Braudel and Goria

Having set a stealthy course across the Outrim Void, the MV Ruby Costa jumped from Orsech to Kydde, and then to Braudel. Braudel is an isolated world marked as a Red Zone by both TAS and the IISS, and the PC's opted to simply refuel at the system's largest gas giant, notable for a striking ring system. The refueling went without incident. Lt. Kryder noticed immediately, however, that the Red Zone Warning Beacon was not transmitting. Someone or something had taken it out, and they were unable to locate the buoy satellite. They noted the irregularity and did a J-3 to Goria. 

Because the Goria system lacks gas giants or easily accessible ice in orbit, voyagers are compelled to land at the small Class E "starport", really just a radio beacon and a landing pad at the lake, established decades ago by GeDeCo. When the MV Ruby Costa arrived in the system, they were greeted by a chilling sight. A Donosev-class survey scout, the IISS Timothy Park, floated in a slowly decaying orbit, obviously ravaged in combat. They could also tell that the starport beacon was no longer transmitting. Closing in warily, the PC's determined that the IISS Timothy Park had been crippled and boarded by Vargr corsairs, members of the feared Kforuzeng Band. These terrifying raiders normally operate far to Coreward of the Egyrn subsector, but they were plainly close by. A review of computer files indicated that a few survivors from the crew of sixteen had escaped on the survey scout's modular cutter, and possibly made it to the surface. Eleven bodies left eight unaccounted for. 

Lt. Krider was able to detect a faint emergency beacon on the shore of a shallow sea, so they opted to land the MV Ruby Costa and refuel at the same time they investigated. They determined that the cutter had been forced down and strafed by a Vargr light fighter. Three shallow graves were found, leaving five missing Scouts unaccounted for. Also, a pair of crawler tracks led inland, and it appeared that the wreck had been scavenged by locals. While the PC's set about their tasks, a small force of locals arrived to investigate the arrival of the MV Ruby Costa. 

Through a series of misunderstandings, the security team exchanged fire with the warriors of Clan Arrontegui ( the local potentates) escalating into a mortar attack and devastating counterfire from the starboard turret. When it was all done, three of the boarding team were slightly rattled by a mortar explosion, the dorsal surface of the ship suffered some cosmetic damage, and the Arrontegui mortar sled was destroyed with its crew. Also, a local fighter named Simako Ancha, apparently the son of some local elite, was wounded and taken prisoner. Sometime later another mortar sled arrived with a white flag and called for a parley. Captain Baker was able to negotiate a trade of "prisoners" for the price of two FAE sand caster bombs and an ACR and ammo. 

The two scouts, Survey Tech Izani and Cutter Pilot Ranfelt, were both injured but their wounds had been tended to and they both reported being well treated by Clan Arrontegui. Unfortunately, the PC's opted (due to mission necessities) to leave them behind with provisions and a promise to send help. Both scouts were angry about this, as were the ex-Scout PC's, but another deal was worked out whereby the two Scouts would be taken in as temporary guests of Clan Arrontegui... the locals were given a cash bonus (to be refunded by the IISS), and reminded that when the Imperial Navy arrived in a month or so to retrieve the Scouts, they would bring Imperial Marines with them. The combination of carrot and stick was effective enough to ensure the two survivors would be kept safe and comfortable. Nevertheless, this left three missing Scouts, possibly alive and in the paws of the Kforuzeng. 

With the MV Ruby Costa refueled, they departed Goria and executed a J-3 to Velscur, the subject of next session.