Game in the Brain

The captain Victoria Nelson has “upgraded” her old ship, a 200dton Empress Class Far Trader, for a 400dton Frontier Trader christened “Rizaly”. This is a new period in her carreer so she has decided to stay make her preparations in Efate’s bustling and modern “New Haven” Spaceport.

They are staying in the Spaceport the Grand but Modest Hotel “Flying Gardens”, in the hotel lobby doing some basic sourcing and retrofitting remotely. There were many things to be done, Yuri was trying to buy parts to upgrade the sleeker and faster “Rizaly” while Anthony was busy sourcing goods and opportunities. The two are old and trusted business partners, Vicky was busy going through her own HR database looking for crewmen to outfit her manpower hungry new ship.

A beautiful thing about a Hotel in a wealthy and busy spaceport in Efate is the kinds of people and interactions you will see. People from all over the subsector and beyond land here, in New Haven, to find work, supply, trade, exchange news, and find a new life here in one of the fastest growing Systems in the Spinward Marches sector. the Giant hovering screens in the vast hotel lobby continually updated with highlights of the news brought over by the merchants who have come far and near Efate.

Efate’s information sharing policies are quite liberal and the Common Good of information sharing of news from all over the known worlds is very much alive and well by the looks of the space ports. So many interesting news and interesting developments, but not as interesting as the very public argument Earl Paul Roberts and Countess Regina Perez was having.

Nobles keep their affairs and privacy very secure and out of sophisticated electronic eavesdropping  but many have already speculated gossip and nuances that this is a very complicated lovers quarrel. A lovers quarrel with trillions of credits at stake, and children’s visitation rights. Countess Regina is the heir and CEO of CGE, a mega-corp which specialized in Mini-Fusion Powerplants but expanded to heavier and heavier industrial and naval equipment. Her falling out with Ear Paul Roberts can be seen as CGE is replaced by Vix&Crom, one of the largest Internal System’s Logistics fleet in the Subsector.

Earl Pauls severe temper is legendary,  and the harsh words exchanged could only give credit to the legend. Even more so, when one of his men drew his pistol and fired. In that moment, panic and chaos. Caught in the middle, enjoying some R&R was the crew of the Rizaly. If that much excitement was not enough for them: Yuri took out the gunman before he killed the Countess, while Anthony took her out of harms way.

The firefight was terrible, many civilians were caught in it. it appeared centuries of peace and respect just suddenly fell away as violence erupted mindless and unrestrained.

In the confusion, Anthony was able to save the Countess purely by chance while Yuri was able to notice one dangerous package hidden among the many scattered luggage to be found in an spaceport hotel with a sudden fire-fight.

During this chaos, Vicy did what she could helping out those innocents caught in the fire fight. Aiding a few, she carries one aging civilian away from the fight.

 Outside Anthony with the Countess find themselves targeted by a sniper who rips through her escort. Their escape cut off, they head back to the Spaceport, to their ship, but along the way Yuri joins them. They manage to get on the ship and the Countess uses her influence to throw regulations out the window in such an emergency. The sniper not yet done, tries to take out the ship dealing significant damage to the civilian vessel.

Yuri and Vicky unflattered with the lethal compliment, replied in kind with a Electrothermal Machine Gun used as point defense.

Last heard from the Rizaly, they are headed to Countess’s CGE Estates and Corporate headquarters to sort out the mess.

GURPS Traveller Lite in Roll20.
1 per 2 weeks. Next Session is June 5, 6pm GMT+8.