Random Travelling Log - Diplomatic Action - Season 2

The series began in the District 268 Subsector of the Spinward Marches Sector.

The Crew in this Series:

• Jake Ryons - cocky ex-corsair pilot, with a trained Tree-Rat "Ratty" (Pete)
• Commodore Meg Walton - ex-naval capital ship pilot who believes that running a small ship "can't be that different" (Dave)
• Sayeed Qutb - Solomani diplomacy expert (Badger)
• Ruth Rodriguez - tomb raider with a heart of lanthanum (Kat)
• AL (Assassin Lord) - criminal assassin on the run after being ratted out (Schwab)
• Jonathan Henry - weird ex-courier scout (Scott)

See also: Season 1

217-1105, AL's Anola Abduction

Mertactor/District 268 [1537 Spinward Marches] - With Alec gone - taking Dai, "Mad Gav", and Jonathan, as his hand-picked team for a mission - Jake Ryons, Commodore Meg Walton, and Sayeed Qutb consider recruiting some new crew for the Black Star. At the starport bar The Yellow Hiver, AL, on the run from rival criminal warlord Nee Yon Fu, decides to move to the Homeward Bound bar. Fortuitously he is approached by Kourash Arani to undertake a job that suits his talents - breaking some impounded Pysadian Anola creatures out of starport quarantine and delivering them to her collector Patron, one Viscount David Pino. Despite the Anola's attempting some low level bonding psionics on him, AL is able to complete the task with no trouble and deliver to the Free Trader Galient which happens to be parked next to the Black Star. One of Alec's security programs pings at the unexpected activity and Jake and Sayeed recognise their old contact AL and make him an offer he can't refuse.

(Feb 15, 2023) Location: Mertactor. Patron: Patron from p50 MGT Spinward Encounters

219-1105, Divine Intervention

Mertactor/District 268 [1537 Spinward Marches] - Captain Lyn Ilkani of Imperial Naval Intelligence contacts Meg, Sayeed, Jake, and AL at the Black Star with a mission. She briefs them, introducing Ruth Rodriguez the new Cultural Liaison she is adding to the team. Their mission will be to travel to Pavabid, infiltrate the floating palace, and plant a hologram message that will convince the Son of the Star that his star god wants him to allow mining rights for the Imperial aligned Collace corporations.

(Feb 22, 2023) Location: Mertactor. Patron: Classic Double Adventure 6: Divine Intervention

Part 2: Flashback 211-1105 - Ruth and the Refugee

Horosho/Glisten [2138 Spinward Marches] - Just over a week earlier, Ruth decides to help the desperate Joshua Gideon who has been found by the Pavabidians he left 20 years ago (after working on the Floating Palace). Ruth gets him to the Scout Base where Captain Ilkani recruits her for a mission on Pavabid with a crew of specialists.

226-1105 - Arrival
Pavabid/District 268 [1238 Spinward Marches] - Meg navigates the Black Star's jump into a good orbit, Sayeed bypasses the security satellite network, Jake guides the ship down and works with Ruth to select a secluded landing spot near a Groat herd. AL scouts around, encounters a cute shepherd boy and stun guns him. Twice.

(Mar 1, 2023) Location: Horosho and Pavabid. Patron: from p52 MGT Spinward Encounters, and Classic Double Adventure 6: Divine Intervention

Part 3: 226-1105 - The Palace

Pavabid/District 268 [1238 Spinward Marches] - A smooth Grav Belt flight gets Sayeed, Jake, AL, Meg, and Ruth to The Floating Palace. They enter through the maintenance hatch at the bottom, stun several personal, and head to the elevators to the upper level.

(Mar 8, 2023) Location: Pavabid. Patron: Classic Double Adventure 6: Divine Intervention

Part 4: 226-1105 - The Upper Levels

Pavabid/District 268 [1238 Spinward Marches] - Sayeed, Jake, AL, and Meg, explore the upper level of The Floating Palace. They find it is primarily a television studio. Hacking into level three they have an encounter with a cute Wahroo guard creature which AL stuns mercilessly.

(Mar 15, 2023) Location: Pavabid. Patron: Classic Double Adventure 6: Divine Intervention

Part 5: 226-1105 - The Thearch Levels

Pavabid/District 268 [1238 Spinward Marches] - Sayeed, Jake, AL, Ruth and Meg, deal with two more Wahroo creatures, stun a guard who opens a door to see what the lockpicking noise was, and prepare the way for Sayeed to sneak into the Thearch's bedchamber and plant the device in the darkness.

(Mar 22, 2023) Location: Pavabid. Patron: Classic Double Adventure 6: Divine Intervention

Part 6: 226-1105 - The Escape

Pavabid/District 268 [1238 Spinward Marches] - Jake, AL, Ruth and Meg, wait while Sayeed plants the device in the perfect place. The team then make their way out without any trouble as AL and Jake make great impersonations of the guards checking in. On the gentle Grav Belt journey home Ruth spies approaching air-rafts and the team descends to hide in the swamp below. When the air-raft drops some passengers off to sweep for the team they are quickly dealt with, leaving Ruth with her hands on a captive who may be able to explain just why they were looking for the crew.

(Mar 29, 2023) Location: Pavabid. Patron: Classic Double Adventure 6: Divine Intervention

Part 7: 226-1105 to 234-1105 - The Exit

Pavabid/District 268 [1238 Spinward Marches] - Jake, AL, Ruth, Meg, and Sayeed deal with the mercenaries, return to their launch with three prisoners, and head to the Black Star in orbit. Meg detects a 50 ton Cutter docking with another vessel that has em signature that matches Imperial Navy ships. The other ship jumps away.
A week later at Mertactor they hand the prisoners over to Captain Ilkani and inform her of the other Imperial Navy involvement.

(Apr 5, 2023) Location: Pavabid and Mertactor. Patron: Classic Double Adventure 6: Divine Intervention

243-1105, The Playboy's Wife

Binges/District 268 [1635 Spinward Marches] - After some downtime on Mertactor, where Imperial Naval Fleet Manoeuvres were happening, the Black Star jumps to Binges to discover an almost empty type A Startport. They meet Sir Prakash Ryans who engages them to rescue his wife Shagron Valkatara from a group of local Droyne who have kidnapped her.

(Apr 19, 2023) Location: within Jump 3 of previous location. Patron: Random, #35 from 76 Patrons and inspiration from the world data.

Part 2: 243-1105 - The Droyne Disco

Binges/District 268 [1635 Spinward Marches] - Following the kidnappers path soon leads to a large area of Droyne quarters in underground tunnels. While the Droyne with Shagron are questioned by Jake and Meg, AL and Sayeed confront Sir Prakesh just as he's pocketing a bag of Droyne Coyns. Ruth arrives with the Droyne cavalry and the situation is soon sorted out - including freeing Shagron from Prakesh's grasp. As they prepare to leave, one of the Drone cast Droyne catches Sayeed's attention with a tickling pressure on his mind...

(Apr 26, 2023) Location: Binges. Patron: Random, #35 from 76 Patrons and inspiration from the world data.

245-1105, The Casting Ceremony

Binges/District 268 [1635 Spinward Marches] - The crew undertake a casting ceremony with the local Droyne. For the ceremony coyns are drawn until one of the 6 castes is drawn. The coyns drawn indicate the areas you will be involved in, and some have positive + or negative - connotations. The earlier a caste is drawn then the more importance you will have in that caste.

• Sayeed - Aspiration+, Chance, Justice+, Aslan, Gas, Warrior Voyaging+
• Meg - Aslan, K'kree, Technician Dreaming+
• AL - Warrior Battling-
• Ruth - Chance, Air, Darkness-, Voyages, Sport Seeking-
• Jake - Chance, Noise-, Heat+, Technician Dreaming+

(May 3, 2023) Location: Binges. Patron: Follow on downtime from the previous patron.

287-1105, The Overnale Situation

Overnale/Glisten [1937 Spinward Marches] - After more than a month of time with the Droyne the crew head to Overnale in the Glisten subsector to see how Shagron has settled in. They don't get much further than a catch-up at the starport where Shagron carries the carousing load. AL does, however, manage to drum up some security work for the Overnale Agricultural Corporation.

(May 17, 2023) Location: Overnale. Patron: Follow up on NPC from previous adventure, and Random #158 from Mongoose 760 Patrons 2nd Ed.

Part 2: 288-1105 - A Security Job

Overnale/Glisten [1937 Spinward Marches] - After meeting with the nondescript, surly, Dutton Armstrong, AL, Ruth, Jake, and Sayeed, decide to take the easy job of working security during an executive meeting. Ruth and Jake's recon shows that there are others reconing the corporate building, and Sayeed's research digs up that the company is taking over a lot of farms on the world. Meanwhile AL is making sure all the crews weapons can be shipped to the meeting site. The crew arrive and take up their patrol positions just before the caterers turn up.

(May 24, 2023) Location: Overnale. Patron: Continuing #158 from Mongoose 760 Patrons 2nd Ed.

Part 3: 288-1105 - Hijinks Ensue

Overnale/Glisten [1937 Spinward Marches] - With nobody having steward skill it is up to Al's reputation to uncover an assassin hidden amongst the caterers. Ruth sees part of a slide show that seems to indicate that OAC is causing farms to fail before they buy them out. It is then revealed that AL was engaged by a mysterious woman to steal a cylinder of an unknown substance from the OAC basement Lab. The crew were revealed to have made some fake cylinders in preparation for some double-crossing.

(May 31, 2023) Location: Overnale. Patron: Continuing #158 from Mongoose 760 Patrons 2nd Ed.

Part 4: 288-1105 - The Heist

Overnale/Glisten [1937 Spinward Marches] - Ruth continues to recon the OAC plan for the farms, Jake and Meg see off some infiltrators, and AL and Sayeed give themselves all areas access and stroll into the lab to steal the cylinders.

(June 7, 2023) Location: Overnale. Patron: Continuing #158 from Mongoose 760 Patrons 2nd Ed.

Part 5: 289-1105 - The Handover

Overnale/Glisten [1937 Spinward Marches] - After rejigging their autodoc to scan the contents of the cylinder, the crew work together to discover it's unique Uffleberry targeting qualities. AL leads the team to meet Amanda Jefferson in The Homeward Bound bar to hand over the cylinder. It goes smoothly despite Ruth awkwardly making moves on one of Amanda's team at the bar.

(June 21, 2023) Location: Overnale. Patron: Continuing #158 from Mongoose 760 Patrons 2nd Ed.

297-1105, Pushing Ice

Melior/Glisten [1736 Spinward Marches] - Jake, Meg, Sayeed, AL, and Ruth are involved in helping bombard the surface of Melior with iceteroids for the Ministry of Colonization. Jake is having no trouble with delicately manoeuvring the Black Star into position to nudge the iceteroids - "10-4 good buddy, that iceteroid is the second coolest thing around here!" - when Meg detects possible life signs with their upgraded sensor suite. The crew hastily Science up an alternative target site.

(July 5, 2023) Location: Melior. Patron: Inspired by world canon.

311-1105, Storm over Tarkine

Tarkine/District 268 [1434 Spinward Marches] - Jake, guides the Black Star in a spiral approach through an upper atmosphere storm and, after a few loop the loops, lands them on the tarmac at the downport. Sayeed, AL, and Ruth discuss how they are going to rescue the agent of Captain Ilkani that her 2IC Lieutenant Shukudi has tasked them with. The crew also note the ship of their old friend Sir Prakash Ryans is parked in a landing bay.

(July 26, 2023) Location: Tarkine. Patron: Inspired by world canon.

Part 2: 312-1105 - Freedom and the Playboy

Tarkine/District 268 [1434 Spinward Marches] - AL, Sayeed, Meg and Jake, make plans for getting the agent out of the Scout base. Sayeed trys some info gathering, while AL simply asks the scouts and is answered by Sir Ryans who, because they are using the transponder from Lieutenant Shukudi's ship Freedom, treats AL as his employer, and the crew realise that Prakesh is the agent they have been sent to rescue.

(August 2, 2023) Location: Tarkine. Patron: Inspired by world canon.

Part 3: 312-1105 - An Unexpected Ally?

Tarkine/District 268 [1434 Spinward Marches] - AL, Sayeed, Meg, Ruth and Jake continue to make plans for getting the agent out of the Scout base. Ruth follows a Scout to see what he is up to and is surprised to see the comms system identify him as Jonathan Henry, a previous crew member on The Black Star.

(August 23, 2023) Location: Tarkine. Patron: Inspired by world canon.

Part 4: 313-1105 - Blacktooth

Tarkine/District 268 [1434 Spinward Marches] - AL, Sayeed, Ruth and Jake, having already infiltrated the scout base repair hanger, are keeping watch while Sayeed and AL reprogram a repair robot. A Vargr scout comes in with a faulty grav bike and happens to be Blacktooth, an old acquaintance of AL. He is sent away none the wiser and the robot is able to bring Sir Prakesh back to the repair bay where he seems none the wiser to who the crew are.

(August 30, 2023) Location: Tarkine. Patron: Inspired by world canon.

Part 5: 313-1105 - The Irklan Assassin

Tarkine/District 268 [1434 Spinward Marches] - In the scout base, Sir Prakesh decides not to continue gambling and Jonathan becomes suspiscious, following him out to the repair shed. Once there he joins the discussion with AL, Sayeed, Ruth and Jake. As the crew head out to return to their ship they see a fearsome Irklan Assassin waiting a short distance away, and Ruth stealths off on a mission of her own. The Irklan barely has time to try to poison dart AL and say "hand over Prakesh" before he is gauss gunned and maser pistoled into submission. The crew hurry back to The Black Star where they are joined by Ruth who has been investigating Sir Prakesh's ship. Later in far orbit in the system they hand Sir Prakesh over to Lieutenant Shukudi, who has three Naval personal join their ship with a special mission to brief them on once they are underway again.

(September 6, 2023) Location: Tarkine. Patron: Inspired by world canon.

314-1105, The Hunt for INS Pulawy

Tarkine/District 268 [1434 Spinward Marches] - Captain Bayreuth, Lt Commander Dehmel, and Force Commander Froude, settle into the Black Star. Sayeed, Jake, AL, and Ruth listen to their briefing with some scepticism, and Sayeed gives Bayreuth sandboxed access to the ships computer systems.

(Sep 13, 2023) Location: Tarkine. Patron: Variation on Broken Arrow from Freelance Traveller 35-36.

Hunt 1: 316-1105 - Lessons and Learnings

In jump to Elixabeth/District 268 [1532 Spinward Marches] - AL, Sayeed, Meg, Ruth and Jake, are involved in various tech lessons and discussions with the INI team as they prep for their mission to find the INS Pulawy.

(September 20, 2023) Location: In Jump. Patron: Variation on Broken Arrow from Freelance Traveller 35-36.

Hunt 2: 320-1105 - The Elixabeth Enigma

Elixabeth/District 268 [1532 Spinward Marches] - Towards the end of jump, Sayeed, Meg, Ruth, Jonathan and Jake, watch AL win a zero-g, vacuum duel with Force Commander Froude. On arrival in the Elixabeth outer system, Bayrueth respectfully requests Meg to scan. When nothing shows up he provides an encrypted broadcast. When that fails to receive a response he orders the The Black Star to Elixabeth Naval Base, and the ship begins the two day journey.

(October 11, 2023) Location: In Jump, and outer edges of Elixabeth system. Patron: Variation on Broken Arrow from Freelance Traveller 35-36.

Hunt 3: 349-1105 - Panic in the Belt!

Caliburn/Sword Worlds [1430 Spinward Marches] - The crew land in the hanger of the planetoid outpost Vendetierre in the Caliburn belt. Two groups enter and both hustle towards The Black Star, one a group of upper class nobles shielded by a squad of security marines, the other blue collar belters. All are desperate to get off Vendetierre. Meg calms them down with her diplomatic skills and the crew hear that a rogue planetoid will strike Vendetierre in nine days. Despite Bayreuth's protest they volunteer themselves to save the outpost, even if it means using the CT-250.

(December 6, 2023) Location: Caliburn. Patron: Variation on Critical Vector from JTAS20. Also continuing variation on Broken Arrow from Freelance Traveller 35-36.

Hunt 4: 360-1105 - Going Through Their Stuff

Coming out of jump to Steel/Sword Worlds [1529 Spinward Marches] - With the ONI team in Cold sleep we see AL ending an auto-doc session, cast a disdainful look at the low berths, and head into the common room. Ruth has spread all of Bayreuth's teams stuff out over the tables as the she, AL, and Sayeed have spent the week in jump going through it for information. They uncover a handful of clues that point towards Bayreuth and their team actually being agents for Rear Admiral Santanocheev's Office of Naval Intelligence, and that maybe Lieutenant Shukudi is the mole in INI.

(January 17, 2024) Location: In Jump to Steel. Patron: Continuing variation on Broken Arrow from Freelance Traveller 35-36.

Hunt 5: 360-1105 - Finally the Pulawy

Steel/Sword Worlds [1529 Spinward Marches] - Meg's Legendary navigation has The Black Star exit jump right where the Pulawy would be quietly scanning the Steel system. However all they find is a small amount of debris. AL retrieves some and, knowing metal, identifies it as fragments from two vessels and partly from an airlock. Turning their attention to the planet Steel they see the Sword Worlds Patrol Vessel Rommel in orbit and detect the transponder for the Pulawy at the same location as the Type E starport beacon. Jake guides the ship into the startport unnoticed by the Rommel. As they come in to land they see that the starport is more developed than expected and that the Pulawy crew are repairing her small craft docking bay.

(January 24, 2024) Location: Steel. Patron: Continuing variation on Broken Arrow from Freelance Traveller 35-36.

Interlude: 001-1106 - Holiday on Wardn

Wardn/Lunion [1529 Spinward Marches] - As the crew recovers from ALs birthday celebrations two days earlier, The Black Star makes an early precipitation out of jump. Jake, Ruth and Meg get things under control and head for Wardn being ignored by traffic control who are busy celebrating Holiday. Arriving the next day they settle in for a maintenance check when Ruth is invited to dinner by a friend of aunties, Dr Ignatious Flynn. Over the course of the night, and with some light prompting, he tells them of investigations to study the Patterned Desert, how the first one was aborted when the team fell ill, and the second one is there now. Dr Flynn lets slip that the latest expedition haven't made their regular check in, and could the crew hurry up and get ready to leave tomorrow. Ruth does an all night research session and learns much about the previous studies of, and conspiracy theories around, the patterns on the desert floor.

(April 10, 2024) Location: Wardn. Patron: The Wardn Enigma from The Megatraveller Journal 1.

Holiday on Wardn, Part 2: 002-1106 - Desert Survival

Wardn/Lunion [1529 Spinward Marches] - Sayeed, Ruth, and a slightly sun-burned Jake travers the Patterned Desert looking for the team two camp of Dr DeLinn. After examining some of the desert lines they eventually follow faint clues to arrive at the apparently deserted camp site at sunset.

(April 24, 2024) Location: Wardn. Patron: The Wardn Enigma from The Megatraveller Journal 1.

Holiday on Wardn, Part 3: 003-1106 - Death Camp

Wardn/Lunion [1529 Spinward Marches] - Ruth, AL and a slightly sun-burned Jake explore the lab tent while Sayeed attempts to access info from the camp Air/Raft. Jake finds a report from the camps biologist and realises he is showing the early, tetanus-like, symptoms that the whole previous expeditions came down with.

(May 1, 2024) Location: Wardn. Patron: The Wardn Enigma from The Megatraveller Journal 1.

Holiday on Wardn, Part 4: 003-1106 - Remote Medicine

Wardn/Lunion [1529 Spinward Marches] - Ruth, Sayeed, Jake, and Meg discover 3 survivors. Meg and Sayeed help Jake to be able to remote pilot in the launch and then pilot it back to civilisation where everyone gets the medical treatment they deserve. In the following days Sayeed convinces the government to not follow the advice to wipe out the deadly Delev-thur which in the years to come leads to them overcompensating with the safety protocols, and the system government slowly moving from a Civil Service Bureaucracy towards an Impersonal Bureaucracy.

(May 8, 2024) Location: Wardn. Patron: The Wardn Enigma from The Megatraveller Journal 1.

015-1106 - Showdown on Spirelle

Spirelle/Lunion [1927 Spinward Marches] - The Black Star arrives five days before Lt Shukudi is scheduled to arrive for his meeting with Bayreuth, and set about preparing for the confrontation with him. Sayeed investigates Bayreuth's computer records for info about the meeting at the distant Scout base, Jake and Ratty make Grav Belt recon flights of the area, Meg muses about having used her authoritative leadership to make sure the message to Captain Ilkani will have moved with Amazing priority, and Ruth scans the local news and info channels. With access code Sayeed recovered, the crew lands at the scout base in the great spot Jake and Ratty observed, firm in the knowledge that Captain Ilkani will know about the meeting that Ruth determined will happen during the days long Festival of the Masks.

(May 15, 2024) Location: Spirelle. Patron: Continuing variation on Broken Arrow from Freelance Traveller 35-36.

Showdown on Spirelle, Part 2: 018-1106 - The Gang's All Here

Spirelle/Lunion [1927 Spinward Marches] - With AL having run into Blacktooth and securing his help for future locking down of Shakudi's ship when it arrives, the crew settle in to wait and enjoy The Festival of Masks. Finally a ship arrives and the Sayeed's hack into traffic control tells them it is the Lee World - Sir Prakesh Ryans vessel. The ship lands and Sayeeds ruse message works. Shakudi, Prakesh, a pair of bodyguards and the Irklan Assassin from the confrontation on Tarkine, all start crossing the scout base landing field towards The Black Star. AL, lurking nearby, hears Shakudi promise the Irklani that he will have his revenge soon. As Shakudi and co approach the ship, Jake and Ruth wait inside, Sayeed monitors discreetly from the Launch elsewhere on the landing field, and AL discreetly follows from rather close.

(June 19, 2024) Location: Spirelle. Patron: Continuing variation on Broken Arrow from Freelance Traveller 35-36.

Showdown on Spirelle, Part 3: 018-1106 - Ramping Up

Spirelle/Lunion [1927 Spinward Marches] - Shakudi and his companions enter The Black Star cargo bay and are confronted by Jake and Ruth. After a moment of uncertainty Jake orders them to surrender while AL announces his presence behind them to reinforce Jake. A short scuffle ensues after AL completely messes up the Irklan cultural norms, and at the end of the scuffle AL has completely messed up the Irklani, and Shakudi's group have surrendered.

(July 3, 2024) Location: Spirelle. Patron: Continuing variation on Broken Arrow from Freelance Traveller 35-36.

Showdown on Spirelle, Part 4: 018-1106 - Wrapping Up

Spirelle/Lunion [1927 Spinward Marches] - Shakudi and Prakesh try to talk their way out of trouble but Sayeed, Ruth, Jake, AL, and Ratty are having none of that. They secure them and then search Prakesh's ship, recovering the bug that Ruth had planted many months ago, and recover evidence to hand over to Captain Ilkani. Within a day the captain arrives in a Gionetti-class Light Cruiser and takes all of the prisoners and evidence into her custody. She says that while INI will be cleanesed by this there are higher powers that may protect some of these actors and not much can be done about that.

Epilogue 065-1106 - Things are put back

Pavabid/District 268 [1238 Spinward Marches] - The Thearch awakens in his bedchamber, goes into his office and sees that all his artifacts are still on the shelves - although disturbingly slightly out of place. Not realising they are forgeries swapped in by Ruth, he calls the bridge and blames them for not flying smoothly. Across Pavabid many small communities awaken find that their village artifacts have mysteriously returned and there is much rejoicing.

(July 10, 2024) Location: Spirelle. Patron: Completing variation on Broken Arrow from Freelance Traveller 35-36. Revisiting Classic Double Adventure 6: Divine Intervention.