J-004: Previously on Dominion Space, Part 4…
Module Introduction
The continued catch-up history for Chris…
(Played date 5 November 2019)
Module 9: A Threat’s Shadow
Maldemar 732 [211.386 – 211.415] Not in Play
We don’t know much about what happened with Chris on the first leg of the trip from Zargonia to Pristine. He presumably did whatever he does aboard the space journeys. The ship comes out of jump at Argyropoulos, Halcyon announces grumpily that they’re 7 Cycles from the planet (an unusually long time.)
- The ship has a weapon turret equipped with a single missile launcher
- It’s intended to launch probes, but the only practical difference between a probe and a missile is the payload
- Is equipped with a Multipurpose Sensor Array unlike the previous ship’s basic array
- The ship is capable of Jump-3 and 1G of N-Space acceleration, though it’s slower through hyperspace than the Snark was
- An unstreamlined vessel, it can’t enter atmosphere but has a small shuttle available for surface trips
- See the Ship Design section for stat block and Deckplans here.
During the trip (like most trips):
- Erin the Engineer seems friendly enough and will occasionally have a chat with Chris, but she seems to be mostly busy with keeping the ship running
- Under Commander Alan is perpetually grumpy about whatever is happening but seems harmless
- Vizier Dicard feels obliged to ask Chris how he’s going occasionally, but doesn’t really seem interested in the answers
- Doctor Fromm is cordial but doesn’t generally offer conversation, though he will talk if Chris talks to him; he has no sense of humour
- New mechanic Ahbineet seems slightly overwhelmed to be here and just nods at Chris unless Chris engages him in conversation
- Cyber specialist Oliver spends almost the entire trip in his cabin working, emerging occasionally for food or if he has to sit a Control room watch
- This new ship is bigger and the cabins have their own bathrooms unlike the communal one on the old ship, so Oliver doesn’t even emerge for toilet breaks anymore
- In general, despite being cooped up in close proximity to each other, no-one talks to each other much – unless Chris tries to initiate conversation?
At Argyropoulos the ship docks at the Highport orbiting the planet, there’s the usual cursory customs inspection and they’re free to go on-station. The ship is staying over for one Cycle.
The ship arrives at Pristine, docking at Pure Highport on 211.415.
As soon as docking is completed, Dicard 
calls a meeting and briefs the team – again – on their objectives. Dicard says their first stop is the local Wardens to gather intel, then return to Argyle’s lodge, then possibly a visit to the mine where Argyle worked sometimes.
He says Erin 
and Ahbineet 
will remain with the ship and everyone else
will go down to the planet in the Jolly Shuttle.
Chris asks if they’re to go armed and Dicard responds with a firm yes.
Oliver makes a cynical comment about bringing a fire extinguisher which brings mixed reactions – Chris laughs.
Dicard tells everyone to go pack what they need and meet him in the shuttle.
Chris arrives at the shuttle with the long duffel bag he had on Zargonia, dumps it on a seat and Alan grumps at him to put it in a locker as it’s too large for the under-seat storage. Chris complies, giving Oliver a wink on the way past, and then takes a seat.
“We takin’ guns?”
– Chris Uddin, 9-080
The team arrives at the Downport a little while later, clear customs, Oliver and Fromm buy some cold weather gear (Chris still has his), and Dicard organises cabs into the city – no trains or travel pods on rustic Pristine.
Dicard, Oliver and Chris take one cab and Fromm and Halcyon another.
Dicard says, “we will check in at our accommodations and then we three will go to the Wardenate offices. I’m going to send the Under Commander and Dr Fromm to rent us a vehicle, then I will need to pay a courtesy visit to the ViC here.”
He asks Chris if he has any advice re the Wardens, Chris initially doesn’t have much, but then notes “They’re military, but not like the Legion. No nonsense, not like Legion bullies.”
Oliver notes cynically, “I’m sure they’ll welcome you with open arms, Vizier.”
Dicard notes that “The Wardenate’s place is to serve the Vizierate, I just think it’s likely to be more effective to have genuine co-operation rather than begrudging obedience.”
Chris notes that if Argyle has returned to the Lodge he may have beefed-up his defenses.
“This is your cat to fuck, I’m just holdin’ the tail.”
– Chris Uddin, 9-092
The cab arrives at their destination, which is labelled Vizierate ‘Offices’ but is more like ‘walled compound’.
After tagging through they gatehouse they are greeted by a Vizant and given accommodations – everyone has a tiny cottage opening onto a common courtyard. Buildings inside the compound are all built in small clusters with gravel paths running across wide swathes of mud-and-snow-covered open ground between them.
Both Oliver and Chris are getting hungry and Dicard doesn’t seem to notice. Seems to be a thing with the Vizierate. While there is water in the cottages, and facilities for making hot drinks, there is no food.
When they emerge from stowing their gear Dicard jumps into an electric cart and gives the orders he noted in the cab. Alan drives and there’s a slightly awkward moment when he jumps out to organise a vehicle leaving no driver, before Chris takes over and drives the cart to the Wardenate.
Chris slaps Oliver on the back, “c’mon let’s eat!”
Chris zooms across the compound in the cart, “Where’s the food Dick?”
– 9-115
Inside, Dicard requests to meet with the Duty Warden and everyone is ushered down a short corridor and into a spartan office. The Duty Warden is a tall woman with iron-grey hair who is handsome rather than pretty – Warden Leader Simmonds.
The Warden Leader looks up their files on Argyle and comes up with not much – noting this file is ‘suspiciously light’. They investigate a number of other issues, but nothing turned up makes Oliver nor Dicard change their plans.
The Warden does note that a ‘temporary recreational hunting permit’ was issued to Argyle on by the proprietor of a private hunting lodge, one Billy Bobb-Jobethunt. Warden Leader Simmonds notes that the temporary permit expires on 304.089 (about 300 years from now in contemporary time terms).
The Warden Leader notes some odd message traffic, Oliver says it sounds like him testing the comms devices he’s been working on.
Dicard thanks the Duty Warden and everyone returns to the compound outside. It’s morning local time and Dicard wants to get moving. Oliver suggests those who haven’t eaten do so before they head off and they head across the compound towards food, dropping Dicard off at the residences on the way.
Over their meal (dinner by their body clocks) Oliver asks Chris if he’s going to be alright going back to the place where he was shot. Chris doesn’t seem perturbed, asks Oliver the same about going back to where he was set on fire. Oliver responds grimly that he’ll be more careful this time, and they know what to expect.
Chris says, “Good to hear it, we’re going to tear strips off his shadowy ass if he tries anything.”
They meet up with Halcyon, Fromm and Dicard at the residences and a Bureaucrat driver drops them off a crawler for the trip to the hunting lodge.
Warden Leader Simmonds
Alan drives to crawler toward Peyton’s Hunting Lodge first, with Chris sitting up front next to him so he can see out the window. On arrival at the first lodge after the 120km trip, Alan stops the crawler and heads inside with Chris to ask about food.
There is a bit of back and forth between the team, who generally want to eat and stop at Peyton’s lodge for a sleep, whereas Dicard wants to press on to Argyle’s lodge. Eventually Dicard, assents, the team can stay and sleep. At breakfast, Chris flirts with the much older waitress, who is possibly the lodge manager’s partner. After breakfast they head off, covering the distance across the rough track before luch.
On arrival, they find that unlike last time, it seems access won’t be a problem.
The metal gate is lying flat and a little bent on the ground, just inside the fence, it’s been torn out from the blackened stone remains of the gate posts. Nothing apparently remains of the internal turrets, stone debris is scattered about the area..
Ahead, there’s a giant crater about half way up the drive way; the lodge is not as they left it.
Oliver says, “Someone has been here, if it was Argyle or not, we don’t know. Last time there were several traps and hazards, I think it’s wise to operate assuming that some or all of them have been reactivated.”
Dicard orders Fromm and Halcyon to stay with the crawler, he and Oliver exchange snarky words about the plan.
Chris gives an expert-sounding tactical assessment that supports Oliver’s side of the argument; says, “Ollie’s right. If we’re worried about an external threat, like a sniper or high drone [Dicard’s plan] is safer, but we have gravity against us in a tight stairwell and the front door has better visibility if we’re worried about internal problems.”
He shrugs, “I thought we were worried about internal problems.
“Don’t forget, there’s other ways in too,” he reminds them.
Dicard looks between Chris and Oliver, “Fine. Front door.”
Dicard leads the way past the crawler and up the slope toward the front.
As the group clears the garage they can see that the front seems to have sustained significant damage. The windows are shattered, tiny globules of glass scattered around and pieces still sticking in the window frames where the internal laminating sheet is holding the remains in place.
The front door is on the ground, several metres from the doorway.
In the corners where the ceiling turrets were mounted, there is nothing but blast damage and holes. The overhead screen has been similarly destroyed.
They cautiously enter by the front door, Oliver and Dicard making it awkward by both trying to go first. Chris follows up and clears the two adjacent rooms that he knows have no other exits while Oliver is messing about with tech and Dicard is glaring at things with annoyance. While Chris is checking rooms Dicard heads deeper into the building.
Chris is checking the Kitchen when there’s a loud angry noise from the Common Room deeper into the building and Oliver calls out “Chris, hostile critter!”
Chris already has his shotgun ready, he takes a combat move action to get to the Common Room. Oliver takes a step into the room and moves out of Chris’ path in the doorway, drawing his electrolaser pistol as he does so. Chris hears Dicard’s electrolaser pistol crack and there’s an animal’s roar.
Chris reaches the doorway to see a large, bulky creature covered in mostly white fur streaked with black patches and lines. It has four legs, beady black eyes and a long snout over a mouth that is open and showing a row of yellow teeth. It rears up on its hind legs to swat at Dicard with a muscled limb, tearing open the front of his coat in a spray of blood and fabric with its long claws.
Dicard is still somehow on his feet, but obviously disoriented.
Oliver’s pistol crackles and a blue-white beam hits the creature – called an Alpcow – it flinches at the discharge and comes down off its hind legs, momentarily stunned from the discharge. Chris brings his shotgun up to his shoulder and takes a turn to Aim at the Alpcow, then he blasts it with three shots, two of which hit and blow meaty holes in the animal. It staggers and collapses to the ground on its side, its irregular breath still visible in the cold air around its nose and mouth.
Dicard stares stupidly at the beast next to him as it falls down. He turns toward Oliver and Chris, revealing the right side of his face, his right shoulder and chest are covered with blood and his clothes are ripped and torn.
Oliver is momentarily stunned with post-combat shakes. While he’s frozen, Chris moves cautiously forward to check the Alpcow, weapon still ready.
Oliver moves forward, just as he reaches Dicard, the man slowly sinks to his knees with a, “Huh… an Alpcow.”
Oliver recovers and begins work on Dicard with a first aid kit.
Chris says, “I think we should finish this thing off, just to be sure.”
Two more shotgun blasts go off nearby at the end of which the Alpcow is no longer breathing and is rather a mess on the floor. The room smells of burned fur, firearm propellant, ozone, blood and shit. Dicard loses consciousness.
Ref fyi: Combat starts at 9-160.
Out front, Alan brings the Crawler up the slope to the front door. Alan and Fromm jump out, Alan with his pistol drawn and Fromm holding a rifle, his medical bag over his shoulder. They head inside, Fromm begins work on Dicard.
Alan has his pistol at a low ready, muzzle pointed at the ground, “I love this place,” to Oliver, “this must be your favourite room in the entire galaxy.”
It is agreed that Alan will watch Fromm’s back while Oliver and Chris check out the next rooms.
Most rooms are empty, but in one they find what appears to be some sort of animal nest with baby AlpCows in it. Chris asks Oliver if he should shoot and Oliver says he’ll leave it to him. Chris thinks about it for a moment, then slides the door shut.
“It’s not like they’re human.”
Oliver spots some footprints in the dust and calls for Alan – his suspicions confirmed when a comparison with Alan’s standard-issue Legion boot matches; the Legion have been here.
Chris says, “so, if the Legion did shoot the place up and clean it out, now what?”
Oliver responds, “well, I guess we can go ask them.”
They move Dicard into the Crawler and head back to Clement basin. Chris drives part of the way while Alan rests.
“They’re kinda cute…want me to shoot ’em?”
– Chris Uddin, 9-177a
It’s dark by the time they reach Clement Basin – Alan pulls the crawler up at a public medical centre and Dicard is put into Emergency. Shortly after a couple of Wardens show up, one wearing combat armour who stays behind to guard Dicard while the other drags Oliver away to answer some questions.
Chris is asked to assist the Warden guarding Dicard.
We assume Chris does so and we next meet him back at the Vizierate Offices the next Cycle when Dicard is out of surgery. Chris is tucking into a late breakfast meal at the Vizierate cafeteria when Oliver walks in wearing a pink Vizant uniform. Chris seems happy for him. Oliver insists it’s just a temporary thing to get the Legion to work with them.
Chris rocks back on his chair and laughs out loud, managing to collect several fragments of his meal in his beard as he does so.
– 9-227
They drive to the nearby Legion Cast (Legion military base) and are welcomed by Legionnaires who are angry that Argyle’s traps blew up some of their friends when they raided his lodge. They put aside the usual inter-services rivalry and are quite helpful. Oliver finds a clue in Argyles impounded possessions – a partially burned note referencing ‘Joe-‘ somebody but the name is partly burned away.
It’s time to investigate the mine. Oliver wants to find out about Argyle working here and some dead guy he read about from Argyle’s journals. On the trip there, Chris reads something with a lot of pictures as he jerks his head up and down to music in his headphones.
They arrive at the mine and Oliver talks to people about a dead guy he’s interested in – Chris isn’t paying much attention (flubbing an IQ check!)
Oliver wants to see the where the dead guy supposedly offed himself (a giant ore crusher). The woman in charge of the mine drives them out there to look. Chris’ instincts are aroused looking at the isolated and well-concealed area and the crusher’s safety fence.
Chris says with a grin, “I dunno Ollie, I reckon I could throw the Under Commander here over that.”
Alan looks pissed off but Oliver gets the message.
After that they go to the local Legion PSO, where after some grumpiness from the Legion Public Safety Officer, they spend some time scanning historical surveillance video before they spot Argyle arriving at the mine on a snowmobile at a time that would have been not long after they left Argyle at his lodge. There is no video anywhere of Argyle or the skidoo leaving. They head back to the admin building to find the guy they were just talking to about the dead guy leaving on the same skidoo. There a short chase down icy mine roads followed by the guy being pulled over and apparently claiming innocence, who says that Argyle was his friend and gave him the skidoo before walking off.
Chris doesn’t get to shoot the guy, but takes that philosophically.
They think Argyle has probably left the mine, but to be certain, they go to check out the mine worker residences. After a brief meeting with the residential caretaker, the PSO says he’ll have his Legionnaires check the empty residences and the team can go check the other hypothesis – that Argyle escaped the mine on the ore bucket transports.
However, everyone is tired so the team decide to sleep in the Crawler’s narrow bunks rather than drive all the way back to Clement basin and back.
Cut to: Slightly awkward ‘four guys waking up in a large van and trying to do their morning routine’ scene.
Outside it’s dark and slightly windy with snowfall. They question the worker at the ore transfer station who checks the logs and finds that yes, there was an anomaly with the ore bucket system just after Argyle was recorded entering the mine.
“Alan, follow that skidoo!”
– Chris Uddin, 9-322
Helpful and savvy Legion Security tech.
They drive to the spaceport and meet with the Legion Security Chief there.
Alan gives Oliver some gruff advice about giving orders like he expects them to be followed, and shortly after Chris is amused when Oliver delivers a nice burn to the unimaginative Security Chief about his security camera coverage.
Chris uses his Streetwise to useful effect when he comments that Octant 3 (where they are) is known for it’s people smuggling. He also points out that if they have questions about civilian shipping, they have an experienced civilian merchant spacer on their crew – Erin – they can ask.
Erin gives some additional advice and a savvy Legion Security Technician helps as well. After much sleuthing and checking the security archives they work out that Argyle has moved from the ore refinery, penetrated starport security, hung around for a while and then moved to an area of the port used by an independent cargo brokerage firm.
Some more sleuthing gives them the name of a likely ship on which Argyle made his escape from the planet.
“Wait, I read something about that…,
“…or maybe it was in a vid…
“Yeah, I think it was a vid, and the Legion shot a bunch of people at the end. Had that guy in it, you know, with the hair…
“Oh, yeah, your question – people smugglers. Big problem in Octant 3.”
– 9-409
The team return to a groggy Dicard in hospital to report back.
It is decided that Dicard and Doc Fromm will stay at Pristine while Dicard heals and follow up the remaining leads here. Everyone else will take the ship to Zarg’s World – the last known location of the ship they believe Argyle left on.
At the start of Blue Shift on 211.419 the Vizierate Sloop Maldemar 732 pulls away from Pristine Highport heading for the jump point to Adal, and from there to Zarg’s World where the team will continue their hunt for the shadowy Argyle and his notebook.
Module 9: A Threat’s Shadow was worth 6XP.
Chris seems happy he gets to go with the ship but is trying to conceal his reactions.
– 9-409
Any comments on the out-of-play bits?
Any questions?
The recap continues…