STARFORGED
Starship: The Silver Fox (1)
Modules: Internal Refit, Shields, Re-Inforced Hull,
Vehicles: Hoverbike
The Crew
Bethany Starling ‘Crystal’
1—1—2—3—2
Fugitive 2, Navigator 1
Kurtis Vayan ‘Brick’
3—2—2—1—1
Ace 1, Gunner 1
Rudy Greatdane ‘Basilisk’
1—2—2—1—3
Slayer 1, Lore Hunter 1
Capt. Sack Jarrow ‘Bloodshot’
1—2—2—1—3
Trader 1, Bounty Hunter 1
Sector: The Stygian Margin
Region: Outer Rim
Shithole Station
Population: 100+
Services: Waypoint. Refuel and Refit. Drop-off and pick-up warehousing.
Rough. Ugly. Mismatched blocks and modules bolted on unevenly over years of slow expansion.
The inside is no easier on the eye, or the olfactory senses, with unwashed bodies (water rationing) and stale air not recycled enough.
Reprise Station
Orbital station around planet Lorentos V.
Brotherhood Military (Marine/Naval Station).
Authority: Oppressive; Population: 100+
Deadrock Station
Deep Space Research Facility.
Authority: Autonomous; Population: 1,000.
Abalos
Desert Planet.
Low oxygen atmosphere. Breathers recommended. Suitable attire to prevent exposure to heat and sandstorms advised.
Settlement: Mange. Population: 1,000+
Authority: Lawless. Indigenous life forms: None.
Outside of regulated space. Base of operations for scrappers and (illegal) deep space salvagers.
Roughly 24 square miles of seemingly endless scrap yards interspersed with street vendors, water sellers, spice beer bars and brothels. The periphery is populated by moisture farms. The spaceport has large landing pads, a few hangars and the Bear Tavern spaceport bar (allegedly named after a fluffy mythical creature of Old Earth).
I
The briefest of Recaps
During a refuel stop at Shithole Station, a couple of bounty hunters, licensed by the Brotherhood, boarded the Silver Fox but found no illegal wares and failed to find the wanted fugitive, Crystal, who hid herself away in a smuggling compartment.
Crystal is a wanted by the Brotherhood (one of the Confederation of three factions ‘The Triumvirate’ ruling the Hub) over some stolen tech. AI and advanced technologies are jealously guarded and restricted by the Confederation but Crystal couldn’t resist helping herself to an augment implant designed to aid ship navigation out in the black.
Departing the station you set course for Abalos. Abalos is an off-grid desert world where you’ve been given a lead to a fixer named Chimera. You know next to nothing about Chimera except this person can help Crystal drop off the Confederation grid with a new face and identity.
On arrival, Brick drops the Silver Fox through the upper atmosphere and descends to the town’s starport—nothing but a stretch of landing pads lined by some ramshackle hangars. Talking to Ash, the proprietor of The Bear spaceport bar you ask about Chimera. The bar falls silent and all eyes turn towards you. The bar returns to idle chatter and for a bribe of five gallons of drinking water, Ash gives up a name—Jayna—a scrapper who might be able to help you.
Locating one salvage yard amongst what at first sight looks like one large town-sized dumping ground of scrap proved easier than first imagined and Jayna is talked into arranging an audience with Chimera. You’re left waiting for several hours under a canopy to shelter from the intense sun when finally a slight figure in hood and robes flanked by two burly characters arrives and demands to know who is seeking her.
Chimera takes a seat, draws back her hood to reveal the pretty face of woman in her forties and listens to Crystal’s story. Chimera can absolutely help but will want to exact payment—and out here it’s not Confederation credits that bother her. She smiles as she has something else in mind. “Maybe we can do a deal”.