Adventure Overview
Players: Morton, Ginzu, Rei and Jazz.
Enemies: The Next Generation crew, Samo Hung and Vance.
Started: As the heroes attended a security meeting with Commander Zaya.
Ended: With the defeat of Vance.
You have a hunch that solving this mystery could prove very important for the very survival of the space station. As such, it’s clearly up to the Top Gun to take care of it. And as the Maverick of Epsilon, you have no doubt that you’ll be able to catch whichever goose is responsible for this whole thing.
List of Contacts:
Obviously, catching the killer quickly is extremely important. You will only have time to visit a few of these contacts, so choose wisely. Most of the information gathering will be done publicly, but you may choose to make one contact visit a secret.
You never really got to know this Admiral Thrawn fellow, but at least he agree to give you back your old job. So, despite the fact that you still have yet to be payed for your services on this station, you intend to find the murderer. After all, when things get messy, it’s always up to the janitor to clean things up. And you’re more than just a janitor; you’re a janitor, first class.
List of Contacts:
Obviously, catching the killer quickly is extremely important. You will only have time to visit a few of these contacts, so choose wisely. Most of the information gathering will be done publicly, but you may choose to make one contact visit a secret.
Man, this whole thing is bogus! You knew that Admiral Thrawn was a bad guy from the get-go, especially with the way he treated the commander. But there was still no excuse to kill him. After all, you’re all about peace, man. In the tradition of the Brotherhood, you intend to be the first to solve this mystery. That should be enough even to impress Undercover Brother!
List of Contacts:
Obviously, catching the killer quickly is extremely important. You will only have time to visit a few of these contacts, so choose wisely. Most of the information gathering will be done publicly, but you may choose to make one contact visit a secret.
You’re not used to dealing with this whole mystery thing. Your enemies tend to be less subtle, and usually strike from the open, cleavers in hand. Still, you are the Hero of this Age, and it’s up to you to figure out who the true enemy is and take them down.
List of Contacts:
Obviously, catching the killer quickly is extremely important. You will only have time to visit a few of these contacts, so choose wisely. Most of the information gathering will be done publicly, but you may choose to make one contact visit a secret.
Using their somewhat unique lists of contacts, the four heroes were expected to find Thrawn's killer. The fruits of their inquiries will be related here, in a greatly summarized form. First, Rei went in for some Irish Myths. In scene highly remiscent of film noir, she found Lucky and Jamal waiting in a mostly empty and unusually shadowy Bennigan's. Even more on edge than usual, Lucky claimed to know exactly what was going on. When pressed, he finally declared that this murder had doubtless been the work of McTaggert, a real bad boy-o. Rei wasn't convinced, and turned to get Jamal's opinion. As a part of security, Jamal declared himself more than willing to assist in the investigation, provided that doing so would not cause him to actually move. Of course, his lack of mobility already provided him with an unbreakable alibi. Unfortunately, he hadn't really been much of a suspect in the first place. Still, he was able to relate a bit of information about the Masked Armorian, who he claimed to have seen hanging around Bennigan's a couple times. Vowing to seek out this McTaggert, if only to calm Lucky's frayed nerves, Rei took her departure from the pub.
During this time, Ginzu had made his way over to sick-bay for a discussion with Sam. Although intending to talk about the murder, the two were soon going over the idea of becoming Black & White, a mismatched detective duo destined to detain, deter and destroy criminals. Sam liked the idea of helping, and offered to do just that, though he was the first to admit that he couldn't think of anyone on the station who would want to commit such a crime. He had been doing an autopsy on the body, and had discovered a few interesting things. As the heroes had long suspected, Thrawn had been killed by a laser weapon fired into his chest at close proximity. Sam also believed that the beam's precision suggested it could only have come from a Z-1 Laser, which agreed with Morton's ballistics diagnosis. Thrawn had almost certainly been killed between a half-hour and an hour before the body had been discovered. Aside from that, Sam had no real information to share. He hadn't seen any other Masked Armorians, and upon hearing about Ginzu's sightings, declared that he would have to invite this fellow for coffee. On that note, Ginzu did get something useful from the visit: a cup of Sam's prepetually ready coffee.
Jazz's first visit was to security, so he could do some camera scans. Warf grudgingly gave the console over to the Big-Head man, still convinced that this nickname was somehow meant to make fun of his Klingon heritage. Within moments, Jazz was scanning the camera footage from about two hours before the killing to the point where Thrawn's camera was blacked out, which was about an hour before the body was discovered. The other cameras on the outer ring all went out for about ten minutes right at the beginning of the blackout, but not before they showed Zaya leaving her room, and Johnny cruising down the halls in typical fashions. Checking other cameras, Jazz discovered that Vance had entered the turbolift on the first floor right before the blackout. Picard also left the bridge around the same time. There didn't seem to be any other major movements. Having already pored over almost a dozen hours of camera footage, Jazz decided that he had learned all he could from the camera scan.
Morton had no doubt about where he had to visit first. It was Fade to Black all the way. He found Fayde in his room, reading an Electran science magazine. It seemed to contain a few articles about customizing ships, and Morton noted rather bitterly that Starfleet had no subscription to any such magazines. This wasn't, of course, the point of Morton's visit, and Fayde had surmised as much. The Electran was abit surprised to hear Morton say that he was implicitly trusted, and that they knew he wasn't involved in Thrawn's death. With his Fade Out, Fayde noted that avoiding the cameras would have been easy for him. Still, Morton didn't think Fayde was a real suspect, and asked to hear his opinion of the killing. This opinion turned out to be rather simple; Fayde declared that the Spherans had likely been behind it. After all, the Admiral's death was a great boon to their efforts in the area. He believed the one responsible was probably a traitor working for the Spherans. It seemed most unlikely to him that Ataris would have relied on the dangerous and unpredictable Scith to deal with the station. Morton couldn't help but agree with this point. Who would really be foolish enough to entrust such an important task to Count Dorku? Morton departed on this strange note.
In her second round of investigations, Rei decided to visit the Bureaucracy. This turned out to involve a trip to Jean-Luc Picard's office. The station's number two agreed to cooperate completely with the investigation, and offered an explaination of his movements around the time of the murder. He had been on the bridge, doing routine paperwork, when he decided to go look for Jordi. He was scheduled to meet with Vance in the science lab around an hour before the murder was discovered, but decided first to seek out the chief engineer. To that end, he took the turbolift to the station's lowest level, where he encountered some engineers. These red-coated pranksters informed him that Jordi was nowhere to be found, and as such, Picard returned to the first level around fifty minutes before the murder was discovered. Vance was waiting for him, and had apparently been working in the lab for quite some time. Picard only left the lab some ten minutes before the body was discovered, and dispatched a Next-Generation Red-Shirt to deliver documents that Thrawn had requested. Of course, Picard was unwilling to give any details about these experiments, stating that they were military projects, and highly confidential.
During this same time, Morton had gone down to the Military Bay Lounge for some of the Iceman's Gossip. Johnny was sprawled on the couch, sipping from an umbrella drink, shades in place. He was clearly ready to dish out the latest station gossip to Morton. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be very relevant at all. Johnny first claimed that he and Commander Zaya were clearly an 'item', and that they had been seen hanging out together all over the station, much to Jazz's dismay. More than a bit skeptical, Morton demanded to know if Johnny had been with Zaya at the time of the murder. Reluctantly, Johnny admitted that he had been cruisin' in search of Zaya, but couldn't find her. He had even zoomed by her office to knock, to no avail. Obviously, she must not have been in. This occured about fourty minutes before the murder was discovered. Morton also questioned Johnny about the Masked Armorian, but the latter didn't seem to have any real information about him. Instead, Johnny wanted to get back to talking about how everyone 'dug him'. This was enough to send Morton fleeing from the room.
By this time, Ginzu had reached Number One: Zaya's office. The Commander was naturally willing to help him with the investigation, and explained her movements on the day of the murder. She had spent most of it in her room, moping about. Admittedly, the presence of Admiral Thrawn on the station had caused her great distress. Still, she had decided to go for a walk around an hour before the body was discovered. This was when the camera had caught her leaving the room. Zaya felt she needed to clear her head, and a short but apparently unwitnessed walk around the main level apparently accomplished that task. When prompted, she did recall Johnny banging on the door a few minutes after she'd returned, but she hadn't wanted anything to do with him, and thus hadn't acknowledged his knocking. It was duly noted that Zaya's room and Picard's were the only ones that contained personal computers, and thus some of the only private access points from which to shut down the cameras. But Ginzu, confused as he was, didn't think that Zaya would have shut down the cameras a few minutes before leaving her room.
Jazz's last visit was, unsurprisingly, to B.r.o.t.h.e.r., but due to the Brotherhood's confidential nature, little of that visit can be reproduced here. Suffice to say that Jazz got some tips from Undercover Brother on how to actually join the Brotherhood, and confirmed that the CIA agent had indeed been sent to Epsilon for the sole (soul?) purpose of confronting the Scith. He didn't have many clues about this murder, but speculated that no real Brother would use a gun to kill someone. Because they were all about peace, man. And Kung-Fu. In almost equal quantities.
Now that all the clues had been gathered, the heroes met in the briefing room for a brief discussion of the mystery. They had only mere minutes before they would have to give their final report to Picard, and if their theories were correct, this report would be quite accusing indeed. But before they could file their reports with him, their players had to file one with me.
With Blank gone from the station, it’s up to you to figure out who killed Admiral Thrawn. At a time when Starfleet needs to be at its strongest, the station seems to be divided by distrust and treachery. Only by clearing up this mystery and catching the killer can the crew of Epsilon focus once again on their duties. Please mark down the character you believe was responsible for killing the Admiral. Guessing correctly will not only allow you to catch the criminal, but it will also allow you to catch a 1000XP bonus.
This baffling mystery led to some serious discussion. By the end of it, most were convinced of Picard's guilt. He seemed to have the best motive for the crime; he was suspected to have made numerous attempts aimed at discrediting Commander Zaya in the past. This would only be the latest and most bold of all. Picard had been the station's commander before the arrival of this upstart young officer, and would be again should she be arrested for the death of Admiral Thrawn, a man who was known to greatly dislike her. The other two suspects were Vance and Zaya, but no one felt Vance really had a sufficient motive for the crime. In the end, Rei, Ginzu and Jazz marked down Picard, while Morton put down Zaya, just for variety's sake.
Now that this was done, the heroes rushed over to security, where Picard and Warf were waiting for their report. Since they had no real evidence, the plan was to feign suspicion in Zaya and see what Picard's reaction would be. Then, when his hopes were up, they would hit Jean-Luc with their true accusations. This difficult task required some smooth-talking, and so it naturally fell to Jazz. Morton tried to edge in words several times, but Jazz silenced him, usually with random insults. There was some speculation that this was a good cop/bad cop routine, but Jazz denied that flat out and declared it a smart cop/dumb guy routine. Picard did seem interested in their accusations of Zaya, but seemed even more excited when the possibility of Captain Kirk's involvement in the crime was raised. Unfortunately, he didn't crack as they had hoped when confronted with their accusation, although he did seem shocked that they would...accuse...him! Attempts to make Warf angry were a success, simply by calling him a Terrorian rather than a Klingon. But this didn't help the case. Picard calmly explained that there was no motive for him to kill the Admiral; Zaya's performance at Epsilon was known throughout Starfleet as a joke, and she would surely be removed in due course. Why would he go out of his way to kill an Admiral for a post that would surely be his within the next few weeks regardless? Noting that the heroes seemed to have no real evidence against him, Picard declared that he would bring the matter before Starfleet, and they would take over the investigation.
On the way from the room, Morton noticed a set of weight equipment stacked against the wall. This was apparently destined for a new prison gym, intended to get the prisoners away from their Dungeons & Dragons for some exercise. Before long, Warf and Morton were hitting each other with weights as they participated in the feats of strength. This served as a summons of sorts, and the door to the hydrosphere swooshed open, revealing a hideous sight. It was the Fat Man in a Speedo, and he had interrupted his bath for the feats of Strength. He claimed loudly that these would not end until Morton could pin him to the floor. As the pilot raced and bounced off this punderous bulk, Picard, Rei, Ginzu and Jazz bypassed the battle en route to the bridge. However, Rei stopped when she noticed something behind the Fat Man. A small, blue turtlish animal in shades was trapped in a block of red Jell-O. With great agility, Rei slid by the combatants to retrieve her pet. The Fat Man was enraged that she was stealing his 'bath toy', but he clearly had no way of catching her in the act. Besides, Morton pinned him to the ground moments later.
By this time, Picard had reached the bridge, intent on sending a message to Starfleet about the investigation. Jazz was with him, intent on making sure the message sent was square. Unfortunately, Mr. Rhyze's Replacement informed him that a message had already been sent by Starfleet. Disbelief painted Jazz's face as he read it. Commander Zaya was to be detained indefinitely until the investigation was concluded. Nodding in satisfaction, Picard gave the order for Warf to bring Zaya down to the bridge. Apparently, Picard had been sending reports to Starfleet on the progress of the investigation, and this was their decision. And it left Jean-Luc Picard in charge of space station Epsilon.
Jazz couldn't believe that Starfleet could have reached such a decision after reviewing all the facts of the case. He suspected that Picard might have been very selective in the information he had given them. To confirm this, the DJ raced down to the computer labs. His plan was to hack into Picard's email account. Diego offered to draw up a diagram to help, and Vance offered caustic advice over Jazz's shoulder before striding from the room. Fortunately, none of their assistance was required; Jazz eventually broke into the accoun, but moments after doing so, an announcement summoned him, Rei, Ginzu and Morton to the bridge. Cursing this ill-timing, Jazz joined the others in the turbolift. When they entered, they found the bridge oddly empty, and only occupied by Jean-Luc Picard and Vance. Picard was pleased they had come so promptly. Smug as ever, Vance declared that he was detecting some unusual readings, and beckoned for Jazz to come take a look. However, as soon as the DJ was near, the science officer pulled a D6-Minigun from his suitjacket and aimed it at Jazz's head. Smirking, Vance declared that the gun contained depleted uranium bullets, and a shot to Jazz's head would leave him with more brain damage than he already had. By the time the turbolift door opened, the heroes had all realised that this was a trap.
Three more people stepped onto the bridge, all wearing Next-Generation uniforms. A confused Jordi LaForge was ushered into the room by an angry Warf, hefting his gladiator weapon. Rikker was also there, eager to get revenge on those who had put him in the brig. Unable to resist the urge to revel in his own genius, Vance explained that this had all been his plan from the beginning. Picard had always been good to him, handing over all the research money he'd needed with no strings attached. Zaya had much different policies, and for that, she had to go. Killing the Admiral had been a necessary part of this plan, and Vance had been more than willing to do so. And now they would kill the heroes for 'treason' against the station's new commanders. Starfleet command would be sent a fabricated report of events, while the truth would remain locked in deep space forever. Morton's only retort was to bring up Captain Kirk, and it turned out to be an effective one. Unable to contain himself, Picard assumed a martial-arts pose that looked only more ridiculous due to his serious demeanor. It was time to fight.
Jazz didn't like his current situation, but with liberal use of his jetpack, he was able to escape Vance's clutches. The scientist had technology of his own to deploy. Tossing his gun aside, he placed a small metal object on the bridge's wall. Hitting some buttons, he created a massive magnetic field that pulled all metal weapons right to the device. This included all of Morton's guns, Ginzu's swords, Jordi's visor and even Warf's gladiator weapon. Deactivating the device, Vance hefted Morton's autoblaster with another smirk after tossing Warf his weapon. The Next-Generation crew had blocked the way to Vance, forcing the heroes to fight through them first, even as the cunning scientist sprayed them with bullets. And with the use of Jordi's visor, Vance was even able to blast the invisible and still wounded Ginzu, dropping him. The lack of his visor allowed Jordi to use his laser eyes, much to Morton's distress. And the pilot found it hard to hit a seemingly defenseless, blind cripple. Jazz had no such trouble pounding Warf, despite the fact that he was unfamiliar with Klingon anatomy, and knew not where to hit him. Rei was quite literally mopping the floor with Picard and Rikker, though the latter scored some serious blows on her. Picard's main role seemed to involve declaring that he was under attack, and then attempting to reason with his opponents. And then going down in a single uppercut from Jazz. After several rounds of such fierce combat, it was down to only Morton and Jazz, both heavily unwounded, against Vance.
Activating another small device that he pulled from his sleeve, Vance sent both his opponents to their knees in pain. Never adverse to explaining his brillance, Vance declared that the device made a sound barely audible to the human ear, but capable of vibrating the inner-ear bones. After enough of such vibrating, these bones would shatter, driving shrapnel into the brain and killing anyone within listening distance of the device. Morton and Jazz could do not but writhe in reply. Picking up Morton's laser rifle for a 'fitting finish', Vance declared that brute force could never stand up to the power of science. But with an extreme act of will, Morton was able to stand up to Vance and deliver some telling blows. At the same time, Jazz was able to activate his jetpack and blasted into the surprised science officer, sending the device flying from his hands. Morton's final blow slammed Vance across the room, blood staining his shirt from his cracked throat. Vance and the Next-Generation crew were defeated, and the former was dead. All the misplaced suspicions that he was the final boss of the campaign died with him.
Return to The Deep Space Main Page