Gabriel and Velscur

The war between Baraccai Technum and McClellan Factors in the Trojan Reach is about to get a lot hotter, as the MV Ruby Costa begins its operations in the Egyrn subsector. The MF'ers are trying to open a Jump-3 bridge between their headquarters in Mertactor and the Florian League, something that would upset the apple cart in the Trojan Reach. 

Gabriel - The planet has about a hundred people in total… twenty-five at the downport, and about fifty at the lab. The Class C starport is run by Trojan Herberge LIC, a SuSAG subsidiary. It is intended for corporate and contract traffic only, and also serves as a naval refresh center for Imperial patrols bound for Dpres and Ygdrassil. Tramp freighters will be regarded with suspicion and will be encouraged to remain on their vessels while in the system. Near the downport is a small research lab, not precisely "secret", but definitely "go away". Additionally, there is a small monastery/observatory that predates everything on the planet called Shrine of the Watchers of the Holy Void and Door - established during the Sindalian Empire. The monks and starport staff do a bit of trade - usually fresh food in exchange for maintenance and support. The SuSAG staff will describe the monks as “odd, but friendly enough… been here before we arrived, but happy to share.” They are cheerfully Lovecraftian on the radio. Due to the absence of Dr. Furia for this episode, Captain Baker decided it made more sense to simply jump in-system, refuel through the gas giant, and continue on. This was probably for the best, as the INS M.P Jagger (a 5000-ton fleet escort) was in the system conducting a visit to Gabriel.

Velscur - This is the second time the MV Ruby Costa has ventured to the Velscur system. In a prior visit, they defeated the Vargr corsair "Raalzatu". This 400-ton vessel was grounded in a glacial valley near Velscur's north pole. This time though, the PC's discovered that McClellan Factors is constructing a refueling station on the ice moon of the outer gas giant.  A large equatorial crater was selected as the site for construction, as it is easily defensible from the ground and even easier to locate from space. It was decided that this was less resource-intensive than building a high port and maintaining fueling shuttles, as a drilling and fuel purification operation can be up and running comparatively quickly. ATC and area defense are being temporarily handled by the sensors and turrets on the liner McC Arbatrella. The liner is being used as a dorm for workers. Additional prefab materials purchased on nearby Odin (mostly primitive cutter modules used as rooms and tankage) are brought in every three weeks by contracted local freighters.

The PC's noticed a 100-ton seeker, the "Verran Ice" poking around in the ring systems. It turned out that this was actually a pirate vessel, and they watched as the tiny ship successfully boarded and hijacked the much larger McClellan 600-ton freighter MC Floria Conveyer. The "Verran Ice" captured the MC Florian Conveyer quickly but slaughtered the entire crew in the process.  The MV Ruby Costa intercepted the pirate vessel, and rather than blasting it they opened contact with Blackbird Jack posing as the pirate captain of the "Running Hot". The badly intimidated pirate crew apparently consists of Captain Stelan Smyker, his wife Anik Jentz-Smyker (who posed as a replicant to misdirect the PC's), and her brother Aren Jentz. They apparently carry around a large number of modified utility droids used as disposable boarding crew. None of the crew are directly known to the PC's, though both Bonnie and Jack have heard of the Verran Ice in passing. 

The terms of the parley were simple - the Verran Ice was allowed a few hours to strip the cargo and valuables from the MC Florian Conveyer, while the MC Ruby Costa would take the ship itself. In exchange for this generosity, the Verran Ice would arrange a meeting between their leaders and the "Running Hot" in one month, in the neighboring 985-373 system. Before the authorities could arrive, the deal was agreed to and a prize crew was put aboard the Floria Conveyer. The Verran Ice jumped for parts unknown, while the PC's jumped their two ships for the 985-373 system, library data below. 

985-373 - Noted as a difficult system to travel through due to the extensive debris fields, erratic orbits, and ancient minefields. In addition to the two stars and numerous small planets, a gravitational anomaly poses a potential jump hazard in the outer system’s otherwise safe area. The innermost world is noteworthy - listed as a “dead world” with an IISS warning beacon, it is capable of supporting life and maybe commercially exploitable in the future. No gas giant, but the numerous ice worlds present a useful fueling alternative. 

The long-term objective seems to be to a) develop the Belgard Sojournate as an obstacle to McClellan Factors' plans, and b) interfere with McClellan operations on Gollere. The 985-373 system, for all its difficulties, is well-positioned to use as a base of operations in the Egyrn subsector.