Begin a Session
Rushdown has just completed a mission to put an end to an Ironsail raiding party in the Ashitaba sector. As he returns to Minami City, he learns that another Red Suns ship, his former command the Rude Awakening, has been attacked.
Likely(14)Yes Ascendancy scouts arrive in AshitabaThe Starforged/Campaign Rushdown/Clocks/Ascendancy scouts arrive in Ashitaba.md → 2/3
Likely(97)No
Bigmouth watches the security feed from the nightclub. Two men dressed in green stand on guard at the door. A man in a suit exits the club with two armed guards. The man's head suddenly explodes, sending clubgoers running screaming into the night. The guards, guns up, scan the area for attackers but there are none. Bigmouth smiles. Satonaka nanomachines that listen in and let him know where certain people will be and when. Untraceable Satonaka sniper rifles that let his men pick off the enemy unseen and unheard. And all he has to do in return is pass on information about Rushdown and the Red Suns. Soon he'll be running half of Southside. He turns off the security feed and crosses a name off a list. He looks at the next name and smiles again. He's been looking forward to this one.
Momentum:7 → 8
Did the Rude Awakening escape the attack? 50/50(47)Yes
Rushdown arrives at Gray's office. Captain Murphy is sitting opposite her at the desk, his arm in a sling.
"What happened? Any casualties?" says Rushdown.
"We lost a few. Rae's in the hospital," says Murphy. "We were coming back to Minami from Tranquilo. There were three corvettes waiting for us on the way. They were fitted out like pirates, but they moved like professionals and their weapons packed a serious punch. We managed to lose them in an asteroid field and jump away. The Rude Awakening took a lot of damage, she won't be flying again for a while."
"You think it was a hit?" asks Rushdown.
"There haven't been any other pirate attacks between Minami and Tranquilo, and no pirate sightings involving three corvettes sector-wide," says Gray, "Not to mention the timing - the whole thing happened while you were on the other side of the sector and unable to respond. Yes, I think it was a hit."
"Who would try to take on the Red Suns?" asks Rushdown.
"The only real player in the sector is Minami, and they're on our side. So it has to be someone from outside the sector looking to move in."
"It could be anyone, then," says Murphy.
Rolling Gather Information to see if Rushdown connects the dots
Gather Information(Wits)—9 vs 9|5 Momentum:6 → 7
"I can think of someone who targeted the Red Suns once before," says Rushdown. "Someone with the resources to pull something like this off."
A look of realization appears on Gray's face. "Satonaka," she says. "It's a strong possibility. I think it's about time you tracked down Switchblade."
"I was just thinking the same thing," says Rushdown. He takes out his black iron dagger. "I vow to find out who attacked the Rude Awakening and take them out," he says.
Swear an Iron Vow(Heart)—8 vs 8|8match
19 - Solve the attack on the Rude Awakening Connection Gray +1 (8/10)
"Good luck. And if it is Satonaka, let me know - I can call for reinforcements from the Red Suns standby fleet in the next sector over," says Gray.
"Make them pay," says Murphy.
Rushdown returns to the Seventh Sun and they make their way to Gallows.
Set a Course(Supply)—8 vs 1|2
On arrival, Rushdown goes to see Captain Redblood. "Good to see you again, Captain," says Redblood, "It's been a while."
"You too, Captain. This is serious, so I'll get right to the point - the Red Suns are under attack. I need to find a man on Gallows by the name of Switchblade."
"Switchblade? He was found dead over a week ago. Stabbed in the back. No witnesses, of course."
"Damn it. Did the killer leave any clues?"
"This is Gallows, if you're not connected then nobody cares if you show up dead in an alley. You just get shoved out of an airlock and forgotten, there's no investigation."
"What about his apartment? Has it been cleared out yet?"
"Residential is Inferno's territory."
"Thanks."
Rushdown heads to see Inferno. This time she meets him in her office. It's lavish, with black and gold decor. "I need to check out Switchblade's apartment. Has it been cleared out yet?" Rushdown asks.
"Why should I help you? You haven't done anything for me."
"I proved that your men didn't kill Redblood's man."
"Yes, but recently."
"Look, another clan is working against Minami and Switchblade was one of their agents. There could be a war in this sector if we don't get to them first."
Inferno looks at Rushdown for an uncomfortably long time, calculating, then says "Fine. I'll have one of my men take you there."
Rushdown arrives at Switchblade's apartment and his escort unlocks the door. Rushdown steps inside and starts looking around.
Gather Information(Wits)—8 vs 10|7 Momentum:8 → 9
The place has been ransacked - someone clearly got here first, probably the killer. The terminal has been wiped of data and the drawers have been pulled out and their contents strewn around the room. There is nothing for Rushdown to go on.
As he is about to leave, he notices a handwritten note stuck to the fridge. 'Basilisk 2AM,' it reads. Is this a clue the killer missed, or something irrelevant the killer ignored, he wonders. With nothing else to go on he asks the escort "Do you know of a Basilisk on the station?"
"Look, mate, there are so many bloody nicknames around here I can barely remember my own. But it doesn't ring a bell."
Rushdown leaves the apartment, not knowing if Basilisk is a person, a place, or a ship.
First, he heads to the port registry to see if any ships by that name have docked at the station in the past two weeks - none have. Then he checks the station's 'net to see if there are any bars or taverns with that name - again, nothing. "So, we're looking for a person," thinks Rushdown to himself.
19 - Solve the attack on the Rude Awakening +1 (2/10)
He goes to see Chief Pyro in the Ironsail district. "Chief, it's time to call in that favor."
The chief says "What is it?"
"There's someone aboard the station by the name of Basilisk. I need to speak to them urgently."
"I can arrange that," replies the chief. "Might take some time."
Rushdown goes to the Ironsail bar to wait for the chief to find Basilisk.
Is Basilisk on the station? 50/50(55)No
A few hours later, the chief calls Rushdown into his office. "Sorry, Captain, but it seems you spooked her. She left the station in a hurry after you started poking around into Switchblade's death. She flies a multipurpose vehicle by the name of the Starship Name(49)Manta. "
"Any idea where she went?" asks Rushdown.
"Promise not to tell Minami?"
"Sure."
"There's another pirate haven in Ashitaba, one they don't know about. Much smaller than Gallows, of course, but much easier to hide in. Word is, she's probably there. It's called Cursed Settlement Name(4)Bedlam . And although I wasn't able to deliver Basilisk to you, I think telling you about Bedlam counts as returning the favor."
"It's enough. Thanks, chief."
Rushdown returns to the Seventh Sun and makes his way to Bedlam.
Set a Course(Supply)—10 vs 7|2 Momentum:9 → 10
Bedlam is a small, planetside community on a jungle world. It has a population of less than two hundred, and enough ships landed nearby for perhaps a hundred more. The Seventh Sun could probably wipe out the whole settlement and all the ships by itself. Instead, they land. Most of the residents come out of their buildings to watch the enormous warship land, wondering if this is the end for their little haven. Rushdown exits the ship and heads for the single tavern the settlement has as the onlookers stare.
Rushdown walks up to the bar and says to the barman "I'm looking for Basilisk, flies the Manta."
"No such person here," he says, but his eyes dart to the corner of the room for a fraction of a second. Rushdown looks round and sees a woman with cropped brown hair sitting in a corner booth by herself.
Does she try to run? 50/50(51)No
She looks down at her drink as Rushdown approaches. "Basilisk?" Rushdown says.
"Nope, you got the wrong person," says the woman.
"All I want to know is why you killed Switchblade."
"I don't know nobody named Switchblade," she says.
"You know if I check the landing pads I can find your ship and break in. I can crack your terminal and get all the answers I need. So just tell me what I want to know."
Compel(Iron)—6 vs 3|10
"They'll kill me if I talk. I want to defect to Takamaki. Make that happen and I'll tell you everything," she says.
"I'm not in contact with Takamaki."
"Then I want to talk to your boss, or your boss' boss, or whoever has a line to Takamaki."
"I'll take you to my boss if you answer a few preliminary questions," says Rushdown.
"Fine. On the ship, away from here," she says.
"Let's go, then," says Rushdown.
Basilisk is in the brig of the Seventh Sun and the Manta is in the hangar bay. They are in FTL, on the way to Minami City.
"So, why kill Switchblade?" asks Rushdown.
"He knew too much and he blew his last assignment," says Basilisk. "He should have skipped the sector. Rookie mistake."
"Who attacked the Rude Awakening?"
"Your corvette? I had no idea it had been attacked."
"Three corvettes ambushed it between Tranquilo and Minami"
"It was probably arranged by the agent on Tranquilo or Minami then. I don't know their names, they limit what information we get for obvious reasons."
"So there's definitely agents in Tranquilo and Minami?"
"Yeah."
"Where can I find the Satonaka ship?"
"Uh, no, I want to be under Takamaki's protection before I answer that one."
19 - Solve the attack on the Rude Awakening +1 (4/10)
Set a Course(Supply)—8 vs 5|3
They arrive in Minami City and Rushdown explains the situation with Basilisk to Gray in her office.
"Well, that puts us in a difficult situation," says Gray. "Even if we can find the agent in Minami City, we can't act against them without involving Wynne Barrow because of our contract with the Minami Clan."
"Unless they leave the city; we can go after them off-world," says Rushdown.
"The safer bet is for you to go to Tranquilo and find the agent there while I have an intelligence squad track the one here."
"Fine. I'll head there at once. What about Basilisk?"
"I'll send her and her ship to the next sector over - Takamaki won't enter Ashitaba for now."
"So, you're going to honor the agreement?"
"A cooperative Satonaka agent is a huge deal, Rushdown. Congratulations on the capture, by the way, it will reflect excellently on us and the Red Suns. HQ will be pleased, as will Takamaki."
Connection Gray +1 (9/10)
"Still, it doesn't help us find the bastards who attacked the Rude Awakening," says Rushdown.
"No, it doesn't. You'd better head to Tranquilo then."
End a Session
19 - Takamaki Response(0/The Starforged/Campaign Rushdown/Clocks/19 - Takamaki Response.md)