Campaign:SBRD/Synopses/Chapter 02 Nexus
SBRD Ch.02 Nexus: Synopsis pt.1
IC Posts: #1 through #72
Postdates: 2013-09-22 through 2013-11-06
In-Game Dates: 3731-08-15 through 3731-08-22
Fortunate Son, along with close escort Leozard, entered Jump from Devonia system en route to Nexus system. While in Jump, most of the crew worked on fixing various items on Chief Engineer Max Black's "short list" of needed repairs, using parts and spares purchased for that purpose back on Devonia. Medical Officer Doc Freeman completed his treatment of passenger Nero Vulpinerrin for the gunshot wound he had taken just before take-off from Devonia. Assistant Engineer Leo Henry repairs the inoperative Engineering Bot and assists on other repairs.
Navigator Donoma Lafitte checks for discrepancies in Library Data about Nexus and notices that official sources from Nexus itself and from other worlds in the Delphi Union are very favorable about the Leader and how he has brought greater freedom and prosperity to Nexus, while other sources seem to regard the Leader as just another dictator who saw a bandwagon and grabbed the reins to put himself in charge, with financial and materiel backing from the Delphi Union in exchange for preferential treatment. Sources from Devonia and the cluster around Ostia are especially critical of the Leader's policies favoring merchants and shipping firms from the Delphi Union.
Passenger Lester Jordan (Nero's assistant/bodyguard) asks if anyone is interested in some freestyle brawling practice in the open space in the cargo bay; Security Chief Gayne Maize and CPO Bruno Kansakarrir have gotten in some sparring practice with Jordan, occasionally with other crew watching or joining in. Jordan proves to be an extremely skillful fighter and a helpful instructor.
Captain Hampton Rhodes and First Officer Kalos Thar take Nero and his wife, Marisa Vulpinerrin, plus Jordan and Nero's financial assistant Wawepaba, on a tour of the ship. Marisa reveals in conversation that she and Nero were both formerly in the military services of the Imperial Realm of Daibei (she in the Navy, he the Marines), but retired and moved to Devonia after their homeworld (Duurmurze) separated from the Imperial Realm.
Fortunate Son exits Jump into Nexus system at 2105 on 3731-08-21, nearly a full day ahead of schedule. Sensors show the ship's position right at the 100-D limit from the mainworld, Nexus XII-G, exactly as planned. The gas giant Nexus XII's orbit is far enough out that the system's F5 V primary is a tiny white dot, barely distinguishable from any other star in sight. Within a few minutes after Jump Exit, the ship receives a recorded comm from Nexus Traffic Control, advising that the ship is required to enter orbit around Nexus XII-G at its present distance until contacted by a customs patrol, and warning that any other maneuver may result in the ship being treated as hostile by system defenses.
After receiving a private recorded comm from Nexus XII-G, Hampton calls a conference of all crew to announce that he must leave for personal business of an unknown duration back on his homeworld (Wosi). He leaves Kalos in charge as Acting Captain and specifies a detailed plan for division of his own shipshares. He will be leaving the ship immediately upon docking at the Nexus Highport.
The customs patrol check turns out to be much less welcoming and much more formal than the checks experienced previously at Devonia; as Hampton puts it, "Sounds like the mainworld rating of Law Level 10 means that all Nexus officers are surgically implanted with a rectal stick and personality inhibitors." All of the inspection team are in combat armor and well-armed. The inspectors require that *all* crew and passengers assemble in the passenger lounge for processing, then issue Temporary Visitor Identification cards for all, advising that an additional permit will be necessary if anyone wishes to leave the starport. Due to the discrepancies in the manifest caused by the attempted theft and last-minute shuffling of freight before take-off from Devonia, the inspectors order Fortunate Son to undergo a detailed inspection of all freight and cargo at the Highport; the ship is also fined Cr250 "for having a transponder that does not accurately report the name of the current Captain according to the logs."
Lt. Quigley comms from Leozard: "As a foreign naval vessel from a state without any formal alliance with Nexus or the Delphi Union, we are being denied permission to approach any closer to Nexus XII-G or the Highport." Since Leozard cannot escort any further, it Jumps back to Devonia.
Donoma notices some unusual activity around the next moon outward, Nexus XII-H. Kalos sets course to dock with the Highport. Kalos makes contact via comm with Horace Brumley, an expediter in the Office of Trade and Development and seemingly the only friendly and helpful person in the bureaucracy that runs the Highport; he is able to void the Cr250 fine, and also sends Kalos current trade goods listings for the Highport and offers to act as broker for Fortunate Son's cargo, which offer Kalos declines.
Kalos, Hampton, Nero, Jordan, Gayne, and Henry meet to discuss the security situation expected at the dock. There are usually two Protectors (paramilitary police) stationed at dockside to control access to/from the ship. It is decided that Gayne and Henry will also stand watches at the ship's cargo lock until everything about the valuable Lanthanum freight it settled so it can be unloaded.
As with most modern space stations, the Highport has interior grav plates and thus no need to spin, and has maneuvering thrusters to maintain its orientation and keep it steady to simplify approach and departure paths. It does not even orbit Nexus XII-G, the mainworld, but rather maintains a position nearby on the side of the mainworld away from the gas giant Nexus XII.
Kalos completes docking maneuvers under the supervision of Hampton. Hampton stands and offers his hand. "Good work, Captain. Nice to know my baby is in good hands." He turns to Donoma for another handshake, which she maneuvers into a goodbye hug. "I've said my goodbyes to everyone else aboard; now you two play nice and take good care of my ship, and I hope I'll be seeing you again somewhere in this region of space in a few months." He backs away and heads toward the iris valve, which dilates open for him. "With your permission, Captain, I'll go on ashore and be on my way." Kalos replies, "Permission granted, Captain. Fair winds and safe sailing."