Session 3 (14 April 2023)

Location of Merant system in the Distant Fringe
(travellermap.com)

Location: Merant (Far Home 1427), an agricultural earth-like planet with a breathable atmosphere.

Date: 072-5600

Time: 1700

Travellers: Sasha Danlami, Erhardt Hecker, Jacobe Kyman, Griff Kodiak, and Torka Jax

NPCs: Captain Jarumi, Lantho the barkeep, and mysterious patron Tyrella Watanabe

After two jumps, you arrive at the agricultural world of Merant, home to 7 billion humans and several million non-human sophonts. On the way here, Sakamoto was buried in space with the customary rituals and rudimentary repairs were made to the ship's damaged fin. Some big decisions were made. You all signed on to a limited liability partnership dedicated to salvaging the Alexis, the derelict mining ship adrift in Far Home 1525, and potentially to mining neutronium embedded in the nearby comet I/5320 K3. Additionally, and in part as cover for this secret partnership, you all signed on as crew on the Dejah Thoris, taking the places of Sakamoto (dead) and Smith and Spiros who, spooked by the encounter with the terrifying entity on the Alexis, have decided to leave the spacefaring life and settle down to a quiet life. Kyman will be the pilot, Windsor the navigator, Hecker the engineer (and steward, if necessary), Kodiak the gunner, Jax the security officer, and Danlami the comms/sensor officer. Positions as astronavigator and ship's doctor are available, respectively, for Windsor and Fomstep if they are so inclined. During the two-week transit from deep space, you engaged in study and practice toward improving a skill and, in the case of Hecker, spent some time studying library data related to your destination, Merant.

You land at the class D downport near the capital city of Kherty, the largest nation-state on the planet. At Tech Level 5, it's a world of ground cars, telephones, fixed-wing aircraft, and oil refineries. You admire their genius with concrete and ability to create soaring skyscrapers and bridges using the stuff. 

Merant's amazing concrete architecture.

It's been decided that, rather than immediately gearing up for the salvage of the Alexis, you'll lay low for the time being and act like any other far trader so as not to draw attention to the discovery you've made out in deep space. In any event, you'll need to raise some capital for the venture. While Captain Jarumi takes care of offloading cargo and saying her farewells to Smith and Spiros, you are tasked with finding ways of earning the much-needed credits to keep the ship flying and kit yourselves out. Kyman discreetly asks Jarumi about the prospect of taking on lucrative contraband and learns that the Dejah Thoris does indeed have some secret compartments that would suit, but also notes that the captain seemed slightly tense when the subject was broached. Hecker puts his Library Data research on Merant to good use and strategizes about speculative trading with nearby worlds. Danlami looks into purchasing fresh food for her live guinea pig and acquiring the communicators you'll need for keeping in touch on this low-tech planet. Meanwhile, Kyman, Kodiak, and Jax head out of the starport proper to mingle with the locals and, with luck, scrounge up some kind of well-paying job.

Exercising some street smarts, the three of you soon find yourselves at Lantho's Place, a working-class bar in the city's industrial district where agricultural machinery and fertilizers are made. It's the end of the work day and the place is filling up with thirsty men and women, eager to take the edge off. Some of the younger ones amuse themselves by mocking the offworlders, but Jax's winning smile (not to mention liberal offers of free drinks) soon has everyone slapping backs and trading stories. Meanwhile, Kyman manages to have a brief tête-à-tête with the grizzled barkeep Lantho himself, who provides him with a contact interested in the transport of sensitive cargo. Making use of the unfamiliar rotary dial device in the bar's phone booth,  Kyman makes a call and is told to meet the contact on the street corner in five minutes. Prying Kodiak away from the locals, he heads outside, leaving Jax at the centre of attention inside the bar. The ex-Navy captain is singing a shanty and getting the locals to join in on the chorus.

Tyrella Watanabe has a job for you.

On the street, you quickly pick out your contact: Tyrella Watanabe, a blue-haired woman accompanied by some bodyguards who try to blend into the background. She doesn't ask your names. She wants to you to transport a container weighing about 15 kg across the border into the neighbouring country of Vhenja. "It's not weapons or anything illegal," she assures you. "As offworlders, you're not likely to be searched closely. The authorities will assume you're tourists," she adds. You're to return to the alley near Lantho's Place at 0300 to pick up the container. It's to be delivered unopened to a contact whose name and precise location will be provided, but she assures you it's only a few hours' drive by ground vehicle. Tyrella is paying for your discretion: Cr30,000 upon delivery.

You look at each other as Tyrella stalks away . "Easy enough," says Kodiak. 

Famous last words?

Time: 1800