Acadie

[Hvalreki]

Acadie is a beautiful world by Terran standards.

Smack in the goldilocks zone for humans, it's 1G-normal, plenty of water and a great climate for growing human crops.

Acadie downport pales in size to Amondiage but it is still a large sprawling complex with multiple landing pads, ship hangars, warehouses and outbuildings.



Captain Jandala tells Piotr that he generally makes the run from Acadie to Amondiage twice a month. He expects Divine Intervention to be here for about a week before they head back to Amondiage.

He will be looking for a pilot to get them home and the door is open should Ty need a working passage back to Amondiage. "Yuh just sey di word mon an di job fi yuh!"

As you move away from the unloading ships and into the passenger areas you start noticing a lot more security than you'd expect for a port this size on a relatively backwater planet.

They seem fairly intense too. The mood around the port is decidedly subdued and you pickup that apparently there is some kind of local disturbance going on and the security forces are on alert.

They don't seem to be wearing the national uniform that you saw on Amondiage. Logos identify them as Pinkwater Security.



Pictures of the Generalissimo are everywhere here too, but many of them are vandalized with graffiti or otherwise defaced.



Character Actions?

[Eris]

Jako steps away from Divine Intervention a short distance and scans around, to see if he sees any other ships just sitting on the tarmac. He won't approach them if he does, he's just scanning for now.

"Let's go ask Starport Administration about Perfect Stranger.", taking his gear he humps it into Starport Administration Building.

To those walking with him he'll murmur, "Looks like the locals aren't happy with The Generalissimo and seems like a lot more hired guns floating around here than would be normal on a nice friendly little world, huh?"

To any of those Pinkwater guards, Jako will smile and nod and be as in-offensive looking as he can be...hauling his luggage along behind him and wearing his auto pistol in a shoulder holster over his vacc suit.

[Spearmint]

Aziz 'Easy' Schmidt

Walks with faux cane in hand, his urban wear safari suit pressed and clean (courtesy of the smart fabric tech). Ideally he would have his sawn off tucked down a trouser leg, not quite giving him the overtly 'excited to meet you' look.

Better to have 'Mr T' to hand than need it abd not have a weapon available. If the law level permits concealed carry.

Pinkwater, Blackwater, Three Monkeys; he has noted several private security in his times.

Does he know much about this group or can observe any relevant information which might clue him in to how they operate? Guards on regular patrols, officers saluted, ragtag mercenaries of streetwise scum or ex-military veterans?

Colonel Aziz 'Easy' Schmidt: Intelligence to discern information (Int B, +2) [2d6+2]=3+2=5

I think we are probably geared up to be reactionary, so when the expected 'unexpected' happens we respond with just or extreme prejudice.

He will buy a newspaper, any local dockside broadsheet, union brochures; I want to get a run down on 'dock' activities such as recent conflicts, strikes, lay-offs, sabotages. Whatever can fill me in on the docks spectrum of a great happy place with everything in peaceful order to turf wars of belters and rogues heavy handing the ships and cargoes. And whatever lies in between.

[Thumper]

Ty will step off the Divine Providence, leaving Captain Jandala as a new friend. He breaths in the fresh air deeply. The disorientation of being on a new planet and having to figure out everything is familiar to Ty.

Picking up his duffle and surf board, he says: Hey Jacko, you got that right. After finding and claiming the PS and dropping our stuff off there, I have half a mind of taking everybody out to Startown and getting a steak dinner…my treat?

I saw a 400ton transport on the other side of the parking bays. Wonder if that’s our boat.

He’ll follow Jacko to the office that passes for customs/immigration control and downport management. He’ll take the lead in claiming repo rights to the ship. He’ll present their credentials to claim the PS for reposession, and fill out any required forms for assuming possession. He’ll ask a few questions such as:

Where’s the ships original crew? Why was it abandoned, and when was the crew last logged into or out of port security?

What’s the status of the Perfect Stranger?

Who had been on the ship since it was “abandoned”? Police investigators, engineers/technicians, etc. He’ll want the visitor logs. Maintenance or inspection reports.

Passenger and cargo manifests filed by the previous crew.

Do you have an accident report from the Perfect Stranger's boat crash? Can we have a copy?

What else do other players suggest Ty ask about?

He’d also inquire about the mercenary security. sir, what do we need to know about while we’re here? Things appear to be a bit different here than on Amondiage. Surprising…

Admin: [2d6+2]=7+2=9
Int is D if that helps him figure out anything else real-time.

If he sees a weapons dealer in the commercial vendor section to the starport, he’ll purchase another auto-pistol fitted with a silencer and laser sight, 2 extra mags, and a chest holster that he can customize to permit carriage with the silencer attached. He’d also pick up cloth armor.

[subaltari]

Already rucked up, Gabe has his sword-belt ready to buckle on the moment he steps on the DI's gangplank: cutlass on the left, gun holstered on the right for straight draw, 1L canteen and basic first-aid kit on the back. He tosses his H&C duffel bag over his shoulder and draws a lungful of clean Acadie atmosphere. His situational awareness is partly taken up with the Pinkwater guards, their equipment and current formations. Strikebusters... he worked a few months for a very similar outfit. While looking to Easy for tactical cues, Gabe keeps a protective watch over our little gaggle. There is only one thing that breaks into his zen-like attention...

"After finding and claiming the PS and dropping our stuff off there, I have half a mind of taking everybody out to Startown and getting a steak dinner… my treat?"

"I'm there, 'mano! And should we scope a place to rack-out in case plan A don't go so smooth?"

[Thumper]

"I'm there, 'mano! And should we scope a place to rack-out in case plan A don't go so smooth?"

Ty flashes a smile at Gabe.

Good idea. Piotr, they got a TAS here, if we need it?

[Hvalreki]

Unlike Amondiage starport, the Port facilities on Acadie are self-contained and are built inside a walled off and fenced area, separated from the local city.

The perimeter walls are patrolled and there is a no-mans land between the outer wall and another wall of metal fencing topped with coils of barbed wire. There are signs posted indicating the fencing may be "energized" during alerts and to keep clear at all times.

Guard posts are scattered along the walls with overlapping fields of view. There are three main entry points to the startown complex, all heavily fortified and swarming with Pinkwater security personnel.

Currently all checkpoints are closed and area outside the startown cannot be accessed.

A quick terminal search shows the Perfect Stranger is parked in one of the outer lots off the parkbay. The ship's current status is listed as Hold, whatever that means.

The crew descends on the Starport Administration building where they spend the rest of the morning hours repeatedly going through their story and presenting credentials through multiple layers of local bureaucracy before they finally wind up in the Port Administrator herself's office.

"Well, the salvagers back on Amondiage will be disappointed to hear about this. We were getting ready to sell her next month if unclaimed.

Your credentials are in order however and I've cleared access to the ship to your ID's. You can take any "ships crew" shuttle to the park pads.

There is the matter of the impound. Perfect Stranger has been at berth for months and the current port fees are...," she pauses a moment to punch some numbers into a hand computer, "72,000 Credits."

[Hvalreki]

"I'm there, 'mano! And should we scope a place to rack-out in case plan A don't go so smooth?"

Ty flashes a smile at Gabe.

Good idea. Piotr, they got a TAS here, if we need it?

TAS are only found at A/B starports (typically). There is no TAS branch on Acadie.

[Hvalreki]

Aziz 'Easy' Schmidt

Walks with faux cane in hand, his urban wear safari suit pressed and clean (courtesy of the smart fabric tech). Ideally he would have his sawn off tucked down a trouser leg, not quite giving him the overtly 'excited to meet you' look.

Better to have 'Mr T' to hand than need it abd not have a weapon available. If the law level permits concealed carry.

Pinkwater, Blackwater, Three Monkeys; he has noted several private security in his times.

Does he know much about this group or can observe any relevant information which might clue him in to how they operate? Guards on regular patrols, officers saluted, ragtag mercenaries of streetwise scum or ex-military veterans?

Colonel Aziz 'Easy' Schmidt: Intelligence to discern information (Int B, +2) [2d6+2]=3+2=5

I think we are probably geared up to be reactionary, so when the expected 'unexpected' happens we respond with just or extreme prejudice.

He will buy a newspaper, any local dockside broadsheet, union brochures; I want to get a run down on 'dock' activities such as recent conflicts, strikes, lay-offs, sabotages. Whatever can fill me in on the docks spectrum of a great happy place with everything in peaceful order to turf wars of belters and rogues heavy handing the ships and cargoes. And whatever lies in between.

Easy has been around but hasn't heard of Pinkwater before. They must be local to the Islands Region. Uniforms are a bit sloppy and you see a wide variety of body types. Military discipline is lackluster at best. Your general consensus is the B or C team of the mercenaries you've seen in your travels.

Local news seems to be all pro Amondiage fluff as was the case back on Amondiage. The "unrest" seems to have started at a place called Houillon with complaints about working conditions.

[Hvalreki]

He’ll follow Jacko to the office that passes for customs/immigration control and downport management. He’ll take the lead in claiming repo rights to the ship. He’ll present their credentials to claim the PS for reposession, and fill out any required forms for assuming possession. He’ll ask a few questions such as:

Where’s the ships original crew? Why was it abandoned, and when was the crew last logged into or out of port security?
No records of the crew leaving the starport after they cleared customs upon landing.

What’s the status of the Perfect Stranger?
Hold (which you now know means Impounded).

Who had been on the ship since it was “abandoned”? Police investigators, engineers/technicians, etc. He’ll want the visitor logs. Maintenance or inspection reports.
Local security forces boarded not long after the ship's launch left on an unscheduled flight. The main lock was open and has since been secured with a port lock until the hold is released. No one else has been aboard since.

Passenger and cargo manifests filed by the previous crew.
last cargo was standard bulk haulage, no passengers. She posted available for cargo but never booked any.

Do you have an accident report from the Perfect Stranger's boat crash? Can we have a copy?
The report is very thin on details. The crashed launch was recovered and sold for scrap.

He’d also inquire about the mercenary security. sir, what do we need to know about while we’re here? Things appear to be a bit different here than on Amondiage. Surprising…
Just some troublemakers stirring things up. I'm sure it will blow over, it always does.

Admin: [2d6+2]=7+2=9
Int is D if that helps him figure out anything else real-time.

If he sees a weapons dealer in the commercial vendor section to the starport, he’ll purchase another auto-pistol fitted with a silencer and laser sight, 2 extra mags, and a chest holster that he can customize to permit carriage with the silencer attached. He’d also pick up cloth armor.

Currently weapons shops are closed until the "trouble" subsides. You can check in Startown once you're done at Starport Administration.

[subaltari]

Uniforms are a bit sloppy and you see a wide variety of body types. Military discipline is lackluster at best. Your general consensus is the B or C team of the mercenaries you've seen in your travels.

How are the guards equipped? Given the TL and assuming their budget doesn't exceed their discipline/training level, I'm guessing Cloth Armour and a mix of Rifles, SMGs, and/or Shotguns.

Good idea. Piotr, they got a TAS here, if we need it?

TAS are only found at A/B starports (typically). There is no TAS branch on Acadie.

Gabe smirks back at Ty and shrugs. "No go, this a Charlie port. Mebbe you be springin' for the rooms too, Ty?"

[Thumper]

Ty is honestly shocked at the impoundment fee and lets it show!

"72,000 Credits."

72,000credits? Holy cow!!

He thinks on that for a brief moment. While considering, he reaches into his jacket and turns on the voice recording function of handheld computer.

How do you expect us to pay that?

Standard port fees are 100cr for the first 6 days then 100cr per day after that. Your rate is the equivalent of 725 days of parking. The ship has been on planet less than a year. What date did it arrive, again. That’s how many days?

I get it, abandoned ship impoundment fees fees would be included, but that level of fee is interstellar extortion.

HEC, I get it, has deep pockets. But they carry great political pressure in the Empire and by extension a solid relationship with Amondiage. But, you see, they expected fees to be incurred and therefore set up a banking arrangement with the Amondiage Interstellar Bank. They expect us to pay expenses within the limits of these cards. And these cards don’t have that much charge on them. We were told realistic expenses were calculated, and that was the determining factor in limits on our expense cards. Besides, we have to purchase life support, possibly fuel, and maintenance. You run a starport, so you know that spacecraft, like aircraft, don’t like sitting very much. Stuff breaks, seals harden, etc. when left unused in only one environment of the several in which it was designed to exist. We have to pay those repair costs within the limits.

I suppose, we could go back and ask Amondiage Interstellar Bank for an increase…explaining exactly the reasons for the request. Not sure how that would be received. Also, that message would be duplicated to the nearest HEC district office, both by us and by the bank...since that request would be an alteration to the agreement between the banks. Diplomats would get involved for sure. Would take months, but I’m quite certain that action eventually would lead to diplomatic challenges…and since sewage runs downhill…I would expect that might pile up on you.

I’m no lawyer or diplomat, just a guy who’s been around the galaxy. Perhaps we can avoid a whole lot of heartache, bureaucratic red tape, delay, our time tied up and wasted in long distance inquiries...attention we don’t really need or want. How about something within our budgeted expenses and something much more reasonable? I doubt you and I want to us to phone home to mom and dad to ask for an allowance increase...inviting lots of scrutiny. No?

How about a flat 100cr per day plus a 25% impoundment fee? Would there be any "special administration fees" we should entertain?

Admin: [2d6+2]=7+2=9
Int is D should that help adjust his real-time bargaining…read body language, tone of voice, etc….and adjust.

There is a special tone of voice used with that last sentence.

[Thumper]

Gabe smirks back at Ty and shrugs. "No go, this a Charlie port. Mebbe you be springin' for the rooms too, Ty?"

Mebbe...

[Eris]

Good luck Thumper! I'm afraid you're going to need it.

Jako walks over to the others as Ty is making his pitch and says quietly, "It's a rip off, but if we can't get the fees adjusted down we're going to have to come up with the cash."

"Anybody got any experience...um, encouraging an official to be reasonable with a little, em, you know?" Jako rubs his fingers together in the universal 'slip him a bribe' hand signal.

He shrugs and glances over at Ty trying to fast talk the Administrator shaking his head, "I doubt straight out that's going to work. Now, I can put up a lot of it that 72 k out of my own pocket, but not all, and that will eat up my life savings to do. Might be able to get it back from Hortense and Company if we get this ship back to Imperial space, might not. If we can get it down to something a bit more reasonable it sure would help."

[Eris]

"Your credentials are in order however and I've cleared access to the ship to your ID's. You can take any "ships crew" shuttle to the park pads."

"So, we have access to the ship, to start inspection and repairs but can't leave with her until the fees are paid, right?" Jako asks the Administrator.

[Hvalreki]

Ty is honestly shocked at the impoundment fee and lets it show!

"72,000 Credits."

72,000credits? Holy cow!!

He thinks on that for a brief moment. While considering, he reaches into his jacket and turns on the voice recording function of handheld computer.

How do you expect us to pay that?

Standard port fees are 100cr for the first 6 days then 100cr per day after that. Your rate is the equivalent of 725 days of parking. The ship has been on planet less than a year. What date did it arrive, again. That’s how many days?

I get it, abandoned ship impoundment fees fees would be included, but that level of fee is interstellar extortion.

HEC, I get it, has deep pockets. But they carry great political pressure in the Empire and by extension a solid relationship with Amondiage. But, you see, they expected fees to be incurred and therefore set up a banking arrangement with the Amondiage Interstellar Bank. They expect us to pay expenses within the limits of these cards. And these cards don’t have that much charge on them. We were told realistic expenses were calculated, and that was the determining factor in limits on our expense cards. Besides, we have to purchase life support, possibly fuel, and maintenance. You run a starport, so you know that spacecraft, like aircraft, don’t like sitting very much. Stuff breaks, seals harden, etc. when left unused in only one environment of the several in which it was designed to exist. We have to pay those repair costs within the limits.

I suppose, we could go back and ask Amondiage Interstellar Bank for an increase…explaining exactly the reasons for the request. Not sure how that would be received. Also, that message would be duplicated to the nearest HEC district office, both by us and by the bank...since that request would be an alteration to the agreement between the banks. Diplomats would get involved for sure. Would take months, but I’m quite certain that action eventually would lead to diplomatic challenges…and since sewage runs downhill…I would expect that might pile up on you.

I’m no lawyer or diplomat, just a guy who’s been around the galaxy. Perhaps we can avoid a whole lot of heartache, bureaucratic red tape, delay, our time tied up and wasted in long distance inquiries...attention we don’t really need or want. How about something within our budgeted expenses and something much more reasonable? I doubt you and I want to us to phone home to mom and dad to ask for an allowance increase...inviting lots of scrutiny. No?

How about a flat 100cr per day plus a 25% impoundment fee? Would there be any "special administration fees" we should entertain?

Admin: [2d6+2]=7+2=9
Int is D should that help adjust his real-time bargaining…read body language, tone of voice, etc….and adjust.

There is a special tone of voice used with that last sentence.

After pondering Ty's persuasive and well reasoned arguments she eventually agrees to lower the price to 29,500 credits.

"I'll be happy to finally have that tin can off my pad!"

For the successful Admin check -


72,000-13,000 = 59,000

Additionally, Ty's well reasoned argument knocks off another 50%, she either ignored or didn't pick up on the bribery attempt

[Thumper]

"I'll be happy to finally have that tin can off my pad!"

Ty:
Ma'am, we'll be very happy to get this off your ramp! We've come a long way to find her, and I doubt she's ready to depart just now.

As we figure out method of payment for these fees, we'd take a look at the ship? We need to assess the level of maintenance required to make her air and spaceworthy again and work out how long that may take...then we can estimate how many more days of parking we need to pay. I'd like to make that payment all at one time, if able. Can I get the bill to date in writing and I'll pay once we know a little more.

Assuming she agrees, Ty turns around and starts walking to the shuttle van. He gives his friends a look like, "Whew"!
If she insists on payment now, he'll huddle everyone together. Either way, the conversation (huddled or walking) is the same.

I have 4,700cr left after spending for electronics tools and other gear on Amondiage. Can we cobble enough payments off each card to make the 29,500cr? It would amount to 4,214 and some change apiece. I'd be nearly tapped out on the company card...still have personal funds. But I don’t think anyone should use personal funds for the job. We should have enough on the various cards without completely tapping us out.

I’m hoping that, once we’re on the ship, she’ll have a bit of retained cargo we could unload to pay these fees and any needed maintenance expenses. The previous crew were, of course, traders.

[Hvalreki]

The Travellers hop a crew shuttle to the ship and the Port officers remove the "boot" locking out the access controls to the main locks. (Party needs to deduct the 29.5 KCredits in Cash please, the fine is not an eligible for the expense cards.)

There on pad 47-B in all her glory is the Perfect Stranger.

To be fair she's been sitting for months but the ship looks somewhat worse for wear.

The hull paint is an unattractive and dingy off-white and scraped to the hull metal in many places especially around the cargo bay doors.

She's clearly a ship that has seen better days. The ships launch which normally sits atop the hull is notably missing (unlike in the picture)

Their credentials give them access to the ship and with a clangs and hisses the cargo doors slowly open and the access ramp extends down.

[Hvalreki]

Inside, many rooms look as if the crew just popped out for a coffee. Personal effects stand on shelves in the crew cabins; clothes hang in closets.

Other chambers are less pleasant; the galley is a giant mass of mold where the remains of a meal has festered for months.

Once on the Bridge, Ty's hands move deftly across the control interfaces as he energizes the ship's systems or at least tries to.

The Perfect Stranger's powerplant comes online without issue and ship systems begin to power up but immediately some alarms start going off.

As he goes through the system checks he notes several areas with anomalies where the telltales are flashing "red":

• Attitude Control Systems

• Landing Gear Hydraulics

• Life Support Atmosphere Scrubbers

• Main Engines

• Auxiliary Power Plant - (that's unusual by itself and not standard for this class of ship)

[Thumper]

Dah!, Ty exclaims as the third cash card fails to work. Must be a transaction code problem.

He considers for a moment then whispers to the group. You guys keep trying…keep these clerks occupied. I’ll take my surfboard into the restroom and dig out my personal cash.

He comes back and pretends to dig through his duffle in front of the clerk. He puts 30k cr on the table and says: Change please. And a couple hard copies of the receipt. If you can provide a digital copy too, I’ll fire off a message to HeC. Maybe in like 3 months, I’ll see reimbursement on that.

————
On the bridge of the ship with alarms triggering, he’ll look over at Jacko, Piotr, and Becky (bridge crew) and state: Life support- to be expected. Hydro- ya makes sense. But attitude, engines, and aux power plant? I wonder what’s up with that? This thing has auxiliary power, or had…coolness!

Ty will open all the doors and hatches to get some ventilation and air exchange.

When the crew huddles up, he’ll explain the system problems discovered, and organize into teams containing electronics, mechanics, and JOT/engineering talents to investigate each system failure and determine a parts list required and estimated return to service timeline. He’ll offer to look at the attitude stabilization system. He probably has enough talent and training to investigate that one alone.

However, perhaps they should look around for indications of previous events prior to touching much?

He’ll suggest they break up and investigate sections of the ship. He’ll offer to take the bridge and electronics bays. Meet back up in say, an hour?