"Jett, Bones, you didn't just find my daughter, you brought her home safe. I'm in your debt. I'll expect a full mission report later, but for now I want to spend some time with Sofia." says Machete. They are standing in the landing bay of The Snakepit - Machete had been standing there waiting when the ships came in. "Get yourselves patched up, get something to eat, whatever you need. I'll call for you when I'm ready." Machete and Sofia walk away.
Connection: Machete +1 (3/10)
"Well, usually I'd go for a drink to celebrate after a mission but we didn't bring back any loot and I haven't been paid yet so I guess I'll go check in with the wife and kids." says Bones. He walks off towards the habitation area.
Jett looks around. He's alone in a strange space station - a pirate base, no less. What could possibly go wrong?
His shoulder is throbbing, so he goes to find a healer. The autodoc in the ship's medbay had reapplied the stitches, but the wound wasn't healing.
Sojourn(Heart)—5 vs 10|10match
"Sure, I can patch you up." says the healer "But you're not a Cobra. It's going to cost you."
"I don't have anything to trade with" replies Jett.
"You have a ship. We're running dangerously low on medical goods. If you take a vow to get us the supplies we need, I'll see to your wound. You don't need to do anything illegal, you can get them the legit way, but if you don't then our lads are going to have to hit a medical convoy and I don't want that on my conscience."
Jett takes out his Black iron ring and holds it between his fingers. "I vow to get medical supplies for The Snakepit".
05a - Get medical supplies for The Snakepit
"Excellent. Come take a seat."
Health:3 → 5
Jett also visits the technicians at the docks to get his ship repaired. When he arrives it's already been done - the damage to the fuselage has been fixed; if he didn't know better Jett would never have known the ship had been in a fight.
"Machete told us to take care of it" explains the mechanic with a shrug.
Starship / Integrity:4 → 5
Machete has an office on the second floor of the bar, through the captains-only VIP area, its glass windows overlooking the busy drinking area below. Eventually, Jett is called there. The first thing Machete says is "I want to thank you for saving my daughter. I only asked you to find her, but you brought her back safe and sound. I have a gift for you." Machete slides a gun across the table.
"I don't carry a gun." says Jett.
"I know, that's why I'm giving you one. This is a memoryform multipurpose sidearm. It has pistol, rifle, and shotgun presets. It's a very rare, very expensive weapon."
"I don't carry a gun" says Jett.
"Then keep it as a memento. Or trade it for something you need. But don't insult me by refusing my gift." Machete stares at Jett with a glint of menace in his eyes.
"Of course. Thank you, it's a very thoughtful present." says Jett as he takes the gun. It's the first time he's ever held a weapon. He's surprised by how good he feels when he holds it.
"Now, tell me what you know about the Ascendancy." says Machete
"They attacked us without warning. They killed Failsafe. If they'd been able to get their guns in position, we'd all be dead."
"Nothing else? You seriously haven't heard about the attacks?"
"Attacks?"
"Everybody's talking about it. These Ascendancy guys appeared out of nowhere and started attacking ships and settlements across the sector. They half-destroyed a planetside settlement by ramming it with a frigate."
"That's...concerning. Actually, there was something. When I heard the name, the Ascendancy, I got a strange feeling, like deja vu but much stronger. I think my destiny is tied to them, somehow."
"Your destiny, right. So you want to look into them?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"You want to look into them for me?"
Jett was back in the cockpit of The Irony. He was heading back to the scene of the battle, with a pirate fleet in tow. They had a frigate, six fighters, and a troop carrier. The plan was to come out of warp far away from the damaged frigate. If the ship wasn't there, they'd go and investigate the debris field to see if anything of interest got blasted out of the bridge. If it was there, they'd board the ship and make a thorough investigation. If reinforcements had arrived, the frigate and the fighters would take care of them.
05b - Investigate the damaged Ascendancy ship Connection: Machete +1 (4/10)
Set a Course(Supply)—5 vs 10|10match
Pay the Price(5)You encounter signs of a looming threat
"I'm picking up a number of warp signatures" signals the captain of the frigate. "A lot of ships have passed through here recently."
"Reinforcements?" asks Jett.
"Could be. Everybody, be on your guard."
They push on to their intended destination.
Is the damaged ship still there? 50/50(71)No
Are there reinforcements in the area? 50/50(32)Yes
Do the reinforcements notice the pirates at this range? Unlikely(10)Yes
The pirates warp in and take stock of the situation. Eight corvettes are guarding the site of the previous battle, but the damaged frigate is nowhere to be seen. The pirates start to plan their attack, but after only a few seconds the corvettes begin to move.
"They shouldn't be able to spot us this far out." says the captain of the pirate frigate over comms. "Ships that small don't have room for sensors that powerful."
"Doesn't matter, they're coming." Jett says as he flips the autopilot switch and turns to the tactical map. "The frigate outranges them, so we should be able to get a few hits in before they can fire back. After that, it's going to be a dogfight. Watch each other's backs, and protect the troop carrier."
Secure an Advantage(Wits)—8 vs 6|10
The frigate starts firing as soon as its able, but the corvettes keep coming. A desperate dogfight ensues. Jett stays at the tactical display, giving orders, sending fighters to where the opponents are weakest and coordinating the pirate ships' movement to prevent them from being flanked.
Battle(Wits)—8 vs 8|7
Pay the Price(85)You are stressed Spirit:5 → 3 Find and fulfil my destiny +1 (0/10)
The battle is successful - the Ascendancy ships are faster and more maneuverable than they ought to be, and their guns hit harder than they should be able to for their size, but their attack was an uncoordinated, wild assault and Jett's strategic maneuvering enabled the pirates to win the day without taking any losses. A few of the ships took hits and were in varying states of disrepair, but there were no casualties. Jett feels drained - the battle took a toll on him mentally; too many lives in his hands, too many near misses.
05b - Investigate the damaged Ascendancy ship +1 (2/10)
The fleet continues on towards the site of the earlier battle.
The bodies and items that got sucked out of the frigate's bridge during Sofia's assault are spiraling through space, along with a cloud of twisted metal, broken glass, and other debris. Jett scans the area, looking for the most promising items for him to investigate.
Secure an Advantage(Wits)—7 vs 4|8
Eris highlights a few key items. Jett puts on his EVA suit and heads to the airlock.
Gather Information(Wits)—6 vs 7|2 Momentum:4 → 5 05b - Investigate the damaged Ascendancy ship +1 (4/10)
The first thing he finds is a datapad. Its screen is cracked but it's still functional. He switches it on it contains a list of names. They appear to be a mixture of places, ships, and people. A number of the names have been crossed out, including Ackriss-2. The Snakepit is on the list, near the bottom.
Gather Information(Wits)—7 vs 2|9 Momentum:5 → 6 05b - Investigate the damaged Ascendancy ship +1 (6/10)
Next, he investigates the bodies. One of them is wearing a communicator on their wrist. "Sorry about this" Jett mutters as he scrolls to the most recent message.
Story Complication(16)Enemy reveals their true agenda or nature
"Captain's log #00316.7 - We believe we have located the Void Cobras hidden base with a 97% degree of accuracy. As far as we can tell, the relic is still there - from analyzing their communications they don't seem to realize what they stole. I recommend we begin the assault without delay."
Jett takes the communicator and heads to the final highlighted object - a data terminal that had been ripped from the floor by the power of the explosive decompression.
Gather Information(Wits)—7 vs 8|9
Story Complication(86)Urgent message distracts you from your quest
"Jett, get back to the ship right away." Eris says over comms. "Another Ascendancy fleet has just warped in and they're heading straight towards us. They have a dreadnought."