Adventure Overview
Players: Mr. Rhyze, Morton, Tripp McIntyre, Mauritus, Hercule Poirot.
Enemies: The Scith, The Broker, Sherlock Holmes, and Moriarty.
Started: As the Epsilon Team left the wreckage of Steel Star.
Ended: With the capture of Moriarty.
Fortunately, Tripp's Wild Isle didn't stall as the potential pilot pulled away from the remains of the Electran Steel Star station, escorted by Fayde's Thunderer. Morton Ragnarson was once again operating the weapons, as well as bleeding badly. He wasn't the only one badly wounded. The team's sole surviving Red-Shirt was currently in a similar condition, and very much shocked to still be alive. There were some doubts about whether bringing a Red-Shirt back from a mission was allowed by Starfleet policy. Mr. Rhyze offered to solve this problem by tossing the Red-Shirt out the airlock, but Mauritus refused to lose such a capable Red-Shirt. Furthermore, he decided that the mere fact that the Red-Shirt had survived the mission clearly earned him some sort of promotion. As could be expected, questions about the Red-Shirt's name proved futile. He did have a number, but Mauritus didn't consider this much of a unique identifier. Instead, he decided to dub the Red-Shirt 'Joe'. Although there were some questions about the originality of this name, Joe himself seemed to find the name extremely reassuring. Suddenly, the prospect of his survival seemed much greater. Watching this event, Mr. Rhyze and Tripp McIntyre got some original ideas of their own. In particular, Mr. Rhyze decided that he would bring the plight of Red-Shirts to the attention of the world through a series of videos. Mauritus, on the other hand, wasn't eager to see his Red-Shirts mocked in such a manner. Any further discussion of the matter was abruptly cut off by the approach of an unidentified spacecraft. Fayde and Morton had already picked up this craft, and noted that it was approaching too quickly to be avoided.
Although Morton and Fayde were ready to confront the mysterious ship, Tripp had no intention of putting his 'custom' ship in such a potentially dangerous situation. Instead, he attempted to urge more speed from the ship. Of course, such speeds couldn't be attained without strains to Tripp's Interocitor. As such, he delegated Mauritus the task of continually hitting the Interocitor in order to keep it running. While this was being organized, the scanners on Fayde's Thunderer were busy analysing the approaching ship. Its classification was not a common one. The ship was apparently designated as an Interceptor, and its pilot was known as Competent. Moments later, the ship was further identified by a transmission. The menacing face of Darth Maul glared balefully at the Epsilon Team, while Count Dooku informed them that securing their survival might prove difficult. After some defiant words, Fayde gave Morton permission to launch missiles. After a single volley, the Interceptor had closed to lazer range. The Thunderer was much less effective in these close quarters, and the Scith Interceptor's Dark Side Cannons proved devastating. Fortunately, though Tripp was averse to damaging his ship, he wasn't above firing missiles from afar. Though the Wild Isle's missiles were not nearly as 'shockingly' powerful as those launched by the Thunderer, they were still enough to turn the tide of the space battle. After several such hits, and a good lazer blast from Morton, the Scith Interceptor was sent spinning off into space, their engines badly damaged. Morton attempted to finish them off with another pair of missiles, but Darth Maul was able to avoid them, despite the damage to his vessel. With the speed of the Interceptor, there was no point in giving chase. Besides which, Tripp's ship was out of missiles.
The remainder of the trip back to Epsilon was spent discussing the appearance of the Scith. Fayde was most curious to know about Morton's previous encounter with Count Dooku and Darth Maul. Morton explained all he knew, but couldn't offer up any reason why they might have been involved in the destruction of Steel Star. Fayde seemed to have heard something about them, and noted that their rumoured objectives were to spread chaos and darkness across the galaxy. There were also rumours that the Scith worked for the Dreadlords of Sphere. Of course, the Dreadlords were as much of a mystery as the Scith, and Mr. Rhyze said as much. No one really knew whether the Dreadlords existed, but Fayde noted that there was speculation that many of Sphere's policies were manipulated by the Dreadlords. In any case, by this point the ships had reached their destination. As they prepared to dock at Space Station Epsilon, Commander Zaya contacted them for a report of events. She was very much surprised by the destruction of Steel Star. Picard was also surprised, but mainly because a Red-Shirt had survived the mission. This apparently unprecedented. He noted that he would have to fill out proper paperwork to account for the situation. After Mr. Rhyze promised a written report of events, Zaya told them they could all return to their duties, after any necessary trips to Sick-Bay.
Work log: It appears that you won't be needing to send any messages over to the Steel Star station for some time to come. Of course, Commander Zaya has you sending many communications back to Starfleet command over the incident, but you're sure the communications department will soon cool down again.
Incoming Transmissions:
-The final match of the Blitzball Intergalactic Cup is being arranged. The Deksiil Crescent Moons will be taking on the Lorac Monsoons in Deksiil's most advanced Blitzball stadium. Even with the home advantage, pundits aren't optimistic about Deksiil's chances. They claim that only the help of the legendary Sir Jecht could bring them victory in this game. Of course, you're sure that you would also be able to bring home a win for Deksiil, if they called you in.
-You've been receiving congratulations for your win in the CSSS programming contest. Although most of these messages seem to come from drunk university students, it's still quite clear that you've won the respect of the programming community. You've even heard rumours that a university is considering giving you an honorary degree for your performance. Allen, president of the CSSS, also sent a message promising delivery of your T-shirts within a few days.
Outgoing Transmissions:
-At Fayde's urging, Commander Zaya ordered you to contact Electran High-Command about the recent incident at Steel Star. The Imperial authorities seemed baffled by the attack on the station, and noted that they had received no communications from Commander Vydin that might give a clue about the destruction of the station.
Personal Notes:
-Vance is complaining that he has been shut out of a portion of his own science lab. Apparently, Commander Zaya granted Fayde sole use of the small science lab adjacent to the science center. Vance claims that no one will explain why the Electran officer is getting private use of the lab.
-Not all recent visitors to the station have been unwelcome. Jet, the goaltender for the Yankees, has come back to the station on what he calls a private training mission. Apparently, he routinely travels the galaxy during the off-season to test his goaltending skills against some of the best shooters in the league. You will certainly be glad to give him a few lessons in scoring goals.
Mini-Objective:
-Score as many goals as you can on Jet.
Work Log: Thanks to the spare parts you obtained from Johnny and Tripp, The Vesper is now more than spaceworthy. The other ships still need some work, but clearly getting your Falcon-X fixed was the most important task. In fact, you plan to spend some time tuning up your ship to get it in perfect condition.
Space Fleet Status:
-1 Falcon Fighter belonging to Falco Lombardo. Or so you claim.
-1 Silver Dust transport, minus its refrigerator.
-1 Falcon-X known as the Vesper.
-1 Thunderer, belonging to Fayde.
-An APC known as The Buick, still in great need of repair.
-A custom Falcon belonging to Johnny, in perfect condition.
Military Supplies:
-11 'slightly-used' Falcon missiles purchased from Crazy Sam.
-8 Heatwave missiles purchased from the GAP.
-3 Space-suits complete with oxygen tanks providing fourty minutes of breathable air. One of these was ripped apart by the Death Grobus.
Docked Flights:
-A luxury liner known as The Milk Chocolate is parked in Docking Bay One. You've heard it's owned by some incredibly wealthy businessman, but you don't know who they are or why they would come to this station.
-The Broker's Blue Chip is still in Space Bay One. Sadly, this means The Broker is also still on the station.
-A regular Starstreak transport is docked in Space Bay Two. It brought some more personnel to the station, including Hercule Poirot, the famous detective.
Personal Notes:
-Manolo claims to have ordered some new Falcon-X missiles. Unfortunately, you've learned that he ordered them from the man known as The Broker, which means the chances of the product actually being delivered are quite dismal.
-Your Blitzball hitting power is surely improving. The fact that you were able to knock over the Fat Man in the Speedo clearly suggests that your hitting power is unrivalled in the Blitzball league. Next time you get a chance, you plan to further demonstrate your mastery by tackling Babe Ruth!
-There are a few benefits to having the Iceman onboard the station. Alright, maybe just one. But it's a big one. As a reknowned racer, Johnny is apparently a regular at the prestigious Kessel Run. Using his manly influence, he claims to have secured spots for you and Falco in this year's event. According to Johnny, this will increase the number of people who will finish behind him. Now you just need to get permission to participate in this space race.
Mini-Objective:
-Convince Commander Zaya to allow you to participate in the Kessel Run.
-Tune up your Falcon-X to get it in perfect condition for winning the race.
Work Log: Mon ami, you did not come back to this station to do work. In fact, you did not really want to come back at all. This space flight, you do not share Hastings' enjoyment for it. However, you could not pass up the offer detailed in a letter sent to you by one of your old friends, Mr. Cadbury. He promised you a box of the finest Belgium Chocolates. The price, naturellement, is not important; the fact that you would have to come back to this station to collect the chocolates was, on the other hand, a bit inconvenient. But you are sure they will prove worth the effort. Still, in the process of getting these chocolates, you do not intend to ignore mysteries if they pop up right in front of you. And they usually do.
Unsolved Mysteries: (A list of mysteries that have been baffling the occupants of the station. With your order and method, you should solve them in no time.)
-Jamal's Dwindling Donut Supply: The name says it all. Jamal claims that his personal supply of donuts seems to be disappearing at an amazing rate. Without this food, his ability to do his job may be jeopardized.
-Manolo's Missing Shoes: Manolo claims that a pair of his top quality loafers has gone missing. This must be an urgent matter, since he has come to you twice demanding that you take up the case and locate his shoes. He seemed reluctant to give any details, ostensibly because he has a degree.
-Drug Conspiracy: There are rumours that a group of drug smugglers have taken up residence on the station. Tintin, the station's most intrepid journalist, claims that this conspiracy extends to the highest levels of authority. Of course, he's French rather than Belgian, making his suspicions highly suspect.
The Usual Suspects: (Your eye is very observant, and already you have noted some suspicious people aboard this station. Et bien, you have employed your usual order and method to form the following list.)
-The Man on the Scooter: This slick man in a suit slid past you once on a scooter. Hastings seemed impressed with the device. You were more interested in the fact that the man was shouting about how no one could catch him. Surely he would not need to make such a claim if no one had reason to catch him.
-The Swarthy Technician: You don't know his name, nor even if he has one. But this guy gave you a funny look.
-Vandred: A mysterious man in a black suit that you've seen walking the halls of the station. People have told you that he's some sort of Starfleet special envoy, but you're sure there's more to him than that. In fact, you suspect he might even be with the Surete!
-Moriarty: He escaped your grasp last time you were on this station. As such, you wouldn't be surprised to see him make a second appearance here.
Personal Notes:
-The flight to the station was terrible, as could be expected. The Gladiator movies shown were tasteless, and the fish almost made you sick. Naturally, Hastings loved it. Now that you've arrived on the station, you could really use some real food. And by real food, you mean only filet mignon.
Mini-Objective:
-Obtain a box of Belgian chocolates from Mr. Cadbury.
-Solve any mysteries that present themselves in your typical fashion.
Work Log: Despite the fact that you're not actually employed by Starfleet, you seem to have been doing an inordinate amount of work for them. Hopefully, the profit you can find in this station will make it worth your while. Of course, it's harder for you to do your job (getting money) while under suspicion from the station's latest security officer.
Cargo Status:
-At the moment, you don't have any cargo. But you intend to get some. Although you have done it before, you have to admit that it's hard to make much money without any goods to deliver. Fortunately, an opportunity to move some cargo has just presented itself.
-The Wild Isle, your cargo vessel, is parked in space bay two. You were worried that the fragile Interocitor might break down on the latest mission, but fortunately the ship managed to hold together.
Potential Profit: You're in constant contact with your extensive information network. It really pays to know about any opportunities for potential profit, and this station has more than a few.
-There has been some speculation that the items you've been trading have been obtained through less than legal means. However, you would vehemently deny any such allegations. You found your most recent items, for instance, while wandering the outer ring. Since no one else seemed to be using them, you figured that you might as well make some money from them. These include:
-A pair of high quality shoes.
-Some very old sneakers.
Surely these items would be worth something to the right people. However, you'll have to be careful who you market them to. You don't want security to find any more reason to get on your case.
-You've heard that The Broker has been contracted to bring in a new shipment of Falcon-X missiles. Transporting military cargo can be risky, but generally nets some good profits. And if you can catch The Broker, it shouldn't too hard to convince him to let you transport this shipment for him. Especially if you throw some free shoes into the deal.
Personal Notes:
-You've heard rumours that Johnny has obtained passes for the Kessel Run. Only great pilots and shrewd negotiators are allowed to enter this race. You prefer not to mention which of those two catergories you fit into. Still, if the right price is being offered, you wouldn't mind participating again. As long as you could get a new interocitor, that is.
Mini-Objective:
-Catch The Broker and convince him to let you transport the missile shipment.
-Avoid doing anything that will attract security's suspicions.
Work Log: Keeping the peace on this station seems like quite a challenging task. Especially considering the dubious quality of your colleagues. The Red-Shirts often provide more hindrance than help, and Jamal seems quite unable to rise from his chair. Blank is supposedly competent, but you haven't yet seen him in action. Regardless of all that, you intend to turn the security department around. It will take hard work, but you've never been averse to that. Given time, you plan to restore law and order to this station.
Brig Population: (The Brig is currently packed. Though several prisoners have been removed, and Blank claims one was even killed some time ago, the prison remains extremely crowded. This is a short list of the captured criminals, and their crimes.)
-Captain Crunch, a space pirate and cereal mascot.
-E.T., a very pale technician with a strange name and a strong desire to call home.
-Rikker, a former Starfleet officer who was involved in some serious treason.
-Kenny Rogers, a singer and restauranteer who once tried to kidnap Lucky.
-C-Bear, a rapper who wears a bear costume. His music alone is almost a crime.
-A boom-mike operator. He doesn't seem to be very good at his job.
-Neo, by day a model technician but by night a spaced-out hacker.
-McTaggert, an Irish businessman who attempted to steal Lucky's gold.
Red-Shirt Training: Training the Red-Shirts is proving to be a difficult task, and has already resulted in many injuries. Your first step was to confiscate all their guns, thus hopefully decreasing Red-Shirt casualties. It seems to have worked; without guns, the Red-Shirt mortality rate has decreased noticeably. You've been trying to teach them unarmed combat, but they don't seem to be very good at it. Nevertheless, you've made some progress. A few of your best students no longer fall over when attempting a basic kick. It's a start.
Personal Notes:
-There are several suspicious people on this station, Tripp McIntyre most definitely among them. You've also noticed a swarthy technician watching you. He always walks away before you can speak to him, but you did once see that the name on his coveralls was 'Art'. You're not sure what this fellow could be up to, but he certainly doesn't seem to be doing his job.
-You've just learned that Hercule Poirot, the famous private detective, has come to the station. You've dealt with detectives before, and can't stand the way they try to make local law enforcement look bad. You intend to prove that the security department can solve any crimes without any help from foreign detectives.
Mini-Objective:
-Solve any mysteries before this Hercule Poirot, and if that proves impossible:
-At least make sure the Security department doesn't look overly bad.
The action resumed in Bennigan's. The usual crowd was joined by an unusual, yet perfectly symetrical detective. Hercule Poirot strolled into the pub, followed by an excited Captain Hastings, who was looking forward to authentic Irish cuisine. Though most of the Irish who had come for Lucky's celebration had now left, the pub was still fairly crowded. As such, Hercule Poirot had no choice but to seat himself with Falco and Jamal. Mr. Rhyze, Morton, and Tripp McIntyre soon joined him. Mauritus also came in for some food, accompanied by Joe, who seemed eager to demonstrate his new kicking prowess. However, Mauritus didn't consider this the proper place for such a demonstration. Lucky soon came to collect orders, but found himself stumped by Poirot's continued use of French. Although somewhat intimidated, Lucky still couldn't admit that Filet Mignon was Irish. Mainly because he didn't know what it was. As always, Hastings piped in to provide an english translation of Poirot's request, and Lucky went off to find one of his Irish cows. Poirot's presence proved troubling for another. After Mauritus had introduced himself, and Joe, Hastings made several comments about local law enforcement. This gave Poirot the chance to act smug (which he always did) and talk about how he would soon solve all the mysteries on the station. This seemed to frustrate Mauritus, who eventually stalked off with Joe in toe after several more of Poirot's smug declarations. Morton followed soon after, although he was headed to the bridge for some negotiations with Commander Zaya. Now that security was gone, Mr. Rhyze and Tripp were ready to leap into action.
Jamal could only watch from his chair, amidst bites of donut, as Mr. Rhyze and Tripp attempted to unscrew the security camera in the corner of Bennigan's. Hastings was astounded, and asked Poirot if they should do anything about this act. Mr. Rhyze put his fears to rest by explaining that they needed to do some repair work on the camera. This explaination easily passified Hastings, and Poirot was too busy questioning Jamal about his missing donuts to pay much attention to this event. That changed about the time that Tripp accidently set off some sort of security alarm while removing the camera. Deciding that it was a good time to leave, both he and Mr. Rhyze rushed into the kitchen. From there, they were able to enter the engineering tunnels. They had just escaped into these depths when Mauritus and Joe arrived at the scene of the crime. Taking charge of the situation, Mauritus demanded to know what was going on. Hercule Poirot responded in his typical fashion, with a very long-winded explaination. Growing impatient, Mauritus turned her attention instead to Jamal. His response proved much more brief. He explained that Tripp and Mr. Rhyze had taken the camera, but he had been unable to stop them, simply because such an action would require rising from his seat. Upon hearing where they had gone, Mauritus rushed into the kitchen with Joe still in tow. The first things he noticed were the Irish sous-chefs were cowering in various obvious hiding spots, followed by the open hatch leading down into the Engineering Tunnels. Posting Joe to keep watch, Mauritus slid down into the darkness, using his purple flame-fist to light his search for Tripp and Mr. Rhyze.
Poirot was involved in an investigation of his own. He was looking into the matter of Jamal's disappearing donuts. The jive-talkin' officer claimed his donuts had started to vanish at an alarming rate ever since he had come to the station. Falco noted that he still seemed to have a sizeable supply, even as the pilot deftly pulled a donut from Jamal's bunnyhug and began eating it. Poirot certainly noticed this, and drew a correlation between Jamal's decreasing donut supply and the fact that all those seated next to him seem to mysterious acquire their own supplies of donuts. Jamal wasn't sure what all this meant, and neither was Hastings, who was busy helping himself to one of Jamal's donuts. When Poirot declared that someone was taking Jamal's donutes, Hasting instantly jumped to the conclusion that it was Moriarty, the master criminal. Although Poirot conceded that such a thing was possible, he speculated that the culprits might be closer to home. This caused Falco to leave rather abruptly, while stuffing the remainder of a second donut into his mouth. Jamal still wasn't fully 'with' this explaination, but then again, neither was Hastings. Nevertheless, Poirot declared the case solved, and suggested Jamal be more careful about who is seated next to him, and if they have access to his pockets. With this matter cleared up, Poirot decided to look for Manolo and get on with his second mystery.
By this time, Morton had reached the bridge. Zaya handed command to Picard while she spoke with the pilot, on what Morton termed an urgent issue. He was very much worried about the shortage of quality missiles on the station. Zaya had designated the task of replenishing the armaments to Manolo, but Morton wasn't confident that the acquisitions officer would avoid abusing his budget. Picard noted that this was an ironic statement, coming from a man who had extended one of his own shore-leaves without station authorisation. Still, Zaya couldn't deny the serious consequences of another Star Wolf attack before more Falcon-X missiles were obtained. Morton was also quick to attack the quality of the used missiles that Manolo had previously purchased from Crazy Sam. With all this in mind, Morton suggested that he should go see about ordering the missiles himself. He claimed to know some contacts in the Kessel Sector that could quickly hook him up with some quality missiles. In the end, Zaya agreed that this plan might be necessary for the station's very survival. However, she noted that Morton would not need to take the station's sole Falcon-X on such a mission. Once again, Morton had other ideas. After all, he needed to bring the ship so that he could ensure the purchase of the proper and compatible Falcon-X missiles. This would also allow him to do some testing, which would avoid the acquisition of more lemons. Upon securing the agreement of his commanding officers, Morton made his way down to the military bay lounge to tune up his ship for the Kessel Run, which he would now be attending.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rhyze and Tripp had exited the engineering tunnels in the hydrosphere. Their plan now involved the creation of a commotion, which would serve as a summons to the Red-Shirt. Mr. Rhyze would then be able to film them running along, which would provide great footage for the Red-Shirt video. With the communications officer busy behind the camera, Tripp was left to create a disturbance. He accomplished this by spilling water from the hydrosphere. It didn't take long for Red-Shirts to respond in their typical fashion. This involved running to the scene of the action, often tripping and stumbling. Mr. Rhyze deemed the scene priceless, though it might have been even better if they'd had a boom-mike operator on their side. In any case, the two decided to make their escape after having completed their filming. Both rushed back into the engineering tunnels, confident that no Red-Shirt could survive pursuing them in these confusing tunnels. Fortunately, Mr. Rhyze knew the way back to Bennigan's. Unforunately for the mischievious pair, Mauritus was still wandering the tunnels looking for them. He confronted them on their way back to the kitchen, forcing Mr. Rhyze to fly away with the camera. Tripp had no such fast mode of escape, and was apprehended by the security officer. Of course, the potential pilot claimed to have done nothing wrong, and offered to help Mauritus track down Mr. Rhyze and the stolen security camera. Although still suspicious, Mauritus agreed with this offer, and denied Joe's request to demonstrate his kicking ability on Tripp.
Although he claimed to have much useful information, Tripp didn't actually know where Mr. Rhyze might have gone. But he suggested that the communications officer often seemed to hang out near the hydrosphere. As such, the three decided to check that location. They found two men outside the Sphere, both Blitzball players, but neither Mr. Rhyze. Although none of the security team would recognise him, the first man was known as Jet, and was wearing no footware or shirt. The man stretching with him was well known to everyone on the station. It was Johnny, The Man. Jet had apparently come to this station to test his skills against some of the best Blitzball players in the sector. Johnny certainly thought this definition included him. Mauritus was more interested in the whereabouts of Mr. Rhyze, and proceeded to ask the two if they had information on the subject.
The mysteries continue on page two of this adventure.
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