Prologue:
The center seat on the bridge of a starship is designed for comfort. The cushions and contours meld together in a manner that is so thoroughly pleasing, that many starship captains are shocked the first time they experience the sheer luxury of it. Count Marcus Natoko was no stranger to comfort. Born of noble blood, his family held political sway over an entire world. It was due to that level of influence that Duke Norris had chosen him to lead this mission. This mission that seemed to go on forever. This mission to save the Domain of Deneb.
Marcus sat on the edge of the plush command chair; a line of sweat running down his neck and under the stiff collar of his uniform. I know why they make the chair so comfortable, he thought wryly to himself. It’s because the person sitting here has the weight of the world on his shoulders, and they don’t need the added discomfort that a stiff chair would lend.
For three days, they had attempted to requisition the supplies they needed to continue their mission. For three days, the Vargr Customs officials had refused their requests. Finally, all legitimate means of obtaining the items in question had been eliminated. After what had seemed like hours of debate, Marcus and his senior staff had settled on a plan. The only choice, really. After all, there was a rebellion on. Entire sections of the Imperium were pitted against each other in petty squabbles of the succession of the Iridium Throne. Nobody would blame them for stealing the missiles they needed from a known aggressor against the Imperium, who had taken advantage of the chaos to illegally sieze this section of space. If that had never happened…if the Vargr had just stayed in their own yard, then there would be an Imperiallines Depot on this world to supply them. The way Marcus saw it, there really was no other choice. The strike team had left the ship two hours ago. Their last report had them approaching the target. Where the hell are they!
At the moment, the communications officer felt as uncomfortable as the Captain…if only because she knew that any minute now, he would demand another update from the strike team. An update she did not have. Things were tense enough as it was. The ship had left the Domain of Deneb five weeks ago, and was now firmly entrenched in the Vargr-controlled space of the Corridor subsector. They had expended their last missiles in a battle with a Vargr Corsair last week. As well armed as the Imperiallines TJ was, she wouldn’t last long in another battle without benefit of her missile launchers. So here they were, on a Vargr-controlled world, in Vargr-controlled space, trying to resupply their weapons by stealing them from a Vargr-controlled storage facility. For once, she didn’t think that center seat looked quite so cushy.
Act 1: The Pink Copy
-Marcus and Baboon are holding down the fort on-board the Imperiallines TJ ship.
-Thann is sitting in a hotel room, logged into the computer network, ready to deflect any inquiries that may be made regarding the “heist”.
-Ben, Enise and Meeho are half a block away from the Vargr storage facility, keeping an eye on Wil as he attempts to take their delivery truck through a security post.
-Wil is sitting in a delivery truck, at the gate to the Vargr storage facility. The large security guard is shaking the forged document in Wil’s face, saying that nobody gets in without the proper copy of a bill-of-lading. A document that is only printed on pink paper. Wil sits with his mouth hanging agape. He is wondering where the hell he is going to get a pink copy.
-Marcus and Baboon are approached by the station administrator. He has a shipment of Iris valve components that needs to be delivered to the next system on their route. It is a rather large crate, but since they TJ crew are under orders to render aid to any Imperiallines office, Marcus sees no harm in allowing the crate on board.
-Wil backs off, picks up Ben, Enise and Meeho, and goes off in search of pink paper.
-Baboon, suspiciously checks the contents of the crate and finds what appear to be normal starship iris valve components, all in various states of assembly.
-Ben, Enise, Wil and Meeho, after some hasty searching, they find the proper paper and return to their original positions. It is nearly closing time at the storage facility, and the guard at the gate is reluctant to let them in.
-Wil is let off the hook, as the guard who is hassling him is called away. His replacement waves the truck on through. After a brief delay, the truck is loaded with crates of missiles.
-Thann packs up his computer and heads to the warehouse. He has done so just before a routine confirmation inquiry about the shipment is sent through the network. Here, he misses a prime opportunity to avoid what lies ahead.
-At the warehouse, they split the shipment as agreed, leaving half for the administrator. They then call him to let him know where to pick up his half, and they drive to the ship.
Act 2: Surveillance
-Upon arrival at the hangar, they notice several suspicious characters watching their hangar. As they are entering the hangar, they notice several of the crew members leaving.
-Shortly after they begin off loading the cargo, one of the suspicious characters from outside rings the doorbell. They send Marcus to answer it. The man tells him they are searching for something and they KNOW it is on board this ship. The man asks if he might be allowed to search their ship. “Not without a warrant,” Marcus replies. They promise that they shall return.
-While prepping the ship for lift-off, they receive word that the Vargr have declared a starport shutdown, and have activated the defensive laser batteries. Any ship that tries to leave the starport will be blasted from the sky.
-Thann sets about trying to override the security lock down via the computer.
-In the mean time, Wil realizes that too many crew members are just disappearing, and tries to learn the truth from one of the crew women. He learns that many of the crew members no longer feel that the players are operating in the best interests of the ship, and are seeking asylum at the Imperiallines office.
-A Vargr search force is doing a hangar by-hangar search, looking for some unnamed stolen goods.
-Meanwhile back in the hangar, the players are quickly trying to stash the missiles in an empty fuel tank in the wing.
-Enise notices one of the crewwomen, Annalin Dalin, trying to leave the ship. She orders Annalin to her quarters, and after a brief argument, Annalin agrees.
-Thann is finding it difficult to circumvent the security measures, and it is all he can do to keep from being detected in the system.
The entire starport is rocked by an explosion on the far side. As a result, the security level is incremented to a level that restricts starship access to the central computer network. The network link that Thann is using to communicate with the station computer is severed.
Act 3: Hijacked!
Around this time, Wil notices a large number of ugly Vargr assembling outside the hangar door.
-Ugly Vargr enter the hangar
-Enise tries valiantly to stop them, and gets slashed across the chest by a Vargr claw.
-Meeho closes the starship Iris Valve.
-Meeho catches Annalin again trying to exit the ship. Thann grabs her and tries to take her to sickbay to sedate her.
-Ben, wearing his grav-belt, is floating above the ship with his 10cm rifle, blowing up Vargr.
-Enise and Ben realize that the “Vargr” may not be Vargr after all.
-Thann and Annalin begin melee combat in sickbay. Thann loses the combat, and is stunned.
-Wil notices the strangers from earlier arriving outside the hangar and runs up to them.
-Annalin, running down the corridor toward the iris valve again, encounters Baboon.
-Baboon suddenly feels extreme heat buildup around him. Annalin is attacking him with a psionic Pyrokinesis ability.
-Wil begins trying to gain access to the Hangar in order to let the mercenaries in.
-Meeho chooses this time to go to his quarters to look for his laser pistol.
-Annalin reaches the iris valve and opens it. The “Vargr” file into the ship.
-Wil gets the door open.
-Annalin seals the iris valve.
-Mercenaries pour into the hangar.
-Ben, Enise and Wil direct the mercenaries to the rear cargo iris valve.
-Thann recovers in sickbay, and entering the hall, finds a hurt and unconscious Baboon.
-As the last of the mercenaries gain access to the ship, it’s engines suddenly come to life, and the TJ begins to rise out of the hangar.
-Thann drags Baboon into sickbay, then runs through the lurching corridors to find the doctor.
-The ship is now above the hangar, and begins to skim along the top of the starport complex … keeping below the ground defense perimeter.
-Thann runs headlong into the advancing mercenaries, locates Enise, Ben and Wil
-Meeho, reacting to the ship suddenly lifting off, opens his stateroom door to see a column of ugly Vargr lining the corridor to the bridge.
-The ship is now advancing on one of the outlying starport buildings, a bar called the Octagon.
-Enise arrives at sickbay and begins treating Baboon’s burns.
-The mercenaries reach the central corridor, and begin fighting their way toward the bridge.
-Thann, Ben and Wil follow the advancing mercenary column.
-Meeho begins a flank attack on the Vargr.
-The mercenary column reaches the forward lounge area, and bring up their secret weapon…”The doughnut of destruction”…(just kidding…actually it is a Psionic Suppresser field, but I want to call it a DOD). The mercenaries want to get the DOD ring over Annalin’s head.
-One of the mercenaries spontaneously bursts into flames.
-Ben, Wil and Meeho try to help with the DOD.
-Thann slips into the computer room to try to override the bridge controls.
-The ship arrives over the octagon.
-Thann overrides the bridge controls and locks the controls. He orders the ship to reduce altitude a little further, and it begins to slowly descend toward the roof of the Octagon.
-Enise and Baboon (a.k.a. Bandage Man) reach the main lounge.
-Wil, Meeho and the mercenaries manage to get the DOD over Annalin’s head and activate it.
Act 4: Misjump?
Suddenly, the characters feel an intensely disorienting sensation. It feels almost as if they and their surroundings are being sucked through a drinking straw. Everything goes black, and they are each forced to make a saving throw versus endurance. The few who fail, fall to their knees and vomit. The ones who make their save, see the following:
The room has been plunged into darkness, the only light comes from the suppresser field of the DOD. Annalin is standing in the center of the room, with the softly humming DOD floating around her waist. Her head is leaning backward, her eyes are rolled into the back of her head so that only the whites are showing. The light of the suppresser field makes it appear as if her eyes are pulsating with color. She is making vague choking sounds. From elsewhere in the room come the a few moans as a couple of people lose their lunch. All sound is swiftly replaced by a chorus of high pitched squeals. These sounds appear to be emanating from the communications collars worn by each of the mercenaries. The collars appear to be pulsing with an orange light. Each of the mercenaries has what can only be described as a look of unimaginable terror locked on his face. They are trying desperately to rip the collars from their necks. There is a brief flash of flame accompanied by a tremendous concussion blast as each of the collars explode. Fortunately, everyone dove to the ground just prior to the blast. The collars appear to have had a gravity polarized explosive (such as TDX) built into them and for some reason they have detonated…effectively decapitating all of the mercenaries. The explosion also hit Annalin full force across the face. From your vantage point on the floor, you see her headless body drop to the floor. The DOD flickers momentarily and then you are plunged into darkness again.
“Before anyone can even utter a reaction a bright white light issues forth from Annalin’s neck. It takes the form of a pillar of white fire, swirling up toward the ceiling of the lounge. As the blast dissipates, a cloaked and bearded figure is left standing in front of you. He is surrounded by a pale white glow, and therefore is the only source of light in the room. He is laughing maniacally and spreads his arms as if to indicate that all of the party members are included in what he is about to say:
“Why thank you all. You have freed me from that tiresome prison. I am in your debt, and therefore, will allow you to live…although I dare-say you may come to wish I had ended your miserable lives here and now. If you will excuse me, I am being summoned by my master.”
With that, the figure before you begins to spin around and around until once again, he appears as a pillar of white fire. The spinning is creating a vortex of wind within the room. The wind grows stronger and stronger until it reaches virtual gale forces, and then blasts down the corridor toward the rear of the ship. Once again, you are left in the dark.
To be continued…
This adventure originally took place in October, 1992.