An Urgent Message to the Duchess of Mora

While in Jump-Space, Larzamonte Charoux writes a letter to the Duchess of Mora, in an urgent plea for assistance:


Esteemed Duchess,

Artemis Group has recently been engaged in investigating a matter that may constitute a threat to our company, and, in doing so, have quite inadvertently stumbled into a bit of trouble. It has always been our full intention to relay the following details to you, once we could establish the extent of any genuine relevance, but, while that matter was uncertain, we felt it best to allow you to grieve, rather than risk reopening old wounds on account of an unrelated coincidence. Unfortunately, we still cannot be certain that the following details bear any relevance to you, as any possible ties are quite strange, but the circumstances we have fallen victim to necessitate that we reveal them to you prematurely; if you would, please offer a recommendation of legal council; any additional assistance would also be very welcome.

Charoux relays the full details of the investigation into Vlen Beckett, leaving out only information suggesting a link to Beck’s World, on the off chance that his message is intercepted by the Imperium’s Investigation Team

Obviously, there is a clear genetic link between Mr. Beckett and the Colonel, but it is not clear whether one is a clone of the other, whether they are both intentionally identical under the direction of a third party, or whether they are identical for unrelated reasons. My previous operating theory, for which there is no apparent evidence, is that Mr. Beckett was cloned from the Colonel as a long-since failed attempt to have you assassinated by someone indistinguishable from a close friend, with the implant serving as a means of operational control. However, it appears that Mr. Beckett might actually be quite a bit older than the Colonel, and as such, what has been taking place may well be entirely outside both of our experiences; how such a scenario might be related to the Colonel is not readily apparent in spite of the clear genetic evidence, not to mention, quite baffling.

Since it has become necessary to inform you of what has transpired, please rest assured that we will continue to keep you informed, as operational security allows.

Friend of the Colonel,
Larzamonte Charoux

Bob, a couple of questions:

I remember that we were investigating Vlen Beckett, but I don’t recall whether the Agent posing as his wife actually hired us, or if we were going entirely of our own accord; if she did in fact hire us, and we were not merely escorting her out there out of convenience and sympathy, are we still legally required to fulfill our contract with her, or are we exempt in the event that a client outright lies to us, as per what Charoux would have insisted be in Artemis Group’s standard legal boilerplate, if it were a legal option?

If she did, in fact, hire us, doesn’t that constitute entrapment, legally speaking, or does that not count, since we stated that we were going anyway?

In the event that the Agent is actually Vlen Beckett’s wife, is she a legitimate inheritor of the ship?

Bob, did the Marines that boarded the hull of the ship announce they were Marines, and you omitted that on account of it not being interesting, did they state it and we didn’t hear them for Comms reasons, or did they genuinely not state it? While a ship is underway, are we not entitled to assume such boarders are pirates until they have stated their intent, transmitted IFF, and other such things they may not have done? Just because we were notified of the presence of Marines on the ground, that doesn’t mean that the boarders in the air were Marines by default; pirates are brazen, after all...

The note said that this was declared as a Police Action; rules of engagement can be very different for military forces engaging in a Police Action during peacetime than during other kinds of engagement, not that I at all know the difference; I would hazard a guess that a change in the Theater of Operations (if I’m even using that term right) from ground to aerospace might require Marines to re-state their intent procedurally, even though this is the sort of tedious procedure that frequently gets ignored in haste, at the peril of the hasty. Every little bit helps, so do I have them on a technicality here?

...must not take up Wolfen's torch....  must remain in........character....

...meanwhile, on the Star Hunter...

"It's got style, some extras I'd cut out, I mean, but overall this 200dT getaway car has some interesting variation.  Now, I'm not some pencil-dick architect nerd who sits on his tail all day and cranks out variants until the Ancients come home.  However, if I'm gonna be stuck on the Star Hunter, it's gonna get renamed in some equivalent of a Vargr dialect.  Who the hell hunts a star in a 200dT Far Trader anyway?  But it's a wanted ship.  We blasted our way off Alell, missiles raining down on our LZ, in this specialized, richboy's 'Vette.  To an Urzaeng like me, the guns need upgrading.  The 20dT Launch is sup-, super-, superfluous - yeah, that's the word.  Flat-out unnecessary.  I'll keep the Air/raft though.  I don't hone with floating about town in a grav-belt or in battledress that has all the Humies loading their drawers and screaming, 'The Corsairs are coming!'"

*the camera's view pans left and right of Rrounllakhs Vukhikhloeg*

"The Bridge could be trimmed of its fat, down to Compact I mean.  I can take it, especially if I'm the only wolf on deck.  She pushes 4Gs of Thrust and I did get a peak out of that when I gunned the M-drive.  Fully stocked, and I like the coffeemaker for the espresso.  I double-blend the mix to get something out of the beans other than a trip to the fresher.  So, the cargo.  Yeah, but that Launch has to go.  I might purchase a couple units of Mining Drones and pop a mining laser in #1 laser turret.  At short range, it does six times the damage of a normal beam laser.  I could go Q-ship in this humie pile of crap, but I'm no hero against my own kind.  Better a belter and bust rocks than try and clean up my already-interstellar rap-sheet."

*the huge Vargr takes the camera with him as he lopes in his duster coat through the ship's corridors*

"Six staterooms, five of which, (what - hello?  I'm Urzaeng, remember?) five which can stand double-occupancy for taking on Passengers with a minimal crew of three.  Not bad.  I mean, if I'm out there chopping up 'roids, using a different stateroom might mean a little variety in the cold black while the mining drones bring the ores into the cargo hold.  And that's another thing!"

*the Urzaeng re-aims the camera at himself*

"If you're gonna turn a merchant's Far Trader into a belter bad-ass, Solar Panels, a SIN Sensor, and robot crew might be the thing.  Y'see, as a miner busting rocks, unless you come upon some superweapon radioactives in a system's belt, you're not going to see much payout at the refinery.  But if you can compensate by reducing living crew, cutting fuel consumption and find that perfect node of hot stuff first, then you can earn a legit living.  And that's what I was trying to do when some humans came limping up in a liner in the last place you'd find them outside the laughable Third Imperium.  They got me in, suited me up, stuck the biggest gun their money could buy into my claws.  The only thing I got to shoot was a desk.  A desk.  Some pencil-pushing, paper-twat Human's desk.  And that leads me 'round the bend to the next thing I gotta do."

*the camera tour ends in the Engineering section of the Star Hunter*

"Jump-2 ain't gonna cut it out in the Extents, even if it's just Gvurrdon or Tuglikki Sectors.  The stellar density is much lower and they don't have those long, streaming J-1 mains to play around with.  'Sides, there's War aftermath and cleanup the Imps have to do.  Not much time for a big, dumb, brute of an Urzaeng.  This ship's fuel and jumpdrive needs a three parsec range if I'm gonna go legit and make a living out here in the four corners region on this end of the Extents.  To that end, I have to cash out of Artemis Group.  They have some pretty weird crew, aliens I don't know or can't pronounce the names of on that Colonial Cruiser.  It's home to them, I suppose.  But it's no place for an Urzaeng, what with their bylaws, expectations of morals and the tyranny of indecision.  An alpha needs to step up and that ain't me.  Not over a bunch of humies, a space elf, a short snot everyone calls a 'goblin', a smart-ass mini-dragon and some oh-so-traumatized grunts and navy dogs that were on the wrong side of the Fifth to begin with.  But who am I to judge, right?  I'm just a Corsair out of the Ruler of Five that picked on Vilani for twelve years.  Now, that I'm gonna take this....Star Hunter... and make it mine with the start-up credits from cashing out of Artemis Group, I can live my dream that failed the first two times in my migration Spinward out here behind the claw."

*the Urzaeng then demonstrates his armored claws*

"Some Dirtside Joe, even if he is in Vlen Beckett's will, even if he is the gene brother to that so-called Colonel everyone's worshiping like some Great Ancestor, he's not gonna know what to do with a 200dT Empress Marava variant.  It's too expensive for Vlen's heir to operate properly and own.  He doesn't need the headache.  Now me however.  As soon as we stepped down into the grotto and spotted the Star Hunter, I saw new possibilities open up for me.  She has good drives, a golden heart, and was the ship that intercepted that communique between the Heavy Scout and Alell Traffic Control.  So, I think the Ancients mean for me - I mean us, to have it and use it.  It needs a Vargr touch to be sure.  And Artemis doesn't need the money from it sale.  I looked over Runt's shoulder one day as he was running the numbers as we polished Battledress in Security.

I'm taking the FGMP-15, especially since I'm sure the company isn't going to let a dangerous Urzaeng walk out on them with a Magrail Support Weapon that nobody but me can use.  Yeah, I can flatten a small village with this puppy.  'Sides, this Far Trader needs a little more security since we were able to cold-start it so easily and make space tracks, thumb-clawing our noses at those so-called Marines back on Alell."

*the Urzaeng hefts the man-portable field artillery weapon*

"I don't need to know if all those collectible curious are really Ancients stuff.  I'm content to let the Solomani Hypothesis remain just that.  Let the Artemis Group solve the mystery if they like, but I live in the here and now.  I'm no arc-, archy- archaeologist.  Damn, I have trouble with long words enough as it is.  Since Imps have this whole lock-down monopoly on artifacts whenever someone finds one; it's like they get a burr up their asses and have to freeze-fry every world that produces a bonafide find.  And now that we hear tale of some method of certifying whether a find is true and not some forgery, fake or decoy; I think the blast radius is getting wider.  The Third Imperium says it rules the space between worlds.  I call bullshit.  They sent Marines down to a planet.  Armed jump-grunts on a weapons-banned world and told us to surrender.  Horse-nuts.  I'm taking Vlen's getaway boat, even if 'Vlen' isn't his real name.  You may not have seen how many fake identities that I saw as we looted his hideout.

The books, files, pictures, lists and trinkets we found are going over to the Athena.  If I can, I'm gonna check out my 'Maggie' from Security.  Get it?  'Maggie'?  Anyway, Zax can do the Engineer thing for as long as we can keep the Marches hunting us and not the Artemis Group, while they go for the endzone.  Then I'll take this Far Tader, rename it something proper and in Urzaeng and bolt Coreward.  The money should hit my bank account just before I step outside the Coreward border.  Ancients be damned.  This little outing is not how I envisioned going legit.  Already, there's an All-Subsectors-Bulletin looking for the Star Hunter.  Gonna get all the serial numbers filed off, refit, repaint, rename and register this bucket of bolts elsewhere.  Commonality or 40th seems like possibilities."

*back on the bridge, the male Vargr resets the camera to its mount*

"The booze fridge is stocked with some amber ales and wussy champagne.  Gonna tip back a few and not save any for Runt."

"Cashing out, this is Rrounllakhs Vukhikhloeg aboard the soon-to-be-renamed Star Hunter."

By the way, I was planning on assigning Runt to your little joyride to act as non-Bridge muscle, and represent company interests... apparently, that was a good decision, for reasons I didn’t anticipate. XD

Also, if you have a criticism, Pakkrat, feel free to voice it...

Then, TT, you just signed Runt's Expendable warrant.  Now he has to decide whether he wants to hop in the 20dT Launch and wait for the Athena to pick him up.  Else, he's a dead Menorb Marine and I'll have a radiation cleanup job on the Star Hunter.  Make no mistake.  The Artemis Group owes R.V. their lives for holding off the local Corsairs and scavengers when that liner docked in Vargr space.  It means nothing to the company to part ways with the 200dT Far Trader as severance pay to the Urzaeng Corsair-Prospector.  If it's principle that Charoux forces the issue, then ask the company, thus bogging down decision (again) whether it's worth the effort to deviate from the current mission.  The mystery of the Colonel's genes is of far more importance than a ship that the company can afford four times over.

Both Runt and R.V. are wearing Battledress.  Ask him if he wants to stand at the business end of an FGMP-15 set to Auto or if he'd like to shake claws, part ways with his pelt intact.  Waste of good Gvegh meat if you ask R.V.  But if Runt resists or refuses to disembark the Star Hunter, it will get messy in less than two combat rounds. 

Artemis Group has nothing to lose and everything to gain in making a Contact out of R.V. in the Four Corners region.  His justification is already recorded above.  If L. Charoux decides to deviate from the current mission to chase the Star Hunter, be prepared to go into the Vargr Extents.  They eat Darrians for dessert, especially lean Agenty types.


Ask Runt what he'd do.  The chain-smoking, PTSD-ridden, shell-shocked Marine is not in a War.  He may not like R.V. as a barbaric Urzaeng from the Extents, but snorting fusion energy is more painful.  He might want to stand down and take the Launch while the Star Hunter jumps per the decoy action, so that the Athena can proceed on-mission to Beck's World and enjoy the rest of this Anicents/Colonel mystery adventure.

Runt's move.

Actually, that’s another thing... you’re not taking the FGMP with you; the minute RV fires that thing for any reason, all the Impy sensors will go off, and the mission will fail, because they’ll associate the known ship type with the firing of the weapon we are known to be carrying; for the sake of the mission, Charoux would insist on giving you a more mundane, harder to sense from space alternative that isn’t already on the “known to be carrying” list the marines have. You’ll probably have to settle for that crazy sword-worlder chaingun for filling Runt full of holes, or some other hard-to-carry thing from the company locker. XD

Unless, of course, you’re openly declaring your intent to mutiny now, instead of accepting the mission as proposed... Also, I believe you owe me a Deception vs. Investigate roll, in order to pull off this deception.

Charoux would insist on offering RV pay rather than the actual ship, which genuinely isn’t company property; he can use that to buy whatever custom mining rig he likes, once he gets away from the Imperials.


I’m going to be busy with work stuff tomorrow, so, in addition to the above, I intend to do the following:
Find the deed to the ship, which is presumably on board somewhere
File the deed and the will with the stated legal franchise, once we get to a system without an Imperial Naval base; the Star Hunter itself will be used as collateral on the legal fees, to be paid by the inheritors, if they ever show up; once the Star Hunter makes it to the expected final stop (which apparently it won’t, as per Pakkrat’s plan), the location can be transmitted to the legal franchise, for notification of the inheritors


For the record, “pulling a fast one” is something you should really do with all the players present, and not on Wednesdays... this is a bit beyond “A private note to someone important”, which takes game-weeks to matter anyway.

Also, I did a write-up on what a full-blown mining outfit aught to look like, here: https://www.reddit.com/r/traveller/comments/4esi99/mining_ships_other_then_the_seeker/

Assuming RV wants to go full legit, he might want to consider a larger ship based on the concept of a big ship that hauls a cutter and a bunch of mining and cargo modules around, mining pack style. This might be an option Charoux has seen in use, while tracking down tech troubles throughout the sector.

"For the record," 

• R.V. isn't going to let Charoux read his mind when all but Runt, R.V. and Zax are standing on the Star Hunter, long after everyone else has returned to the Athena.
• R.V. had plenty of time to ignore Charoux's suggestion that he offline the FGMP-15 when there were jump-grunt Marines outside the lodge.
• R.V. is a Barbarian.
• R.V. is not going to care about non-existent 'deeds', that player-TT has invented.
• R.V. has been handed, by an adventure Pakkrat has not written or read, all the assets he needs to detach from Artemis Group.  Means and justification above, not shared with Charoux.  And don't tell me the Star Hunter has all the so-called security cameras featured on the Athena.
• R.V. will mutiny.  And he'll do it without telling anyone, including Zax, including Runt, including Charoux, including everyone else on the Athena.  And he'll wait until only Runt is left on board, just to see if Alby, Runt's player has anything to say about it without TT-Charoux' input.  If Runt says the wrong thing, then R.V. has to pull a trigger on a fully-active FGMP-15, set to full-Auto, that R.V. had plenty of time to reactivate, (if he ever deactivated it to begin with since the lodge was assaulted by Marines claiming to be Imperium authorities on a weaponless world.
• R.V. did not write or plan a "Fast One".  Assets and opportunity, justification and means fell into his lap and he's taking initiative while Charoux's back is turned and unable to do a thing about it.
• R.V. is a 12-year Corsair.  TT-Charoux does not get to assume that means he's gone "full legit".
• R.V. is a Barbarian that does not care if a 200dT Far Trader is unsuited for mining.  200dT is exactly the size of a Vargr Seeker.  See Mongoose Alien Module 2: Vargr for details.
• R.V. is going to steal the Star Hunter  and per his suggested and agreed-upon plan, run a decoy operation so that the Athena can proceed on-task to Beck's World.  This is where we left off Sunday, despite TT's backpedaling "would have"declarations.
• R.V. does not care for Charoux' alternate options.  Charoux is a space elf and is worthy of only contempt to the Urzaeng now that the cards have fallen to the felt.

If Bob, the Referee, wants to see a quick scene of a showdown between Runt and R.V. (who does have a fully active FGMP-15 in his claws), then it is dramatic and committing to a severance, (as opposed to a mutiny when R.V. is cashing out of the company and quitting his employment - semantics will get no results here).  R.V. is a Corsair.  He owns Corsair armor.  He does street-level, red-light district deals, handles underworld and he has less scruples about turning Runt into puppy chow.

Pakkrat cannot control which players show up for a game.  R.V. has no means to uphold such niceties.  The adventure has both screwed over the Artemis Group legal situation and R.V. is compounding it by making off with the Star Hunter.  It's a "closed room" scenario and Charoux isn't present nor can he take actions in this scene if Bob wants to uphold the "would have", after-the-factaction TT is describing. 

But should Bob want to see what Runt's reaction to R.V.'s offer to depart the Star Hunter, then TT will have to take a back seat and let Alby play his character and make  a dramatic, spotlighted, self-willed and fully in-character decision.  His options, as Pakkrat sees them are:
1.  Bow out, take the 20dT Launch per R.V.'s offer and return to the Athena while the Star Hunter jumps on-task.
2.  Defy the Urzaeng Corsair and we will roll initiative and learn how fast characters die by FGMP-15 on full Auto.
3.  Mutiny/detach himself.  Runt might just join R.V. and say, "Hey, mate, I'm with ya."  Then R.V. will have to make a decision.

See how none of these options require input from TT-Charoux?  See how the immediacy of this play marginalizes, by the way the adventure placed all assets, characters, opportunities, and means together.  R.V. is merely taking advantage of a golden opportunity.  Runt's decision is not to be influenced by Charoux or any other crew of the Athena.

TT.  This style of play you are evidencing is getting repetitious.  You did it on Zamine, at Bowman, at Tenalphi, a little at Lunion and now you are trying "would have", "if-then" and other "after-the-fact" actions and conditions in the name of post-committed actions (after dice are rolled even at times), in the name of my character is an Agent and is that paranoid.  If that last phrase is Charoux' motto, then it is past time that R.V. jump ship and make off with the Star Hunter.  Wolfen got his fill.  Now, I'm next.

TT writes in the Mumble log, "fair enough".  He does it often when things just barely go Charoux's way or just barely not and are still acceptable.  Tonight, I will say to Bob, "not fair enough" that TT-Charoux makes "would haves", "if-then"and other after commitments have been acknowledged by the Referee.

And the sad part.  It's because Pakkrat wrote an in-character log after Charoux has left the Star Hunter.  Elvis has left the building.  After all the excellent Agenty work Charoux was able to shine down at the lodge on Alell, he still wants a say in a scene he is not part of, after the fact, when all is said and done.

Pakkrat did not set Wednesday as the day to settle what R.V. is truly doing with the Star Hunter.  Hell, this could be a gaming trap to lure out all the "would haves"  just to prove the above points.  And now that we have a closed scenario, a dramatis profundus, it's time to let Runt shine, for a Menorb Marine to have his say, his action - providing the Referee lets Runt stay on the Star Hunter in the first place as his presence is also a "would have". 

It is a foregone conclusion in this amazingly overblown scene, that R.V. will never be seen again after the Star Hunter jumps from EFATE.  Oh, the decoy action will take place as the Imperials hunt for the 200dT Far Trader getaway ship.  The Athena will be free to sleaze over to Beck's World with all the mystery of the Colonel and the Ancients trinkets at the site as they meet up with the research assistant there.  It is highly doubtful that Artemis Group will chase the Star Hunter wherever it is headed, (OOC hint: Gvurrdon and later Tuglikki Sector).  And to top it all off, R.V. has not told Zax where he is truly bound, just that it will take 15 jumps to get there.

So, TT.  Just sit back and allow Alby-Runt his moment, his grit, his PTSD, his loyalty to the Imperium, his chain-smoking miasma, and the fact that he has only a gauss pistol and an ACR from the lodge in his claws.  He is face-to-face with R.V. toting that FGMP-15.  Both are in battledress.  It is Runt's time to shine.  His time to show true grit.  Not Charoux'.

I await Alby's reply, if Bob even lets the Vargr Marine stay on the Star Hunter after all was said and done last Sunday 2/5/2017 night.  A closed room scenario is where drama plays out best.
Pakk

Pakkrat, I’m not opposed to you doing this, but Charoux is opposed to RV doing this, if he can reasonably be somehow aware of it. If this whole plan was conceived as an exit strategy for RV, that’s a deception, and Charoux and company get a roll. Charoux may get a roll to read RV’s general change in attitude; that’s up to Bob.

RV can’t pilot and horde the FGMP; other characters with less to do will have the chance to disarm it, if they care enough about Charoux’s orders to that effect, which they might not.

The message to the Duchess has nothing to do with the ownership of the Star Hunter. However, Charoux already relayed the contents of the will to Vlen Beckett’s descendants, which was done in-game; taking the Star Hunter is stealing, at this point. Whether or not a Vargr needs to care, well...

When I say “pull a fast-one”, I meant changing a player-organized plan into a plan that only benefits one player when no one has reason to think otherwise; it’s gone from “an amusing lark of a side adventure” into “a company plan gone horribly wrong as one player sabotages the reputation of the company everyone has a stake in to suit his own ends”; I’m not saying not to do this plan, just that, if you’re going to do it, everyone should get their fair chance to either stop you or contribute to it.

It was my understanding that we left off the game before arriving in Efate, and before the transfer of personnel and equipment to the Athena, and, as such, there is still plenty of time to intervene. It was only a foregone conclusion what would happen if things were going to proceed as planned, with no deceiving going on. Since things clearly aren’t going as planned, every player is entitled to their chance to intervene, should they choose to take it. You don’t get to fast-forward just so you can say things are “too late”. You’re closing the room before the required in-game events have even taken place. That’s not chronologically sensible, much less fair.

Now, if Bob has already ruled on the success of your deception, that’s all well and good, I suppose; but that hasn’t been made clear at all. It just seems to me you’re counting your chickens before they’ve hatched.

As far as I was aware the decision to run the decoy mission on wednesday (with those still on board the ship) would leave the ability to further intervene in the situation impossible. And had R.V. not posted anything here in regards to his actual plan, we would have run the Wednesday game, he may have simply reconsidered half way through the jump away from efate that he wasnt actually going to go through with the plan and you'd have no way otherwise of knowing what would happen except by meta knowledge. While his plan to run off with the ship was player concieved. The actual game play version of such a plan may have been a result of a good intention gone selfish for his actual character. The intention only going wrong after he had left.

So putting aside the chatter I will answer the direct questions. The duchess had nothing to do with Vlen Beckett, Vlen's last wishes are what notified you all to get his body. At all times regarding the encounter at Vlen's lodge it was the Marines and Agent Alyssa were identified as Imperial. Where the sudden belief that 2 rouge cosair/pirate types suddenly joined the fray by jumping onto the ship hull is beyond me.

((OOC: still skimming over this. When I have time I'll read it all properly. Sorry for missing the last game, but I actually know the adventure pretty well. So if the party stayed on the tracks, we found the Star Hunter, along with a PGMP-14 and an FGMP-15. We were then pulled up by Marines, who were then targeted by automated defenses. The marines figured that we were attacking them, marked us as combatants, and we had to bolt in the Star Hunter. If something different to that happened let me know. 

Also sounds like RV has claimed dibs on the FGMP-15. If run were there he would definitely have suggested against that weapon ever being used ever. I will state why in another topic. It's the worst weapon. On top of that, I've always had the impression that it's not exactly the kind of weapon system that folks can just pick up and use. Even with Hvy Wpns-0, Fusion weapons include portable fusion generators and such. Again, will make a comment in the other topic about this.

As far as mutiny goes, I kinda call BS on RV being able to fly the ship as well as hold us all at gunpoint (is that what we're proposing Pakkrat?). Maybe RV can do the engineering and navigation gunnery himself, but generally you need more than one mutineer to carry out a successful mutiny. And the whole "Kayleb will co-operate or I'll just kill him" is really something that needs to be played out in a game rather than claimed as a fact on the forum. You seem to assume that RV would be able to get the drop on a totally trusting Kayelb, and that he's just standing around waiting for RV to pull a gun on him. If you think back I'm pretty sure you'll remember that not only has Kayleb displayed zero trust in RV, he also keeps him under a suspicious gaze. Kayleb only agreed with having RV on board at all because Captain Crow said that he'd keep RV under control on the bridge. Without Crow around I think it would be very unlikely that Kayleb would be happy to stand by and watch RV claim dibs on a Fusion Gun. Not only does RV not know how to use one - or even power one up safely, it's also beyond the Mag Rail's level of "safety". Kayleb could tolerate RV toting a Mag Rail because Mag Rail vs Battledress isn't such a deadly thing. But RV with a high energy weapon would require a level of trust from Kayleb that RV really hasn't earned yet. Simply grabbing the FGMP He'd also be very unlikely to just let RV maneuver himself into a position where he could successfully fly off with what is essentially a company asset. If RV has the FGMP-15 then Runt has the PGMP-14 (There was one there along with the FGMP right? why does Runt only have an "ACR"?), and unlike RV, Runt actually knows how to use one (skill lvl 2). So please don't assume that just because RV has an FGMP that he instantly wins any confrontation he wants to go into. That would be silly. 

But if RV is going to Mutiny I say we let him. I get the feeling that trying to go "legit" in a hot ship will fail horribly. But by all means go chase that rainbow!

Did we actually get away from Alell? What did we get up to? (send me a PM if you want to fill me in).))

((Still OOC: Okay - just found the time to read over the posts above more thoroughly. I have a few questions to ask just so I can get my head around what is happening.

Last part of the show I was involved in we had touched down on Alell. Someone from the jungle had taken a shot at us. I had to leave early and go to work. From there I'm a bit foggy and really need to be filled in. Especially concerning what happened in between us blasting off and where the last game session ended. Pakkrat mentioned that both RV and Runt are in battledress. Is that right? Did we manage to get around the high law level somehow? TT mentioned a mission and a plan. Really would love to know the details of that.

Small detail:

the minute RV fires that thing for any reason, all the Impy sensors will go off, and the mission will fail, because they’ll associate the known ship type with the firing of the weapon we are known to be carrying;

Pretty sure that's not true. Starship hulls block 500 rads. Fusion gun emits up to 240. The ships fusion reactor probably emits more radiation out into space than firing an FGMP inside would. Just say'n. Better reasons for RV to not have FGMPs are probably that he's not qualified to use one, It's a dangerous weapon that emits enough radiation to kill us all if he ever used it, and it's as legal as a nuclear missile is. Plenty of good reasons to be leaving the thing alone. ))

For the sake of keeping Alby informed, I’m going to run through the events of Sunday’s game; at least, from my perspective; Pakkrat and Bob can correct me, as necessary.

When we got to the “Hunting Lodge”, after Charoux had checked the weapons for evidence, RV claimed the FGMP; Charoux didn’t have a problem with this in principle, but he immediately ordered it disabled, for all those damn good reasons you mentioned. In theory, Kayleb would have had the opportunity to insist, or to do the job himself, before handing it over; I won’t press that point, because there’s no point rehashing what an absent player would have done.

We then took off in the Star Hunter. Through Player-to-Player communication, a plan was formed for RV (and some help) to take the Star Hunter on a roundabout decoy run, and for those players to meet back up with the Artemis through a final leg of Civilian Transport. The location of the Star Hunter could be relayed to the lawyers, so the inheritors of the starship can claim it. The exact logistics of how we would transfer which personnel and equipment between the Star Hunter and the Artemis before the decoy run were not really discussed; I figured we had time to figure it out before Wednesday, since, by all appearances, we hadn’t dropped out of Jump-Space yet (if we even entered it).

I don’t recall whose idea it was to do the decoy run, or whether Pakkrat initiated that conversation or not. If Pakkrat was already considering having RV steal the Star Hunter, it should be made clear that one player deceiving another player doesn’t constitute one character deceiving another character. Bob may have a different opinion on this, but it’s generally a default assumption that players at an RPG table live by, so that we all get our fair chance to intervene.

Regardless of whether Charoux was aware of RV’s deception or not, Charoux would have prohibited RV from taking the FGMP on the Decoy Run, much less in a fully enabled state, before the start of the mission, for purely mission success reasons; so, to keep it, RV would have had to mutiny before the personnel and equipment transfer. While RV is successfully playing along with the proposed mission, RV is welcome to whatever Company-Issued Heavy Weapons he likes; Charoux doesn’t care about the lethality here; just whether or not using it would prevent RV from keeping a low profile, or prevent him from keeping a consistent cover; if a Corsair says he needs the Sword-Worlder Chaingun to drive off Imperial boarding parties, Charoux will take him at his word.

Bob W. said:

So putting aside the chatter I will answer the direct questions. The duchess had nothing to do with Vlen Beckett, Vlen's last wishes are what notified you all to get his body.

Bob, with regards to the Duchess and Vlen Beckett, Charoux was just spitballing. To pull off cloning the Colonel, someone would have needed the means, motive, and opportunity, and the only people who obviously had all 3 are high-level Imperial schemers. But, since it now seems that the cloning was likely in the other direction entirely, things have gone far beyond Charoux’s ability to reasonably speculate. Regardless, whoever is responsible is clearly very influential in the development of the Imperium, and, as such is worth calling in help from the Duchess for, if she feels up to it.

At all times regarding the encounter at Vlen's lodge it was the Marines and Agent Alyssa were identified as Imperial. Where the sudden belief that 2 rouge cosair/pirate types suddenly joined the fray by jumping onto the ship hull is beyond me.

Charoux thinks blasting unannounced Marines off the hull of the Star Hunter was the right call, and I’m just trying to check whether or not there were legal justifications for his actions; after all, protecting the company is his job as the interim Captain & CEO. Given the sordid types that Vlen Beckett apparently hung out with, it’s reasonable for him to assume that unannounced boarders are Pirates or Corsairs, and it’s up to Marines to declare they’re the ones boarding.


Could I get answers to more of these questions, please?

Tenacious Techhunter said:

Bob, a couple of questions:

I remember that we were investigating Vlen Beckett, but I don’t recall whether the Agent posing as his wife actually hired us, or if we were going entirely of our own accord; if she did in fact hire us, and we were not merely escorting her out there out of convenience and sympathy, are we still legally required to fulfill our contract with her, or are we exempt in the event that a client outright lies to us, as per what Charoux would have insisted be in Artemis Group’s standard legal boilerplate, if it were a legal option?

If she did, in fact, hire us, doesn’t that constitute entrapment, legally speaking, or does that not count, since we stated that we were going anyway?

In the event that the Agent is actually Vlen Beckett’s wife, is she a legitimate inheritor of the ship?

Bob, did the Marines that boarded the hull of the ship announce they were Marines, and you omitted that on account of it not being interesting, did they state it and we didn’t hear them for Comms reasons, or did they genuinely not state it? While a ship is underway, are we not entitled to assume such boarders are pirates until they have stated their intent, transmitted IFF, and other such things they may not have done? Just because we were notified of the presence of Marines on the ground, that doesn’t mean that the boarders in the air were Marines by default; pirates are brazen, after all...

The note said that this was declared as a Police Action; rules of engagement can be very different for military forces engaging in a Police Action during peacetime than during other kinds of engagement, not that I at all know the difference; I would hazard a guess that a change in the Theater of Operations (if I’m even using that term right) from ground to aerospace might require Marines to re-state their intent procedurally, even though this is the sort of tedious procedure that frequently gets ignored in haste, at the peril of the hasty. Every little bit helps, so do I have them on a technicality here?

Not wanting to jump in for Bob here, but I might be able to semi-answer Charoux's question about the marines.

When it comes to "rules of engagement" things usually operate in levels. Back when I was in we had a Green, Amber and Red kind of show. I know the Imperial Marines aren't the Australian Defense Force, but I'd figure all military organizations use a similar system. When among non-combatants and civilians, soldiers are usually required to be a little more courteous. No weapons being brought to bear and so on. Even if on "Amber" we weren't allowed to have weapons at action (round in the chamber) and were required to give verbal warnings before engaging.

Once someone has been tagged as a "combatant" things escalate. Weapons are at instant (round in the chamber, safety off, checking for targets). No warnings given before engaging. You're at "Red" once there are players on the field who you've got reason to believe want to end you.

So applying that kind of thinking to this situation, the Marines were at some kind of "Amber" when they met the party at the jungle shack. As soon as they starting taking fire and dying, the party would have been tagged as "combatants" and they would have gone to  their version of "Red". If they had a sniper on a hill somewhere for example, he would not have been required to tell you that he was about to shoot you once you become a "combatant". No more need for warnings or formalities.

So killing those marines who were trying to board the ship puts us in a mess. If only we had blown them off with a sandcaster. Sandcasters do chunky amounts of damage (8d6) but a marine in battledress would probably survive the hit and just be blown off the hull. A little more deniability if you use "less than lethal" force.

Oh well.

If there is ever any courtroom drama over this, I doubt the "we thought they were pirates" line would do us any good at all. Pirates would be more likely to declare their intentions than engaging marines would. I think legally speaking we're pretty much screwed ... unless we can find some kind of scapegoat to take the blame ... or something ...