Traveller Session 27

Game Date

323-1105

Location

Smoug

As we approach Smoug we carry out passive scans. Recalling the events at Elixabeth we recall that a small high powered ship is heading towards Lydia. Vexar apparently jumped in with the Zhodani.

Back in the present no issues exiting Jump space, passive scan shows no major activity. A 400 ton vessel is orbiting Smoug. We decide to be discreet and go to nearest Gas Giant to our port side for refuelling, We are contacted to identify ourselves from the planet surface, and then asked to carry out some scans of the moons in the area as they suspect some spy stations in the area. We pass on a brief description of our recent encounters outwith this system with a warning of possible incoming larger vessels over tight beam comms. We plan to send out the ships boat to carry out scans while the ship collects fuel. No expectation on us to engage any potential enemies unless a covert action can be taken. They have a System Defence Boat available if required.

The Captain orders our pilot to plot a course and get us to the gas giant while he makes the ships boat ready to fly. Chase is ordered to go with the Captain whilst Tharbin pilots The Hope. The ships boat starts scanning, but there doesn't appear to be any activity on any of the moons. They decide to take a slightly closer look by doing lower level fly-bys. Tharbin manages to get us to the Gas Giant safely. After 8 hours The Hope gets a ping from an incoming ship on opposite side of system from corewards direction. I am asked to reduce power as much as possible to minimise our signature. Ship just in system is heading straight for Gas Giant we are orbiting. The ship crashes on one of the moons, it's not imperial but it is Zhodani. Smoug was also known in past as Electrum previously a Sword Worlds system. Is the ship showing any damage, is it manned? The ships boat plans a fly over the crashed ship but then rethinks the plan.

The Zhodani Scout Ship on the surface of one of the moons of Smoug's Gas Giant

Salvage and check the ship for anything we can use? The ships boat decides to head back to the Hope, landing safely and gives a report on their findings. We discuss our options and decide to attempt to salvage the crashed ship. We get our equipment ready to board the ship after landing. We begin moving towards the downed ship. After landing and approaching the crashed ship a shot flies, over Earls shoulder and he throws himself flat on the ground. Masuyo makes contact explains our presence You murder leader I murder you is the response from the warrior Droyne. Masuyo tells it we were refuelling and had nothing to do with the death of it's leader but no further response is given. Masuyo runs towards it tackling it and getting a hold of it's weapon while shouting not to shoot. She then tries to reason with it which seems to work in that it is not actively trying to kill her. It is listening: It is repeating the phrase No leader. The Droyne are a hive minded alien species in groups of four to six. Masuyo asks if there are any injured fellows on board, was ship taken? No is the response to both. Leader died in Jump space Human killed him with laser pistol. It refuses to leave leader so we aim to gather the bodies and take them back to our ship. We also need to search for Human and/or Zhodani bodies and document everything. Cyn checks to ship for contaminants or radiation, but no atmosphere on board either.

We discover four Human bodies in Zhodani dress killed by the Droyne microwave weapons and two Droyne bodies that have been shot by laser pistols. We need to gather as much information as possible and take pictures of everything before we move any bodies. Wardn was the previous location for this ship along with Adabicci, Durendal, Gungnir & Hrunting. These are all Sword worlds locations.

Dual lasers are mounted on ship, and we plan to take them for The Hope. We move the Droyne bodies and Masuyo continues to make a connection with the survivor as they move back to the Hope, apparently they were heading home to Retinae, but the course shows they were going the wrong way.