In our previous episode, Logan returned to his home planet of Kosha for a much needed sojourn, but instead, found himself investigating a string of recent thefts that have been plaguing the local merchants.
Determined to uncover and stop whatever crime ring is behind these thefts, he enlisted a friend and weapons expert to help him.
[Begin a Session: Flashback reveals an aspect of your background or nature]
Cole Hammond used to be a soldier, I know that much, but other than that, he’s shy on details about his past. I know better than to press him. Who we used to be is no real concern of mine; we all used to be someone different, it’s who we are now that matters, In my experience with Cole, he’s a straight shooter, literally, and someone with whom I’d trust with my life, at at this juncture, that’s enough for me.
After discussing out plan for surveillance, Cole and I weave back towards the center of town the next morning, sticking to back streets and narrow, deserted alleys, until we arrive back in the market district.
Spreading out, but remaining within sight of each other, we each take up a position on the opposite side of the large open square that makes up most of the trades ward. Then we wait.
There’s something oddly comforting about watching the steady stream of activity that takes place in Kosha’s marketplace. It’s not an overly crowded bazaar, but the number of shoppers that trickle in and out of the quarter on a given day to trade for food, clothing, supplies and other goods would seem to indicate that the settlement is larger than it actually is.
Observing this simple daily ritual reminds me about the good aspects of the place that used to be my home, where I spent so many years growing up. These people are my people, as I see them simply living their lives, it brings me hope, and even some peace.
At the same time, it makes me worry for them, knowing the oppression that they face on a daily basis, and the potential that so many of them will never experience as they slave away, day after day for The Accord, who takes nearly everything from them, and yet doesn’t give anything back, except a false sense of security.
That’s a flight and a concern for another day though. Today, my focus is observing the market stalls, and trying to spot any suspicious activity. I pay close attention to Asha’s stall, because I know her well, and I’m fairly certain that I’ll be able to recognize is one of the purported thieves confronts her again.
We spend the better part of the day observing, while doing our best to stay hidden. It’s hard to keep eyes on every single person, so we focus our attention on the people we don’t recognize, I know as regulars.
[Ask the Oracle: Yes]
Then it happens. Late in the afternoon, when my legs are nearly cramping from inactivity, The shadows are drawing sharper lines against the buildings, I see an older, somewhat attractive man approach Asha’s stall and engage with in a brief conversation with her.
I then watch him slip a number of items from her table into his pack before stepping aside and repeating the process in the next stall.
My blood boils when I see this, and all my instincts tell me to reach forward tackle him and beat him to a pulp. However, I know that that won’t get me anywhere in the long run. I’m fairly certain that he’s not the ring leader of this operation, just a minion. As much as it pains me, I know that we need to follow him, and hope that he leads us up the ladder.
[Mark Progress]
Signaling to Cole, we wait until it seems like he’s leaving the square at the rubbing from at least a dozen stalls, and then we rise from my positions, drop into the crowd and begin to follow him.
[Face Danger] +shadow
[Strong Hit]
He waves circuitous path out of the square, but we remain right on his tail about 20 yards back, We know these streets, and that helps us stay hidden from his view as we follow him out of the merchant quarter.
The only question is, where is he taking us? Somewhere else in the settlement?
[Ask the Oracle: No]
The answer clearly becomes no when he heads to the airfield and boards a small freighter that’s covered with heavy armor and bristling with weapons. Cole and I exchange a look that says we’re both little bit nervous, But we’re also eager to capitalize on the break that we’ve been given, having followed him this far.
Only problem is, how we can track him if he enters the drift?
[Check Your Gear]
[Weak Hit – Lose -2 Momentum]
I do have a tracking device. It’s not configured for tracking through interstellar travel, But that’s easily fixable, i’ll just require me to modify some code on my ships NAV computer. That will take some time but I can do that while I’m in flight.
Either way, we board my own ship, enter the details of his ship’s make and signature, and then I frantically work to change the configuration protocol of Broken Sword’s tracking system while beginning the start up sequence.
I wait a few minutes after he departs the field before I take off, and when I’ve climbed out of Kosha’s upper atmosphere, I hold position behind one of the planets numerous moons and and Initiate the tracking protocol.
[Secure an Advantage] +wits
[Weak Hit – Take +1 on next move]
Once I have a lock, I set my course to mirror his, and then, engaging my steel tech system, I begin to follow through space.
[Face Danger] +shadow +Stealth Tech Asset
[Weak Hit]
[Withstand Damage -1]
We managed to stay with him across numerous jumps through the drift, successfully staying out of sight, even through numerous rest stops, including one alongside a huge derelict ship of unknown type in origin.
With no identifying marks, and style that neither of us recognize, Cole and I figure that it could be hundreds, if not thousands of years old, left to drift lifelessly forever now through deep space. I have no idea If it’s been looted of all valuables and useful tech, but I don’t really have time to investigate now. I’ll have to come back later. I said m the way point in my NAV system and keep on my pursuit of the thief.
Fortunately, there’s no indication that he thinks he’s being, followed, at least he makes no evasive moves in any of the anchorages, including during the long rest a long rest alongside a huge ringed Jovian planet with over a dozen small moons. It appears that the stealth tech that Gavin installed is working like a charm.
However in the middle of our journey, my left side crystal regulator show signs that it’s losing cohesion, which, if left unchecked, could possibly cause a purge in the ion isolator. It’s not serious, but something I’ll have to address at some point.
Eventually we drop out of a drift next to a tiny planet that’s encircled odd, complex ring system, and I watch as his ship slowly descends into the atmosphere.
Upon first glance it looks like a vital world, one that can hold life. In fact, as I get closer, my scanner shows numerous lifeforms on the planet. However, the planet doesn’t show up on any of my sector charts.
Following at a safe distance, I maneuver through the rings, each of which is comprised of a different general size of particles and planetary debris, and drop down towards the surface.
Breaking through the last cloud layers, I see that much of the planet is covered with oceans and wetlands, with a couple of settlements in view that are built on platforms above the expansive marshes. One is very small, while the other is vastly larger, possibly accommodating a few thousand people.
Watching the tracker, I see that the other ship has just set down on the larger one. Just my luck, I think to myself.
“What now?” Cole asks. I can tell that he’s getting antsy.
“I’m not sure,” I reply. “I didn’t actually plan that far ahead. Honestly, I wasn’t sure this would work. Any ideas?”
Cole looks at me and laughs. “Spoken like a guy who’s not used to having everything go right.”
“Yep, you’ve got me all figured out,” I reply with a grin. “I’m more comfortable with a series of cascading failures that all compound on each other.”
Cole rolls his eyes. “I say we drop down there as quickly as possible. We may be able to catch him yet, but if not, we can at least get a feel for the lay of the land.”
“Sounds good,” I say as I push the throttle forward, set the engines for an atmospheric descent and call in my approach. I also shut off the auto gravity generator on the ship, now that were inside the atmosphere. There’s always a weird little jump that you feel whenever you switch From auto G, which is constant, to actual G, which varies, depending on the mass of the planet. This world is fairly small, so it’s gravity is a bit on the lighter side the lighter side of what we would call normal.
Receiving no reply from my radio call, I descend to the same location where the other ship set down and begin my landing sequence. As we drop lower, we get a closer look at this large, crowded settlement and see that it’s actually comprised of a countless collection of small, rustic, mostly one-story primitive structures and ramshackle dwellings that are scattered all around the surface of this expansive, single level platform above the marsh.
Almost everything in sight has been cobbled together from discarded parts and recycled or repurposed materials: engine housings, sheet metal, hull hill sections, ramps, walkways, airlock doors, bridge struts, escape pods, view panels, battery stacks, hoses, cables, hydraulic rods of all sizes, and every type of fitting, coupler, connector, cartridge and component you can imagine. This in addition to the numerous starship skeletons that come in every shape, size and states of assemblage.
Basically, this entire platform is a giant scrapyard that’s been neatly arranged into a home for thousands of people. I can see them milling about below as I come in for my landing.
David-Holland
Once we’re down, Cole and I exit the ship and take in the the sight, A little bit overwhelmed about where to begin. I’ve heard about massive space ship junkyards, but this is different. This looks like an entire planet of scavengers.
I quickly locate the ship that we tracked, hoping that the thief is still lingering in the area.
[Ask the Oracle: Yes]
I’m actually surprised when I spot him, shouldering an oversized pack and heading towards the edge of the airfield, where he’s about to disappear into a large group of people.
“There he is… c’mon!” I shout to Cole as I take off running. He drops in right behind me as we sprint towards the crowd.
[Face Danger]
[Miss: 1 + 3 + 0 = 4 vs 6 | 5]
Unfortunately, the thief quickly dissolves into the crowd and disappears from our sight before we’re able to reach him. We push forward and weave our way through the throngs of people, and eventually find ourselves in the middle of a large open air marketplace, where people are trading just about anything imaginable.
I can certainly stock up on a few things, but I can do that later. Right now, I want to try and find this guy.
As I survey the crowd, It’s apparent that this is a relatively poor settlement. No one here looks like they come from high means, at least not that I can see. And while it’s true that a marketplace like this wouldn’t generally be where the most powerful people in a settlement would congregate, I saw the entire platform from the air, and I didn’t see any elaborate structures that might house someone with a lot of credits or influence. Again, it looks like an entire settlement of grubs.
Cole and I figure that the best move right now is to try to ask around, before too much time passes. Moving through the crowd, we question numerous people to see if anyone a saw guy fitting our description and carrying a large backpack.
[Gather Information]
[Weak Hit: 6 + 2 + 0 = 8 vs 2 | 9]
Our inquiries are met with a characteristically diverse display of shoulder shrugs, head shakes and careless hand waves offs, and that’s just the people who didn’t flat out ignore us. Many of these folks simply don’t wish to answer, or even talk to us if we’re not offering something exchange. Being total newcomers here, I don’t feel comfortable playing that game yet, because I’m not convinced that I would get accurate information anyway.
This place is so strange, unlike any planet I’ve ever visited. Built about 50 feet above the vast marshland, with enormous pilings sunk deep into the muck, it’s humid, but with a constant breeze off the nearby sea that keeps the air slightly cool.
The surface of the platform is made of textured metal, and since there’s no dry ground anywhere within sight on this planet, most of it is exposed, with only fine, scattered layers of metal filings, dust and grime that fill the cracks, grooves and countless socket holes that mark how this place was put together.
The entire “floor” of the platform is covered with recessed anchor points, which are used to tie all the small and light stuff down, like tents, tarps, market stalls, lightweight structures, etc., while everything else is bolted down to the floor with a variety of metal straps and fasteners.
In every way, this place is an entirely manufactured structure, from top to bottom. Near the marketplace I see a dock with a few fan boats and ferries, that are clearly used for transport between the other nearby “islands” on the planet.
Most of the folk I encounter come across as extremely weathered, indifferent, and seemingly distrustful of outsiders. Cole and I don’t exactly stick out like sore thumbs here, but by our dress and mannerisms, I don’t see anyone mistaking us for locals, and still get treated with cool regard by most people we come across.
Finally, I talk to one person, a leathery faced older man wearing a long, ragged, heavyweight brown fabric duster and goggles, who confirms with a nod that he’s seen the guy we’re looking for, and he points his finger to indicate the direction we should follow.
After thanking him, I ask the man, “What is this place called?”
He answers in a low voice, thick with gravel, “Wayward Landing.”
STARFORGED ADVENTURES 
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