GreeneMan
SOC-5
This is a recap of the first half of my first session of my Traveller campaign from March 2025. At that time I had three players and an NPC.
Traveller Session One - "Ghost Ship"
March 15, 2025
1. Prelude:
The window on the outside of the Old Man's office showed the immediate area around the Regina Highport. Ships leaving and arriving contrasted with maintenance crews flitting about the station. As the Highport slowly rotated, the view also included the surface of the planet Regina, and beyond that, the gas giant Assiniboia about which Regina orbited. The stars in the background were bright as always. Garbol never tired of this.
"Have I ever mentioned that you are the most paranoid person that I have ever met?"
Lieutenant Commander Marakal Garbol looked back at the Old Man and smiled. "At least once a week, sir."
"That is why you are perfect for this job, Garbol,” said the Old Man. "You are the assistant chief security officer for the Regina Highport, and there is no one else I would trust with this investigation. Soon you will be in charge."
"Thank you, sir. Enjoy your retirement."
"I will, Garbol."
Garbol sat down across from the Old Man and paused before replying. The Old Man's impending retirement was involuntary, and Garbol knew that his own career was now in peril. He had worked with the Old Man for several years and like everyone else in Security, never referred to the leader by his given name. Garbol also learned that despite looking like a kindly grandfather, his supervisor had no human feelings whatsoever. A lifetime of security work had turned the Old Man into a cold-hearted shell, and Garbol wondered if he was also destined for the same fate.
"Everything is ready for the mission. sir. We have the crew and a ship".
"Are you sure that you found the right people?".
"Absolutely, sir. None of the four have never been in the Regina system before, and they have never met each other. Thrust, Masamune and Smith have been mustering out of their respective services for the past several weeks, and we have had all of four of them under surveillance for some time."
Garbol waved a hand, and holovid images of the four appeared above the desk. Each image rotated slowly; and underneath each was their name, universal profile and service record.
"The first is Captain Maximilian Thrust, Army. As I mentioned before, I served with him. We saw combat together; he is a good leader, reliable, and I can vouch for his character. Second, Gethin Masamune of the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service has an exemplary record. He doesn't know it yet, but he will be reactivated back into the service and his scout ship will be re-armed for the mission. The Sector Scout Leader from the local base personally recommended him for this mission and will be at the briefing. Finally, the career bureaucrat known as John Smith is just slippery enough that he can be useful in trade negotiations and in other, uh, capacities. He is a brilliant and accomplished administrator but was involved in some murky dealings. Smith was almost kicked out of the bureaucracy and sent to prison for suspected corruption before his retirement. The local head of the Imperial Forward Planning Bureau said that Smith will do as he is told and will also be here to scare him into compliance."
"Put a thief to catch some thieves? I like the sound of that, Garbol. John Smith? That is an odd sounding name."
"It's ancient Solomani slang, but we do have his real identity on record."
"How about the fourth one?"
"Brett? He is a veteran space hand who bounced around the Spinward Marches for years. A reliable shipmate but weak where money is concerned. Brett was recently arrested and locked up planet side just a short distance away from the Regina Downport. His crime? He was gambling with some Sword Worlders in a dive bar. They accused Brett of cheating, swore a blood oath of vengeance and tried to kill him. He escaped their wrath but was arrested for, get this, illegal gambling! As you know, the laws on Regina are so strict and complex that one could be jailed for years for that. I called in a favor with a friend in law enforcement down there, sprung Brett and promised that if he completes this mission, his arrest record will disappear. Brett swore to me that he would never go down to Regina again. My reply was that angry Sword Worlders are outside of my jurisdiction, so he needs to stay alert."
Garbol smiled and continued. "After the briefing later today, we will move them and their belongings to a secure location near the docking facility. As for Brett, the first three will not meet him until Masamune's ship is ready to leave, which should be in about two days."
Garbol motioned with his hand, and the holovid images of the four vanished.
"Excellent work, Garbol. Keep me up to date on your progress. That is all."
"Thank you, sir. Goodbye."
Garbol stood up and walked towards the office door. Just before he opened it, the Old Man whispered, "Trust no one, Marakal. Especially in the mainstream". Garbol held in his surprise, opened then closed the door behind him and walked down the hall. In all the years that he had worked security, the Old Man had never called him by his first name. Perhaps he was human after all.
2. The Briefing.
Masamune, Thrust and Smith each receive a summons to appear at the security office of the Regina Highport. There they are met by Lt Commander Marakal Garbol, the assistant security chief for the Highport. Garbol walks over, greets Thrust and they chat briefly. The two served together in the Imperial Army and became friends.
Garbol introduces himself and then the other two people on his side of the conference table. On his left is Chijam, a high-ranking bureaucrat from the Imperial Forwarding Planning Commission. Chijam is a Bwap, and like many of his amphibian kind, is swaddled in robes to keep himself moist. On Garbol's right is Drent, the senior Scout leader for the Regina subsector. She was a tall woman with silver-tinged short dark hair in the dress uniform of the Scouts. Masamune has never met Drent in person, but her record in the Scout service was legendary.
Garbol tells the three that they have been tasked to perform a mission. There has been a recent number of small ships that have disappeared in nearby systems and are presumed taken by pirates. All of them had valuable cargoes but were never heard from again. There have been just enough of these incidents to be noticed but not enough to cause a panic. All the disappearances took place within several parsecs of Regina. The players ask questions of Garbol, and he answers as best as he can. Garbol suggests that there is a network in several outlying systems working in concert to spy on outgoing cargoes, and that there may be a link to persons unknown in here in Regina.
Administrator Chijam asks Garbol how he knew that this was organized. Garbol replies that there was no other logical answer. Chijam nods, then stares intently at Smith.
Garbol's plan is to send the PCs out to Ruie with a valuable cargo of precious metals. Ruie is only one parsec away, a week's jump, but is outside of the Imperium. There they will attempt to sell the metals. Garbol wants to use Masamune's scout ship, the Respite From Shadows. Masamune interjects that he has just retired, but Drent replies that both he and the Respite have been recalled to service.
"What about my shipboard weapons?"
"We are reinstalling them right now."
During the back and forth, Garbol notices that Chijam has been staring directly at Smith, and Smith looks both nervous and sweaty.
The three are also told that there will be a fourth person added to the mission. Brett is a veteran space hand and has gunner skills among others. The three obviously do not like to be used as bait but are told that they will be well rewarded. As they leave, Drent takes Masamune aside and tells him that she respects his record and expects him to succeed. Chijam glares at Smith without blinking until the later leaves the meeting. The three are told that they will be moved to secure quarters near their ship.
Traveller Session One - "Ghost Ship"
March 15, 2025
1. Prelude:
The window on the outside of the Old Man's office showed the immediate area around the Regina Highport. Ships leaving and arriving contrasted with maintenance crews flitting about the station. As the Highport slowly rotated, the view also included the surface of the planet Regina, and beyond that, the gas giant Assiniboia about which Regina orbited. The stars in the background were bright as always. Garbol never tired of this.
"Have I ever mentioned that you are the most paranoid person that I have ever met?"
Lieutenant Commander Marakal Garbol looked back at the Old Man and smiled. "At least once a week, sir."
"That is why you are perfect for this job, Garbol,” said the Old Man. "You are the assistant chief security officer for the Regina Highport, and there is no one else I would trust with this investigation. Soon you will be in charge."
"Thank you, sir. Enjoy your retirement."
"I will, Garbol."
Garbol sat down across from the Old Man and paused before replying. The Old Man's impending retirement was involuntary, and Garbol knew that his own career was now in peril. He had worked with the Old Man for several years and like everyone else in Security, never referred to the leader by his given name. Garbol also learned that despite looking like a kindly grandfather, his supervisor had no human feelings whatsoever. A lifetime of security work had turned the Old Man into a cold-hearted shell, and Garbol wondered if he was also destined for the same fate.
"Everything is ready for the mission. sir. We have the crew and a ship".
"Are you sure that you found the right people?".
"Absolutely, sir. None of the four have never been in the Regina system before, and they have never met each other. Thrust, Masamune and Smith have been mustering out of their respective services for the past several weeks, and we have had all of four of them under surveillance for some time."
Garbol waved a hand, and holovid images of the four appeared above the desk. Each image rotated slowly; and underneath each was their name, universal profile and service record.
"The first is Captain Maximilian Thrust, Army. As I mentioned before, I served with him. We saw combat together; he is a good leader, reliable, and I can vouch for his character. Second, Gethin Masamune of the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service has an exemplary record. He doesn't know it yet, but he will be reactivated back into the service and his scout ship will be re-armed for the mission. The Sector Scout Leader from the local base personally recommended him for this mission and will be at the briefing. Finally, the career bureaucrat known as John Smith is just slippery enough that he can be useful in trade negotiations and in other, uh, capacities. He is a brilliant and accomplished administrator but was involved in some murky dealings. Smith was almost kicked out of the bureaucracy and sent to prison for suspected corruption before his retirement. The local head of the Imperial Forward Planning Bureau said that Smith will do as he is told and will also be here to scare him into compliance."
"Put a thief to catch some thieves? I like the sound of that, Garbol. John Smith? That is an odd sounding name."
"It's ancient Solomani slang, but we do have his real identity on record."
"How about the fourth one?"
"Brett? He is a veteran space hand who bounced around the Spinward Marches for years. A reliable shipmate but weak where money is concerned. Brett was recently arrested and locked up planet side just a short distance away from the Regina Downport. His crime? He was gambling with some Sword Worlders in a dive bar. They accused Brett of cheating, swore a blood oath of vengeance and tried to kill him. He escaped their wrath but was arrested for, get this, illegal gambling! As you know, the laws on Regina are so strict and complex that one could be jailed for years for that. I called in a favor with a friend in law enforcement down there, sprung Brett and promised that if he completes this mission, his arrest record will disappear. Brett swore to me that he would never go down to Regina again. My reply was that angry Sword Worlders are outside of my jurisdiction, so he needs to stay alert."
Garbol smiled and continued. "After the briefing later today, we will move them and their belongings to a secure location near the docking facility. As for Brett, the first three will not meet him until Masamune's ship is ready to leave, which should be in about two days."
Garbol motioned with his hand, and the holovid images of the four vanished.
"Excellent work, Garbol. Keep me up to date on your progress. That is all."
"Thank you, sir. Goodbye."
Garbol stood up and walked towards the office door. Just before he opened it, the Old Man whispered, "Trust no one, Marakal. Especially in the mainstream". Garbol held in his surprise, opened then closed the door behind him and walked down the hall. In all the years that he had worked security, the Old Man had never called him by his first name. Perhaps he was human after all.
2. The Briefing.
Masamune, Thrust and Smith each receive a summons to appear at the security office of the Regina Highport. There they are met by Lt Commander Marakal Garbol, the assistant security chief for the Highport. Garbol walks over, greets Thrust and they chat briefly. The two served together in the Imperial Army and became friends.
Garbol introduces himself and then the other two people on his side of the conference table. On his left is Chijam, a high-ranking bureaucrat from the Imperial Forwarding Planning Commission. Chijam is a Bwap, and like many of his amphibian kind, is swaddled in robes to keep himself moist. On Garbol's right is Drent, the senior Scout leader for the Regina subsector. She was a tall woman with silver-tinged short dark hair in the dress uniform of the Scouts. Masamune has never met Drent in person, but her record in the Scout service was legendary.
Garbol tells the three that they have been tasked to perform a mission. There has been a recent number of small ships that have disappeared in nearby systems and are presumed taken by pirates. All of them had valuable cargoes but were never heard from again. There have been just enough of these incidents to be noticed but not enough to cause a panic. All the disappearances took place within several parsecs of Regina. The players ask questions of Garbol, and he answers as best as he can. Garbol suggests that there is a network in several outlying systems working in concert to spy on outgoing cargoes, and that there may be a link to persons unknown in here in Regina.
Administrator Chijam asks Garbol how he knew that this was organized. Garbol replies that there was no other logical answer. Chijam nods, then stares intently at Smith.
Garbol's plan is to send the PCs out to Ruie with a valuable cargo of precious metals. Ruie is only one parsec away, a week's jump, but is outside of the Imperium. There they will attempt to sell the metals. Garbol wants to use Masamune's scout ship, the Respite From Shadows. Masamune interjects that he has just retired, but Drent replies that both he and the Respite have been recalled to service.
"What about my shipboard weapons?"
"We are reinstalling them right now."
During the back and forth, Garbol notices that Chijam has been staring directly at Smith, and Smith looks both nervous and sweaty.
The three are also told that there will be a fourth person added to the mission. Brett is a veteran space hand and has gunner skills among others. The three obviously do not like to be used as bait but are told that they will be well rewarded. As they leave, Drent takes Masamune aside and tells him that she respects his record and expects him to succeed. Chijam glares at Smith without blinking until the later leaves the meeting. The three are told that they will be moved to secure quarters near their ship.
