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--- game_systems:traveller:starlightdrifter:adventure_journal [2025/08/23 13:13] – [Surrender] Bryan Stephens
+++ game_systems:traveller:starlightdrifter:adventure_journal [2025/09/17 17:17] (current) – [Shari-less Shenanigans] Bryan Stephens
@@ Line 728: / Line 728: @@
 ==== The aftermath ====
+{{:game_systems:traveller:objects:fast_smuggler.png?400|}}
 It takes two days with minimal thrust for the two damaged ships to make their way to the Class B Highport. A day in, as Rally is ferrying over every sandcaster replacement he can find on the pirate ship, he suggests they take working particle beams. Viktor says Galen could be woken up for that, and so Galen’s recovery is interrupted for him to oversee this engineering feat. It is far for them first time he has been in space to do this sort of thing. It takes most of the day, but one of the turrets main mechanism were not totally destroyed, and the crew of the // Drifter// make it away with two working guns to be installed later. Rally places them all in their secret cargo area. Galen, unfortunately, has his wounds reopen and he goes back into the autodoc for another day and half.
@@ Line 739: / Line 741: @@
 Imperial presence includes:
   *[[game_systems:traveller:starlightdrifter:npcs:Calvon Terik|Marquis Calvon Terik dar-Trin]]
-: Imperial Noble and Fiefholder
   *[[game_systems:traveller:starlightdrifter:npcs:Alric Dane Valmorra|Sir Alric Dane Valmorra]]: Imperial Knight and Warden of Ramiva’s Ports
@@ Line 751: / Line 752: @@
 ==== Staying a Spell ====
+{{ :game_systems:traveller:npcs:marquis_calvon.png?300|}}
 Sharri is invited by their high passanger, [[game_systems:traveller:starlightdrifter:npcs:Virelle Darvon|Lady Virelle Darvon]]
@@ Line 778: / Line 781: @@
 ==== Last Muster ====
+{{ :game_systems:traveller:places:lastmuster.png?300|}}
 At the edge of the Highport’s mercenary concourse, beneath flickering holos of recruitment boards and cargo tallies, a heavy armored door slides open to reveal The Last Muster.
@@ Line 796: / Line 799: @@
 ==== What did you say?===
+{{:game_systems:traveller:npcs:sir_alec.jpg?300 |}}
 Two days later, Viktor is meeting with Sir Alric, Imperial Knight of Ramiva. Sir Alric Dane Valmorra is seventy-two and still carries himself like a parade-ground sergeant—chin up, eyes sharp, boots that never seem to scuff. Born a Ramivan and proud of it, he rose the hard way: first a line merc in the planetary forces, then plucked by the Imperial Marines after an off-world deployment revealed a cool head and a gift for keeping frightened people orderly. The Navy claimed him next, promoting him into logistics and security operations; there he learned that freight lanes can be battlefields and manifests can bleed. His knighthood came after a long grind of anti-piracy work along the Sword Worlds border, the sort of recognition that arrives late and without fanfare, but sticks.
@@ Line 810: / Line 815: @@
 Both men are in agreement that Trivane may be behind many things. The size and scope of the piracy now is quite alarming and points to significant outside help for the pirates. Sir Alec notes he will look for a possible spot ships could be serviced and refueled within the solar system. This will be hard as Ramiva has little control off planet. He asks Viktor to relay a message for him when they go to Trin, with the Marquis personal mark. Viktor agrees, both hoping that a more personal delegation might help. Both also know that Viktor is likely to see if something is off. Not for the first (or last) time does Viktor ponder the fact that he is retired, but still in service to the Imperium.
+{{ :game_systems:traveller:places:1048b1e7-de35-4fe5-86dc-dd6cdd62c883.png?400|}}
 Back in the city, Sharri has run into a problem. In her eagerness to get the show up and running, she has tried the usual tactics of securing companionship for Rally. Female companionship. These has been easy in more metropolitan worlds. And it is not that she is looking for sex workers per say, just where she could find women eager to come to a party with Rally. This is still seen as solicitation of sex, and Sharri is unlucky enough to be arrested for it. She calls Hanson before her comm is taken.
@@ Line 827: / Line 834: @@
 Her brooding is interrupted by a summons by the guards. She is taken to out processing and meets her lawyer.
-//”Hello, Captain Duncan. I was hired by a friend to come get you out. Your bond has been paid, at Cr50,000 of course, in Imperial credits. I will help you with this misunderstanding.”
+//”Hello, Captain Duncan. I was hired by a friend to come get you out. Your bond has been paid, at Cr50,000 of course, in Imperial credits. I will help you with this misunderstanding.”//
 //”Excuse me but who are you and what friend?”// this seems faster than she expected from her phone call.
@@ Line 835: / Line 842: @@
 Sharri gets his card, //how quaint// and then calls Hanson to say she is out. They head to meet her, while Hason gets a call from Vinmark.
 //”Your friend is already out. Fastest I have ever seen that happen. Bond paid too.”//
 Hanson thanks him and says to keep the retainer. That was paid in good faith. Vinmark is happy to have Imperial credits and agrees. Viktor, Sharri, Rally, and Hanson meet at the hotel. Who in hades is Songhime, and what is going on?
+==== Rally is Famous ====
+|Game Date|9/14/25|
+|Campaign Dates|1099, 187-190|
+=== What do we do without Sharri?===
+{{ :game_systems:traveller:npcs:sharritoknight.png?400|}}
+The three men and their captain arrive back at their hotel, the Imperial. They are met by two men dressed in the uniforms of the Imperial Marines. They present identification and ask Sharri to come with them to answer questions about the piracy attack to Sir Alec. It is immediately clear to Viktor this is a maneuver to get Sharri out of the jurisdiction of Ramiva, and into Imperial control. He makes a note to thank Sir Alec for the favor, but out loud he jokes,
+//”Remember, if they put you in a cell, attack the biggest one to assert dominance!”//
+Sharri is gently escorted to a grav car, rare on this world, and flown back to Sir Alec’s tower.
+With Sharri gone, Viktor calls Galen down to the planet with a terse //”We need you.”//. All four men sit at their suite at the Imperial and plan next steps. Fortunately, Sharri already has a venue set up, a place for the meet and greet and afterparty, and has made the arrangements with the High Speaker’s office. Equipment is another matter. That will fall to Rally.
+Viktor updates the crew on the backend dealings he suspects are from former Minister of Oversight, Trivane. He feels certain Trivane is connected to the pirates, as they are being directly used to smear the reputation of the High Speaker. He asks Galen about the logistics, and Galen is convinced there is no way this can be supported locally.
+//”They have to be getting off world money and support. And crew. There is no way to support these ships here,”// the former pirate notes. //”They might have a base someplace in system, but that still needs modern supplies. They are not getting that from Ramiva.”//
+Hanson, thinking about their last concert on Fornice, is concerned about the safety and security of the venue. He says he wants to meet with the locals and provide support. Rally needs to check the systems so that is where they head. Galen and Viktor decide to tail them to see if anyone is following them. This leads to two fascinating discoveries. First, much to their surprise, there is no tail at all. And second, while Ramiva is TL8, the security for the High Speaker is much more sophisticated. Even off world tech would be hard pressed to penetrate the security services that will be in place since he will be attending the concert. Hanson relaxes a great deal.
+Rally is used to using old equipment with his interest in history. He is more than able to work his guitar into the system and gets the sounds correct for the concert in two nights. He is able to locate some back up players through the venue and even rehearses with them some. Frankly, as fans of his music AND good musicians they play it better than he does.
+=== Shari-less Shenanigans ===
+{{:game_systems:traveller:pcstuff:galenat_bar.png?350 |}}
+Viktor and Galen end their shadowing of their crewmates and seek out a place to get more information on the pirates. After some good discussion on their walk, Viktor looks up the less reputable Mercenary companies. He is able to single out three in a close area in the City, all of whom tend to use the same bar, The Spent Casing.
+It’s tucked down a side street near the freight docks, a squat ferrocrete box with a cracked neon sign of a falling cartridge that never lights up the same way twice. Inside, the air is thick with recycled smoke and machine oil. The bar itself is armored plating welded over an old ammo crate line, with spent brass casings set under the resin top like a promise of what happens when jobs go wrong.
+The men enter at different times. The place hums with low laughter and sharp edges. At one table, two men in patched flak vests slam their fists in rhythm, daring the other to keep drinking; casings clatter in the ashtray with every glass set down. A woman with a buzzcut and a half-burned throat sips something the color of coolant. Another pair lean close in a booth, muttering about a job that smells like a setup, but the pay’s better than starving.
+Galen grins. His people. After a year with playing it straight, it’s good to be back. Galen wades into the fray and is soon fully engaged. He buys some drinks with Imperial credits (the sign of success of mercenaries of Ramiva), and engages in the typical wild storytelling. Some of the stories are even true!. As the hours pass, Galen manages his liquor well enough to stay on top, and old trick from running the casino.
+What he finds is both enlightening and a dead end. There are some stories of people being hired on to be heavies for ships that could match the pirates. Of note, none of those people have yet come back from work. Not that long trips are out of the ordinary, transit times being what they are. It is clear to Galen that some locals have been used, but it does not generate any information about who is behind it. It does confirm his ideas on off world money.
+Viktor is not in his element. Trying to get information like this, is not his style. His style is more a captive, a low voice, and a very sharp blade. Mostly he ends up getting ignored, drinking quietly. However, this does mean he spots a man noticing Galen. It is clear he recognizes Galen and he immediately goes to talk to someone else. Viktor muses he should get some sort of listening device, and has to satisfy himself with a surreptitious picture on his comm. Now he waits.
+Galen is having a good time and does not notice he has been “made”. He leaves to walk back to the hotel, and Viktor watches a man follow him out. Like a shadow merging with the night, Viktor follows them both, completely unnoticed. Galen, however, does notice his tail, and sneaks a text to Viktor that he is being followed. Viktor sends a thumbs up and Galen proceeds normally.
+After Galen enters, Viktor takes a picture of the man making a phone call, and using his advanced comm, records the signal. He can decode that later. He enters the hotel after Galen, and tells him what happened. Galen recognizes the first man, the one who spotted him. An old enemy, former Sgt. Grimes.
+//”He was bad at poker, and I took him for everything he had,”//
+Viktor has more class than to ask about the honesty of the game. It seems that this Grimes is a mercenary now, actually part of a B Teir group as a former Marine, but maybe he has friends in low places.
+{{ :game_systems:traveller:pcstuff:viktor_city.png?350|}}
+Hanson and Rally return from their day, and Rally is nonplussed the other two men have been out to “party”, despite it being work. He badgers Hanson into going to a club, and they head to the concierge at the Imperial for advice. A fan who knows Rally, he suggests a club where upon arrival, Hanson is dismayed to find out it is a strip club, the Golden Pony. Rally says,
+//”Look, mate, we can score something extra for me to take tomorrow, since we can’t get it off the ship. You know, more than just booze”//
+//”Absolutely, not!”// comes the terse reply as they enter.
+The two men have Imperial credits and the money to spend, so they get both attention and action. Rally just happens to notice news on the TV and is startled to see himself. This is not a concert ad. He checks his comm and discovers several medial outlets are tying the High Speak to Rally, subtly implicating the High Speaker with a loose lifestyle. Not good.
+//“And not anything I can do about it.”// and he puts up his comm to enjoy the evening.
+Later, as Hanson is enjoying the attention of a young woman in his private VIP room, he is hit with the sudden realization:
+//Rally is on his own!//
+The Sgt. charges our of his room and into the one with Rally, who in that moment is using a straw to snort up something from the stripper’s body. Unashamed, Rally simply offers some to Hanson.
+For the rest of the evening, the rocker is always in his friend’s line of sight. Rally’s attempt to smuggle out drugs comes to naught.
+When they return to the hotel, Viktor has managed to decode the phone call he intercepted. He is just finished telling Galen the contents. Clearly, Grimes is tracked them to here. They have no idea what might but up, but maybe Rally has the answer. Rally tells the others what he saw on the news. They all take a look, and Viktor is shaking his head. Rally’s phone rings. It is Sharri!
+//”What are you doing! A strip club? On the news?”// Viktor moves the call to his comm to calm her down. Rally looks, and sure enough, somehow their escapade at the Golden Pony is already news. It seems Rally was with one Sindee. Rally is aghast.
+//”Damnit! That is so wrong! It was Sinnimen!”// He goes to actually comment on the newsfeed and Hanson slaps his comm from his hand.
+//”No! No comments!”//
+//”But they got it wrong”// cries Rally.
+He might have argued more had Viktor not handed Hanson a hypo.
+Ssssssssss
+Hanson put his friend to bed.
+=== Playing the Roll of Rally ===
+{{:game_systems:traveller:places:rally.png?400 |}}
+Nothing untoward happens during the next day. Sgt. Hanson keeps an eye and a strong arm on Rally until the meet and greet that evening. Because the High Speaker is attending, no one has any weapons. The security is very complete. No one may come or go while he is there. Rally is in his element. The guests, including several lovely women Sharri did secure among fans are in attendance. This is VIP. The High Speaker arrives and Rally goes to work.
+It is while Rally is showing his crossbow to the High Speaker that Viktor grows concerned. Two of the young women seem to be taking pictures a salaciously as possible, always with an eye towards making the High Speaker look more engaged with them than he is. He knows a scheme when he sees one. Tabloid types, perhaps.
+Unlike carousing in a bar, this is what Viktor does. He grabs two flutes of champagne and affects a stagger. The two women are the recipients of a trip and splash on their dresses. Both women react with anger, but do not make a secne. Viktor is profusely apologetic and escorts them to a fresher. In the process, stumbling some, trying to clean them. He easily takes the comms of the redhead but blonde takes a bit of extra misdirection.
+That taken care of, Viktor notes both women are on the afterparty list. Well, were. After the High Speaker leaves, the rest of the quests go as well. Once safely back in the Imperial, Viktor easily cracks the phones while he tells the others what happened. Rally is disappointed as he was looking forward to having both of them. //”At the afterparty, I mean.”//
+The phone have the images and no contacts or histories.
+//”These were professionals. Good work. Just not as good as me”// Viktor says mostly to himself.
+Everyone gets a good sleep. Tomorrow afternoon is the concert.
+And it goes off without a hitch. Mostly sober, and certainly not high, Rally does not deliver his best performance. Still, his fans are happy, and who cares with the critics say. The High Speaker was most delighted and sent a note saying as much.
+The afterparty goes quite well. Under Viktor’s sober watch, Rally and Hanson have a fantastic time, staying up the whole night. Galen, however, only manages two assassinations before succumbing to the booze. Viktor makes sure his night on the couch is safe.
+In the morning, Viktor is still quite awake.
+//Long nights fueled by caffeine used to be easier// the older man muses. Still, he kept his watch on his friends. With staff help he gets the visitors off for the morning and makes sure the suite is secure. A call to Sharri helps settle her nerves.
+On the balcony of the suite, Viktor takes in the vast cave that is Ramiva city. The “sunlight” is slowly increasing. Not to different from an archology on Mora. The air in here is better that Mora. He would like a drink, but that will come later. Today they need to get safely back to the //Starlight Drifter//.

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