."

In naval communication voice."Naval vessel, this is the Queen, please squak IFF and give us a minute to authorize, we are a civilian vessel."

Pranit heads to the bridge and manns the sensor station.

On the ship intercom. "We have a naval vessel wanting to board, they have not asked us to stow weapons yet, please make ready for inspection, .... hopefully.

"Do I know Lt. Patel?

[BackworldTraveller]

I again suggest you Navy talk Navy to the Navy. Call a friend. I will go pilot the Queen. But I give you warning, when the Marines reach the bridge I will surrender and offer to implicate you. Nālani smiles to suggest this may be a joke, then heads to the bridge.

"Sparks Navy cutter, this is Captain Indrani Carter, Queen of the Belt. Be advised, we've suffered two boardings and an attempted third one. Until you can establish your identity and intentions to my complete satisfaction, you shall remain at least fifty kilometers away from this ship. If you cross that line, we will respond with deadly force."

In naval communication voice."Naval vessel, this is the Queen, please squak IFF and give us a minute to authorize, we are a civilian vessel."

Pranit heads to the bridge and manns the sensor station.

On the ship intercom. "We have a naval vessel wanting to board, they have not asked us to stow weapons yet, please make ready for inspection, .... hopefully.

"Do I know Lt. Patel?

The cutter sends you its ID - it checks out with the port.
The Lt Patel is one of the new intake of keen but impressionable newbies with a reputation of pulling at doors marked "Push". Just the kind of expendable resource you'd send to board a suspected pirate or smuggler. If he was killed in the process, the efficiency of the service would probably increase.

[joertexas]

The cutter sends you its ID - it checks out with the port.
The Lt Patel is one of the new intake of keen but impressionable newbies with a reputation of pulling at doors marked "Push". Just the kind of expendable resource you'd send to board a suspected pirate or smuggler. If he was killed in the process, the efficiency of the service would probably increase.

Indrani watches her display and waits for the cutter's response. "Hun, what's your status regarding that list of other potential destinations for us?"

[BackworldTraveller]

The cutter sends you its ID - it checks out with the port.
The Lt Patel is one of the new intake of keen but impressionable newbies with a reputation of pulling at doors marked "Push". Just the kind of expendable resource you'd send to board a suspected pirate or smuggler. If he was killed in the process, the efficiency of the service would probably increase.

Indrani watches her display and waits for the cutter's response. "Hun, what's your status regarding that list of other potential destinations for us?"

I cannot find any destination that could be reached before the cutter reached us - other than the two polar ports here on sparks - and the rubbish recycling facility in its orbit. I regret that our drives are not built for racing.

And then an unexpected call arrives

This is Lt Patel. I am informed that your fine is waived under article 86 and your clearance has been granted.

I hope you fare well.

And with that the Queen informs you that the cutter has reversed thrust and appears to be hailing an incoming container vessel.

[joertexas]

Indrani sits back with a sigh. "Well, that worked out. I'm not sure I want to know how."

She opens the comm to Engineering so Reven can hear the upcoming conversation. "So, what do we do next," she addresses everyone. "I vote we go somewhere else, although that may not necessarily make us safer."

Indrani had asked the ship to provide other destinations that are not near Sparks. What other places can we reach?

[ateno]

The cutter sends you its ID - it checks out with the port.
The Lt Patel is one of the new intake of keen but impressionable newbies with a reputation of pulling at doors marked "Push". Just the kind of expendable resource you'd send to board a suspected pirate or smuggler. If he was killed in the process, the efficiency of the service would probably increase.

"Naval Vessel roger, your IFF shows clear, meet you in the cargo deck? Lt. Enid Patel? Over?"

Pranit is glad he changed clothing. *When do I get to sleep?*

[BackworldTraveller]

The question about the officer's identity is suddenly moot. Pranit recalls article 86 as "Special Circumstances" - usually a euphemism for the cloak and dagger teams but also used for just about anything else. It seems the right hand and left hand of the navy may have coordinated!

It also means that anyone who could intercept that message, and understand it, has unequivocal evidence of the Queen being a "Special Circumstance"!

The list of potential destinations has suddenly opened up considerably.

Any Planet
Any Moon
Any Asteroid

Immediate options include that asteroid where the buggy appeared from; Assana's Father's home; some of the drop-points for cargo identified by Hebden (Asteroid or Planet); The pick-up point for the Crystals.

[ateno]

He will inform the Captain of article 86.

"WTF is going on Captain?"

Pranit

[joertexas]

He will inform the Captain of article 86.

"WTF is going on Captain?"

Pranit

Indrani shakes her head. "I don't know, Pranit. That's why I think we should leave here, at least for the time being. The question is, where do we go?"

[ateno]

"if we have the food, than one of the drop points." Pranit

[cybersavant]

Reven checks how much fuel reserve they have as well as hull integrity, then reports that info to the Captain.

[BackworldTraveller]

"if we have the food, than one of the drop points." Pranit

The queen plots the current locations of the asteroids previously used as drop points. They vary in convenience from 1 day to nearly 12 days travel. For the latter, the inner planets are closer!

[ateno]

The queen plots the current locations of the asteroids previously used as drop points. They vary in convenience from 1 day to nearly 12 days travel. For the latter, the inner planets are closer!

"Captain, given the pace of the lat 2 weeks, I figure this one, its set aside from all the others and about 4 days at traveling speed.
But we should do a dogs leg so people watching wont know which direction we went. WE all need a few days of down time.

Pranit

[joertexas]

The queen plots the current locations of the asteroids previously used as drop points. They vary in convenience from 1 day to nearly 12 days travel. For the latter, the inner planets are closer!

"Captain, given the pace of the lat 2 weeks, I figure this one, its set aside from all the others and about 4 days at traveling speed.
But we should do a dogs leg so people watching wont know which direction we went. WE all need a few days of down time.

Pranit

"Okay," Indrani says. She turns to Nalani. "What do you think?"

[The Bindoner]

#53 Post by ateno » Tue Nov 29, 2022 1:35 pm
BackworldTraveller wrote: ↑Tue Nov 29, 2022 9:28 am The queen plots the current locations of the asteroids previously used as drop points. They vary in convenience from 1 day to nearly 12 days travel. For the latter, the inner planets are closer!
"Captain, given the pace of the lat 2 weeks, I figure this one, its set aside from all the others and about 4 days at traveling speed.
But we should do a dogs leg so people watching wont know which direction we went. WE all need a few days of down time.

Pranit

Post by joertexas » Tue Nov 29, 2022 3:22 pm

"Okay," Indrani says. She turns to Nalani. "What do you think?"

I, too, would enjoy a few days without interference. An uninterrupted opportunity to investigate the files hidden in the Queen's databanks, and form ourselves into a working crew.


At some point we must visit Ares, but going directly there would be a flashing red light, and we have yet to learn what Hebden's cache contains. A visit to a mere link in the chain, via an oblique approach, is a good first step.

[joertexas]

At some point we must visit Ares, but going directly there would be a flashing red light, and we have yet to learn what Hebden's cache contains. A visit to a mere link in the chain, via an oblique approach, is a good first step.

"All right, then we can start at the place I'm most familiar with." Indrani checks the time-of-flight numbers for Montana.

[ateno]

Pranit goesto the bridge and checks the sensors and starts a nav plot to the target., using a dog leg to take 5 days total.

[BackworldTraveller]

The ship moves off...
...with the crew at their stations: Indrani, Nalani and Pranit on the bridge with Assana hovering in the background; Reven down-aft watching the engines as they are used in earnest for the first time in years.

With only 5 aboard, maintaining a human presence 24 hours a day will require a shift system.

The Queen notes that:

Sensors are clear of vessels.


Please roll for:

• Astrogation (Course Setting);
• Pilot (following the course accurately);
• Engineering rolls (each type, for checking issues in the ship) and
• Electronics(Sensors) (for keeping away from unwanted things)

[joertexas]

The ship moves off...
...with the crew at their stations: Indrani, Nalani and Pranit on the bridge with Assana hovering in the background; Reven down-aft watching the engines as they are used in earnest for the first time in years.

With only 5 aboard, maintaining a human presence 24 hours a day will require a shift system.

The Queen notes that:

Sensors are clear of vessels.


Please roll for:

• Astrogation (Course Setting);
• Pilot (following the course accurately);
• Engineering rolls (each type, for checking issues in the ship) and
• Electronics(Sensors) (for keeping away from unwanted things)

6 people - Maggie is also aboard...

[Roll 2d6]=11 + Electronics (Sensors) – 1 = 12

[The Bindoner]

Nālani watches the calculation of the course carefully, partly to understand how to steer it, mostly as part of her own study of the art.

Having taken the plot she coaxes the Queen into cooperating with her, carefully managing the engines to avoid putting stress on the recently repaired hull.


[_2d6]=(3+3)=6 +2 Pilot Skill, +2 Dex = 10