Investigation into a Murder Most Foul -Case Notes

251-1109, 1 Lunion/Lunion (2124) I have arrived at the Ducal palace at Duke Luis' invitation. I must admit that, after a few months of retirement at Argentill, I'm very happy for a reason to return to the buzzing activity of the capitol. The Duke's missive was notably vague about the reason for the summons. I do hope that His Eminence hasn't called me up just to audit some functionary's accounts again.  251-1109, 2 Lunion/Lunion (2124) Well. The Duke's reasons for summoning me were far from trivial. When I was admitted to the Court, it was all but deserted. No courtiers or hangers-on, no staff or functionaries. Aside from a few guards, I met alone with Himself, The Duchess of Mora, the three Viscounts of Lanth, and the lovely Lady Ansrea. While I have met all of them before, to meet with all of them face-to-face, at once, in what was clearly to be a confidential meeting was surprising. I could read the gravity of the situation on Ansrea's face, and I could only conclude that her inclusion in this much more prestigious group was meant as a pointed warning to me. I was about to be given an assignment that I would not be able to decline. After the barest observances of forms and protocols, Duke Luis informed me that I have been selected to investigate the murder of a member of the Peerage on a planet outside of the Imperium, and that my investigation was to be of the utmost confidentiality. Duke Luis Himself stepped down to hand me the sealed scroll and told me to read it then and there. I will record the Warrant's specific instructions and authorizations when I am given leave by its Sponsors. In the interim, I shall summarize: The murdered noble was one Colonel Lloyd Robertson, which explained the interest and the pained look of Duchess Delphine. It is an open secret that she and Robertson had enjoyed a dalliance some time in the past. But clearly, this is about more than the Duchess' desire to see justice done for her ex-lover. And indeed, there was much more afoot than that. The Colonel was killed in an atomic explosion on Darrian, and the nobles fear that not only was the explosion meant to kill the Colonel specifically, but that the author of this assassination is not just an Imperial, but a military officer; one tied with none other than Duke Norris of Regina, recently self-declared Grand Admiral of the Imperial Fleet of the Spinward Marches, and by all estimations, the future Archduke of the Domain of Deneb. The fact that the Sponsors of my Warrant could all be considered potential rivals and/or future vassals of Duke Norris, does not escape my notice.  Were that the full story, it would be enough to trouble my sleep, but the Warrant and the nobles had much more to tell me.  Colonel Robertson was something of a hero in the Fourth Frontier War, and might have returned home to a promising political career, but he did not. Instead, he became something of a mercenary adventurer. I remember well the shocked gossip at the time. He became the leader of a group of so-called "Travellers." Apparently during their travels, the Colonel and his companions discovered a secret facility on the planet Wypoc/Lanth (2011). While details are sketchy, the facility seems to have been a psionic training institute run by a Captain Thaddeus Maarg of the Imperial Navy, and Robertson and his associates not only discovered the operation but compromised its security, rescuing (?) a zhodani psion called Professor Isis who had been held at the facility against her will. Apparently, this encounter created a lasting enmity between the Colonel and Captain Maarg, and perhaps to a lesser extent, between the Artemis Group and Captain Maarg. Following this line of reasoning to its obvious conclusion; it becomes frighteningly possible that this Maarg is behind the detonation of a nuclear weapon on the sovereign soil of one of the Imperium's closest neighbor polities. Perhaps even more frighteningly, it may be that all of this has been done on the orders of, or at least with the tacit approval of Duke Norris. Considering the legal and political complexity of this matter, it is quite understandable that the Sponsors of the Warrant wish for it to be investigated thoroughly but discretely. My Warrant gives me broad powers and authority to act on behalf of the signatory nobles, the Spinward Marches, and even, to a lesser extent, the Imperium itself. Unfortunately, the very secrecy required for the handling for such a potentially explosive matter means that Lady Ansrea, myself, and all of those involved in these events or the investigation could very easily become "loose ends" that would need to be dealt with if I make a false move. Even further, depending on what my investigation determines, it could create damaging scandals, or even outright conflict between the powers of the Spinward Marches. So I leave as soon as possible for Darrian/Darrian (0627) to investigate the murder most foul of one Colonel Lloyd Robertson, and to retrieve a group of mercenaries, an escaped zhodani prisoner, and rogue naval Captain, all without tipping off the most powerful man in the Spinward Marches that my activities may discredit him even while he tries to win a war. No pressure, though. 302-1109 TO: His Excellence Duke Luis Adorania Jesten of Lunion CC: Her Eminence Duchess Delphine Adorania Muudashir of Mora; The Honorable Viscounts Equus, Extolay and Treece of Lanth; and the Lady Ansrea of Tenalphi FROM: Sebastien Maddox, Esq. RE: Investigation into the Murder of Colonel Lloyd Robertson (Ret.) At Your Honors' behest, I have travelled to Darrian/Darrian (0627) to investigate the matter of the most foul murder of Colonel Lloyd Robertson on this planet. Having made myself known to the authorities here and secured their support and assistance in the matters at hand. Please see the attached forensic reports, eyewitness testimonies and other reports provided by the Darrian Confederacy . I would like to point out to Your Honors the following key findings: 1) That the Darrians have determined that "ground zero" of the fission event was the Colonel's home. 2) The blast radius engulfed the domicile, leaving no hope of the survival of any persons present at the time of the event. 3) By all indications, the Colonel was home at the time of the event. It is with some consternation that I note, as the Darrian Committee of Appeals noted to me, that I was the first official Imperial Representative to offer the Imperium's condolences and assistance after the tragedy at Sunny Point (sic). It occurs to your humble servant that a token of our support and assistance might be most beneficial to sooth any potential ...difficulties that might arise out of any real or imagined connections between the event and any citizens of the Imperium; as well as to remind our neighbors of the Imperium's benevolence and friendship. On 303-1109, I attended the medal ceremony in honor of the Artemis group. Only three members of the crew officially attended. Each member of the Ares crew received a total of four commendations and were being honored for a number of significant contributions to the Confederacy. I shall also note that the presenters were notably vague about the nature of some of these contributions. This, in addition to the darrians' seemingly sincere respect for the Artemis group, suggests that the group has been of great use to the Confederate government in more than one confidential, important matter. After the ceremony, I attended a luncheon in the honor of the Ares crew. I approached the attending honorees and introduced myself, arranging to meet with the leaders of the Artemis Group on 304-1109, on the high port, but not aboard their vessel - at their request. We met for a modest luncheon in a rented hall, and I explained to the Artemis group that I was an unofficial representative of the peerage on Darrian to assist in the investigation of Colonel Robertson's murder. I offered them a "ticket" to assist my investigation and I implied that I might also be interested in investing in their company, as well. My conclusions from our meeting: -I was pleasantly surprised with the frankness of the group. Except for ex-Agent Charoux, of course. They were more than happy to take my money, of course, and just as predictably cautious of ...Imperial entanglements. I presented them with Your Honors' warrant, and they seemed relieved to note that His Eminence Duke Norris of Regina was not a signatory. -The Artemis group seems quite convinced that Captain Maarg of the Imperial Navy is behind the fission event and the murder of Colonel Roberts. They were hesitant to discuss their reasons or evidence for this accusation, however, and promise a more full disclosure if they accept my "ticket." Later in the evening, I received their acceptance, and I began sending them over forensics reports and other info about the fission event. Today, I expect to board the Ares for the first time, to discuss our next steps in the investigation. It is quite possible that we will have embarked from Darrian by the time you receive this communique, with our Itinerary taking us to Ator/Darrian (0729), Flammarion/Sword Worlds (0930) and Bowman/District 268 (1132). I will next formally contact Your Eminences when I have more of import to share. Your Humble Servant, Sebastien Maddox, Esq.

Sebastien's Notes 309-1109 Jumpspace, en route to Ator/Darrian (0729) Having engaged Artemis Group in a Ticket to investigate the Murder of Lloyd Robertson and the Fission Event at Sun Point, I accompanied them to the scene of the crime. I observed from the relative safety of cutter and supervised the investigation via comms. I can't say that we learned anything new about the incident, but it seemed important to the Ares crew to tour the scene of their friend's death and perhaps make the incident "real." Shortly thereafter, we were on out way to Ator, on a course that will take us back towards Lunion and the Imperium via Flammarion and Bowman, and eventually to Wypoc/Lanth (2011). While we are in the void, I have been interviewing the crew about Colonel Robertson and Captain Maarg, including the zhodani woman, Professor Isis, who was indeed aboard the Ares. I have also been reviewing the ship's logs and records and the company ledgers. Clearly, the Artemis Group benefitted greatly from Colonel Robertson's business acumen, and the Chief Engineer who has been acting as de facto CFO since the Colonel's departure seems to be quite out of his depth. I have taken over the job of Artemis Group's CFO if only to assist them in making their way along towards our mutual goals. I have also been trying to parse the true purposes of my Warrant and the bigger backdrop of these events. As is so often with matters of such import and complexity, my meeting with the Sponsors of my Warrant told me as much by silent and undocumented implication as by spoken words or the contents of the Warrant. Of course the stony face and pained silence of the Duchess of Mora told me that she was truly, deeply hurt by the loss of her ex-lover, and that she wants some form of justice for him. The fact that she took the matter up with her fellow nobles, however, tells me that very much more is behind my commission.  It is no true wonder that Duchess Delphine turned to Duke Luis for support. As are their two Duchies, the two are bound by many ties of blood and money. But by co-sponsoring the Warrant and handing it to me, the Duke signals a number of things, not the least of which is that this matter is to be handled with discretion but in accordance to the laws and traditions of Imperial High Law, and yet the scope of the operations and knowledge of same, is to remain local. This is to be a matter for the Spinward Marches to handle, without recourse to Imperial resources or meddling. That the three Viscounts of Lanth are signatories of the Warrant is surprising only on the face of it. While the three are provincial fish swimming in waters far too deep for them, the Warrant needs their support not only because Wypoc is a world nominally within their purview, but also to forestall any appearance that the Warrant might be a part of some House Adorania plot against Duke Norris. For their part it is easy to divine the motivations of the Viscounts - they seek leverage against their powerful neighbor and they want to distance themselves from any potential scandal that may arise out of Wypoc. That the Naval "black" psionic institute exists on Wypoc is an open secret among the Peerage, but if it is true that the commander of that operation is guilty of the atrocities of which he is suspected, knowledge and tacit approval of its existence must be deniable. And deniability also motivated the Darrian Confederation's quick and complete assistance in the matter of the fission event. Clearly, their renowned scientists knew that an Imperial noble was the target of the blast, and moreover, I surmise that they have a good idea of from whence came the bomb. But for them to publicly acknowledge these facts would force them to point a finger at the Imperium and admit to their own bereft citizens that there is little that they can do to hold the Imperium accountable. I have no doubt that they will continue going through the motions of an intense investigation on Darrian, all the while hoping that my investigation either nets a scapegoat that they can vilify or buries the truth so deep that the tragedy be remembered as a great, unsolved mystery. The Artemis Group's twin motivations of revenge and profit seem clear enough, seasoned, perhaps, with a liberal dash of enlightened self-interest. That one "simple" truth not withstanding, however, there will be nothing simple or easy in fulfilling my Warrant in regards to them. I did not expect any difficulty persuading them to investigate their Colonel's death, nor to hunt down his killer(s), but keeping Maarg alive long enough to ascertain the truth of Colonel Robertson's assassination, and to what extent, if any, Duke Norris was a party to it will be no easy task. As I expected, Professor Isis has blood in her eyes, and will surely settle for nothing less than the murderer's execution (one way or another). The fact that she is also offering a large fee to Artemis Group to kill a man they already want dead, complicates matters further. I suppose that there is no harm in admitting to myself that I feel sympathy for the Artemis Group, not only for the loss for their friend, but also for their lack of awareness of their pawn's role in this great and deadly game. I am bound by my Warrant and my oaths to my Liege and the Imperium, but I see no real need to sacrifice these pawns. As a noble, as a loyal citizen of the Imperium and as friend to my Duke, I have an obligation to not only understand and honor the unspoken truths that Noble Courtesy implies, but to steer my Sponsors away from choices and even information that would bring them and the Imperium fruitless grief or regret.

322-1109 TO: His Excellence Duke Luis Adorania Jesten of Lunion CC: Her Eminence Duchess Delphine Adorania Muudashir of Mora, and The Honorable Viscounts Equus, Extolay and Treece of Lanth, the Lady Ansrea of Tenalphi FROM: Sebastien Maddox, Esq. RE: Artemis Group/Vessel Ares Greetings to Your Eminences from your humble servant, I am still in the company of the Artemis Group, and have continued to gather information about the current crew, including the two new members of the Ares crew. (Please see attached dossiers and additional files). As I theorized in my last missive, the zhodani ex-pat, Professor Isis , has returned to safe haven aboard the Ares and she has returned to her role as a member of the Ares crew, despite having offered them a "vengeance ticket" to "punish" Captain Maarg. Although I was never formally introduced to her, it does not seem that either she or the Ares crew made any great effort to keep her presence secret from me. A have had numerous brief contacts with the woman, and a formal interview. Isis first met the Colonel when he and his away team on Wypoc (Regina [2011]) 'discovered' the bunker that was serviced by the Imperium Navy, (she doesn't know which fleet, Regina's or Lanth's). Then, the Artemis Mercenary Corporation were exploring the area on a so-called hunting expedition and found the bunker quite by accident. Relaying that AMC had discovered an Ine Givar pocket nuke just outside the bunker and disabled the weapon, they needed to come inside out of the corrosive rain for a spell. Given a tour of the bunker, Dr. Melchior and Professor Isis showed them around the secluded and cloistered facility with open aplomb. Nothing was hidden as the Colonel was acting in an official manner as one might being still in service to the Imperium. Capt. Maarg the Navy's hidden Psi-Corps development team lead then arrived and AMC began to leave quickly. Professor Isis took the chance of teleporting into the rented, civilian G-Carrier before they took leave, given that she knew the exact placement of the vehicle in space. It was a gambit and difficult jaunt, but she did managed the stunt. With guns trained on her, she declared a request for asylum and defection from the Psi-Corps as one of their Instructors. She claimed that Maarg had been holding both students and Instructors under strict and dangerous confinement despite his offers of freedom of movement and a new life in the Imperium away from Isis' previous, Zhodani Path of Morality keepers. Many adventures later, Isis decided to part with then Artemis Group as the Colonel decided to retire from adventuring on Darrian. She went with him as she saw him as a hero and her saviour. Deciding to dedicate herself to caring for the aging Colonel, Isis helped him find Sun Point as their getaway home on Darrian. He warned her that he might be a target for Maarg, but she felt she could help with that issue should it come up. (It is here that Isis became emotional when she recalled the morning of the flash.) The two had become lovers. He spent his time like a soldier that never turns off. She accompanied him on walks to the nearest beach. Life was good. They made love one night like Girls Gone Wild. The next morning she took the air/raft car into the nearest city for some morning shopping of needs. Driving some time she beheld the nuclear blast in her rear view monitors. Knowing that Sun Point had just been nuked, Isis broke down on the side of the road and collected herself. She knew both physically and practically she could not return to the scene of the crime and so continued into town where she received his willed assets to her, transferred them to Imperial credits and left her Darrian ID bracelet in a busy warehouse in the same city. She had been living out of the air/raft car since the return of the Ares. Professor Isis was never much of a Zhodani power psion. Her main psionic Talent is Teleportation. After that, she is proficient in Awareness and occasionally has Clairvoyant stints that give her headaches, uncontrolled as they are. She came into Imperium space in 1105 via Capt. Maarg who was headhunting for Instructors for his budding Psi-Corps division. Seeing that Isis had stayed 'happy' long enough to emigrate from the Zhodani Consulate successfully, Maarg snatched her up with promises of a new life in the Spinward Marches so long as she taught psionics to whom he determined was ready. It seemed like a decent living until she realized where she would be teaching. Wypoc was both dangerous, uninviting, but also highly secure, dangerous folk to work with and everyone was nervous around her since she was fully Zhodani. The rest of the bunker were Imperium and wary that if she was discovered, the Wypoc facility would instantly lose credibility and be shut down and all killed. Thus, Isis knew that the facility was a Psi-Corps secret. To save both her students and her co-workers, Isis decided to defect the first opportunity she felt would work. Col. Robertson's unit was ideal, mobile and had little true loyalty to the Imperium. It had former military, disgruntled citizens, know-how former Agents (Charou and Sergei), Vargr (loose cannons) and others that just seemed to be right in that they wouldn't immediately turn Isis in. It was the Colonel who first extended his hand in friendship. Isis later learned that during the Fourth Frontier War, the Colonel had done something similar to a female, Zhodani dropship pilot he captured and forced her to lift his troops when his own lift vehicle was blown out of the sky. Isis had hoped to connect with this woman whom Colonel Robertson had rumored was merely a penpal Contact from his past. Surely another Zhodani that had contact with Robertson could advise Isis what to do after the flash. As before, Isis decided to muster out of the Artemis Group with the Colonel as he still owned a majority of the shareholdings of the corporation. They settled on Darrian for its Tech Level, its civilized environment and because it was well away from the Fifth Frontier War. The Colonel had seen enough of war and even though he never shut off, being a soldier, at least he was in a peaceful environment on Sun Point. It was unknown that someone with a nuke was coming after him. Isis truly believes that no less than a nuclear device could keep a good soldier like Robertson down. This is why she also believes the nuke was for him and the assassin(s) did not care about collateral damage to location or innocents. If she had not gone shopping for groceries and other retirement needs that morning, they would both be dead. In our conversations, Professor Isis has seemed nervous but generally forthcoming. She has confirmed all that I had previously learned about her history and the encounter at Wypoc. At no time has she attempted to use her psionic powers in my presence, but she has admitted to having rather powerful talent with psychoportation, as well a significantly less well-developed and well-controlled prescience. Isis also confirmed that Captain Maarg is a psion of great power in his own right, with telepathy and psychoportation talents at the very least. According to Professor Isis, her "rescue" from the Wypoc facility and the subsequent compromise of the facility's security that is at the heart of the enmity between the Captain and the Colonel. Subsequent encounters between Captain Maarg and Colonel Robertson, including a starship battle in which the Captain was soundly trounced, seem to have only fanned the flames of hatred. (Please see attached footage, transcripts and notes.) While it is by no means conclusive, this testimony does lead credence to the idea that, while Duke Norris may have been aware of the facility on Wypoc or perhaps even to have authorized it, the attack on Darrian may be more of a personal matter between Maarg and Robertson. Of course, I will continue my investigation, and will regularly update Your Honors as to my progress. Below, please find some personal notes about the crew of the Ares and Artemis Group: Artemis Group: Artemis does not appear until the Free Trader Artemis spawns the company of 'adventurers' that soon after became the Artemis Mercenary Corp [AMC]. There is a list of mission tickets they accessed, including the tickets the corp undertook and were paid for. Two Imperium nobles filed their charter, one of them being Colonel Lloyd Robertson who did not list his noble title in the charter. Shareholders soon began to cash out and muster from the corp as it progressed to a duo of ships, a 200dT Free Trader, (the Artemis ) and a 300dT 'stretched' Far Trader, ( Artemis' Satyr ). A little later, the corporation sold both vessels. Col. Lloyd Robertson took out a personal mortgage against his holdings on Mora, (rumored to be co-signed by the Duchess of Mora). With the funds from the sale and the mortgage, he purchased an 800dT Broadsword-class Mercenary Cruiser given the name Ares by a corp member, a one Sergei Andronokov, (a former corporate Agent). A dubious rumor holds that the corporation had an Uplifted Bear (Drifter-Barbarian by Career) as a shareholder. Soon, under the leadership of Col. Robertson, the corporation shifted its focus of business to trade and small-unit mercenary tickets and re-named the corporation Artemis Security Services [ASS]. The newest iteration of the corporation is the Artemis Group [AG]. Though the Darrian Ministry of Information could not go into details on AG’s missions in Darrian space, the pre-Maghiz vessel Toph was listed as re-discovered by Artemis Group, though the corporation was quickly on its way shortly afterwards. The Ministry of Information did express a desire to interview the crew. Rather they received a doctored account by the Dame Qithka Cannagrrh, after she transmitted her original story to her magazine, of course. The Darrian Ministry of Defense has flagged the Ares as an Imperium independent merchant, visa-ed to work and do business in the Confederation. So far, the government has yet to find any impropriety in their doings. Corporations have hired the Artemis Group. There is no record of any involvement with the Special Arm. The Ministry of Defense is most anxious and hopeful that the Ares will appear for the Laberv exercises soon to test the mettle of the Navy and the Guard. So, far - no response. As to Zhodani Tavrechedl (Thought Police) tainting, it is still under review due to certain possessions disappearing from public eye. Suspicion of looting, but no civil or criminal charges have been levied as of yet. Former Agent Larzamonte Charoux , Darrian tech-hunter. and CEO of Artemis Group. There is almost nothing official available on former Agent Larzamonte Charoux. His record, as a reward for his Career service, is a state secret. His specialty is computer espionage, high-technology, contraband tracking among other skills. He mustered out of the active duty and has disappeared under one of his corporate aliases. His testing showed a higher than normal sense of morals and a reluctance to take sharper, edgier risks without 100% disclosure of a given mission parameters and conditions. I am left to assume that reluctance is behind his coded message to the Duchess of Mora. Of course my operatives made me aware of the message, but they assured me that the encryption was extremely powerful, so I allowed the message to be delivered normally. I assure your honors, that despite this indiscretion, your honors are not exposed in any way, and that I am willing and able to take a firmer hand on Agent Charoux if you so choose. I shall, of course, leave it to Your Honors as to whether it is important for me to be aware of the contents of the message. In general, I find that Agent Charoux is a bright young man whose paranoia is his biggest weakness. I have no idea how or why he became the CEO of Artemis Group, as he seems ill-suited to the job and not interested in any part of the running of the business. As far I can tell, however, most of the important company decisions are made by a simple majority of the owners: Hane Mason, Agent Charoux, Captain Cannagrrh, Captain Crow, and the new, minority shareholder, Jeff Scardack. Senior Scout Gevaudan "Gev" Cannagrrh , ethnic and Equal Vargr, and Captain/Pilot-Astrogator on the Ares. Gevaudan Cannagrrh is an ethnic, Equal Vargr from the Dzen Aeng Kho - the Society of Equals. It is known that he applied to Artemis Mercenary Corporation at D'Ganzio (Spinward Marches 1920) after arriving from a religious festival held every 6 years on Menorb (Spinward Marches 1803). Before that, little else is known about his route into Imperium space. The rare, white-furred, blue-eyed, Vargr transmitted his public resume as a Scout (Courier), (then skills to follow in file). Attached to data is Library data on Society of Equals and what an 'Equal' is to the Dzen Aeng Kho, (see Wiki, not Mongoose). Known to have undergone cybernetic implants at least twice inside the Imperium and it is suspected that he harbors more Augments garnered elsewhere. Ghevodan is the true, Gvegh spelling of his name; but its pronunciation stems from a dissolved county of southern France, Terra (Sol 1827), with the accent on the final syllable as in French, (zhev-oh-DAHN). He has an arrest record, but through Advocacy, charges of spying for the Society of Equals could not be proven during the early years of the Fifth Frontier War. The Scout (Courier) is purported a Follower of Runetha Saetedz, an ascended Hero-worship philosophy, (see Menorb entry in library data). He is the direct younger brother to the Blooded Fang (Dame or Knight) Qithka Cannagrrh, (see below). He is rumored to the be the corporation's Pilot and Astrogator. It is not known if the Society of Equals has a state Scout service. "Gev" as his crewmates call him is not much of a leader per se , as Agent Charoux and Captain Crow seem to issue more of the orders than he does. Gevaudan is the Master of his ship, however, with extensive cybernetics that allow him to allow him to neurally link to the Ares. He does also set general policy on the ship and the others do defer to his orders regarding shipboard operations, when he deigns to issue them. Hane Meson , a street-level, grass-roots Jack-of-All-Trades and company lawyer. He has a wide variety of Careers, having flit from occupation to occupation. Little is known of what can best be called a high-society Drifter. He lost a foot in a Career term and has yet to get much more than a functional prosthetic for it. Hane Meson has no record of any high-society Advocacy and practices law for the corporation only when necessary. He does not publicly announce himself as their current representative. Mr. Mason is the largest shareholder in Artemis Group and seems to be well-respected by all of his shipmates. While he does not seem to hold any official post aboard the Ares, he seems to fill in virtually any hole in the group's roster, as needed. Hane often seems to take in what everybody else is saying and then offer solutions. Captain Jacob Crow , Imperium Naval Gunner and Chief Engineer of the Ares. Captain Crow's full military and biographical records have already been transmitted to Your Honors. He is a decorated naval veteran with a high degree of technical proficiency and tactical acumen, but virtually no personal skills. He takes his job very seriously, but can be impulsive and rarely seems able to hide his feelings. Dr. Simone, Imperium Ship's Medic, seems to have come from nowhere. She is the ship's Chief Medic despite more than one employee being trained in First Aid and short-term care. She hired onto the Ares when Colonel Lloyd Robertson mustered out and cashed out his shareholdings on Darrian. A correlation to her hire and his retirement is unknown, but likely. As of yet, I have been able to find any official of her life before she boarded the Ares. She does seem a very competent doctor and a broadly trained scientist. Otherwise, she seems to largely keep to herself. Clearly, it is important that we learn more about the Doctor. I shall continue to try learn more about her, and will report my findings to your honors. Jeff Scardack, Imperial Marine (ret), Gunner and Engineer’s Mate. A five-term veteran of the Imperial Navy with a Marksman citation, is from Flammarion/Sword Worlds (0930). Both his legal and military records are clean. Upon mustering out of the Navy, he cashed in accrued ship shares to purchase a share of Artemis Group and joined the Ares crew on Darrian/Darrian (0627). Kayleb (Runt) Grought , Imperial Marine (ret), Gunner and Engineer’s Mate. Also a veteran of the Imperial Marines, Kayleb was born on Menorb/Regina (1803). Despite an impoverished background and some dalliance with a criminal career, Kayleb apparently decided to “go straight” just in time for the Fifth Frontier War. His service with the Marines includes numerous significant injuries and other mishaps, leading to a tentative diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (never confirmed). Also joined the Ares crew on Darrian/Darrian (0627). Dame Qithka Cannagrrh , as both a knight and a reporter is fairly well documented. While not an Imperium Knight, but rather an Equal with the title "Blooded Fangs" equivalent of a Knight in ethnic Vargr circles, Qithka Cannagrrh is the direct elder to her brother Gevaudan. It is not known how many other siblings were in the litter if any. She works for Kfan Uzangou "White Fangs" magazine, a widespread periodical that is downloadable content post-editing. She is an employee and one of a few star Entertainer (Journalist) of the magazine that upholds journalistic integrity over dramatization. Yet her magazine still manages to spin her adventures into dramatic true stories or socio-political propaganda in Human-Vargr relations in the Spinward Marches and Gvurrdon Sector. Her ratings are high and climbed even higher when she followed her brother's trail to D'Ganzio. She has run a few blockades in her time to get the nitty-gritty, dirty details. She, by contract is recorded by the magazine's enigmatic robot, Witness. The Dame appears to be no more or less than she seems. Her relationship with her brother, Gevaudan seems to follow the classic big sister/little brother dynamic. Her reports go a long way toward both establishing Artemis Group's innocence in the murder of Colonel Robertson and bearing witness to the (generally) good character of the Ares crew. Uthka Varzeekh , Unequal Vargr, the Dame's eccentric attaché. Likened to a middle-aged, lower caste lady in waiting to the Dame, Uthka Varzeekh is rarely seen outside the Ares. Her last public appearance was on the holo-shoot of the Dame on the beachfront shores on Darrian. She wears purple and a coppery-gold metallic, orichalcum robe of a strange hue and carries a large lady's bag with her. 'Unequal' is a status of lower caste in the Dzen Aeng Kho, by personal choice rather than by birth, but the Imperium has little details beyond why. Unequals must wear a belt or a harness-like apparel over their canine muzzles as a sign of their lower status when among Equals, especially inside the polity's borders. Unequals are not slaves, but far above the rumored slave caste of the Society of Equals. It is rumored that the Dame's attache is somewhat touched and entertains the Dame and her younger brother with fortune-telling. Doctor Zi-rimen. After parting with the Artemis Security Services, Professor Zi-rimen disappeared into the folds of the Darrian Confederation and his availability is an unknown. His award-winning treatises and cooperation with the Universities of Regina are renown. He has even been awarded an Imperium version of the Nobel Peace Prize of 110X. Rumors suggest that the Professor is in an unlisted research sector consultant. In the matter of the investigation, the Doctor was of little help. An extremely focused academic hemmed in by NDA's from every direction, he would only say that the Ares crew were "very nice young people." Admiral Galen, Darrian Navy (ret) . Former Admiral Galen is listed as retired, with pension and decorations from the Darrian Navy. He is a registered Envoy to the visa-ed Artemis Group and assigned to observe and report on the corporation directly to the Ministries of Information and Defense. At 80+ years of age, it is not known what he did with his life between being a decorated Admiral of the Navy and a simple Envoy. Admiral Galen has remained aboard the Ares even since the ship left the Darrian Confederation. Despite his advanced age, the Admiral seems acutely perceptive and extremely knowledgeable. He represents the Confederation's interests in the investigation and, I suspect in other matters outside of Darrian space. Given his own record and the close cooperation that the Confederation has given us in this investigation and other matters, I feel certain that we can count upon the Admiral's discretion and good sense. The Admiral seems generally fond of the Artemis Group, and assures me that the Ares crew have been true friends to the Darrian people, "even if they are a scruffy lot." Status of the Investigation: Captain Maarg has gone to ground. Most likely to reduce his signature presence and perhaps as a distancing effect from Duke Norris who is now mopping up the Fifth Frontier War as Admiral. The Ares Crew seem confident that Captain Maarg will be at the Wypoc facility, waiting in ambush for them. While that may or may not be the case, the facility is a logical destination to find information about him and for the investigation in general. All attempts to determine the Captain’s legal and military status remain unfruitful. Other Suspects: Interview with LSP Security Personnel at Flammarion : “ There was one interesting female Vargr who did come through Flammarion from the Darrian subsector. She, the Vargr, walked the Starport like she owned the place and carried no weapons, as if she could kill with a glance. She had one 'pet', a cybernetic, dog-like creature that was probably more machine than canine. She did simple business, paid her berthing and passed onward. She took no passengers and did not have any lengthy conversations with locals. All who confronted her were met with the most strangest of grins. Her features are more hyena-like than canine or lupine in phenotype. Nobody took long looks at her for fear of drawing that same grin upon them.” Upon our departure from Flammarion, the Ares is headed for Bowman/District 268 (1132), thence trailing and coreward toward the Lunion subsector. I am of the impression that Admiral Galen has business on behalf of the Darrian Confederation in Bowman, but I am uncertain as to what that business is and whether it has any bearing on this investigation. I shall endeavor to discover more and will contact Your Graces with updates and additional reports as my investigation progresses. Your Humble Servant, Sebastien Maddox, Esq.

Wolfen said: I suppose that there is no harm in admitting to myself that I feel sympathy for the Artemis Group, not only for the loss for their friend, but also for their lack of awareness of their pawn's role in this great and deadly game. I am bound by my Warrant and my oaths to my Liege and the Imperium, but I see no real need to sacrifice these pawns. Yeah, see, that’s where you went wrong, right there; Charoux isn’t a pawn for anybody , at any price; nor is he willing to let Company personnel be used in that manner either. Once it became clear the ticket could not be adjusted, and the Company voted it in anyway, without anything more to go on, he concluded that there was no room for compromise without violating Sebastien’s privacy to find some. And with Imperium Politics not being his thing, he thought nothing of just mailing the Duchess to get the ticket altered. A pawn would have just tried to do both tickets and ended up in the middle of a gigantic cluster$&#*. Ultimately, Sebastien’s intrigues were not just getting in  the Company’s way, but in his own way, too, well-intentioned though they may have been. Charoux has some history of not conceding to just following orders, either, and instead, often considered the larger strategic problem and finding a solution within those bounds; Zamine was a good example: “Assassinate these guys with this mysterious sniper rifle!” “Are you kidding? That’s just setting up a supernatural martyrdom cult; we’ll expose these bastards as frauds and then kill them the old-fashioned way, so there’s no doubt that they died like the pathetic mortals they are.” “Oh... let’s go with that, then...”. A little more transparency on Sebastien’s part would have been helpful. Finally, Charoux would have an easier time with things if the warrant were signed only by the Duchess of Mora, because then we would only have to be sure that the Imperial Troops he would no doubt be handing Maarg to were hers and loyal, as opposed to anyone’s with potentially their own profitable agenda of getting Maarg off the hook; now, that might make things more awkward for players that know Imperium Politics better, but Agents feel more comfortable having fewer background checks to do. :)

Charoux is arguably the company leader largely because he’s the one that bothers . Hane doesn’t seem to do the leadership thing, and all of Bob’s characters are new to the company, and not really specced for it. Dave tends to play “floating background advisor”. Crow’s characters seem to wind up as “really helpful support”; Sebastien arguably could be a sort of “Corporate Leader” type, but he’s new for now. Gev arguably could be the leader, but that’s an awkward Player-GM dynamic right there, and it’s sort of not in his character. If someone wants to roll up a leader character, Charoux could easily step down; but it could be argued that Charoux’s paranoia-induced preparedness is the only thing that keeps Artemis Group from jumping off a cliff. XD

I agree with your explanation of the breakdown, and I totally get that what you did was in character and appropriate, although Sebastien wouldn't see it that that way, of course. And again, remember that Sebastien is under a whole set of pressures and obligations that I've only been hinting at so far. That's part of why I'm writing this thread. The same thing is true of his analysis of Charoux's role as CEO. You're absolutely right that nobody wanted the job, but Sebastien has a business background, and is used to people doing whatever it takes to get to that top spot. To him, a "CEO" who has no interest in the business aspect of the operation and who is usually hidden behind aliases or in the shadows is an abomination. As a player, I think that Charoux makes important contributions to the group and the company, especially considering that the CEO role is pretty much the exact opposite of what he's built to do. In particular, I like the meetings he runs, however contentious they may get, and his priority lists. I also get what a pain in the ass it came be to the would-be leader of a group that actually runs things by committee. All of the responsibility with almost none of the power. Been there, done that, got the gold watch. It was only gold-plated, too.

BTW, if anybody wants to give me corrections or details that Sebastien would be able to dig up, please feel free. I'm looking at this thread as a de facto history of the group, as well as a role-playing thing.

Except for the stuff that Gevaudan Cannagrrh is hiding, the dossier on him is spot-on.  His Sister-Dame would agree too for all that she looks over Gev's shoulder.  Same goes for her, though she would generally dislike anyone crawling down her past.  Uthka as a third of the ethnic Vargr has no pride or ego to hurt at her age, so her dossier seems to be right as far as she's willing to admit. Had Gevaudan completed his training in the skills needed for Merchant Prince , he would have stepped up to crunch the numbers and flash toothy smiles at Patrons, but he's a little late to the dinner table.  He will have to be content to captain the Ares. As for Gevaudan's will to lead, well let's chalk that up to his current Charisma which had two other chances to raise and failed.  He's up for another roll if the Return to Bowman goes well.  Had he rolled badly  the Ares  would be a crumpled beer can on one of the "big ones" by now.  Make a do.

Officially served via internal comms and wireless broadcast aboard the Ares to: Larzamonte Charoux, CEO of Artemis Group, Captain and Senior Scout Gevaudan "Gev" Cannagrrh of the Cruiser Ares , and to all employees, crew and passengers of the aforementioned, this 332nd day of the year 1109: The warrant from the Duchess Delphine Adorania Muudashir of Mora, Duke Luis Adorania Jesten of Lunion and the Lady Ansrea charges a one Sebastien Maddox, Esq. (or Marquis per preference) to: 1. Find the Ares. 2.Options to hire, or if needed commandeer the Artemis Group in the name of the Spinward Marches , Imperium. 3. Question at length the entire crew of the Ares , especially those who were signed on before, during and after Col. Robertson's death. a. The nobles want to know if the Artemis Group had ought to do with his death. b. Identify and keep safe a one Professor Isis, a Zhodani woman who may or may not have been involved with the Colonel. c. Identify and record the current crew of the Ares. Dossiers to be submitted to Lunion, Lanth and Mora. 4. Tour the site of Col. Robertson's death, rumored to be on Sun Point, a recreation community set on a peninsula of Darrian's tropical and coastal region. a. Acquire forensic data from authorities, this warrant serving permissions, to the incident. 5. Use any means necessary to locate a one Captain Thaddeus Maarg, attache to the Duke Norris of Regina. a. Were his actions a result of direct orders from the Duke? b. Identify, record and if possible interview the Captain. c. Serve a witnessed warrant upon Captain Maarg to appear to the three Vicounts of Lanth subsector at Lanth ( Spinward Marches 1719). Should he resist in any fashion, non-lethal means to apprehend is authorized - lethal if the Captain becomes dangerous to the point of further loss of life. Subject is suspected of involvement with the nuclear detonation on Darrian ( Spinward Marches 0627). 6. Become a point of contact, authorized by the three Vicounts offices of Lanth, the Duke of Lunion and the Duchess of Mora for the local Darrian Confederation. All decisions on the current issue are to pass through the aforementioned Sebastien Maddox, Esq. until such time as the Artemis Group arrives at Lanth, Lunion, Mora, or Regina. 7. Avoid press media leakage that might jeopardize the standing of the Vicounts, the Duke of Lunion or the Duchess of Mora in the eyes of the Darrian Confederation. 8. Assist the Artemis Group in the event they encounter any suspects of the assassination of the late Col. Robertson. a. A promissory note funding aid of returning the Ares and the Artemis Group to Lanth, Lunion, Mora or Regina is allotted to the sum of 5MCr is to be used only in discreet need. 9. Serve warrant to commanding officer of the 800dT Mercenary Cruiser Ares.a. Vessel is to report to and stand down at Starport choice of: Lanth, Lunion or Mora and submit to the nobility present. a. Should Artemis Group seek to resist summons, aforementioned subsector fleets have orders to subdue the vessel. b. Crew should appear before authorities without arms of any kind, with company records, legal charter, and ship's logs in-hand. 10. Identify any or all Psions, psionics-trained individuals aboard the Ares including Profesor Isis if present . Dossiers to be submitted directly to local nobility of Lanth, Lunion, or Mora at earliest opportunity. ( Signed,dated and sealed by the three Vicounts of Lanth, Duke of Lunion, Duchess of Mora.) Transmit to Imperial Battleship RayEagle? (Y/N)...

Charoux is inclined to say that, unless they’re willing to inspect it in person on neutral ground, hell no , because the combination of Psi Ops personnel and Imperial Navy is way too sketchy. Of course, if you want to send a carefully redacted copy, that should be fine.

If Gentleman Sebastien can get the Imps off their backs, Gevaudan would vote yes.  (However, the ethnic Vargr isn't speaking from familiarity with how the Third Imperium does things.) So long as we get to refit and escape Bowman. He also does not yet get it that Artemis just got served summons.

The Warrant doesn't give the RayEagle or the Navy in General the authority to board the Ares. Quite to the contrary, it gives Sebastien total authority over them, and empowers him to enlist their aid in getting the Ares and her personnel (et al) to his "Starport of choice," in Lanth, Lunion, or Mora. He chooses Lunion/Lunion (2124), where he has the most sway and outright power to keep you guys safe. But that's getting ahead of ourselves. For the time being let's take the conversation about what the Warrant means to our current situation back to  the Slaying Goliath thread .

As of the 5/22/2016 game session, we have met with, negotiated and asserted some level of autonomy against the RayEagle.   Though the battleship and its sub-craft are busy and stretched thin across Bowman, (mainly due to losing assets re-employed to the Fifth Frontier War), they cannot give much more aid than a small group of Engineers off their vessel staff to help with the refit.  This of course means that Artemis Group  and Sebastien are responsible for their safety once they arrive on Alpha as the rest of the forces of the battleship are deployed throughout Bowman in a month-long campaign of Puller pogrom to cull Pullers and those affected by the so-called Puller Syndrome. We have learned that the RayEagle has taken up orbit over Epsilon, thus providing its own brand of interdiction on the moon.  What this means for LSP, the IISS and the Darrian Confederation has yet to be learned and is largely not a concern of the Artemis Group  as it works feverishly to refit the Ares.

Not that any of us care overmuch, but this probably belongs in the “Return to Bowman” thread. XD

Jeff Scardack, Imperial Marine (ret), Gunner and Engineer’s Mate. A five-term veteran of the Imperial Marines with a Marksman citation, is from Flammarion/Sword Worlds (0930). Both his legal and military records are clean. Upon mustering out of the Marines, he cashed in accrued ship shares to purchase a share of Artemis Group and joined the Ares crew on Darrian/Darrian (0627). This doesn't affect it too much but Jeff was in Navy not Marine.

Yeah, just substitute those were I wrote before looking.  My bad.

You mean he wasn’t in the Belt Guard??? XD

Sent Via the Garrison Station X-Boat Service at Bowman/District 268 (1132) 335-1109 TO: His Excellence Duke Luis Adorania Jesten of Lunion CC: Her Eminence Duchess Delphine Adorania Muudashir of Mora, and The Honorable Viscounts Equus, Extolay and Treece of Lanth, the Lady Ansrea of Tenalphi FROM: Marquis Sebastien Maddox of Argentill RE: Artemis Group/Vessel Ares, Bowman System “Plague” Greetings to Your Eminences from Your humble servant, Much of import has occurred since my last correspondence. Your Graces will likely have heard of the horrific events that have recently taken place in the Bowman System by the time You receive this communique. As seems to be the norm for Artemis Group and the crew of the Ares , the subjects of Your Warrant have been right in the thick of it. If I may be so bold, I would have to report that these stalwart misfits should be credited with nothing less than the preservation of the system. I fear that it may seem that I am losing my objectivity regarding these people, and there may be some truth in that, but I assure you that I remain Your loyal servant in these matters, and I will uphold and discharge my Warrant to the best of my ability. Despite what Your Graces may have been told, the events in Bowman have not been the results of any disease or virus, or at least not of an infection in any normal sense. The “contagion” that is now known as “Puller Syndrome” is a previously unknown form of psionic phenomenon. You will know that Your servant is no expert in such matters, but I have had the good fortune to have been in the company in such experts, namely the aforementioned stalwart misfits, as they fought, studied and ultimately stopped the outbreak. As it has been explained to me, the Puller Syndrome is transmitted from one afflicted carrier to another via a sort of telepathic means, thereafter quickly becoming incurable and untreatable. The afflicted gain a kind of telepathic connection with one another, as well as a measure of telekinetic power, but they also lose all individuality and free will. They become bound together into a “hive”-mind, with one over-arching drive: to use their abilities to destroy themselves and everyone around them, on the largest scale possible. When Artemis Group broke the center of the “hive,” it had altered the trajectories of swarms of asteroids from Bowman’s fabled belts, and set them on collision courses to the system’s inhabited stations and installations. By breaking the connection between the many groups of “Pullers,” and regrettably, having to euthanize many of them, Artemis Group was able to avert the immediate threat, and reduce the overall threat to localized, separate instances. That done, Artemis Group turned to the repairs of the Ares , which was severely damaged by one of the Pullers' retargeted meteor swarms. Once the major threat was averted, the Imperial Battleship RayEagle arrived in the system and claimed jurisdiction in the name of Imperial Security, and with all of the subtlety that one might expect from military troops used to fighting Swordworlders and corsairs, quarantined the system. Due to the initially aggressive orders from RayEagle  and their apparent intent to sterilize the system, I felt it prudent to make the Captain of the RayEagle  aware of my presence of the system, the current situation in the system, and of the authority and importance of Your Warrant. In a brief and underwhelmingly helpful meeting with the battleship's second officer, myself, Admiral Galen, Dame Qithka and Mr. Mason managed to blunt the worst of the military response to the crisis. While we did manage to secure some assistance in our repairs, we were disappointed by RayEagle's virtual disinterest in our detailed reconnaissance and research. It is my fear that in this tunnel vision they may sacrifice civilian lives, assets, infrastructure and potential scientific knowledge in the name of expediency. I am attaching a more detailed account of our adventures in the system. Ares is currently docked at Garrison Station, completing repairs while Artemis Group and I aid whatever assistance we can to the Station and the system in general. I would submit to Your Eminences that any aid or relief to that benighted system from its benevolent neighbors would certainly be much appreciated. Sadly, as to the repairs of the Ares, I am told that it may be as long as two months before we are on our way to Report to You at Lunion in answer to your Summons to Testify in the Matter of the Murder of Colonel Robertson's Assassination and the Fission Event on Darrian. I have officially served the Artemis Group Your full Warrant to impart the import of our expeditious travel to Lunion, and have been assured that we will our make best time to Report at my Liege's Ducal Court. The Ares' projected course takes us next to Caliburn/Swordworlds (1430) and thence to Smoug/Lunion (1729). I shall notify You upon our departure from Bowman, if not before, of our progress. Until then, I remain Your Humble Servant, Marquis Sebastion Maddox of Lunion, Master of Argentill

Sebastien's Notes 335-1109 Garrison Station, Bowman/District 268 (1132) It is with a deep-seated sense of tired satisfaction that I take a moment to make these notes. These past weeks have been tense, at times even terrifying, but I believe that events have settled down to the proverbial dull roar at last. Docked for repairs and standing down, the Ares  is at rest and her crew are as relaxed as I have seen them since our departure from Flammarion. We have sold off the cargo that remained after our near-destruction upon precipitation, for a tidy sum, and negotiated for fees and rewards for the Artemis Group's services to Ling Standard Products and the IISS. Shortly, I hope to hear when the Ares will be whole again, and that I may begin making inquiries about outgoing cargo and passengers. In the mean time, a bit of contemplation is in order, to be followed shortly thereafter by a vigorous massage, a bath and a stiff drink, in that order. I am pleased by the relatively mild response that Artemis Group made upon being Served the full text of my Warrant. Granted, there were far more immediate and potentially final concerns at the time, but I hope that I have earned some small modicum of trust from them by now. I honestly believe that they have done nothing to warrant any trouble or penalty of any sort in regards to my investigation, and barring new evidence of shocking misdeeds, I intend to plead just that case to my Sponsors on Lunion. That said, the investigation is far from over. I have been too busy since arriving at Garrison Station to make new inquiries, but I have been able receive updates from my sources. According to both my own sources and Captain Crow's, Captain Maarg seems to have been called before Duke Norris for a private meeting, and quickly left back for the Lanth Subsector, in the words of my vargr informant, "ears down and tail between legs." In another bit of interesting news, I have learned that the suspicious female vargr from Flammarion arrived in Regina a month ago, and that her 100dT Bounty Huntress is still at the Downport there. While I am not certain that this woman was involved in the Colonel's assassination, it is a lead that I intend to follow up on, or rather, that I shall ask Artemis Group to follow up. My ancillary role in the "action" here in Bowman has brought home to me just how ill-equipped I am for that kind of derring-do. Hm. Perhaps I shall ask Kayleb to give me some weapons training or something of that sort, after I have mastered the surprisingly complex skill of donning a vacc suit without getting my tie stuck in the seal. For myself, I will be gaining access to whatever local information sources are available to support our investigation, and attempting to monitor the activities of LSP, the RayEagle , the IISS and our newly arrived Darrian friends.  I think that I shall try to entice some of the above to come to us. An invitation to an event or operation to assist in Garrison Station's and the System's relief operations? Perhaps a charity ball? A blood drive or the like? A thing to consider. Ah, Watkins has drawn my bath and laid out the massage table. Edit:  I originally wrote that the "mysterious female vargr" was at Bowman. I have corrected that to say Regina.

Wolfen said: Sent Via the Garrison Station X-Boat Service at Bowman/District 268 (1132) 335-1109 TO: His Excellence Duke Luis Adorania Jesten of Lunion CC: Her Eminence Duchess Delphine Adorania Muudashir of Mora, and The Honorable Viscounts Equus, Extolay and Treece of Lanth, the Lady Ansrea of Tenalphi FROM: Marquis Sebastien Maddox of Argentill RE: Artemis Group/Vessel Ares, Bowman System “Plague” Greetings to Your Eminences from Your humble servant, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Once the major threat was averted, the Imperial Battleship RayEagle arrived in the system and claimed jurisdiction in the name of Imperial Security, and with all of the subtlety that one might expect from military troops used to fighting Swordworlders and corsairs, quarantined the system. Due to the initially aggressive orders from RayEagle  and their apparent intent to sterilize the system, I felt it prudent to make the Captain of the RayEagle  aware of my presence of the system, the current situation in the system, and of the authority and importance of Your Warrant. In a brief and underwhelmingly helpful meeting with the battleship's second officer, myself, Admiral Galen, Dame Qithka and Mr. Mason managed to blunt the worst of the military response to the crisis. While we did manage to secure some assistance in our repairs, we were disappointed by RayEagle's virtual disinterest in our detailed reconnaissance and research. It is my fear that in this tunnel vision they may sacrifice civilian lives, treasure and potential scientific knowledge in the name of expediency. Instead of "treasure" May i suggest "assets and infrastructure" i think it sounds bettet.

Good call, Vic. It didn't really sound right to me either, but I was tired so I just left it.

Well treasure sounds like we are cheep money whores, i mean we are but we don't need to sound that way hahaha.  as for being tired wait till u see me today, my sons mom had an emotional crisis and needed some one to wake up at 3 am and come around to keep awake. so yer i wont be at my best this morning.