Traveller Session 17

By Dawn Pinchin
/
First published 19th January 2026
Game Date
249-1105
Location
Bularia → Ucella → Iderati
A map of the local jump map around Bularia
GM⇒All

249-1105 You're still flying south low over the water and are now between an island to the west and the shoreline (with plenty of cultivated fields) to the east. So far you've not seen or heard from the Star port - though it is now well over the horizon. You're now about 1,000 kms south of the Star port. You estimate that you'll need another 20 hours to finish refining the fuel

Earl is keeping watch, Tharbin makes another attempt to submerge the ship but alas it fails, but we are far enough away to be out of any immediate visual range. We may be spotted if they send any more cutters out. Chase breaks radio silence with a request for help. A ship, the Darrian Conveyor responds asking the nature of the request and Chase explains our predicament and gives them his position. We run a search on them but have limited information. Chase explains that we have not been offered any assistance from the Star port staff. The Darrian Conveyor all seems to be above board. It is a bulk freighter of 3,000 tons so they can't offer any real assistance. Earl has more knowledge about our suspected pirate and he tells us he is exceedingly ruthless. Taking out the freighter would not turn a hair on his head. We decide to send a tight-beam comm to the freighter. We give them as much information as we have for the time being to warn them about the potential pirates at the Star port. The Darrian freighter needs to refuel and can only do so at the Star port as they can't refine their own fuel. We offer to hook them up and feed them the fuel they need. They want some kind of verification and we offer Chase as a form of security, which they accept.

A spherical starship with four longitudial rectangular sections on the lower half of the vessel

A view of the 800 ton starship as it left Bularia

We bring the Hope to a stop & successfully submerge the ship to 60 feet beneath the surface. Chase lands the air-raft and tries to camouflage it somewhat. He can hear a smallish vessel coming using his bins he identifies a cutter & takes cover. The cutter fires its laser in his direction & some small fires erupt around him & he moves, but it comes around for another pass firing again getting very close to the air-raft, he continues to move away from it, the cutter breaks off and heads back to Star port. Chase gets back to air-raft to see if he can perform emergency repairs. It is flyable barely. He checks for any more cutters in the vicinity but thankfully sees none. It seems to have been a setup, proving that whoever is at the Star port is definitely trying to kill us. After looking around whilst moving, a large ship enters the atmosphere. Chase contacts the ship with a warning, but it turns out that this is the 3,000 ton Darrian Bulk Freighter Chase was supposed to meet, he gives them new co-ordinates for landing. He informs them about the attack on him & states air-raft is damaged and he needs to make emergency landing. He is told to land 1 mile south of Freighter. Turrets are pointed in his direction and several heavily armed men head towards Chase. He gets everything from raft & holds his hands up. He hands over all transcripts & recordings and all relevant info to prove we are not pirates. Going over all our info very thoroughly, but they are unable to verify our Scout status as they're not from the Imperium, they inform us a ship is taking off from the Star port. What size ship is 800 ton heading out of system? Not attacking. Pirate ship was 800 tons. The decision is made to head back to the Star port. We contact the Darrian ship, to let them know we are heading back to Star port, if you pick up a ship it is us. We will investigate & let you know, did you happen to catch an IFF on ship leaving? No IFF & not Darrian. At Star port a couple of 200 ton ships no cutters, in space an 800 ton ship close to Jump point, 3,000 ton in ship low orbit. Message transmitting from Pirate captain to Earl, threatening him & telling us he knows it was Earls' ship and implying that he may have left some friends behind to deal with us.

We land as close as we can to the Control centre facing the building so we can disembark under cover. Several civilians head towards our ship, we leave armed and demand names etc. They are the Star port staff, no casualties but they do inform us that the pirates wanted star port comms and were looking for the freighter we stopped from landing. They recognise the picture Earl shows them & he was in charge, they believe all 20 left. No security force, but may now get some. Darrian Confederacy would normally provide such. Junebug & Kimbley move through the buildings to check for any stragglers. Thankfully they don't seem to have left anyone behind. Darrian freighter informed and notified that they were the pirates target. They seemed surprised. Junebug checks for any booby traps Kimbley is distracted by an interesting smell, but no traps. 15 mins later the Darrian freighter lands safely. Trade goods incoming & taking back grain to Darrian, advise checking the cargo before loading. Potential hijacking is believed as reason for targeting the freighter. Chase is returned to us minus the air-raft which he tells us is damaged. Chase tells Earl of a strange sensation whilst out with the raft, so we go out armed to collect it. I have my tools for repairs complaining under my breath about the carelessness of my fellow crew mates. We find the air-raft, absent of its canopy & two seats damaged. We remove the seats, engine is fine. keep the canopy for now as I need the framework and will try to jury rig a new canopy back on the Hope. Thankfully there are no more funny feelings whilst recovering the air-raft. Tharbin negotiates some compensation & we offer to carry something that they may not be able to easily get off world. They can provide 20,000 litres of Vodka at 20 creds per unit giving us a good profit.

Which direction of Pirates ship. > Dorrania.

Four bottles with makers marks

A selection of the new cargo

Happy to sell us grain on any future trips. Will pass on at Merchant's Hall on Iderati. Depart Bularia with no problems - Jump smooth. Air-raft is airtight but would not want to put it under undue stress. Emerge at Ucella and run a scan, no 800 ton ships in system, but a few Scouts one of which is scanning us. No transponder signal it is the only one not giving off a signal. Contact star port we need to refuel request landing - Welcome us back, we request ocean refuel or we can land in field and use river again ask about ship with no signal they are curious as well. We land at same site as before - keep sensor lock on scout ship not in geo synchronous. Scanning every 43 mins. 24 hours to refine fuel. We gather our fuel & refine it all the while keeping an eye on the Scout ship to make sure the ship is on the other side the planet. Jumped in 5 days ago not answering hails & no-one has been willing to investigate. We will report this at Iderati & get them to send a patrol ship. Day passes uneventfully. Scan for suspicious ship, we calculate the timing and lift off & get to 100 diameters all within our 3 hour window.

We continue training during Jump & arrive at Iderati.- Contact star port control requesting direct line to Navy who tells us we can land at Star port and make an appointment, Masuyo not impressed & gets name to report him. We contact Mamons' office & make an appointment to see him. We try to get him on comms but too busy at the moment - 3 hours to land appointment set for 1 hour after landing.

In regards to the Letter Junebug receives: Ask for a list of names if possible as long as it doesn’t put them in any danger.