Deep Space / Sindal (Trojan Reach 2217)
Rahne, Mahan, Kesperziaiepr, Urien, Eirene
Parsec 2017, Sindal Subsector
019 (Harrier, Week 3, Day 6) 1105, Imperial
Jumping into uncharted stretches of deep space is a risky venture in the best of situations. But doing it on the guide of a starved and stressed, possibly traitorous, pirate, under duress and a looming threat of death?
Well that is just a whole other kettle of fish.
Jumps like this can always be nerve-wracking. If the jump is inaccurate, the vessel is left floating in deep space, with centuries of sublight travel ahead if ever hoping for salvation. It isn't a risk for a crew to take on lightly. Krrsh, in the deep freeze of the low berths, has little to say on the matter.
The Reclaimer's Intent comes out of jump with a flash and a burn. The whole affair is silent to any outside observer - though some theorists claim that if it were possible to come out of jump in an atmosphere that the release of energy would be so loud as to permanently deafen anybody within 50 miles.
With nothing but open vacuum all around, a sensor sweep is required in order to find the claimed fuel reserve.
At first, the scope is quiet. Dark. Nothing to be seen when the Reclaimer's Intent first sweeps its surroundings.
An hour passes. Nothing. Another hour, still nothing.
And then, finally. There. A return on the sensors.
The fuel dump is almost the exact same temperature as its surroundings. But once Urien is able to get a lock on it, a full picture of it can be painted. To make matters worse, there is seemingly no light save for what comes from distant stars to illuminate it as it drifts through space. It isn't until drawing closer that it is possible to make out the faintest signs of a sparse collection of guidance lights that indicate fuel pump hook-ups. The whole assembly is little more than a large collection of hundreds of 4 d-ton hydrogen storage tanks that must have taken a great deal of time and effort to assemble. And as per Krrsh's instructions, you already know not to trust any of the fuel that might be drawn from it as random tanks are seeded with heavy compounds in the hydrogen meant to sabotage a jump engine.
Arryn isn't keen to volunteer for the space walk, giving the rather run-of-the-mill spacesuits in the airlock a wary look.
But even without the new engineer, who sequesters themself to the engineering spaces to monitor fuel flow rates, it can be done easily enough. With the Reclaimer's Intent reduced to what is best known as 'station-keeping' thrust, approach towards the dump is understandably slow, but once actually close enough to jump from the airlocks to the tanks with a tether, the refueling itself goes... "quickly".
14 long hours pumping in fuel. Mercifully, the fuel pumps are purifying it almost as soon as it gets in the tanks.
But until then?
Among the hired crew, Arryn busies themself with the engineering for much of the day. They quietly sweep and tidy up, walking from one side of the cargo bay to the other as they work. When that is done and there isn't any more work to be found at the moment, they take to tidying up their assigned stateroom. Something they spent much of the week in jumpspace doing before. And when that is done, they take to sweeping the corridors and checking the levels on the cleaning bots as they trundle about on each deck of the ship. Then cleaning the bridge. The common space...
Dazl spends several hours practicing physical training in the cargo bay, and when that is done he goes to the common space on the second deck where he produces a small pack of playing cards and intricately carved wooden chips with Trokh script on their faces. A small bit of gambling, playing with any of the crew who wish, though he doesn't express an interest in actual credits changing hands.
When the tanks are full of filtered fuel, with the systems showing no unexpected issues, Arryn pings the bridge from engineering, "T-Tanks are full. Can prime it all now for - for jump."
And with that, the ship can start jump preparations. Something Arryn gladly takes to as the ship's engineer. Drifting away from the fuel dump to escape its small jump shadow, the ship hums as the J-Drive comes to life. Inside, the lights flicker from 'jump-dimming' for a few moments, and then with a very real and physical shift in everyone's belly, the ship disappears in a flashing ball of cracked hydrogen.
Onward, towards Theev.
Theev / Sindal (Trojan Reach 2116)
Rahne, Mahan, Kesperziaiepr, Urien, Eirene
The Downport, Theev,
019 (Harrier, Week 4, Day 6) 1105, Imperial
Coming out of jump in the Theev system, bound for the mainworld of the system, it isn't long before you can see the various ships and stations of the system start to pop up on the scope. While the massive titans of 40,000 or more d-tons aren't as common in her orbit as one might expect for an A-level starport, it seems that the orbital traffic more than makes up for it with the sheer number of smaller vessels that come and go from her.
And two transponders, more powerful than all of the dots and tracks that cross the screen before Urien's eye, stand out most of all.
The first? The Theev Highport. A hulking station that is oriented in geosyncronous orbit over the Downport. A decision that both eases traffic between the two points, and allows the two to provide mutual protection against orbital and ground-based threats should the need arrive. Say, should the Imperial navy finally decide they've grown tired of the criminal den and jump the gap - or overcome whatever it is that seems to have them stay their hand.
The second? The Skull.
A massive asteroid in the measure of thousands of d-tons, captured and towed over many years and at great expense into a stable orbit over the mainworld. So aptly called because its outward-oriented face resembles a cracked and weathered human skull, leering out at all those who might approach without permission. A highport as well, it serves as a greater assurance of defense further out than the 'main' highport. Krrsh warned about it. It was why he said the code he provided would be so important.
As you draw closer, inevitably you will come within the sensor range of the billion-ton monstrosity.
Just a few moments more and you are pinged on comms, "You're new to this port, Intent. Care to identify yourself? If you don't mind." The controller drawls as they speak.
You are given a prompt on your system to enter a landing request code.
The code Krrsh gave, which he said was a general landing code, can be punched in quickly. After a few moments more, the controller speaks again, "You're clear, Intent. We'll send you routing for the downport. Welcome to Theev. Mind the Law."
With that, flight data is projected for you by the highport's automated systems. Plotting you a route in amongst all of the orbital traffic as it comes and goes. But it becomes apparent as you slot in to the designated path that you seem to be given some degree of priority. The package name for the guidance data sent to you is labeled 'Greenline Express' and it seems you are one of the few ships on it, passing by some of those heavier vessels, and slipping between bands of orbiting traffic all jockeying for positions to and from one port or the other.
All under the watchful eye of the Skull.
When finally breaking atmosphere, you draw nearer the city, and you can make out some details. Towering spires of black metal and glass stab up into the sky, glittering under the sunlight. Around them, hab-domes stretch out over the orange sands, and you can see paths - covered and uncovered - that connect them all. Further, the city disappears into the shadowed depths of a jagged canyon where you can make out some ships coming and going from docking spaces buried in the cliff face. But your directions have you heading for the upper portion of the city.
The landing pads you are directed to look like a swarm of titanic black scarabs closing in on the city from one direction.
As you draw near the landing pad indicated by traffic control, heavy blast doors part, and landing pad lifts to meet you. You are able to land easily enough, and once secured in place the pad slowly lowers back into the ground. The blast doors come to close overhead and you are surrounded by total darkness.
It isn't until the landing pad settles back into place, jostling the ship slightly, that lights outside kick on.
You are in a rather standard-looking underground hangar. To the bow of the ship is the entryway that you can presume leads out into the rest of the downport.
External speakers will pick up the sound of something popping.
Spaced out around you, banners unfurl. All around the hangar, surrounding the ship.
They bear no sigil; no mark or crest.
They are massive, crimson banners. Nothing more, nothing less.
The doors open slowly, and a trio of figures step in from the comparative shadows of the passageway outside.
They march in lock step, one leading the way with the other two close at their flank. They were heavy black robes with hoods pulled up that conceal their faces in shadow. And when they approach, their leader stops with toes on the boundary where the landing pad meets concrete. The three stand stock-still and wait patiently. From here, you can see gloved hands clasped in front of each of them.
The first of you to step from the ship draw the focus of the lead figure.
A soft, feminine voice comes from speakers by the banners, "Reclaimer's Intent. Welcome to Theev."