Talk:Dhillourr (world)
Notes (2018)[edit]
Mission Hook (Referees Only): In 1105, the refueled Travellers are a single jump from Dhillourr, in a world-system featuring a Gas Giant. Near the 100 Diameter jump point is a quietly drifting, low-consumption set starship of tonnage equal to the Travellers' vessel. The Encounter begins if the Travellers' ship spots the stealthy, spying Yilean forward observation ship seven or eight jumps spinward of the Third Empire of Gashikan. The Referee must generate the Yilean spy-ship, its crew and determine if the Travellers' can or will spot them. The Yileans are utilizing a ship that mounts a spinal, 30-ton, deep space telescope and are taking snapshots of everything they can learn and take back to their home empire.
The Yileans have caught wind that somewhere in the Ruler of Five confederation is a TL-16 world that is producing Extra-high technologies at a rate only a High-Population (Hi), Industrial (In) world can output. A 2763-year old grudge target is being sought by the Yileans in vengeance for the Sack of Gashikan. It is the hope of this interstellar spycraft to survey at range this mythical, TL-16 world as a potential target, blood-for-blood, against the Vargr, (nevermind that the Ruler of Five are a majority of Urzaeng Vargr and not the Suedzuk Vargr who did the foul deed more than 2.5 millenia ago).
Regardless of the Yilean vessel tonnage, it must have a 30dT, spinal telescope, stealth technology, long- and short-range weaponry and at least a Jump-3 range. The Yilean crew must include a Captain or Political Liaison officer who keeps the spies on-task and insulated from contact with the lupine race, maintaining the Vargr are too dangerous to make direct contact. Their mission is to find and collect data on the source-world of the T-16 vessels, systems, components and even personal gear and then return home to report the world's location for later, surgical strike ship(s) to enact revenge for the Sack of Gashikan. To the Yileans, such a blow would be fitting the bombardment of the garden world of Gashikan back in -1658 Imperial Calendar.
Example: A TL-12, 200dT Far Scout armed with turrets (Triple for MgT or Quad for T5) of missiles, lasers and sandcasters, the 30dT spinal, deep space telescope, single- or double-occupancy staterooms and fuel for at least a Jump-3 capable drive. The vessel might have up to 3Gs of in-system Maneuver Drive acceleration. Stealthy hull coatings and low power consumption (Solar Panels MgT or T5) are assets to keeping the mission quiet and go unnoticed by the Vargr confederation. For mission purposes, the ship has Fuel Scoops and an onboard Fuel Purifier. The cargo hold is full of extra food, water and other supplies for a deep penetration mission into the Ruler of Five polity.
If detected, the Yilean spycraft will not answer hails on Comms nor do they have an active, IFF transponder signal. They will instead return to normal power consumption and seek to flee. If the Yileans think they can disable the Travellers' craft, starship combat can commence. During such an engagement, the Humans will be calculating astrogation for the next, lowest Law Level and lowest TL world featuring a Gas Giant, (for wilderness refueling). If after a single combat turn, the spycraft thinks its mission is in true jeopardy, they will attempt a jump to escape the Travellers' vessel.
Since local system defense is hours from the jump point, the Travellers must make a choice after reporting the unidentified vessel. Will they let the non-Vargr vessel go and trust to the Ruler of Five Navy that the spies will not make it back across the border? Or will they see the chosen jump vector and seek to jump as well in pursuit of the interlopers?
This Encounter can lead to a jump chase from Teksuelats Subsector trailing and rimward toward the Third Empire of Gashikan. Traveller crews loyal to either the collective Vargr race, loyal to the Ruler of Five confederacy or merely loyal to Dhillourr can point out that the spinal mount was detected as a telescope and that the spycraft is undoubtedly a forward observer, likely hunting for the Extra-high technology world. Will Dhillourr become a target, should a strike ship armed with nuclear weapons again penetrate and find the subsector capital world?
- - The Pakkrat (talk) 11:53, 23 September 2018 (EDT)