Avastan: Planetfall

[shaidar]

Frank

With the doctor gone Frank turns to Falstaff

"Should I be concerned at the doctors interest?" he says (half) jokingly.

Frank will keep Falstaff company if needed, although it looks like he is more than capable of entertaining himself.

[joertexas]

Prerna sits and drinks her ale without comment. Her disdain for the Imperial military, and their intelligence services, was vast, but showing it in front of her people wasn't a good plan. Particularly, she reflects, since so many of them are ex-Imperial military themselves.

[Tiglath]

Frank

Falstaff replies "He's very bad with people and doesn't know the difference between "ask" and "tell". I actually think that was him being nice. However, I believe he has more to worry about currently than anything you may or may not have done Colonel". He laughs "If you have anything to confess I'm a very good listener but, unless it's urgent, do you think it could wait until tomorrow?"

Frank finds Falstaff to be excellent company. He is charismatic and works the room, ensuring that he speaks to all the company officers and those others that he can personally thanking them on behalf of the Duke for their services to The Marches.

[The Bindoner]

Jess watches Gaughan's performance with appreciation. While she doesn't do anything so crass as to go over to him she does regularly cast a predatory glance in his direction as she circulates, congratulating the old SEMC people and helping the new fit in.

Noticing the girls filtering in she reminds the lads Enjoy yerselves, but watch out fer fireships. Don't bother me if yer blow yer wages, but any self-inflicted injuries, or potential pad-rats, an' I'll have words you'll not want ter hear for yer. An' if yer not fit ter deploy, yer out. Galloping Crotch-rot's breach'v contract, ain't it?

Jess notes Frank's conversation, but keeps her distance. If she's needed he'll call her, otherwise best to let brass talk to the civvies.

[Tiglath]

The party continues to swing - there is erudite and learned discussion of philosophy and current affairs local scandal, rumours and the safety valve for pent up idiocy that is the unit scuttlebutt.

"If you're on wiv Captain Voss an' it's draggin' long 'e quite often pops over the bridge to buy fags from Gloria's. Bein' either nails or doolally - or both the gangers just don't know what to do wiv 'im".

"The Rangers go over all the time when they're on stag. That mad fekker Lannigan went over solo for a downspire drink unarmed an' off duty. Apparently 'e fekkin' battered three gangers - FUBAR. Fekkin' nails!"

"I hear Kingy's bird's not well - she got a puncture".

"Well, accordin' to the vid clip a local dignitary woz being done by a Vargr. Mind you it was a very funny lookin' Vargr..."

"I've 'eard wot Major Nayar and Ensign Mallory are up to for their stag do - jelly wrestlin' "

"So, me an' Charlie go over the bridge on changeover. Chummy comes up wiv 'is toytown mates - all Collace born an' bred or I'm a Swordy. An' wiv this comedy gangsta accent 'e says "You got to pay to step here Holmes". The fekkin' sauce on 'im! So I says "You wot? Learn that off a holo didja - you fekkin' mug! Detective am I? I tell you we 'ad words - left 'im countin' 'is plums an' wiv a swollen bugle".

"Least of their problems. They're shittin' it over the bridge 'cos "The Fing wot 'unts" is back. It carves gangers up ruddy. It started just wiv sentries. Now they're 'oldin' each others' hands an' pissing in threes!"

[Tiglath]

The SEMC party passes without incident and all at Gunny's have a good time. The morning after the night before a Collace PD G Carrier drops of a number of Gaughan's Rangers who appear to have become "indisposed" overnight. A number of them have minor injuries and all of them have almost tangible hangovers. The cops are met by Gaughan in person who, resplendent in immaculate kit, has the cargo of shabby looking Rangers replaced with a crates of drink and numerous slabs of beer. He has a conspiratorial conversation with the senior patrolman which nets the cop a stack of credits, his very own bottle and the eventual recovery of a stolen grav taxi that mysteriously arrived at the far/local end of the bridge overnight. That minor intrigue is barely sufficient to interest the rest of the unit who are almost universally nursing their own hangovers while attempting to mitigate the suffering by conjuring evermore lurid tales of the night's events to release into the realm of "scuttlebutt". Nevertheless all are present - if not entirely correct.

The unit replenishes, reorganises and trains. Some 4DC drivers ferry the new AFVs into SEMC custody and leave a driver/technician at your disposal for a few days to ease the handover/perform basic orientation.

SEMC are contacted by Captain Carl Lysel of McClellan Factors. The Captain, who seems a dour and entirely humourless professional, states his 400t Trader is at Collace downport and has flight plans for the Bartizan to take on cargo at your convenience. The trader appears to be a standard subsidised merchant but is both armed and has had a drive and fuel tank upgrade giving it J2 (sufficient to reach Avastan in one Jump and arrive needing to refuel). He states he has orders to act on your direction in accordance with your mission once in Avastan close orbit and thereafter but is briefed not to unnecessarily endanger his vessel and to maintain his trading business and itinerary while on Avastan. It appears that he is unaware of the nature of your mission.

[joertexas]

Prerna hammers her team into shape, ensuring that they are ready to deploy.

Which vehicle is assigned to the Recon team?

[Tiglath]

I'll let someone else call as the TO&E thoughts crystalise but new transport slots are available in the HQ Gunship and PD vehicle.

[joertexas]

I'll let someone else call as the TO&E thoughts crystalise but new transport slots are available in the HQ Gunship and PD vehicle.

Also, who is on Prerna's team, now?

[BackworldTraveller]

And who has Freya got left with? Can they spell Lekkie?

[The Bindoner]

Prerna could have one of the G-Carriers. We have 8 new rifles, I was thinking 2 for each of our four squads.

We could hire another...

As a re-echelon unit I thought Freya would have 3 or 4 techs rated in combinations of Remote Ops/Comms/Sensors/Electronics/Computer.

Say:

Comms guy Comms 2/Electronics 1

Drone Op Remote Ops 2/Sensors 1
Drone Op Remote Ops 2/Comms 1

Drone Support Electronics 2/Rifle 1 (perhaps Mechanic or Comms)

[BackworldTraveller]

That's probably what we are looking for. But what did we find?

[The Bindoner]

Jess finds who she looks for. If that's fine with you we'll lock it in.

[Tiglath]

(OOC: While you cogitate a news item...)

Voss who (as acting XO) has gone to liaise with the merchantman reports that the crew have just taken custody of freight from a female aslan driving a plain civvy G Carrier. The freight consists of four three metre long "coffins" (one of which is also fitted with a "detatchable frame with a control panel"), four locked crates, four equipment canisters, yet another crate and a 1dton sealed cargo pallet. All the freight carries the stylised setting sun logo. Voss reports that everything is covered in Trohk script, seals, symbols and charms - except the cargo pallet which, in addition, is additionally clearly marked with the standard Imperial cargo hazard warning for "Explosive".

Apparently this arrival came as a surprise to Captain Carl Lysel of McClellan Factors who seeks authority to retain the cargo and direction on what to do with it.

[The Bindoner]

Jess catches the call:

Show me the Trohk, Adjutant.

Assuming it is, as she expects, the Clan contribution: I will vouch for this cargo, and take responsibility for it, as Bannerman of the Iyhlua Clan. Load carefully, it is precious and highly volatile.

[Tiglath]

As Jess suspects (even with imperfect translation) she is able to determine that those items of cargo in multiples of four are plastered with warrior iconography. The single piece has different styling entirely and has references to dusk and shadow. All of it is the property of the Iyhlua Clan.

[Tiglath]

Preparations advance for the shift to Avastan. The unit embarks on the McClellan Factors merchantman and loads its (now numerous) grav vehicles aboard at the Bartizan. This includes the launch which is being carried internally within the 400t ship's cavernous hold. (NB There is provision to carry it externally but with its missile rack, chin autocannon and door gunner position there is no confusing it for anything but a war fighting vehicle).

Polly arrives promptly for departure with the demure Sazanami at her shoulder. They are also accompanied by another female aslan in green fatigues. Jess guesstimates her rank and MOS to be something equivalent to Lance Sergeant corpswoman/technician. The three have an escort to the ship of a pair of armed and armoured male aslan and another female driving their G carrier. The escort and vehicle depart once they are safely aboard.

It would seem the military female Aslan is she who "works" the recently loaded cargo.

(OOC: Dramatic but very short pause for drinks at the last chance saloon or any private drivethru purchases at GunzRUs before Avastan. Retcons available in extremis but The Bindoner has all unit needs well in hand ).

[The Bindoner]

I assume there's room for the buggy too.

[Tiglath]

I assume there's room for the buggy too.

Yes, indeed. It will no doubt fit in right next to the most recent "non standard Imperial" freight that caused the cargo handling bot to give up!

Needless to say the freighter's deck currently looks like the parking bay of a drive in shopping mall.

[Tiglath]

Prerna discovers more about Avastan. She learns that although it is described as poor “polarised” might be a better descriptive. The population scattered across its rural farms are rumoured to be entirely civilised and welcoming to offworlders proving expectations of lawless anarchy to be unfounded. This is not so in Avastan City where every expectation seems magnified despite the selective efforts of API's security troops, those of an overwhelmed Militisia (who attempt to maintain public order) and the Department of Tranquillity and Decency which apparently deals with more serious issues affecting the population's morality.

The downport and Avastan City are notorious for armed lawlessness and violence. However, at the down port itself API troops maintain order and in the thriving city centre shielded by its “ionisation dome” those well to do citizens affiliated with either API or those families who control the City step out in their furs and finery maskless and breathing “clean air”. Here their own private security teams provide a lethal deterrent to any lack of “culture” - because “crime” in a world with so few laws defining it can not exist.

However, Avastan City's “lack of culture” leaked into the countryside surrounding the down port. Gouged by street gangs and their bosses on prices for their produce the rural population formed their own “protectives” and demanded payment up front. Meanwhile API's, perhaps cynical, defence of only their own business property allowed a virtual state of siege to develop about the city. The overstretched and underfunded Militisia were powerless to influence the issue and, in fact, are rumoured to be in league with the “protectives” against a common enemy.

The City gangs responded by purchasing military weapons for their members and in a brutal series of “re-zoning” operations took possession of those rural collective farms servicing the City. The move “uncultured” even by Avastan City standards seemed to stun the “protectives” into submission. However, the City had overlooked the ruthless patience of those who hunted the high mountains. Sniper fire became a constant threat to the managers of the new "citizen farms" and those who very often failed to protect them. Small groups of even heavily armed Citizens began to disappear if they ventured beyond their walled compounds or attempted unescorted travel on country roads.

The City tried to introduce more grav transport but the great volume of produce and Avastan's lack of public funds precluded anything like an effective airlift (although the downtown restaurants and private markets continued to thrive). Cheaper, lower tech solutions were sought and security contracts offered to offworlders. However, those “Zinky Boys” returning home from foreign service who were willing or desperate enough to take on the poorly paid contracts soon compared them to “being paid less money for being back on Tarkine”!

What was now called the “Rural War” escalated as rumoured sighting of “regulars” in the mountains matched a sudden and shocking increase in the effectiveness of the Protectives - pinning Citizen forces back within their compound walls. The City Bosses finally put some more grudging investment into the issue and purchased a squadron of attack helicopters together with a cadre of merc trainers. Operating from the City these machines were able to loosen the Protective stranglehold just in time. However, the Protective's night time operations continued to bring success as did a campaign of roadside IEDs targetting the escort vehicles of farm convoys.

Most recently the war has taken another new twist. IED and sniper activity has dramatically intensified in the outlying “high pastures” where the City's grip is weakest. It also seems that, in an unprecedented development, Protective forces have now begun to mount surprisingly mobile and effective raids completely eliminating at least two Citizen garrisons and an entire relief force in convoy thereby returning a number of farms to Protective ownership.

(OOC: Placed here but posted in response to an action in the "Fing Enquiry" thread. Also copied into the Avastan planetary reference/data thread).