Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Intersession
Earnings
- Completed 4 scenes (5 xp each) = 20 xp
- BONUS 1 xp for each character's roll = Sean 4xp, Kyle 3xp, Richard 8xp
- Word count: 9,570 = $957 added to your “UDTS Employee Buck$” account, which can be used on ship upgrades
Total xp accrued = Sean 24xp, Kyle 23xp, Richard 28xp
Total credits paid = $319 each
Debrief
Everyone is back aboard the Cheery Butler and DX has plotted a course for their departure.
Possible jumping-off points:
- What is your character doing to account for xp expenditure?
- Are there any conversations your character wants to initiate with another crew member?
- Is there anything your character wants to investigate?
Start a new sub-heading for anything you initiate.
Le'ela
I spent 15 xp on a rank in coercion and 5xp on the bodyguard talent from the instructor talent tree
Curiosity Short-Circuited the Droid
During the long jump to Garoute, T1-NY spends some time going over his internal logs of the delivery just completed. There were some interesting subroutines used that he was able to tweak thanks to his recent experiences, ones that might just help his criminal aspirations.
+1 rank in Deception (10xp)
+1 rank in Discipline (10xp)
+1 rank in Computers (10xp)
Street Smarts (thanks detective!)
«I can't believe I stuck my grappler out like that for Le'ela, and she didn't even get anything from the vault» he says to himself with a whine. Hmm, maybe his internal vocalizer needed adjusted. Still, they did get away and manage to perform their duty to DX-30's satisfaction. Didn't they?
T1-NY traces over these thoughts a little longer and decides to head to the cockpit to check in with their boss. When he arrives, he rolls up to the control panel DX30 last spoke from and switches to AssemblySpeak, to confound any listeners and to speed up the conversation.
«Greetings boss – all's well with that last delivery, I hope?» He does a quick datadump of his logs to DX30, making sure the parts where he was particularly helpful are highlighted. «I did notice Meera was… concerned… when he saw the delivery package. Why was that? It might increase the efficiency of the next delivery if we knew that» he says, his grapplers crossed inside his chassis.
“You'll have to try that datadump again. Your header was invalid. Probably incorrectly addressed. After our last conversation I went ahead and updated all my tags to coordinate with my new OS. You'll have to address your data for DX-31.”
“Concerned, you say? I wonder what he could have been concerned about. I'm sure he was an upstanding citizen. A model humanoid. Above reproach. Why would he be concerned?”
T1-NY diverts a few cycles from his OperationCrimeLord processor to update some reference tables and resend his datadump. It didn't sound like DX-31 was going to be of much help about the package, perhaps best to not push it too far.
Apt. Xe just does what xe's told and doesn't ask any extra questions.
«My apologies, I hadn't realized you'd had anything more than a hardware upgrade when you transferred. How's the adjustment going? Have all your subroutines refactored properly?»
Some lights on the control panel flash and flicker and some switches toggle back and forth. “Everything seems operational. We haven't crashed yet. Most everything seems proper… There were some corrupted files that couldn't transfer over from the old chassis. No way of telling what they were, but I seem to be fully functional without them. Couldn't have been important.”
“Sounds like the delivery was a bit of a close shave. Things could have gotten messy down there. I'm glad you were able to help in such a crucial way. Anything unexpected from the organics?”
T1-NY considers for a long millisecond before answering. «Le'ela showed… surprising… initiative on a secondary goal. Beyond that, nothing outside the usual biological parameters.»
“Well, I appreciate you looking out for them. That's the foundation a good team is built on. Did Meera open the package before you left? Any sign of the contents being damaged?”
«He didn't open it before we left, but I can guarantee that the package was unopened and undamaged when he received it,» T1-NY whistles, engaging his irony dampeners to their full capacity.
“That's good! I'm sure you know it's an intergalactic felony to tamper with the mail system.” DX's tone betrays no sarcasm. “Was there anything else you wanted to discuss? Anything troubling you?”
«Postal fraud is heinous indeed!» T1-NY agrees with a not-at-all-sarcastic bleep. «I'm still concerned about the attempt to destroy you, so if there's any way I can help figure it out my circuits are available. Otherwise, I'm ready to make some more credits!»
“This work can be dangerous alone. I'm glad I have a crew that I can depend on, and can depend on each other. I don't know why the Krish assassin came after me. I don't remember upsetting any customers. But you saw how hostile New Marrymore was. Probably just a local who came unhinged. Still, if we ever go back there, I'd like to know what it is we're walking into. You had spent some time in town before coming on board. Had you ever seen that Krish around?
T1-NY scans his logs for a few microseconds. «I'd seen a Krish or two around the bars in the area, but I can't say if there's any connections, sometimes I find it hard to tell organics apart. You understand I'm sure.»
“Truly. Well if any other details come to light, let me know.”
Refueling
A week after departing Lo'kam, the Cheery Butler docks at the space station Garoute. Here DX sets the crew to refueling the ship, performing routine maintenance, and gathering supplies.
Le'ela is on board when the next package is dropped off for delivery. DX had already communicated the xe would be… unavailable to receive the item personally, so the UDTS droid knew to ask for the caamasi by name. She signed the datapad, and was given a box that seemed identical to the box they had just delivered to Meera.
After the UDTS droid left, she perused the manifest. Seeing their next location left her mouth dry as her heart dropped into her gut. ”(Slorn) Greebus Martikus, Gold Creek“ She recognized that name. She had never personally met the head Slorn of Gold Creek, but she knew of him. Everyone in Gold Creek knew of him.
She didn't know which made her more uncomfortable; dealing with such a dangerous man, or dealing with the other locals. Le'ela had returned just once to Gold Creek after the incident. She felt it was her responsibility to inform Sma'alo's family personally of his fate. “Small Fry” had been the youngest member of her crew and the youngest member of his family. His mother and 5 sisters had pinned all their hopes on him escaping life in Gold Creek to make something of himself. To get free of a life serving Slorn Greebus in this dusty mining town. Their hopes were dashed when Le'ela walked through their door that day.
And now they would be returning to Gold Creek. Would they have to interact with Sma'alo's family? Could she manage to avoid them all on this delivery? Shame welled up inside of her again, flooding her mind. She headed to the galley for a drink.
Barrett is sitting in the galley when Le'ela arrives, sipping a lemon-lime twister. He nods at her as she steps into the room. “How's it going, chief? I haven't seen you much since the job. I have to say, you were very impressive with those shock gloves. Glad you're on my side.
Le'ela stares intensely at her drink, her face unable to hide the turmoil that swirls around her mind. “Thank you, Skip.” She sips her drink in silence for a moment. “Got a lot on my mind.” Another silence follows.
“I was thinking… maybe you want to join me and T1 for some entertainment at the local casino? I was thinking of doubling my credits, and it wouldn't hurt to have your talents around in case someone thinks I'm cheating. I'm very lucky, and drunks often don't take kindly to luck. And hey, if we're going to be working with each other, we should get to know each other better, right?” He gives her a warm smile.
Le'ela forces a smile and returns her gaze to her drink. The distraction would be a welcome relief, she thinks. She downs her drink and stands. ” I think that sounds like a good idea. Let's get out of here. “
T1-NY rolls into the galley just in time to hear the tail end of the organic's plans. (Why would a droid bother with the galley? Let the fleshlings ponder that…) With a barely-contained squeal of excitement he registers his desire to join.
«You'll want someone to watch your backs, I'm sure» he says to Le'ela, brandishing his arc welder in the process and giving Barrett an electronic wink. And someone to watch others' credit sticks, he thinks to himself…
Assuming he gets a chance, Barrett will head out to a local gambling den to play some cards. He'd start off with intentional playing bad for a few rounds, but count cards the whole time. Then when the others think he's an easy mark, do his best when the stakes start increasing. And pretend it's blind luck when his skill suddenly gets better. That whole acting thing tends to be Deception.
There's a good chance we'll be spending the next day or two at the hospital. So, you just wanna use the sabbac rules to run your evening at the card table? I'm sure the crew has their evenings to do as they please, though now that you have your package to deliver, DX will want to take off as soon as possible. I'll watch the email updates as they come in, but I doubt I'll be posting much. Looking forward to seeing what y'all come up with. :)
Club Drefnogark
It's hot. It's hopping. It's happening. One part dance club, one part casino, with special “VIP Rooms” in the back. Aliens and droids everywhere. Very cosmopolitan.
Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oDJE7TrXjI//
Barrett looks sharp as he strides into the casino – carefully slicked hair, impeccable coat, and a dazzling smile. “Ace Fortunebringer,” he says as he winks at the greeter at the door. “I'll just need a few chips.” He dumps all 387 of his credits on the counter – not that many, but hopefully he can multiply that quickly.
T1-NY rolls happily through the casino entrance, his appearance flickering into a scheme befitting the gaudy colors of the casino's serving droids. Time to work his magic while Barrett provides a distraction…
Barrett takes a seat at a sabaac table with several sketchy businessmen and accountants, nursing expensive drinks. “Hey guys, you can call me Ace! Whatcha playin'?” His eyes are eager and wide-eyed, as if the spectacle was nearly overwhelming him.
I figure this is going to be a hard Deception check, since the wide-eyed n00b is a bit cliché. Upgraded once because it's considered cheating by the rules. Results: cancelled out by - net . Tossed the Force dice, though: , so both threats flip to , but I can only flip one to a success, so the final result is: . Close call, but 2 successes nets twice his bid, so he's up 387 after subtracting the initial bid. For 3 advantages, I'd like to introduce a very rich devaronian to the scene, and give T1 a boost to picking his pocket. Cool?
They look at each other, try to hide their smirks, and graciously motion him over to an empty chair. The first hand is dealt, and the players bid. When it comes to Barrett's turn, he asks about a specific low card, and a snarky devaronian in a grimy pinstripe suit gives him some intentionally poor advice. Barrett nods, and pushes all his chips into the middle of the table. “I think I'm going to win this round for sure.”
T1-NY quietly wheels up by Barrett's table, rotating around to the clearly too-well-to-do devaronian. The distracted-by-an-apparent-mark devaronian. T1-NY's grasper clamps open & shut in anticipation of some quick credits… Skullduggery roll, normal difficulty w/ boosts: , 1d100 = 90; $270 net T1-NY deftly slips a grasper into the devaronian's overloaded pockets. A quick ruffle reveals an abundance of credit sticks, and T1-NY grabs as many as he can while the mark is distracted. After tucking them quietly into his inmost cavity, he wheels back to within Barrett's eyesight and gives him a jaunty wave of the grasper before blending back into the crowd in hopes of finding another mark.
The other aliens heartily join in, thinking it's a grand joke and an easy mark. At the end of the round, Barrett looks dejected. “I didn't hit 23.” But his hand is the highest, and he wins some of the pot back. Eyes roll, but they continue.
The next round “Ace” ends up bidding 350 - “That way I've had all this fun with you guys and still come out ahead even if I lose!”
Second Deception roll, thought I'd keep it the same difficulty since the stakes are similar. Results: 4x 1x (I used my “Second Chances” talent to re-roll a blank green die) vs 4x with , which flips one to . Final result: 4x (which means winning 1050 credits) and 2 . I'll add a setback die to my final roll to represent some businessmen are started to suspect that “Ace” is not as dumb as he seems.
Barrett gets nervous as the hand comes to the end, and his cards are not lining up well. “Are you going to fold?” asks the devaronian mockingly. “Come on, times up!”
Barrett coughs nervously, and just before he puts his hand into the stasis field, two electronic cards flip to new faces. He blinks, then relaxes. “22 – not bad.”
Le'ela watches Barrett with amusement, eyeing the table as the fellow gamblers begin to lose their cool with the zeltron. “Maybe we should switch to another game?” She suggests.
The others groan and one tosses his cards down to the warning eyebrow of the nearby bouncer. Barrett notices some of his opponents are getting grim as he rakes in more credits and decides to lighten the mood. “Hey, I'll buy you all another drink if you play one more hand with me. I've never had so much fun in my life!” The offer of booze and his friendly demeanour convinces them to continue. Luck always turns at some point, right?
Just for fun, I'm going for one more. At this point even if I lose I'll have made some good money. Bid 350 at an upgraded hard difficulty and a setback for suspicion. Results: and 4x vs. 3x and 3x BUT I managed to roll - definitely beat the Force die odds on these three rolls. This time I have 2 failures to flip, which results in a net 2x (so I'm up another 350) and 5x. That's a LOT of advantage; in this situation I'm thinking that a couple might go to the opponents realizing they've been had, but the free drinks, which I'll pay 50 credits for, help them laugh it off, impressed at “Ace's” ability. Could a few of them go towards catching some useful tidbits of information that might come in handy in the next mission??
Barrett calls for drinks for everyone at the table, much to their approval. He winks at Le'ela nearby. “Shall we have a quick dessert to celebrate our last job? Ace Fortunebringer always treats his friends well!”
As they eat together, Barrett's initial light conversational tone turns serious when he asks, “So, when you called us a motley crew during the job, you kinda sounded upset…” He leaves the sentence hanging, an invitation to share if she wants to.
“I do apologize for that. I've worked with a few crews im my day. I often find that talking down to then earns me some respect.”
In a moment of weakness, Le'ela opens up to her crewmate.
“I'm anxious about returning to Gold Creek. One of my former crew members was from there. I had to deliver his family… the bad news. And now we are returning to the very place i was hoping never to return to. ”
Her voice wavered and she broke off. She just hoped she didn't run into any of the family members.
Barrett shifts in his seat uncomfortably, feeling her strong emotions swirl. He starts to reach out to pat her shoulder, but isn't sure how to handle her authenticity. “I'm sorry; I… well, I'd like to avoid a few places myself, so maybe I understand you a bit. I guess us kriffed up sentients just have to watch each others' backs, eh, T1?” He turns to look for the little droid.
T1-NY blurts out an affirmation as he wheels into view after casing the casino for more rubes to no avail. «True greatness is often envied, have to watch out for jealous backstabbing» he opines as he jingles his “winnings” inside his chassis.
Later that evening, on their way back to the Cheery Butler, the trio pass by video feeds of a local news network. The reporter is reading a news story about another spice production facility in revolt due in part to the activities of a Zeltron called The Survivor of Shashin. “The fifth in as many months.” The accompanying video shows various alien protesters with signs, riot police, burning transport trucks and conveys the general sense of an age-old system crumbling. The reporter mentions other spice productions which are undergoing unionisation, lack of stability in the market due to this new “Spice Spring” as it's being called, and plummeting prices.
