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Session Logs |
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31: The Only Way Out!
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Introduction
So the session didn't exactly go as I thought, and the final outcome was significantly different from the TV series, which actually means that the final outcome is also significantly different. You'll have to read the post session note to find out the changes. Paul was 100% correct there was only one way out of this scenario, that's sort of the problem with ruuning a game based on a TV Series, even if the writers continually get things wrong, or you chose to not quite do the same thing.
As I said at the end, if you thought the Seer's scenario was
complicated, that is nothing compared to what is coming. Clues have
been dropped in relation to some of this already, and things relating
to some elements revealed will get dealt with when we get to those
points. There is very much a time and place for everything in this game.
As to what next, Aliesha Reynard, and your weasily fixer Talbor
Calcheck, might be able to help. He's no good to you dead but he might
need some forceful persuasion
to go with you.
The Only Way Out!
Given the two week break I had expected a slower start, but we went all in with the situation on the Marauder. The main question from my perspective was how long they were going to sit on their hands before attempting to do something about their predicament, or more specifically until Varrick had a particular train of thought in relation to the events that had occurred. As it turns out it was about 3 and a half hours, then it occurs to Varrick that things may be fixable, except there is a potential fly in the ointment. The Marauder's engineering bay is below the floor of the main cabin and the access hatch, which is a sealed pressure hatch is in the passenger section as opposed to the cargo section. The Passenger section can be sealed off from the rear cargo section and the rear cargo section, depresurised, but the reverse is not true. The complication is that if there is a hull breach in the lower hull or wings then attempting to open the hatch will, in this case, not depresurise the Maraurder, but pressurise it with the toxic atmosphere from outside. The atmospheric density and hence pressure is considerably greater outside than inside the Marauder.
Now unlocking two of the six securing latches shouldn't pose an issue, at three there may be an indication that there is a problem, but if there is and the fourth latch is undone [GM Note: varrick would know which order to undo the latches to best balance any pressure load of the hatch] then the likely hood is that the hatch would catastrophically fail and be blown into the cabin. Slowly and with a degree of trepidation, more than I actually expected they slowly undid the latches, without any explosive compression of the cabin [GM Note: I thought you might have guessed that there was a narrative imperative that this wasn't going to happen but not doing so made the session far more interesting.]
With the hatch open, Varrick can then crawl into the access way and make his way forward to the power coupling assempbly. Removing the cover, his theory that the EMP pulse from the Lightening spike just tripped all the coupling pans out to be true. It is then an uncomfortable job to remove the couplings, reset them and then re-insert them in the reverse order. With the couplings restored,a nd teh cover replaced, Varrick shuffles his way out of the confined space of the access way and back into the cabin, before replacing the access hatch. There is then the moment of tension where he initiantes the reboot sequence for the Maraduders plasma turbines before they come online restoring power and full life support. The air was getting a bit think and rank by this point.
The decision is then made to fly around the planet slight such that they exit the atmosphere at a different point to the one in which they entered it. Entering orbit once more the scanners show no ships present, no Razza, and no Seer Freighter, at least for 20 seconds when the FTL alarm sounds and the Seer Freighter enters orbit ahead of the Marauder. Varrick takes evasive action, and the shot aimed at disabling the Marauder [GM Note: a single solid hit from one of the two turrents would be enough to disable the Marauder. Two good hits would more than likely either wrecked it or destroyed it, thus if they wanted to use it as bait they could only risk firing once.] misses. Given the relative speeds of the two ships, and the fact that the Seer's freight was actually facing the wrong way, the Marauder is out of range before the Seers can fire again. It is then a case of dog chasing cat with the cat staying sufficiently far ahead to stay out of range of the Seer's turrets.
We then shift back to the Razza. Bradic wants to talk to Nyx about the weapons they got from the Seers. They are Electris S12E Pulse Stun Rilfle, a bulpup configuration rifle, and in effect an enhanced version of the AC19 stunners, at least as long as you don't have the settings set to max. They have both Long(L) and Short(S) range settings with a four position selector switch. For Short range you have 1,2,3,5 and for Long 3,5,7,11 (ie the number of charges expended). The Energy clip, which appears similar to that of the TRC12 Blast rifle, has a capacity of 18 shots and can be recharged from a standard charger. The range settings for short give you 3m,3m,5m,5m range, and for long give you 5m, 5m, 7m, 10m. However the manner of beam focusing to achive the longer ranges means that there are minimum ranges for each setting which are short 0, 0m, 1m, 1m and long 1m, 1m, 3m, 5m.
Emily also want to talk to Nyx and Milo, to understand more about not only the Seer's motives, but exactly how honourable or not Hansmeed is likely to be. Milo is not completely sure that, having handed himself over they wouldn't just open fire and destroy the Razza [GM Note: completely contrary to how the writers portrayed things in the Series]. They need another way. Bradic is all for just putting Milo in a space suit and abandoning him in space, but Emily is completely against the idea, nor does she really want to give up the Volkov-Russi shuttle, but in the end she figures out that is only the real way that an exchange would work. Put Milo in the Shuttle, jump into planetary orbit to retrieve the Marauder and once done, give the Seers the co-ordinates of the Shuttle so that they can go get him. Milo also, when asked about the Seers plans, lets on that their objectives are to acquire more ships, with a future view to taking over the Galaxy. In thier view, or at least Hansmeed, they are the future of humanity.
With repairs complete on the Razza, the Razza jumps to approx 1.5AU from the planet. Milo boards the shuttle, having convinced his sister that this is really the only way out for all of them. He'd rather not go back but it is better than continually looking over their shoulder and having to keep moving to stay ahead of the Seers for the rest of their lives. [GM Note: this sets up the completely different end/outcome from the TV series.] The Razza then jumps into planetary orbit, actually ending up 3,600Km ahead of the Marauder. Note both the Marauder and the Seer Freighters are moving at approx 12,000ms-1 at this point. [GM Note: at 12kms-1 it will take the Marauder 5m to catch up with the Razza, which is more than enough time for the Razza to accelerate to the same orbital velocity, which is necessary for the Marauder to dock.]
Once in orbit Emily contacts the Seers who in addition to demanding Milo back want their cargo back. Emily tells Hansmeed that he'll get the coordinates of the shuttle once the Marauder has docked. As to the cargo, well its onbaord the Marauder so she'll have to see what can be done. Contacting the Marauder, there is only one viable option, given they have no space suits on board. Two will have to use her nanites abilities to keep her alive in the vacuum of space, to throw the cargo boxes out of the airlock of the Marauder. If the Seers want their cargo then they'll have to stop to collect it. The crew of the Marauder proceed along these lines, Two ejecting a total of 10 crates of cargo before closing the airlock. [GM Note: again completely not what happened in the TV series.] The Marauder then docks with the Razza, Emily transmits the coordinates of the shuttle to the Seers, and the Razza jumps to the nearest space station without a GA station to restock their empty food supplies.
House Keeping - Dates and Fuel
| Event | Date | FTL Jump Distance | Fuel | Fuel Remaining | Water Remaining | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jump to Drop Shuttle |
2672.340.7 | Intra-System | 2000l | 911,080 | 32,780(26,000) | ||
| return to Drora-8 orbit |
2672.340.7 | Intra-System | 2000l | 909,080 | 32,780(26,000) | ||
| Depart Drora-8 for Itroit |
2672.340.7 | 13ly | 26,000l | 909,080 | 32,780(26,000) | ||
| Arrive Itroit-11 | 2672.343.13 | N/A | N/A | 883,020 | 27,695(26,000) |
Incidental Expenses (Bribes/Inducements/Payoffs) : $1,700
Docking Fees: $9,610
Your last supply stop was on 2672.283 at the Opleesh-8 Station. By
the time you reach the station at Itoit-11 you're out of
"food". You still have 'Green leaves' from the hydroponics and 'food
cubes'. Note there was a closer station, but you wanted one with out a
GA station. Going after Aleisha Reynard, particularly in respect of
getting to Talbor Calcheck you're not going to be able to avoid
stations with a GA presence.
Post Session Note - The Final outcomes
Okay, as I said in the introduction the way you did things in the end is not how things happen in the TV series. In the Series the Razza picks up the Marauder, and then Two attempts to bluff Hansmeed by threatening to shoot Milo. There is then an agreed exchange and Milo is taken across to the Seer's ship in the Marauder and handed over along with half the stolen cargo. When the Seers put him back in his cabin he slits his own throat with the knife given to him by Ryo. As none of those things actually took place in game, the following is actually what happens in game.
Having retrieved 6 of the Cargo boxes Two threw out the back of the
Marauder, they missed the rest, or they got destroyed hitting the Seer
ship (take your pick), the Seer ship jumps to the coordinates given to
then by Emily. Since Milo can't pilot the shuttle and the Seers can't
board it without exposing the interior to space they have to maneuver
such that they can draw it into a cargo hanger. As they maneuver into
final position to engulf the shuttle, Milo uses the 'boarding override'
of the shuttle, remember it has a side door and is designed to either
dock sideways, or allow the troopers to exit into space if necessary,
to open the side door, and jump into space. There is nothing the Seers
can do but watch him drift away from the freighter. By the time they
can retrieve his body he is long dead.
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